Patrick RothfussReviews

Okay, I now understand what the fuss is all about. This is a ripping yarn, full of interesting characters and I came to really care for them. Looking forward to reading the others in the series.

Drat. Now I have to wait until the third instalment's out.

Not incredible or beautifully written, but I still couldn't put it down.

I like this one more than the first one. Kvothe is more grown up and less annoying.

I liked it but it was basically just Auri having OCD.

Yer a wizard now, Kvothe.

Definitely a strong continuation of the series, but I'm not sure that it was as much as I'd been hoping for. I think it's possible I was hoping for too much though. I guess I am just afraid that Rothfuss doesn't know where the series is going...

EDIT: Reread May 11, 2012

Great the second time around as well. There is a lot riding on the third book, I think. If it's not good, this book will probably be far more frustrating in retrospect. That being said, if all books were like this, I would probably never stop reading.

This was a great book almost solely because of the writing. The magic system was interesting, but not as detailed as Mistborn, and there were fewer main characters (it was far more of a first person story, since it is written in the form of Kvothe telling his life story). In spite of this, the book remains gripping throughout, only faltering a little when he stays in Tarbean and at the end. My final concern was Kvothe's constant struggle with bankruptcy despite the fact that he earns (and spends) lots of money every time he plays music in bars. He just seems to have no idea how to manage himself in that respect, which doesn't jive with the rest of his image. A great book overall (I have trouble describing it's strong points, but I enjoyed everything about the book except what I explicitly mentioned above) and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

EDIT - Reread on May 3, 2012

On this reread, I realized that the money issue was nowhere near as big of a deal as it had been the first time I'd read through it. I'm surprised I even mentioned it, honestly. Overall the book was great. Now that I read the section with the Dracchus more closely, it made a bit more sense (though it was still kind of random with respect to the rest of the narrative). I'm very much looking forward to rereading the second book, since I've already forgotten what happens and I remember it being pretty sweet. More importantly though, I'm excited for the third book, whenever that comes out, since I think the conclusion of this series could very easily be the best. I'm almost hoping the 3rd book isn't the last...

This is apparently the first of a trilogy of heroic fantasy books set in the world of Temerant, but as yet the third installment has not been written, so if you do begin this series, be aware it may not end. This is American author Patrick Rothfuss’ debut novel and it has won many awards.

The story begins with a scene in a village inn where a scrael (spider monster) arrives and is dealt with by the innkeeper. The innkeeper Kvothe, it turns out, is hiding out in the village since slaying a king. He ends up recounting his life story to the Chronicler, which will take three days. Book one equates to day one of this story-telling.

Kvothe tells the tale of his childhood in a musical troupe, until his parents were killed by the Chandrian and he is left orphaned and must find a way to survive. Eventually Kvothe ends up in Imre and manages to get into University to study magic (Sympathy) and alchemy. Kvothe battles constantly with his pressing poverty and also pressure from enemies he develops along the way. He falls in love with Denna, and the two face fire and a dragon together.

This is an enjoyable read, with elements of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. The audio-narration by Rupert Degas is exceptional. The style of the story as a recount or memoir did make me wonder if it was going anywhere, and it finishes nowhere specific. I also struggled a little with the boy genius character, as Kvothe is very much a male Mary Sue. He feels like he would be every geek’s self-projected dream of themselves. In terms of the female characterisation in the book it is disappointing. The women are only really there to lend support to Kvothe’s story. If it were condensed into the size of a film I doubt it would pass the Bechdel test. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read. I don’t think I will read book two though as book three is seemingly a non-starter. 3.5 stars for me.½

A difficult rating.

I could see what Patrick Rothfuss was trying to do, and on that count, I felt he did very well. The atmospheric perspective of Auri was amazingly captured, and both the prose as well as the narrative style contributed to (in Rothfuss' own words) a vignette of the Underthing and its mysterious inhabitant which was powerful and evocative.

But, to put it bluntly, it didn't engage me me, and I found it difficult to connect with or comprehend what Auri was doing or feeling. The further I got into The Slow Regard of Silent Things, the more I felt that the appeal of Auri's character in the main series derives from her contrast to the 'normal' world and her special relationship with Kvothe, and reading a 'week in the life of Auri' just made her feel more pedestrian.

The illustrations were awesome though!

"And if you were careful, if you were a proper part of things, then you could help. You mended what was cracked. You tended to the things you found askew. And you trusted that the world in turn would brush you up against the chance to eat. It was the only graceful way to move. All else was vanity and pride."

I went into this knowing it would be odd; the author tells us so at the start. I wanted to learn more about Auri, but all I did was confirm that she probably suffers from OCD and may have been sexually assaulted at some point. It’s beautifully written, but not really my cup of tea.

I liked this book but I didn’t love it the way I did The Name of the Wind. I definitely could have done without the pages and pages of adolescent male sexual fantasy. Being neither male nor adolescent it was totally lost in me.

I read this for the "A Book Picked Out By Someone Else" part of my 2019 reading challenge. It was different than I expected it to be, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to hearing more about Kvothe's life.

For our book club, I'd picked The Name of the Wind as I wanted to try what was being purported to be a great fantasy novel. Gave it 2.5 stars because it just didn't go anywhere. Another club member upon his turn to pick a book chose The Wise Man's Fear, the second installment. I reluctantly agreed and found it to be just as long winded and rudderless.

Make no mistake: Rothfuss can write. But being a good writer and being able to tell a good story are clearly two different things. There's really little story between the two books. I got halfway through this one and just had to call it quits.½

THE best Fantasy novel of 2009, IMHO

Wow. This was even better the 2nd time around....

Not bad for what it is. I have a burning hatred for how much time is spend pining over the main love interest, but c'est la vie. The world is expanded upon, which is nice, but I can't help but feel the protagonist is just too good at just about everything. I would still like to read the conclusion, but at this point, I highly doubt it's coming.

An interesting and engaging fantasy, if a bit dated.

This type of protagonist (really amazing at just about everything, loved by all, etc.) hasn't aged quite that great, and that may have contributed to the author never finishing this series. Who knows. Regardless, this is a good fantasy read. The world is well established, the characters are interesting, and I would genuinely like to see where it's going.

Unfortunately, past a few side stories, the author hasn't continued after the next in the series. So be forewarned.

Lot of hype around this one. I basically got tired of waiting for something to happen and gave up at the opening of chapter 4. I may be missing out, but I'm moving on to something a little faster paced. Don't know if I'll return, but if I do it'll be for one reason - to figure out what's up with Bast. I found a guy in a fantasy novel who has the same name as the ancient Egyptian cat goddess to be rather distracting. If the dude turns out to be a cat-or-something-like I might be forced to challenged the author's world building chops. If he's not a cat-or-something-like, I might be forced question his character building chops....

A short spinoff of Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicles series centering on the character Bast, seen here trading in favors and secrets with the local children. It's a decent enough story (as well as a very nicely illustrated one), with an appropriately magical feel and an ending with its heart in the right place, although perhaps not quite as clever or moving as it felt like it wanted to be. It was revised and adapted from an earlier story, "The Lightning Tree," and while I haven't read that one to compare them, I do sort of wonder if it actually needed the 15,000 words the author says he added to it, or if it might have been better off without them.½

La Universidad; el bastión del conocimiento; atrae a las mentes más brillantes; que acuden para aprender los misterios de ciencias como la artificería y la alquimia. Sin embargo; bajo esos edificios y sus concurridas aulas existe un mundo en penumbras que solo unos pocos conocen. En ese laberinto de túneles antiguos; de salas y habitaciones abandonadas; de escaleras serpenteantes y pasillos semiderruidos vive Auri. Tiempo atrás fue alumna de la Universidad. Ahora cuida de la Subrealidad; para ella un lugar acogedor; maravilloso; en el que podría pasarse la eternidad. Ha aprendido que hay otros misterios que no conviene remover; es mejor dejarlos en paz. Ya no se deja engañar por la lógica en la que tanto confían en lo alto: ella sabe reconocer los sutiles peligros y los nombres olvidados que se ocultan bajo la superficie de las cosas. La música del silencio es una historia lírica y evocadora que ofrece a los lectores de El nombre del viento y El temor de un hombre sabio la oportunidad de ver ese mundo a través de los ojos de Auri; uno de sus personajes favoritos; y de descubrir cosas que hasta ahora solo ella sabía.

It is a good series so far, but it drags a little. The character of Kvothe is a little ambiguous. I am not sure what to make of his character. He is usually a stand up character, but in little ways of lying and certain actions you see a character that has a dark side.

I will definitely keep reading the series, but at this rate I wonder if it can be finished up in three books or 12+.

After two days of non-stop reading I have only three coherent words left to comment: Worth the wait.

Story: 8 / 10
Characters: 10
Setting: 8
Prose: 9

WARNING: This book has no ending. Would have really appreciated knowing that before starting.