The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind
By Patrick Rothfuss
Daw Books. 2007. 660 pages. Fantasy

He has been known as Kvothe the Bloodless, Kvothe the Arcane, and Kvothe the Kingkiller. Stories are told of him throughout the land, sometimes as a hero, sometimes as a villain, but always highly embellished and inaccurate. Kvothe who is presumed to be dead is now hiding out as a humble innkeeper name Kote. One day he is recognized by a chronicler of the realm and soon agrees to recount his life from young prodigy to the most notorious wizard, musician, thief, and assassin in the world.

This is a vastly interesting novel and Rothfuss is a masterful storyteller. So much so, that I am willing to forgive some major flaws in the book. It takes Rothfuss 660 pages to get. . .really nowhere. You learn a lot about Kvothe, and the stories are rich and absorbing, but it also left me with questions on just about every plot point. There is a planned sequel, but its publication date has been delayed for at least another year. If you are willing to commit to a long book and what, I am assuming, will be a long series, then I would definitely recommend this book. Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother.

AJ