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.
As we all know, the most talented and the greatest heroes and deities of legend are – and with good reason – redheads. It is thus easy to take in stride the fantastic feats and tales of the fiery-maned hero, Kvothe, in this masterwork from Patrick Rothfuss. Though the general tenor of these tales is no surprise, the notes combine to enchant and delight. Having burnt through the first two novels with rapacious glee, I patiently await the third!
I listen to this book so regularly. I've actually never read a paper copy. That needs to change, I believe.
Since discovering this book, Pat Rothfuss has shot up to the top of my recommendation list. I mean, there will always be a place for Butcher and Sanderson in my heart, and I will always be willing to recommend other names to read, but the combination of Rothfuss and Nick Podehl as narrator leaves me feeling giddy every time I listen to it. The pair can evoke more powerful emotions from me than almost everything else I've ever read. (Parts from Skin Game notwithstanding.)
I feel like Podehl captures exactly the characters that Rothfuss put on the page, and I am completely unable to listen to the Rupert Degas version of these books.
I highly recommend this, and any other Rothfuss book that ever gets published.
I listen to this book so regularly. I've actually never read a paper copy. That needs to change, I believe.
Since discovering this book, Pat Rothfuss has shot up to the top of my recommendation list. I mean, there will always be a place for Butcher and Sanderson in my heart, and I will always be willing to recommend other names to read, but the combination of Rothfuss and Nick Podehl as narrator leaves me feeling giddy every time I listen to it. The pair can evoke more powerful emotions from me than almost everything else I've ever read. (Parts from Skin Game notwithstanding.)
I feel like Podehl captures exactly the characters that Rothfuss put on the page, and I am completely unable to listen to the Rupert Degas version of these books.
I highly recommend this, and any other Rothfuss book that ever gets published.
I read this book a few years ago and loved it! Recently, I got the second book as a gift and decided to reread this to fresh up my memory. I was surprised... It does not hold up well.
Kvothe is the biggest Mary Sue (Gary Stu?) character I've ever read! He has no flaws (or his "flaws" are, like, caring TOO MUCH, being TOO trusting). He is always naturally good at everything to a point of being unbelievable even in a book full of magic. The story is not as exciting as I remembered, it's very predictable.
Still, for all its flaws, the book is quite good and super easy to read. Patrick Rothfuss uses language that is simple to understand while still providing depth to the narrative.
Overall, I would recommend this book if you are new to the fantasy genre. For more experienced readers, it can still …
I read this book a few years ago and loved it! Recently, I got the second book as a gift and decided to reread this to fresh up my memory. I was surprised... It does not hold up well.
Kvothe is the biggest Mary Sue (Gary Stu?) character I've ever read! He has no flaws (or his "flaws" are, like, caring TOO MUCH, being TOO trusting). He is always naturally good at everything to a point of being unbelievable even in a book full of magic. The story is not as exciting as I remembered, it's very predictable.
Still, for all its flaws, the book is quite good and super easy to read. Patrick Rothfuss uses language that is simple to understand while still providing depth to the narrative.
Overall, I would recommend this book if you are new to the fantasy genre. For more experienced readers, it can still be an entertaining, albeit light, read.
Blown away by how great this book is. Basically reminds me of how I used to feel about fantasy when I was a teen, before it all started to seem formulaic.
Kvothe is an enigma, a fascinating juxtaposition. In his stories he is a hero, overflowing with vitality.
He seems to using his inn to hid, troubled by the past, and quickly becoming another fixture. As he tells his story, I feel that Kvothe is bravado personified. Full of life and himself, his story is captivating.
I worried, reading other reviews, that I'd tire of reading of someone that thinks so highly of himself; but if you pay attention, I think you will see a person who is at one time both lost and sure of his place in the same instant.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the story I typically enjoy fantasy, but rarely does a book capture my attention as well as The Name of the Wind.
Baffled by the effusive praise. The prose is okay, borders on indulgent. Kvothe is insufferable - he succeeds at everything he tries, he has no meaningful flaws. The setting is nothing notable. The magic is interesting but lightly explored. The women in the book are largely caricatures.
The book was fun enough for my morning commute, and I will likely pick up the sequel at some point, but altogether unremarkable.
This book was great. I'm so happy I finally read it.
You will find yourself pulled into Kvothe's story, rooting for him to make better decisions and turn things around. But he's brave, and impetuous, and just the sort of tragic, flawed hero that I love.
I honestly thought I was done with the core Fantasy genre books until I read this one. All the great fantasy tropes are there - tragic histories, comfy inns, creeping evil, and magic - but Mr. Rothfuss makes them all shine anew.
It was certainly an enjoyable reading experience. The main and side characters are all lovely (maybe except for that Ambrose) and I must confess I was in love with Fela (I hate you, Denna, ahah!). Kvothe, with the help of the Chronicler, has lots and lots of stories to tell, all dense, some of them lovely, some of them quite sad.
Patrick Rothfuss has a beautiful prose, what made me feel hooked since the beginning. It's not a five star book to me because of the "excess" of the magic system. I know it's because of the writer's background and I know there are lots of fantasy fans who loves these articulated magic systems, but I think there is something wrong when you're having Chemistry classes in a Fantasy book. Not because I find it boring (that's me; I respect those ones who likes it and I admire a lot …
It was certainly an enjoyable reading experience. The main and side characters are all lovely (maybe except for that Ambrose) and I must confess I was in love with Fela (I hate you, Denna, ahah!). Kvothe, with the help of the Chronicler, has lots and lots of stories to tell, all dense, some of them lovely, some of them quite sad.
Patrick Rothfuss has a beautiful prose, what made me feel hooked since the beginning. It's not a five star book to me because of the "excess" of the magic system. I know it's because of the writer's background and I know there are lots of fantasy fans who loves these articulated magic systems, but I think there is something wrong when you're having Chemistry classes in a Fantasy book. Not because I find it boring (that's me; I respect those ones who likes it and I admire a lot Patrick Rothfuss), but because it tries to make a fantastic world/reality more cartesian and rational such as ours, inputing a way of seeing the world that is quite particular to our one, with artificial rules and abstract laws of understanding/comprehending the Reality (or realities, if I may tease you).
Also, the boundaries that defines Fantasy and Science Fiction are quite well known because of the scientific approach and, well, I'm not reading a Sci Fi book... Thinking about Todorov's words on this, I find it quite problematic, especially when the reader are not becoming amazed, sometimes shocked and entangled with the Fantastic. What is and where is the Fantastic after all?
Despite this review (which I find pivotal, if not harsh, when discussing the Fantastic), I did have a great time reading this book. I found myself singing the songs all the way! I already bought the sequel, anxious to read it. Well done, Patrick!
The first time I read this book, I thought it was possibly my new favorite fantasy book, but when asked why, I struggled for an answer. It certainly isn't the story itself, the plot is somewhat meandering and episodic. (If you want a good plot, read some of Brandon Sanderson's books.) But on rereading this, I understand why now. It's not a story you just follow, but a story you feel. It's figurative language is like the sky filled with stars, painting the story with brilliant depth. Even though Kvothe is an arrogant, superhuman prodigy, he still has real, human problems and feelings, and you can emphasize with him like few other characters I know. That is why this book ranks at the top of my fantasy list. Its a story that gets to your heart, and through Kvothe, you can discover and feel both the mundane and magical of …
The first time I read this book, I thought it was possibly my new favorite fantasy book, but when asked why, I struggled for an answer. It certainly isn't the story itself, the plot is somewhat meandering and episodic. (If you want a good plot, read some of Brandon Sanderson's books.) But on rereading this, I understand why now. It's not a story you just follow, but a story you feel. It's figurative language is like the sky filled with stars, painting the story with brilliant depth. Even though Kvothe is an arrogant, superhuman prodigy, he still has real, human problems and feelings, and you can emphasize with him like few other characters I know. That is why this book ranks at the top of my fantasy list. Its a story that gets to your heart, and through Kvothe, you can discover and feel both the mundane and magical of the mysterious world around him.
