The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One The kingkiller chronicle -- day 1
Paperback, 662 pages
English language
Published Nov. 25, 2011 by Gollancz.
Fantasy. Til Syvmilekroen kommer kronikøren en aften, og han får den mystiske kromands historie fra ekstraordinært begavet gøglerbarn til forældreløst gadebarn og til den legendariske arkanist Kvothe på jagt efter hævn over hans forældres mordere, de uhyggelige Chandrianere
"A new voice in this genre", "in a grand style". Yes, it really is that good, if you like kings and knights and swords and stuff.
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.
Good start of the series. I'm trying to hold off grabbing the 2nd and diving in!
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!
I couldn't put this book down. but I forced myself to slow down and really appreciate the language and the story I was being told. Kvothe's story is captivating, and I really feel like this book is just a ramp up for its sequels. can't wait to read more!
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.
Very fresh storytelling. This is one of a handful of books--over the past ten years--that has me really invested in a new fantasy world. There is a new (to me, at least) take on magic works and is learned that animates the story.
I am looking forward to the next book.
I first heard of Patrick Rothfuss in the same way that I heard of Jacqueline Carey: he was hosting Story Board on YouTube, and he was also in the Lords of Waterdeep episode of Tabletop. He also made a very funny thing when he arrived on Twitter. Anyway, I had a pretty good opinion of the guy a priori, so I ended up opening one of his books. It's the story of Kvothe who, at what is presented as the end of his life, tells his life story to a limited audience. The story telling will last three days; the first book corresponds to the first day. Kvothe starts by telling his story and his training as an arcanist in the university. The main character is sometimes a bit annoying, because he's presented as great at almost everything he does; since he's the one telling the story, well, it …
I first heard of Patrick Rothfuss in the same way that I heard of Jacqueline Carey: he was hosting Story Board on YouTube, and he was also in the Lords of Waterdeep episode of Tabletop. He also made a very funny thing when he arrived on Twitter. Anyway, I had a pretty good opinion of the guy a priori, so I ended up opening one of his books. It's the story of Kvothe who, at what is presented as the end of his life, tells his life story to a limited audience. The story telling will last three days; the first book corresponds to the first day. Kvothe starts by telling his story and his training as an arcanist in the university. The main character is sometimes a bit annoying, because he's presented as great at almost everything he does; since he's the one telling the story, well, it works out. And it's been very, very difficult for me to let go of this book - it even brought me to ungodly hours when I finished it. "I'm not quite waken up yet because I finished a book at 2AM yesterday" may not be a great idea, but it gives a good idea of said book's quality :)
It's rare to read a High Fantasy novel that surprises you. This novel manages to combine a better "Harry Potter"-style magic student plot with some excellent myth creation and believable characters. I rarely read better.
Great read!
Surprisingly good fantasy novel, told in a different way, which suites this story like a glove.
A story of a genius performer/magician/musician man told by himself to a chronicler that sought a myth.
Through his speech, he reminisces his painful losses while young, the hardships of living alone in a troublesome city where he had to learn how to endure pain, his rise to glory as one of the most upcoming brilliant minds both in his studies as a musician with the main objective of finding answers of who his parents killers are.
Slowly, while telling his story, he gets to remember who he was and slowly become the man he once was.
Funny and touching, not the usual hero that conquers all and everything turns out great.
Almost every good achievement is balanced by an unexpected punishment that prevents him from finding his answers.
I'm guessing the reason this book has such good ratings is probably due to it's vague resemblance to the Harry Potter books (a slightly more grown up version, at least). Not to say it's a bad book. I just wouldn't give it the gushing five stars it seems to always get.
Kvothe eventually makes his way to the University to learn magic (aka "sympathy" in this book). Then... Well, honestly not much else happens that I can say without spoiling things. All in all, The Name of the Wind seems like a setup for later books, more than anything. Has some nice, smartly written stuff that was good enough for me to see what happens in The Wise Man's Fear.
I really like this book. I'm not the first to really like this book, nor will I be the last, and nor should you. If you have yet to read this book, and you like fiction (especially fantasy) find a copy to read.
Terminé el libro y menos mal que justo al día siguiente era nochebuena para que mi hermana me diera el segundo porque me ha encantado.
Man oh man, as good as I'd heard, almost couldn't put it down once I'd started it.
Really great fantasy story -- utterly unputdownable. Beats Game of Thrones, in my opinion, although I liked that a great deal as well. Richly woven story, brilliantly told. Highly recommended.
