Book Review: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
• 5 out 5 Pyriel Heads [$9.30 Soft cover] LINK •
The Kingkiller Chronicle opens up with a phenomenal first installment, The Name of the Wind, and is en route to be regarded as one of the best fantasy stories of our day. Destined to join the ranks of classics such as A Song of Ice and Fire, and The Lord of the Rings, The Name of the Wind is full of adventure, magic, intrigue, love, and excitement (pretty much every major emotional food group). Following a more episodic format, and told as a story within a story, The Name of the Wind almost feels as though we are following along with a season of a TV show, as opposed to reading a book with a specific beginning-middle-end.
Set in an original world completely crafted by Patrick Rothfuss, somewhere between medieval and renaissance, we are introduced to Kvothe. We are told in his own words of his journey into infamy, and we follow our hero from early childhood until adolescence. Rothfuss delivers exciting and ample amounts of back story that invites us to join in on every laugh, song, and heartache that Kvothe experiences. Having such an in depth story provides an enormous amount of character development, and world building as we partake in his quest for knowledge and revenge.
It is a new standard in the fantasy genre, and a “must read” for any bookshelf. Each chapter is honed in to raise some very interesting, and often times morally difficult questions, and ends on a cliffhanger (the end being the biggest of all). The focus of the story revolves around analyzing what it is to be a hero, and often times what difficult decisions one must make to “save the day.” The Name of the Wind” also brings in to question the darker side of human emotion, and analyzes the morality of one’s desire to seek revenge. This modern style of storytelling, partnered with an in depth analysis of human nature is a fun and enthralling spin on a classic style!
review by jd mcgibney [website]
• Series: Kingkiller Chronicle (Book 1)
• Author: Patrick Rothfuss
• Publisher: DAW Booke (April 1, 2008)
• Pages: 722
• Language: English
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