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The Name of the Wind Paperback – Illustrated, April 7, 2009
Purchase options and add-ons
“I just love the world of Patrick Rothfuss.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda
OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD!
DAY ONE: THE NAME OF THE WIND
My name is Kvothe.
I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.
So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature—the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.
- Print length672 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherDAW
- Publication dateApril 7, 2009
- Dimensions6 x 1.4 x 8.94 inches
- ISBN-100756405890
- ISBN-13978-0756405892
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
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Customer Reviews |
4.9 out of 5 stars 1,941
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4.7 out of 5 stars 84,083
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4.7 out of 5 stars 73,344
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4.3 out of 5 stars 22,862
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4.4 out of 5 stars 4,771
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Price | $22.80$22.80 | $9.89$9.89 | $11.15$11.15 | $9.49$9.49 | $14.23$14.23 |
An instant New York Times, USA Today and Indie Bestseller! | 10th Anniversary Edition | Day One | Day Two | A Kingkiller Novella | A Kingkiller Novella |
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“The best epic fantasy I read last year.... He’s bloody good, this Rothfuss guy.” —George R. R. Martin, New York Times-bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire
“Rothfuss’Kingkiller books are among the most read and re-read in our home. It’s a world you want to spend lifetimes in, as his many fans will attest.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda, Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of Hamilton
“Rothfuss has real talent, and his tale of Kvothe is deep and intricate and wondrous.” —Terry Brooks, New York Times-bestselling author of Shannara
"It is a rare and great pleasure to find a fantasist writing...with true music in the words." —Ursula K. LeGuin, award-winning author of Earthsea
"The characters are real and the magic is true.” —Robin Hobb, New York Times-bestselling author of Assassin’s Apprentice
"Masterful.... There is a beauty to Pat's writing that defies description." —Brandon Sanderson, New York Times-bestselling author of Mistborn
“[Makes] you think he's inventing the genre, instead of reinventing it.” —Lev Grossman, New York Times-bestselling author of The Magicians
“This is a magnificent book.” —Anne McCaffrey, award-winning author of the Dragonriders of Pern
“The great new fantasy writer we've been waiting for, and this is an astonishing book." —Orson Scott Card, New York Times-bestselling author of Ender’s Game
“It's not the fantasy trappings (as wonderful as they are) that make this novel so good, but what the author has to say about true, common things, about ambition and failure, art, love, and loss.” —Tad Williams, New York Times-bestselling author of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn
“An extremely immersive story set in a flawlessly constructed world and told extremely well.” —Jo Walton, award-winning author of Among Others
“Hail Patrick Rothfuss! A new giant is striding the land.” —Robert J. Sawyer, award-winning author of Wake
“Fans of the epic high fantasies of George R.R. Martin or J.R.R. Tolkien will definitely want to check out Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind.” —NPR
“Shelve The Name of the Wind beside The Lord of the Rings...and look forward to the day when it's mentioned in the same breath, perhaps as first among equals.” —The A.V. Club
“Rothfuss (who has already been compared to the likes of Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, and George R. R. Martin) is poised to be crowned the new king of epic fantasy.” —Barnes & Noble
“I was reminded of Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin, and J. R. R. Tolkien, but never felt that Rothfuss was imitating anyone.” —The London Times
“This fast-moving, vivid, and unpretentious debut roots its coming-of-age fantasy in convincing mythology.” —Entertainment Weekly
“This breathtakingly epic story is heartrending in its intimacy and masterful in its narrative essence.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)
“Reminiscent in scope of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series...this masterpiece of storytelling will appeal to lovers of fantasy on a grand scale.” —Library Journal (starred)
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
A Silence of Three Parts
It was night again. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts.
The most obvious part was a hollow, echoing quiet, made by things that were lacking. If there had been a wind it would have sighed through the trees, set the inn’s sign creaking on its hooks, and brushed the silence down the road like trailing autumn leaves. If there had been a crowd, even a handful of men inside the inn, they would have filled the silence with conversation and laughter, the clatter and clamor one expects from a drinking house during the dark hours of night. If there had been music...but no, of course there was no music. In fact there were none of these things, and so the silence remained.
Inside the Waystone a pair of men huddled at one corner of the bar. They drank with quiet determination, avoiding serious discussions of troubling news. In doing this they added a small, sullen silence to the larger, hollow one. It made an alloy of sorts, a counterpoint.
The third silence was not an easy thing to notice. If you listened for an hour, you might begin to feel it in the wooden floor underfoot and in the rough, splintering barrels behind the bar. It was in the weight of the black stone hearth that held the heat of a long dead fire. It was in the slow back and forth of a white linen cloth rubbing along the grain of the bar. And it was in the hands of the man who stood there, polishing a stretch of mahogany that already gleamed in the lamplight.
The man had true-red hair, red as flame. His eyes were dark and distant, and he moved with the subtle certainty that comes from knowing many things.
The Waystone was his, just as the third silence was his. This was appropriate, as it was the greatest silence of the three, wrapping the others inside itself. It was deep and wide as autumn’s ending. It was heavy as a great river-smooth stone. It was the patient, cut-flower sound of a man who is waiting to die.
CHAPTER ONE
A Place for Demons
It was Felling Night, and the usual crowd had gathered at the Waystone Inn. Five wasn’t much of a crowd, but five was as many as the Waystone ever saw these days, times being what they were.
Old Cob was filling his role as storyteller and advice dispensary. The men at the bar sipped their drinks and listened. In the back room a young innkeeper stood out of sight behind the door, smiling as he listened to the details of a familiar story.
“When he awoke, Taborlin the Great found himself locked in a high tower. They had taken his sword and stripped him of his tools: key, coin, and candle were all gone. But that weren’t even the worst of it, you see...” Cob paused for effect, “...cause the lamps on the wall were burning blue!”
Graham, Jake, and Shep nodded to themselves. The three friends had grown up together, listening to Cob’s stories and ignoring his advice.
Cob peered closely at the newer, more attentive member of his small audience, the smith’s prentice. “Do you know what that meant, boy?” Everyone called the smith’s prentice “boy” despite the fact that he was a hand taller than anyone there. Small towns being what they are, he would most likely remain “boy” until his beard filled out or he bloodied someone’s nose over the matter.
The boy gave a slow nod. “The Chandrian.”
“That’s right,” Cob said approvingly. “The Chandrian. Everyone knows that blue fire is one of their signs. Now he was—”
“But how’d they find him?” the boy interrupted. “And why din’t they kill him when they had the chance?”
“Hush now, you’ll get all the answers before the end,” Jake said. “Just let him tell it.”
“No need for all that, Jake,” Graham said. “Boy’s just curious. Drink your drink.”
“I drank me drink already,” Jake grumbled. “I need t’nother but the innkeep’s still skinning rats in the back room.” He raised his voice and knocked his empty mug hollowly on the top of the mahogany bar. “Hoy! We’re thirsty men in here!”
The innkeeper appeared with five bowls of stew and two warm, round loaves of bread. He pulled more beer for Jake, Shep, and Old Cob, moving with an air of bustling efficiency.
The story was set aside while the men tended to their dinners. Old Cob tucked away his bowl of stew with the predatory efficiency of a lifetime bachelor. The others were still blowing steam off their bowls when he finished the last of his loaf and returned to his story.
“Now Taborlin needed to escape, but when he looked around, he saw his cell had no door. No windows. All around him was nothing but smooth, hard stone. It was a cell no man had ever escaped.
“But Taborlin knew the names of all things, and so all things were his to command. He said to the stone: ‘Break!’ and the stone broke. The wall tore like a piece of paper, and through that hole Taborlin could see the sky and breathe the sweet spring air. He stepped to the edge, looked down, and without a second thought he stepped out into the open air....”
The boy’s eyes went wide. “He didn’t!”
Cob nodded seriously. “So Taborlin fell, but he did not despair. For he knew the name of the wind, and so the wind obeyed him. He spoke to the wind and it cradled and caressed him. It bore him to the ground as gently as a puff of thistledown and set him on his feet softly as a mother’s kiss.
“And when he got to the ground and felt his side where they’d stabbed him, he saw that it weren’t hardly a scratch. Now maybe it was just a piece of luck,” Cob tapped the side of his nose knowingly. “Or maybe it had something to do with the amulet he was wearing under his shirt.”
“What amulet?” the boy asked eagerly through a mouthful of stew.
Old Cob leaned back on his stool, glad for the chance to elaborate. “A few days earlier, Taborlin had met a tinker on the road. And even though Taborlin didn’t have much to eat, he shared his dinner with the old man.”
“Right sensible thing to do,” Graham said quietly to the boy. “Everyone knows: ‘A tinker pays for kindness twice.’”
“No no,” Jake grumbled. “Get it right: ‘A tinker’s advice pays kindness twice.’”
The innkeeper spoke up for the first time that night. “Actually, you’re missing more than half,” he said, standing in the doorway behind the bar.
“A tinker’s debt is always paid:
Once for any simple trade.
Twice for freely-given aid.
Thrice for any insult made.”
The men at the bar seemed almost surprised to see Kote standing there. They’d been coming to the Waystone every Felling night for months and Kote had never interjected anything of his own before. Not that you could expect anything else, really. He’d only been in town for a year or so.
He was still a stranger. The smith’s prentice had lived here since he was eleven, and he was still referred to as “that Rannish boy,” as if Rannish were some foreign country and not a town less than thirty miles away.
“Just something I heard once,” Kote said to fill the silence, obviously embarrassed.
Old Cob nodded before he cleared his throat and launched back into the story. “Now this amulet was worth a whole bucket of gold nobles, but on account of Taborlin’s kindness, the tinker sold it to him for nothing but an iron penny, a copper penny, and a silver penny. It was black as a winter night and cold as ice to touch, but so long as it was round his neck, Taborlin would be safe from the harm of evil things. Demons and such.”
“I’d give a good piece for such a thing these days,” Shep said darkly. He had drunk most and talked least over the course of the evening. Everyone knew that something bad had happened out on his farm last Cendling night, but since they were good friends they knew better than to press him for the details. At least not this early in the evening, not as sober as they were.
“Aye, who wouldn’t?” Old Cob said judiciously, taking a long drink.
“I din’t know the Chandrian were demons,” the boy said. “I’d heard—”
“They ain’t demons,” Jake said firmly. “They were the first six people to refuse Tehlu’s choice of
the path, and he cursed them to wander the corners—”
“Are you telling this story, Jacob Walker?” Cob said sharply. “Cause if you are, I’ll just let you get on with it.”
The two men glared at each other for a long moment. Eventually Jake looked away, muttering something that could, conceivably, have been an apology.
Cob turned back to the boy. “That’s the mystery of the Chandrian,” he explained. “Where do they come from? Where do they go after they’ve done their bloody deeds? Are they men who sold their souls? Demons? Spirits? No one knows.” Cob shot Jake a profoundly disdainful look. “Though every half-wit claims he knows....”
The story fell further into bickering at this point, about the nature of the Chandrian, the signs that showed their presence to the wary, and whether the amulet would protect Taborlin from bandits, or mad dogs, or falling off a horse. Things were getting heated when the front door banged open.
Jake looked over. “It’s about time you got in, Carter. Tell this damn fool the difference between a demon and a dog. Everybody kn—” Jake stopped midsentence and rushed to the door. “God’s body, what happened to you?”
Carter stepped into the light, his face pale and smeared with blood. He clutched an old saddle blanket to his chest. It was an odd, awkward shape, as if it were wrapped around a tangle of kindling sticks.
His friends jumped off their stools and hurried over at the sight of him. “I’m fine,” he said as he made his slow way into the common room. His eyes were wild around the edges, like a skittish horse. “I’m fine. I’m fine.”
He dropped the bundled blanket onto the nearest table where it knocked hard against the wood, as if it were full of stones. His clothes were crisscrossed with long, straight cuts. His grey shirt hung in loose tatters except where it was stuck to his body, stained a dark, sullen red.
Graham tried to ease him into a chair. “Mother of God. Sit down, Carter. What happened to you? Sit down.”
Carter shook his head stubbornly. “I told you, I’m fine. I’m not hurt that bad.”
“How many were there?” Graham said.
“One,” Carter said. “But it’s not what you think—”
“Goddammit. I told you, Carter,” Old Cob burst out with the sort of frightened anger only relatives and close friends can muster. “I told you for months now. You can’t go out alone. Not even as far as Baedn. It ain’t safe.” Jake laid a hand on the old man’s arm, quieting him.
“Just take a sit,” Graham said, still trying to steer Carter into a chair. “Let’s get that shirt off you and get you cleaned up.”
Carter shook his head. “I’m fine. I got cut up a little, but the blood is mostly Nelly’s. It jumped on her. Killed her about two miles outside town, past the Oldstone Bridge.”
A moment of serious silence followed the news. The smith’s prentice laid a sympathetic hand on Carter’s shoulder. “Damn. That’s hard. She was gentle as a lamb, too. Never tried to bite or kick when you brought her in for shoes. Best horse in town. Damn. I’m...” He trailed off. “Damn. I don’t know what to say.” He looked around helplessly.
Cob finally managed to free himself from Jake. “I told you,” he repeated, shaking a finger in Carter’s direction. “There’s folks out lately that would kill you for a pair of pennies, let alone a horse and cart. What are you going to do now? Pull it yourself?”
There was a moment of uncomfortable quiet. Jake and Cob glared at each other while the rest seemed at a loss for words, unsure of how to comfort their friend.
The innkeeper moved carefully through the silence. Arms full, he stepped nimbly around Shep and began to arrange some items on a nearby table: a bowl of hot water, shears, some clean linen, a few glass bottles, needle and gut.
“This never would have happened if he’d listened to me in the first place,” Old Cob muttered. Jake tried to quiet him, but Cob brushed him aside. “I’m just tellin’ the truth. It’s a damn shame about Nelly, but he better listen now or he’ll end up dead. You don’t get lucky twice with those sort of men.”
Carter’s mouth made a thin line. He reached out and pulled the edge of the bloody blanket. Whatever was inside flipped over once and snagged on the cloth. Carter tugged harder and there was a clatter like a bag of flat river stones upended onto the tabletop.
It was a spider as large as a wagon wheel, black as slate.
The smith’s prentice jumped backward and hit a table, knocking it over and almost falling to the ground himself. Cob’s face went slack. Graham, Shep, and Jake made wordless, startled sounds and moved away, raising their hands to their faces. Carter took a step backward that was almost like a nervous twitch. Silence filled the room like a cold sweat.
The innkeeper frowned. “They can’t have made it this far west yet,” he said softly.
If not for the silence, it is unlikely anyone would have heard him. But they did. Their eyes pulled away from the thing on the table to stare mutely at the red-haired man.
Jake found his voice first. “You know what this is?”
The innkeeper’s eyes were distant. “Scrael,” he said distractedly. “I’d thought the mountains—”
“Scrael?” Jake broke in. “Blackened body of God, Kote. You’ve seen these things before?”
“What?” The red-haired innkeeper looked up sharply, as if suddenly remembering where he was.
“Oh. No. No, of course not.” Seeing that he was the only one within arm’s length of the dark thing, he took a measured step away. “Just something I heard.” They stared at him. “Do you remember the trader that came through about two span ago?”
They all nodded. “Bastard tried to charge me ten pennies for a half-pound of salt,” Cob said reflexively, repeating the complaint for perhaps the hundredth time.
“Wish I’d bought some,” Jake mumbled. Graham nodded a silent agreement.
“He was a filthy shim,” Cob spat, seeming to find comfort in the familiar words. “I might pay two in a tight time, but ten is robbery.”
“Not if there are more of those on the road,” Shep said darkly.
All eyes went back to the thing on the table.
Product details
- Publisher : DAW; Reprint edition (April 7, 2009)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 672 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0756405890
- ISBN-13 : 978-0756405892
- Item Weight : 1.52 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.4 x 8.94 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #3,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #148 in Sword & Sorcery Fantasy (Books)
- #150 in Action & Adventure Fantasy (Books)
- #417 in Epic Fantasy (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author

Patrick Rothfuss had the good fortune to be born in Wisconsin in 1973, where the long winters and lack of cable television encouraged a love of reading and writing.
After abandoning his chosen field of chemical engineering, Pat became an itinerant student, wandering through clinical psychology, philosophy, medieval history, theater, and sociology. Nine years later, Pat was forced by university policy to finally complete his undergraduate degree in English.
When not reading and writing, he teaches fencing and dabbles with alchemy in his basement.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the story engaging and well-crafted. They praise the crisp, descriptive writing style and memorable phrases. The book keeps readers hooked with its intriguing scenarios and magic. Readers appreciate the interesting characters and their development. The world is described as masterfully crafted and filled with intricate details.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book's story. They find it engaging and well-crafted, with a satisfying plot and compelling character development. The protagonist is described as clever and relatable, taking readers on a realistic journey.
"...Kvothe is almost so perfect (at first) that he's annoying; brilliant, clever (not exactly the same thing!),..." Read more
"...reader knows he or she is reading an story fantastic and traditional in equal measures, so the ending is certainly a happy one...." Read more
"...This is a really good book in the fantasy genre, I wanted to give it 4 or 4.5 stars because I felt it was too 'modern' in style compared to Tolkien..." Read more
"...for a book about names, the author deploys a rich and beautiful vocabulary of archaic, obscure and nonce words that help bring the world to life all..." Read more
Customers enjoy the writing style. They find the prose clear and concise, with good use of wordplay and descriptive language. The book abounds with memorable phrases and phrases like "the Waystone Inn lay in silence". Readers describe the author as a master linguist, and they appreciate the quiet beauty hidden in each syllable.
"...is described beautifully in its ugliness, though everything in this book is described beautifully, and the characters we meet here are fascinating..." Read more
"...And do yourself a favor, also check out the audiobooks are narrated by Nick Borel (I believe) &/or Mr. Rothfuss. Absolutely fantastic!!..." Read more
"...And to a point, she does live up as his parallel. She’s a marvelous singer with unmatched raw talent, full of grit in a cutthroat world, has an..." Read more
"...It describes your true essence. Thus, when you know the name of something or someone, you can control it. Rothfuss rocks!!!" Read more
Customers find the book engaging with interesting characters and scenarios. They describe it as addictive and brimming with magic and wonder. The adventures and questions entice readers to immerse themselves in the story.
"...But he's an easy character to root for and to love, The adventures are many, the other characters are memorable, and the story is very compelling...." Read more
"...unmatched raw talent, full of grit in a cutthroat world, has an adventurer’s sense, and is unimaginably gorgeous...." Read more
"...This was a nice, interesting, easily-consumed story that never felt burdensome or like a slog through x number of pages to get to a "good"..." Read more
"...Without giving away too much, the plotting is fair and very interesting. The writing is superb at the sort of clause and phrase level...." Read more
Customers find the characters interesting and easy to root for. They appreciate the well-developed female characters and the protagonist's charisma, wit, and agility. While some reviewers mention that Kvothe has character deficiencies, they still find themselves rooting for him throughout the book. The story is described as a heroic tale of a man with unmatched raw talent and an unforgettable world-building by Rothfuss.
"...without being too verbose (most of the time), and the characters are real people with real people personalities and dialogue (mostly)...." Read more
"...But he's an easy character to root for and to love, The adventures are many, the other characters are memorable, and the story is very compelling...." Read more
"...She’s a marvelous singer with unmatched raw talent, full of grit in a cutthroat world, has an adventurer’s sense, and is unimaginably gorgeous...." Read more
"...Although Kvothe is one of the most interesting protagonists I've read in a long time, his portrayal does have flaws where the author risks making..." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's artistic touch and imaginative writing. They find the story creative, with a unique idea and well-crafted world. The book is rich in detail, even including grim and gory aspects. Readers enjoy the interesting characters and thought-provoking themes.
"...as he's approaching the stage, as he's playing, afterwards, are so beautifully and accurately painted with words that I could authentically feel as..." Read more
"...Kvothe is almost so perfect (at first) that he's annoying; brilliant, clever (not exactly the same thing!),..." Read more
"...It provides wonderful contrast: the reader knows he or she is reading an story fantastic and traditional in equal measures, so the ending is..." Read more
"...This was a nice, interesting, easily-consumed story that never felt burdensome or like a slog through x number of pages to get to a "good"..." Read more
Customers find the world-building fantastic and engrossing. They say the book is set in a rich, realistic world that feels more real than an anti-hero. The characters are described as smart and capable of learning quickly.
"...taken along in the story with sufficient attention to details and world-building, but not overlong and overdrawn descriptions of every blade of grass..." Read more
"...And this is his greatest motivation in life to excel, superseding his parents' deaths. Yep, that's what Rothfuss is going with...." Read more
"...character who is unsympathetic yet is not an anti-hero, is set in a rich world which feels far more real and detailed than most, and has many of the..." Read more
"...system that is explained by his teacher is also clever and partially explained by science, so when it comes up later, it doesn't seem to be a Deus..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's wit and clever writing style. They find the prose almost poetic, with a cheerful tone that changes from dark to lighthearted throughout. Readers appreciate the refreshingly uncliched narrative and beautiful metaphors. The main character is relatable and the story never becomes stilted or overly descriptive.
"...Rothfuss uses simile and metaphor extremely well in his descriptions, especially through Kvothe's first-person perspective when describing character..." Read more
"...funny, adorable... but he's also complicated...." Read more
"...Beyond that, however, Kvothe has a hilarious sense of humor, and coupled with his predilection towards practical jokes, makes him a hero that I love..." Read more
"...It never gets bogged down in flowery description, it never becomes stilted, it never wanders into (too much) exposition...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some find it well-paced and engaging, with beautifully flowing prose and evocative descriptions. Others feel the plot is dull and there is little joy in reading it.
"...From what I understand it starts off a bit slow but picks up pretty fast. He recommends this book to everyone and he’s an avid reader." Read more
"...The prose flows beautifully, the descriptions are brilliantly evocative without being too verbose (most of the time), and the characters are real..." Read more
"...Wind", I have realized after much deliberation, is one of the most derivative books I have ever partaken in while still being assured of its higher-..." Read more
"...said above, the writing is also superb at the chapter level, with excellent pacing, and complex stories within stories within stories completely..." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2024Patrick Rothfuss doesn't even need another glowing review - but I'll make one anyway. I was introduced to this book a few years ago and enjoyed the hell out of it. Kvothe is almost so perfect (at first) that he's annoying; brilliant, clever (not exactly the same thing!), funny, adorable... but he's also complicated. He can be a bit egotistical (which can get him into trouble) and a bit blind to other's true feelings (mostly only with Denna!) But he's an easy character to root for and to love, The adventures are many, the other characters are memorable, and the story is very compelling. Which leads me to a criticism that Mr.Rothfuss & his fans will find totally unsurprising: that while the author kindly gave us a compelling sequel (a Wind in the Door) and 2 small novellas (the Slow Regard of Silent Things & The Narrow Road Between Desires), he has *not* yet given us the last book of the trilogy: The Door of Stone. Mr. Rothfuss has said he is plagued by the compulsion to re-write & that the process has been & probably will be long. It's ok. (I won't say it doesn't suck, lol, but for someone THIS good? I can wait!) Also, bonus point to my review: because I long ago gave away my original smaller paperback to my son because I insisted he read it, I needed a new copy for my own bookshelf. Now that my daughter wants to read the book. And I really wanted the larger paperback., I know it's ridiculous, but I like those, paperbacks that while not large print/type, are just bigger/more substantial to hold in my hand! (Almost but not quite hardback-sized??) I actually scoured the dimensions in the descriptions until I thought I had chosen the right one and luckily for me, I did. So if you're looking for those larger copies, this is the addition that I got! And do yourself a favor, also check out the audiobooks are narrated by Nick Borel (I believe) &/or Mr. Rothfuss. Absolutely fantastic!! (And free if you borrow a copy from your local library!!!)
- Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2013I read the reviews for this book, both good and bad, before purchasing it. I read it from cover to cover before sitting down to this review. This is a really good book in the fantasy genre, I wanted to give it 4 or 4.5 stars because I felt it was too 'modern' in style compared to Tolkien or even GRR Martin, then realized that it was my bias of the 'way things should be' and not the merit of the book I was reviewing. This book gets the full 5 stars with absolutely no reservations.
The main character Kvothe is the kid with untapped powers that Harry Potter made familiar but Potter wasn't original either. He's a combination of a genius, quick learner, musical prodigy, and hopelessly incompetent with girls. I know all the people reading this are international gigolos who have to chase off Playmates with a stick, but I related to the awkward kid with a first crush who wanted with every fiber of his being to talk to the girl he liked and couldn't find the right words in the thousands of hypothetical dry-runs that worked through his mind. That was definitely a humanizing touch for a kid that might have been much more inaccessible to a reader due to his overall excellence. There were some criticisms of Kvothe being too perfect, but early and often he fails to do things he should, does things he shouldn't, and suffers consequences for them all, both internal and external.
The writing style sets this book apart from the breathless action of pulp D&D style fantasy books, and for me seemed to be what I would describe as luxurious. We were taken along in the story with sufficient attention to details and world-building, but not overlong and overdrawn descriptions of every blade of grass, like a relaxing boat ride down a lazy river. Certain aspects, the history, the mode of magic in Kvothe's world, etc. got more attention but always added breadth and depth without overburdening the reader. Other times, Kvothe's life meandered down roads and pathways that didn't lead to the forging of a fantasy novel hero, just like real life. However, I was turning the pages every bit as fast as a pulse-pounding hack-and-slash story, but it was just to sink deeper into the world being woven around me. At least through the first book, it seems to have less world-building backstory than Game of Thrones, and wayyyy less than Tolkien, but I'm all the more glad for it. It's all fine and good to create your own syntax for elven, or dwarvish, or Klingon, but nobody's going to pretend that at 12 years old they knew what the hell Tolkien was talking about all the time. This was a nice, interesting, easily-consumed story that never felt burdensome or like a slog through x number of pages to get to a "good" part.
If I had to nit-pick this book, just to appear fair, I'll give you 3 nits. First, it would be that the author falls victim to the fantasy-trope belief that in order to portray 'foreign lands' and people from them, there has to be a bunch of unpronounceable consonants jammed together to form a person or place name, or fragments of a language, and throw in some unaccountable apostrophes for good measure. I could care less if I never have to skip over another nonsense name like Cthystler'rn in a fantasy novel again. There are a handful of these in this book, but they never really take center stage or leave you in the lurch for not trying to decipher that gibberish. Second, sometimes the young Kvothe is frustrating in his impotence when trying to express his love for his off-and-on girlfriend, and you really think he's a putz, but his obliviousness never strays outside the realm of the believeable. Third, and possibly the most troubling (but not to me) is that by the end of the book you've done a lot and been on a lot of adventures, but nothing has really brought you noticeably closer to the overarching mystery that is the reason for the story in the first place. The lore of the Chandrian is doled out in such tiny morsels you really don't know much more at the end than you did at the start. In this aspect it definitely reads like the first book of a trilogy, but at 750 something pages it had plenty of heft and there's no way they could have trimmed it down without losing the charm and the luxury that I liked so much in the first place. Make of that what you will.
I held out on ordering the second book in the trilogy due to some of the negative reviews, I'll have to grudgingly call them 'haters', that indicated that The Name of the Wind starts losing focus partway, or midway, or most-way through, but I didn't see that to be true at all. It was really a delightful read all the way through, and I wish I had more time to read more of it at each sitting. I did indeed order the second book in plenty of time for it to be here waiting for me, and I am anxious to get started on it asap.
Bottom line: A definite 5 star book with a nice story in a world you won't mind soaking into for a while.
Top reviews from other countries
- NupeldaReviewed in Turkey on February 12, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Little scratch but fine
I bought for my boyfriend. His favorite book and author and he loves it. It was in a good condition but the thing is there is a little scratch at the corner but not a big deal
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Alexandra BrennerReviewed in Germany on December 3, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute Leseempfehlung!
Eines meiner absoluten Lieblingsbücher - wahnsinnig tolles Storytelling, spannende Charaktere und schöne Welt. Kann es kaum abwarten bis der letzte Teil der Geschichte endlich draußen ist.
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Claudia RomanReviewed in Italy on November 12, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Uno dei migliori!
Avevo già letto questo libro un po' di anni fa' preso in prestito da mia figlia. Mi è piaciuto molto (aspetto il terzo volume da parecchio, come tutti quelli che si sono affezionati al mondo di Rothfuss). Questo libro lo comprato perché una edizione con l'introduzione fatta dall'autore e anche perché era di seconda mano.La storia e scritta in maniera favolosa, con tutti gli elementi dei miglior racconti fantasy. La raccomando ha quelli che si vogliono avvicinare a questo tipo di letteratura. E direi anche di comprare i libri di seconda mano,anche se hanno un piccolo danno non cambia la storia che loro raccontano.
- SophiaReviewed in the Netherlands on October 1, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute materpiece
Loved it, very captivating and original story, such a shame he did not (yet) finish the books
- Blake & AriReviewed in Canada on July 7, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written.
I hadn't read a fiction novel in a long time and it started slowly for me, but once I got into it, I was totally engrossed in the story and blew through it in a few days. The quality of the writing is really incredible, its beautiful prose. There is a lot of depth and complexity to the story and I will definitely read again. This book has earned its reputation. I listened to the audio version and personally it was the best narration I've heard. I thought the second book in the series was even better, and if you were ever considering delving into this series, now is the time, as there are rumors of the third books release later this calendar year. Enjoy!