Everyone knows a man's reputation except the man himself.

At times The Wise Man's Fears was an excellent read. At other times it was tedious and it just kept going. I appreciate the risk Rothfuss took in changing locations with Kvothe, delivering a story about the journey and not the destination, and the frustrations I had may be for nought as there is still another book as part of the Chronicles.

Still, each step Kvothe took away from the University the story weakened. Each side adventure had a purpose and was tied up in the end but I felt it negatively impacted the pacing of the story, and still the book deserves four stars for what it did and how it delivered.

It's the questions we can't answer that teach us the most. They teach us how to think. If you give a man an answer, all he gains is a little fact. But give him a question and he'll look for his own answers.

Felurian's chapters were endless, learning of Lethani with the Adem felt excessive and living with the Adem and diving in to their culture felt more like an anthropological tale than anything else. Even working for The Maer in Vintas was frustrating.

Like Kvothe and the mercenaries hunting for the tax robbing bandits, one day bled in to the next as each chapter slipped away with nothing happening. At least that story had a pretty epic battle that injected some excitement in the story, which was followed shortly by the slaughtering of the Fake Edema Ruh troupe.

Anyone can love a thing because. That's as easy as putting a penny in your pocket. But to love something depose. To know the flaws and love them too. That is rare and pure and perfect.

Yet, each story had a purpose. It grew the legend of Kvothe. No one meets Felurian and survives, but Kvothe did. Kvothe called down lightning to decimate the bandits. Kvothe slaughtered a troupe and returned two girls back to their families and asked only to have justice served against himself.

Looters become looted, while time and tide make us mercenaries all.

With all that said, the stories outside of the University were useful, expanded the history of Kvothe, explored nations in and outside the Four Corners of Civilization and yet still drive the question of where are the Amyr.

I now the join the ranks of others waiting for Kingkiller #3 to be released, and for better or worse, that may require me to re-read The Wise Man's Fear.