Patrick Rothfuss: The Name of the Wind (2007, DAW Books)
English language
Published March 26, 2007 by DAW Books.
The Name of the Wind, also called The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One, is a heroic fantasy novel written by American author Patrick Rothfuss. It is the first book in the ongoing fantasy trilogy The Kingkiller Chronicle, followed by The Wise Man's Fear. It was published on March 27, 2007, by DAW Books.
It took me a few weeks to finish this because I didn't want it to end. Now I can't wait to read book 2 and the novella before book 3.
[3.5 rounded up to 4 stars]
There were enough things that frustrated me in this book to prevent a higher rating. The dialog and narration are occasionally awkward, some patterns (such as nearly every chapter ending with something along the lines of "little did I know how wrong I was about to be proven") are irritating, and while chasing after the careless girl when there's no shortage of superior options is romantic (if not idiotic) ...it does make me feel less sympathy for the protagonist when it gets him into trouble.
That said, the book was a lot of fun. Yes, it slowed down a good deal around the halfway mark, and I got the feeling that a lot of people, places, and stories were introduced that are not important and will not be resolved in the next book (and reviews of the next book seem to agree). But for …
[3.5 rounded up to 4 stars]
There were enough things that frustrated me in this book to prevent a higher rating. The dialog and narration are occasionally awkward, some patterns (such as nearly every chapter ending with something along the lines of "little did I know how wrong I was about to be proven") are irritating, and while chasing after the careless girl when there's no shortage of superior options is romantic (if not idiotic) ...it does make me feel less sympathy for the protagonist when it gets him into trouble.
That said, the book was a lot of fun. Yes, it slowed down a good deal around the halfway mark, and I got the feeling that a lot of people, places, and stories were introduced that are not important and will not be resolved in the next book (and reviews of the next book seem to agree). But for some reason I didn't mind too much. Reading THE NAME OF THE WIND felt a lot like reading a [a:Jay Lake|234088|Jay Lake|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1245101039p2/234088.jpg] book; the world-building is impressive and the settings stick in your head, but the plot itself meanders and sidesteps and cheats you with too much Deus Ex Machina.
I'll definitely read [b:The Wise Man's Fear|1215032|The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2)|Patrick Rothfuss|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1297311431s/1215032.jpg|2502882], and even if I like it less than THE NAME OF THE WIND, I'll read the next book too. Despite my complaints, I really like the world Rothfuss has created here, and I'm anxious to go back.
All in all, I would label this book as a 4.5 but I am rounding up in its favor. I did not like the very slow start, it takes about 250 pages to really get the story rolling. From that part onwards, it gets more and more intriguing. Kvothe is an odd character, in a way. I am not usually fond of larger than life characters, but he has his flaws which saves him for me. I am intrigued to find out how the story goes on. I want to learn more about the Chandrian and the Amyr, about Kvothe, how he met Bast, and the true story behind Denna.
If you are looking for fantasy that tells a colorful story, with an emphasis on a magic university setting and a gifted student, check this one out for sure.
Bring on the next book!
