Review: The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



It has been a long time since I read any new fantasy that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Name of the Wind follows the life and adventures of Kvothe, an orphan who is destined to become one of the most powerful magicians and bravest warriors ever to walk the face of the earth. If you listen to one set of rumours. It is also very possible that he is a notorious killer, out for the blood of whoever crosses his path. On the other hand, all of these rumours might be highly exaggerated.

The story of Kvothe gets told simply in order to set the record straight. When we find him, he is but a humble inkeeper in a small town, hiding out from the world. or at least doing his best to do so. Trouble seems to be attracted to Kvothe, along with a scribe who would like to record his life story in order to set the record straight.

And so Kvothe begins to tell the story of his life. And it is a very interesting story indeed, one that could have been the story of several people for all the drama and adventure it brings.

Like I said, it has been a long time since I picked up a new fantasy writer's work and couldn't wait to get into the sequel. I am wonderfully excited to find out what happens next. There was a part during the middle of the book where I thought the writer was drolling on a bit, but all the facts of the story become necessary as the story progresses and never at one moment did it occur to me to stop reading.

The story is fun and filled with adventure and excitement, without being unnecessarily gross or violent. By the end of the book though, you are fully aware that there is no way the story could end with this book and you KNOW there is another one coming and you wish you had it already.

If you like magic, adventure and fantasy, this book is highly readable and fully enjoyable, although the first person narrator is not something encountered often in any fiction and takes a little bit of getting use to. I have already placed an order for the sequal.



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