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Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle #2)

by Patrick Rothfuss (Goodreads Author), Nick Podehl (Goodreads Author) (Narrator)

4.49 · rating details · 18,896 ratings · 2,789 reviews

My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved wom...more

Compact Disc, Unabridged

Published by Brilliance Corporation (first published 2011)

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Feb 01, 2012

Jacob rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

An Apology
I feel a bit conflicted about this. You can see from the rating that I didn't like this book, and if you’ve read my reviews of War and Peace or The Way of Kings you'll know I’m very eager to tell you why. Problem is, I like Pat Rothfuss. He's a pretty cool guy. I liked The Name of the Wind, I read his blog regularly, I've been to a few of his readings/signings, and I admire his beard. But I didn't like this book. And as much as I want to be honest about my feelings, I'm als...more

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May 08, 2011

Patrick rated it

· (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Well, it's done. And it's been a long time coming...

Back in late 2009 I finally got the book to the point where I was satisfied with it. It was an okay book. It was a book that if I had to publish it, I knew it wouldn't embarrass me.

By May 2010 I'd re-written the book to the point where I was happy with it. It was a good book. It was a book I was pleased with.

By my final deadline in November 2010, I'd revised things to the point where I was excited about it. It w...more

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Mar 29, 2011

Simeon rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, utter-shite

I'm going to have to be the sole voice of dissent.

I found Kvothe profoundly annoying.
Here's an excerpt of his typical storytelling, word for word:

"I managed very little sleep that night, and Losi came closer to killing me than Felurian ever had."

(Post-coital thoughts on the second girl in 20 pages. He's 16.)

"She was a delightful partner, every bit as wonderful as Felurian had been. But how could that be? I hear you ask. How co

...more

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Mar 11, 2011

Cassy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: physical-own, event-met-author, 2011, fiction-scifi-fantasy-paranormal, region-elsewhere

Patrick Rothfuss sang to me. Literally sang “You are my sunshine” to me last Sunday. More on that later.

I didn’t want this book to end. When I was within sprinting distance of the end, I actually put the book down, bought groceries, and vacuumed the stairs. (My husband was pleasantly surprised.) I wanted so desperately to savor those last fifty pages that the parking lot at Target didn’t seem like an ideal location. Thus, I acted like a normal human for a couple hours until I could c...morePatrick Rothfuss sang to me. Literally sang “You are my sunshine” to me last Sunday. More on that later.

I didn’t want this book to end. When I was within sprinting distance of the end, I actually put the book down, bought groceries, and vacuumed the stairs. (My husband was pleasantly surprised.) I wanted so desperately to savor those last fifty pages that the parking lot at Target didn’t seem like an ideal location. Thus, I acted like a normal human for a couple hours until I could curl on my couch and dive back in with no distractions or guilt.

In my opinion, it is better than the first book. Kvothe is growing older and we see more of his development into a traditional hero. He picks up some requisite skills as a lover and a fighter. He progresses in his magical studies. He still makes mistakes and doesn’t (immediately) succeed at everything. He goes on fun adventures, meets interesting characters, and is stunningly clever.

My two main complaints about the first book, Name of the Wind are as follows: the long, corny side story about the almost-dragon undergoing drug withdrawals and the lack of a global crisis to propel the story forward. The first critique is overcome. This book is even more engaging and varied than the first. The second compliant, however, still applies. Kvothe is searching for information regarding the Chandrian and I can see how this motivates his direction throughout the book. But I need more. Right now this remains a frustratingly slow and personal mission. I need to know that the Chandrian are threatening the very functioning of the world. I need a Sauron-esque menace sending dark clouds over the world and breeding armies. He uses the outside frame of the story to hint that trouble abounds in the present-day world, but it is not enough.

Some random impressions: Elodin cracks me up – I love his teaching antics. Is it just me or is the Felurian section unnecessarily long? The Adem plotline is awesome. Their whole system of communication is a nice creation. The frame story continues to bore me – I started to resent the time it took me away from the larger story. The concept of watching one’s reputation enlarge and morph continues and is well done. Bast is an enigma. We continue to get a coin-by-coin account of Kvothe’s purse: spent four drabs on new shirt, have three talents left, earned one talent in Fishery, spent three coins on much needed food, recalculated interest on debt with Devi. Part of me loves it. Part of me wants Kvothe to use Quicken already.

Back to the serenade. Pat (yes, we are on a first name basis) came to a small bookstore, Murder by the Book in Houston. I arrived an hour and a half early to find the seats claimed long ago. By the time Pat arrived, the 300+ people were spilling out the doors into the parking lot. Crowds generally freak me out, but Pat was worth it. The feeling of camaraderie with my fellow nerds also helped.

He started off by saying he’s only been awake for fifteen minutes. He talked about how surreal the book tour had been thus far – never more so than when a fan showed off their tattoo of Pat’s signature. He didn’t talk much about A Wise Man’s Fear on the grounds of being vehemently anti-spoiler. He mentioned how various elements were missing from the original draft of Name of the Wind (the outside frame story, Auri, and such). He told us about Tunnel Bob. He wanted Ambrose to be a real threat to Kvothe – a lesson learned from Harry Potter’s nemesis, Malfoy who he thought had the wealth and influence to be a true menace but remained ineffectual. He fussed lovingly over the babies in the crowd.

Pat teased that the third book would be “longish” and published in a hundred years. Someone’s cell phone rang during the talk – he raised an eyebrow in their direction and then mused that some of his holdovers from being a teacher didn’t translate well to a book tour. People asked a lot of questions about his blog, which I had never read (shame on me – have since rectified this). He confessed to watching lots of bad fantasy and science fiction movies, but only, of course, so he could make a checklist of all the bad clichés to avoid in his books. His beard is impressive. He signed books for hours.

Bottom line: Pat was funny, personable, and truly appreciative of his fans. Support him and indulge yourself in a little escapism. Read his books, people!
(less)

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Jul 26, 2011

Michael rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-fiction

I took a look back at my copy of The Name of the Wind. The second book, The Wise Man's Fear, had an asterisk and denoted that it would be released SOON in hardback. That was a long time ago. Honestly, that is what bothers me. Don't make promises you can't fulfill. HOWEVER, I also re-read Rothfuss's dedication page in that book. In the second part, he dedicated it to his father for teaching him that if you're going to do something, take the time to do it right. I think we should bear that in min...more

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Sep 18, 2011

Mike (the Paladin) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I finished this last night....finally. While there are moments in this book of brilliant writing they are (for me) interspersed with LLLLOOONNNGGG stretches of yawningly boring prose. Had the book been maybe two thirds it's length I think it could have been better.

Without spoilers I found that the story of Kvothe wanders along getting almost nowhere...yes I know we established some more of it here, but not a lot and we're about where we were in a lot of ways. The story in the book's ...moreI finished this last night....finally. While there are moments in this book of brilliant writing they are (for me) interspersed with LLLLOOONNNGGG stretches of yawningly boring prose. Had the book been maybe two thirds it's length I think it could have been better.

Without spoilers I found that the story of Kvothe wanders along getting almost nowhere...yes I know we established some more of it here, but not a lot and we're about where we were in a lot of ways. The story in the book's "present" is just as annoying and bogged down...and then we've got the "Denna story line". The thing keeps putting me in mind of Great Expectations with her "come here, come here, come here, get away, get away, get away" relationship with "our young hero" and his "please let me be around even if you need to walk on me" attitude. We even get one (seeming) coincidence that's worthy of Dickens.

By the time I finished this last night (and I sat up late, I'd made up my mind to get through it) I was slightly torn as there are interesting elements to the story but I was heartily sick of trudging through all the excess verbiage to get to the story. Will I follow it up and continue the series?

Maybe.

If it takes another three to six years for the next book to come out, the memory of the frustration will probably have faded a bit. If the library gets it, I probably will, but I don't plan to buy it.

But I live in hope. Who knows I may love the next volume.

I noted that here and on Amazon this book gets a lot of 5 ratings and a lot of 1 ratings. It seems to be loved and hated both (by different people of course, we'll hope). I go with two...not just to be different, but because I was constantly getting interested just to be then driven to distraction by it each time. I think the problem for me may be that I'm just not caught up in the Kvothe character. I don't actually "like" him, I'm not caring about the people. So...for me 2 stars. if you love these books, great I am happy for you. I hope I like the next one better.

(view spoiler) (less)

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Mar 29, 2011

Tyson rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, fantasy, favorites

It's hard to write a review after reading a book like this. It's like reviewing a sunset after a spring storm. Yes, that's a poetic image, and that's what Rothfuss does to your brain. I plan on selling all my worldly possessions soon and devoting my life to chasing the wind...

But meanwhile, I'll try to do this book justice. It starts much as Name of the Wind ended, with Kvothe still a 15 year old at the University. It spends about 300 pages in this mode. Kvothe has a handful of...moreIt's hard to write a review after reading a book like this. It's like reviewing a sunset after a spring storm. Yes, that's a poetic image, and that's what Rothfuss does to your brain. I plan on selling all my worldly possessions soon and devoting my life to chasing the wind...

But meanwhile, I'll try to do this book justice. It starts much as Name of the Wind ended, with Kvothe still a 15 year old at the University. It spends about 300 pages in this mode. Kvothe has a handful of new adventures at the university and tells us much about his classes and his never ending pining over Denna.

At this point it's good to make a, um, point. The Kingkiller Chronicles are not about the main storyline, i.e. Kvothe discovering who killed his parents, why, hunting the killers down, and avenging them. Many readers will no doubt be impatient at the amount of time Rothfuss spends describing seemingly unimportant side adventures of Kvothe's. The book is about how a man becomes a legend. What would seem to be the main storyline is just as incidental as all the rest. It's nice to have that main plot line running through the many hundreds of pages of his adventures, and it does give Kvothe's life a bit of a forward thrust. But that is not what the book is about. So if you read this series hoping to get a page turner as he chases down the Chandrian, then you may be disappointed. (Though it is still a page turner).

This reminds me of when Kvothe tells a story to his two friends. At the end of the story they're a little confused because the story didn't follow the familiar pattern they expected. Then Kvothe explained that he had told them a story that his people would tell each other, not a story meant for a general audience.

I wonder if there is a message from Pat in this.

What we have is a man at the end of his life, or what he hopes is the end of his life, recounting how his legend was born. And that legend is built of pieces. This book gives us some of those pieces.

He eventually leaves the University for most of a year. Rothfuss deftly skips over some of the more irrelevant side adventures, a trial and a shipwreck, and stays focused on those things which begin to build Kvothe as a person - his training, battles, moral decisions, role as a leader.

Kvothe is a bit of a contradiction. On the one hand, no matter where he goes, he's always a fish out of water. He's always the different one, the outcast, the landless, lowborn Edema. On the other hand, he's able to adapt wherever he goes, no matter who he is with. He can find a place anywhere. This contradiction is brilliantly balanced by Rothfuss, and we see that perhaps they're different sides of the same coin. His freedom gives him nothing to lose.

The strength of the book, though, is probably the sheer poetry of its prose. I don't think I've ever believed magic was as real since maybe watching Star Wars and the force for the first time as a 5 year old. I've often had difficult conversations with friends who were of a very strict, scientific and rational mindset. Trying to get them to accept the truth of other ways of seeing the world has been futile. I think from now own I'll simply recommend this book to them. If they can understand how Kvothe sees the wind, then they'll finally know what I've been telling them. Rothfuss does a better job of describing the worldview of the slightly mad artist/poet and making it magic than anything I've ever read.

This book, and the entire series, is destined to be a classic.

I somehow survived the four year wait between books one and two. I have no idea how I'll last until book three.(less)

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Apr 13, 2011

Jake rated it

· review of another edition

I enjoyed the first book, but did not feel the same way about this one. Fantasy books are meant to be the unbelievable, this much is certain, and the heroes that take the starring role are meant to be people of great intrigue and who can accomplish completely incredible feats, but it feels that it's pushed a bit too far in this book.

Kvothe not only is an amazing arcanist, a prodigy with a memory so perfect that he can call up how people smelled on a single day years ago, but he's a m...moreI enjoyed the first book, but did not feel the same way about this one. Fantasy books are meant to be the unbelievable, this much is certain, and the heroes that take the starring role are meant to be people of great intrigue and who can accomplish completely incredible feats, but it feels that it's pushed a bit too far in this book.

Kvothe not only is an amazing arcanist, a prodigy with a memory so perfect that he can call up how people smelled on a single day years ago, but he's a musician, and you're meant to believe he's the greatest musician in all the land based on some of the reviews that he receives, as well as how he can compose a song about himself in mere minutes which goes on to spread through the land, being forever etched in everyone's memory. So you have a character that is both an extraordinary magician (probably the most powerful one 'the University' has seen in years) and an extraordinary musician, surpassing people in their mid 20s when he's only 16, how do you make him even better than everyone else?

(contains spoilers below)

How do you make someone who is already perfect aside from his shitty personality better than everyone else? Well, you could send him off on a throwaway adventure with a band of highly experienced mercenaries and woodsmen and have him be the leader and the one who saves them from certain destruction, but only after having multiple chapters where he and the band do nothing in the forest aside from Tai-Chi and tell stories that don't matter with the exception of one which gets thrown into the Fae mythos for incredibly lame reasons why wars begin.

This book doesn't feel natural whatsoever. Everything feels like a plot device just designed to string together a few random ideas that are incredibly cliched. Most of what occurs within the book just seems like an event meant to shout to you "Look how awesome Kvothe is!" Rothfuss attempts to offset the chapters where he points out how amazing Kvothe is at everything by flashing forward to the future where he's a lonely innkeeper who is perpetually sad and can't use sympathy to light a man on fire, and gets beaten up by a couple lowly soldiers... contradictory to when he killed a bunch of scrael singlehandedly.

Following his throwaway adventure in the woods attacking bandits (where one of the Chandrian is randomly thrown into the action to just show that it had slight relevance), Kvothe goes off with Tempi, a member of the Adem, a super secretive sect of mercenaries who are not accepting of outsiders at all. The reason he's going off with Tempi? Because he was instructed in some of the ways of the Adem Tai-Chi, even though the way the story unfolds you'd be led to believe no outsider has ever learned them. How was Kvothe so fortunate (unfortunate?) to be taught to fight by one of the Adem? He simply asked. And as though Rothfuss realizes that after he reveals how far-fetched it would be even in his own world, which exists solely to make Kvothe look good, for Kvothe to be taught this, he follows up the question of "Will you teach me the ways of the sword?" with an obligatory "Had I known more of the Adem, I never would have asked this..." It's lazy.

I'm not asking to be reading a book that could easily transpire in reality, it is a fantasy novel, and I do realize this, but the way the plot unfolds leaves a lot to be desired, after each important (or throwaway in the case of this book) plot point occurs, instantly Kvothe is on his next adventure, and this isn't something I have a problem with because oftentimes it will make the book more enjoyable to read, but he could at least use some brainpower to try and make it all fit together. Immediately following the fight with the mercenaries, he goes into the Fae, immediately following that, he goes to the Adem, immediately following that he rescues two young girls from rapists disguised as troupers... lame plot point after lame plot point in quick sequence, without any breathing room, which makes little sense considering how much of the start of the book is filled with the mundane sequence of "Look for Denna. Study. Drink with friends. Sing. Repeat process." Chapters repeat themselves so often that the few ones of import stick out like a sore thumb, and those either take too long (the Fae) or end too quickly (the Mercenary fight after the incredibly long buildup).

The worst part of the book, by far, is the Felurian arc, which consists entirely of him having sex with the most beautiful woman in the world, who is known to make men go mad simply because they're no longer in her presence when she gets tired of them and allows them to leave. What's the difference between Kvothe and the average guy? Well he convinces Felurian to let him leave, by playing her a half finished song, oh and then he leaves but after he spends "as much as a year" in the Fae, where only 3 days have passed in reality (conveniently enough, before Kvothe ran after the faerie creature, he yelled to the people he was with "meet me at the inn in 3 days!", what LUCK!). The entire time spent in the Fae is simply ridiculous, and it felt like I was reading a 40 year old male fanfiction diehard's own take at Twilight for virginal fantasy readers in their late teens. "Oh Kvothe, you're telling lies, there's no way you're a 16 year old virgin! The sex I had with you was amazing, even though I'm a faerie creature who has lived for thousands of years in an alternate world where time passes exponentially slower than the mortal world, and where the only thing I've been doing all these years, while not singing and stealing men from the mortal world, is having sex with those men until I grow bored of them, or they insane." Painful to read.

After the Fae arc to me it becomes clear that Kvothe is Rothfuss' superimposed teenage self finally living the fantasy nerd's dream and living out a life of perfection in a prototypical fantasy world that he doesn't bother to develop. The world is generic, like the plot of this book, and has no real substance outside of the different words used for week (span) and random curses that get thrown in towards the middle-end of the book (Kist).

This book is long for the sake of being long. On top of this, the plotline is just too pretty of a package, the story is too perfect, and although Rothfuss seemingly knows this and tries to make the future look bleak and grim with future-Kvothe implying that he's the subject of a tragedy, it doesn't do much help. Overall it feels as though Rothfuss had several ideas and rather than develop them coherently and try and make it flow like a novel should, he lazily combined them together, and it feels sloppy. It's a shame too, since I really wanted to like this book, but it leaves you wondering what the 'kist' Rothfuss was thinking when he wrote this, unless his goal was to be the male high fantasy equivalent of Twilight which would be a success on all counts.(less)

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Feb 20, 2009

Ronando marked it as to-read · review of another edition

When THE HELL is this book coming out?? The first book grabbed me by the throat and threw me down and had it's way with me and I am fast becoming impatient in having it happen a second time.

... This better not turn into another George R.R. Martin wait! Or ... or... or I shall be extremely vexed. VEXED I tell you!

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Nov 24, 2011

Tim Hicks rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I have almost 1500 SF/F books in my database, and I've probably read 500 more that I forgot to list. I have never read a book that was simultaneously so bad and so good. I suspect that as time passes I will like it less. You know when you go to the local Enormous Portions restaurant and go with the meat in the rich gravy with the fries and onion rings, and the mud pie for dessert, and a couple of drinks, and you enjoy it all. Until near the end of the meal, when you don't feel so good; then yo...more

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Apr 27, 2011

David rated it

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-epic, fantasy-medieval, audiobook, series-kingkiller-chronicle, doorstopper, faeries

The Name of the Wind was one of the best fantasy novels I've read in the past several years, so it was inevitable that the second book in Patrick Rothfuss's debut trilogy would have a hard time living up to expectations. Although I really liked it, I felt like rather than building on the awesomeness of book one, Rothfuss kind of let his momentum carry him through the second book. It would have been better had they been released as one volume, except of course it would have been the phonebook-siz...moreThe Name of the Wind was one of the best fantasy novels I've read in the past several years, so it was inevitable that the second book in Patrick Rothfuss's debut trilogy would have a hard time living up to expectations. Although I really liked it, I felt like rather than building on the awesomeness of book one, Rothfuss kind of let his momentum carry him through the second book. It would have been better had they been released as one volume, except of course it would have been the phonebook-sized.

In The Wise Man's Fear, Kvothe continues to struggle to pay his tuition at the University, continues to engage in pointless juvenile rivalry with Ambrose, continues to have an on-again, off-again not-really-a-relationship with Denna, and continues his search for the secrets of the Chandrian. In the meta-story, it's day two of Kvothe's narration to Chronicler and Bast, and all that really happens is we get more dire portents and hints that the world is becoming a darker, scarier place, and that Kvothe is not the man he once was, if he ever really was that man.

I enjoyed The Wise Man's Fear, every hour of it. It was all great storytelling, and while there were chunks of the book that could have been edited out, nothing was a waste or uninteresting. That said, Rothfuss has been credited with bringing something new and awesome to the table in the fantasy genre, largely with his inversion of expectations and his skillful use of all the fantasy tropes we know and love, treating them affectionately and knowingly while making something new with them. But the second book of the trilogy doesn't really do anything new, and in some ways falls back into the cliches I thought Rothfuss was subverting. For example, Kvothe is like the ultimate Mary Sue of high fantasy literature, except in book one, we found out that a lot of his supposed legendary feats were made up or exaggerated. In book two, he actually does a lot of the things he's credited with, so it's less a story of a man being trapped by the legend he created and more a story of a man actually becoming the legend -- which we've seen many times before. Sure, he's still very human and vulnerable, but he gets away with an awful lot and he learns all kinds of skills with just a few weeks practice and makes friends with everyone he meets, who all teach him their secrets (except the people who irrationally hate him just because he needs some antagonists).

The worst part of The Wise Man's Fear is when Kvothe wallows in the worst aspects of Mary Sue-ism: the land of teenage wish-fulfillment. He starts the book as a virgin, but by the end he's added advanced sexyjutsu to his list of super-special skills that he does better than anyone else, starting with his encounter with a fairy seductress sex'n'death goddess. It's not enough for Kvothe to get laid by a superhot immortal fairy woman, it's not enough that he's the only one in history to walk away from her afterwards, it's not enough that she doesn't toss him back into the water like the underage virgin he is (yeah, an older woman who can have pretty much any man in the world she wants is totally going to fall for a teenage boy), no... she also gives him a magic cloak and sends him off to sex all the other ladies in the world so everyone will know that her milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.

I liked the chapters where Kvothe is in the fey realm -- they were magical and mysterious and had a perfect fairy tale quality to them, and Felurian was hot and sexy and creepy and scary all at the same time -- just as I liked Kvothe's time among the Adem learning badass martial arts skills -- but Kvothe getting laid by pretty much any woman he shows an interest in felt like straight-up fanboy pandering, as did his becoming the equivalent of a black belt after a couple months of study.

The Wise Man's Fear is a huge book, but it only covers Kvothe's life from age 15 to 16. So I'm not sure what Rothfuss is going to do for the finale. I'm hoping he actually ends the series in book three -- this story really needs a decisive, genre-rattling ending, not to become yet another interminable multi-book series coasting on fanboy adulation like every other fantasy series out there.

All my griping aside, this book was still entertaining as hell and I am looking forward to book three, but whereas The Name of the Wind was a glowing 5-star book (and I always think hard before I give a book 5 stars), The Wise Man's Fear is more like 4.5 stars -- still a damn fine book, but it did not blow me away like the first one. I've got enough faith to hope this was just the dreaded "sophomore slump" a lot of authors suffer in the middle of their trilogies and that Rothfuss is going to bring it in book three. C'mon, dude, don't let me down!(less)

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Jul 28, 2011

Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: other-adult-fantasy, own-it, 2011, loved-it

Originally posted here.

Well. It should be no secret that I have been anxiously awaiting this book since I first read The Name of the Wind back in early 2009. Since then, I've been on a crusade to make as many people read it as possible. I haven't kept up an exact count, but I know the number of people that have picked it up because of me is around 20. When people ask me what my favorite book is, that is the book I tell them. When I re-read it last month, I just loved it more. Now, af...moreOriginally posted here.

Well. It should be no secret that I have been anxiously awaiting this book since I first read The Name of the Wind back in early 2009. Since then, I've been on a crusade to make as many people read it as possible. I haven't kept up an exact count, but I know the number of people that have picked it up because of me is around 20. When people ask me what my favorite book is, that is the book I tell them. When I re-read it last month, I just loved it more. Now, after finally getting to see the next stage of Kvothe's story, I am glad to say that The Wise Man's Fear is just as good...maybe better!

(Ridiculous amounts of gushing to follow.)

The writing. Oh, the writing. I have had countless conversations about how amazing the writing is in The Name of the Wind. I quote the especially poetic and lyrical parts - or the dialogues that made me laugh. I absolutely believe that Rothfuss is one of the best writers out there. (Click here to check out all the Goodreads quotes from the book so far, you'll see what I mean!) But, other authors can write lyrical passages and make me laugh. I couldn't put into words what it was that made Rothfuss the (in my opinion) undisputed best. Then, I read a scene in this book that made it come together:

The real magic behind the story is the writing. Not just the lyrical and poetic passages, not just the humorous ones - but the parts that cover the everyday, basic interactions. You know how, when you're talking to your friends, you'll laugh (chuckle, if you will) at little things that aren't particularly that funny? Then - you read a passage with dialogue like that in a book - and even though you notice - and appreciate - the (borderline) humor, you don't actually laugh. Well - when you're reading something Patrick Rothfuss has written, you laugh. You do a double-take. You feel a slight awkwardness. You get a chill...you blush. You do all the little things you'd do in your own life and your own conversations that you don't normally react to when you're reading. That is what Rothfuss does like no one else.

One of the best things about Kvothe is that he can really be an irritating SOB. He isn't one of those characters that starts perfect and has absolutely no personal growth. In this book, we see him finally start to mature and understand that, while he might have more life experience then some, he is still ignorant in a lot of ways. We also (finally) see him realize that sometimes it really is better to keep his mouth shut. Of course, on the other hand, sometimes he still can't help himself. He still manages to get into heaps of trouble, most of which is his own fault. The way his character thinks and interacts with others makes it really seem like you're reading about a life and not a character. The realism is why it is so easy to become so deeply involved. Also, sometimes, when he isn't being obnoxious...he can show kindness that will make your heart clench. The man has layers.

I was really nervous about the middle of the book, because I knew that he had to leave the University at some point (based on the synopsis). Actually, I was scared to death he was going to be kicked out for some godawful reason and that it would be a horrible section to read. I was hardcore dreading it. Well, no spoilers, but it didn't unfold like I thought it would and, as you can see, I lived through it. I enjoyed the story just as much away from the University. I shouldn't have doubted it!

Also, we get a lot more of "Kote," Bast and the Chronicler in the present-day with this book. I liked those parts a lot, which was another pleasant surprise, because I didn't so much in NOTW. And if the Kvothe that is unfolding through the story has layers, forget about trying to understand him as he is in the present-day. Although we're closer to seeing what has brought him to an out-of-the-way inn, there are still gaps and mysteries. The third book will have a lot of ground to cover!

One of the best surprises in the book, for me, was Elodin. SO MANY awesome scenes with this guy. Seriously, he is easily one of my favorite characters in the series. I'm definitely avoiding going into specifics in my review, but let me tell you - when you read the book you will love him.

This book ended basically the same as the first - it leaves you definitely wanting more, but not on a cliffhanger that makes you want to choke somebody to death. I am already looking forward to the third book - and whether it takes one year or seven, I can't wait to see what happens next!(less)

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Mar 29, 2011

Autumn rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 01, 2011

Stefan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, www-fantasyliterature-com-review

4.5 stars

If, like me, you were so impressed with The Name of the Wind that you neglected all but the most pressing business until you turned the final page, you may have decided to give it a quick re-read in anticipation of the sequel. If you did, you probably spotted this quote in Chapter 43:

There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.

After a long but worthwhile wait, we now have the second n...more

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Mar 20, 2011

Doug Bradshaw rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. ***Spoilers Contained***

Lord of the Rings and the Arthurian Legend are my internal models for fantasy literature. Frodo, the simple unsuspecting guy with no real training or special ability, on the impossible journey with impossible odds and then Arthur the straggly boy who turns out to be the chosen and pre-ordained one who has the power and the genetics to pull the sword out of the stone. Tolkien's beautiful poetry is unsurpassed and amazing and some of the characters we meet and...more

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Mar 05, 2011

Vinaya rated it

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Shelves: books-i-loved, comparative-5-stars, could-have-been-better, fantasy

*Vinaya emerges from her cave, blinking owlishly at the sun*

You gotta admire a man who can hold your interest through two days and 994 pages of more or less nonstop reading. The second installment of Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles, The Wise Man's Fear, is just as compelling and beautifully written as the first. Kvothe returns in full glory to recount more of his adventures at the University, at Vintas and in Ademre.

I was a little annoyed and more than a little impat...more*Vinaya emerges from her cave, blinking owlishly at the sun*

You gotta admire a man who can hold your interest through two days and 994 pages of more or less nonstop reading. The second installment of Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles, The Wise Man's Fear, is just as compelling and beautifully written as the first. Kvothe returns in full glory to recount more of his adventures at the University, at Vintas and in Ademre.

I was a little annoyed and more than a little impatient through most of the book. Oh, I was still devouring pages and falling headlong into Kvothe's reality, but I couldn't see where the book was going. It took me a while to have my epiphany. This book is not going anywhere, anymore than the first book was. It's not like most fantasy, whose strength rests in the convolutions of the plotline. Don't expect the tale to have a progression that leads into a subplot, subtly furthering the main plot. There is NO main plot or subplot, as we understand them in the fantasy genre. This book is not so much a story as it is an autobiography. Yes, this is my big epiphany, and if everyone else has had it before me, I apologize. See, there were a lot of things that bothered me about this book. First was the fact that Kvothe was the only character really spotlit in this series. The second was that there were so many incidents, anecdotes and stories-within-stories in the narrative, and most of them didn't serve any purpose, plotwise. How does the Maer's poisoning, for example, play into the larger scheme of things? The answer is, it doesn't.

However, let's assume for one second, that Kvothe is a real person, living in an actual world. Let us assume he is telling us his life story. Wouldn't his rescue of one of the richest, most important men in the world be something he was particularly proud of? Wouldn't it be an incident worth recounting?

Once I realized that I was reading the book in entirely the wrong way, and needed a different set of expectations, I began to appreciate the "barbarian cunning" Rothfuss possesses. He can pour all of his role-playing fantasies into the book, through his hero, without having to worry about their relevance to the bigger picture, because the bigger picture IS the hero. The only time the book falls into standard fantasy storytelling tropes is during the interludes. Then we are presented with several mysteries, unanswered questions and some movement towards a larger picture looming at the end of the series.

As usual, the book is beautifully written, prose and poetry melding seamlessly. I am still very un-fond of all the female characters in this book, although Rothfuss does flesh out Denna a little more. But really, I wasn't very happy with who he made her. She's like a mixture of Ayesha from She and Fantine from Les Misérables. Not my favourite characters, but that's my gripe, not a general one. Willem and Simmons also make a longer appearance in this book, portraying a strong, solid friendship, which was the one thing Kvothe lacked in his life until now. (view spoiler) And, of course, Bast and Chronicler make their own bid for popularity, despite being sidelined shamefully by the characters from Kvothe's past.

All told, this is a great book, sure, but still ridiculously long. And I have a feeling the last book may have to be split into two parts, just to get the entirety of the story - past and present- done. I think The Wise Man's fear would have been the better for the loss of a couple of hundred pages. For me, it didn't have the same impact as The Name of the Wind, for several reasons. First, the sheer length of the book leads to a sort of disconnect; by the time you're halfway through the book, you've forgotten how the book starts. Second is a more personal reason. Patrick Rothfuss is one of maybe three authors whose blogs I read regularly. And being a verbose sort of man, Pat tends to blog very frequently. As a result, I have his 'written voice' fixed very firmly in my head. This written voice is also very clear in the Kingkiller Chronicles, so there were too many instances where I was distracted by Pat the real person, instead of Kvothe, Pat's character. I don't think I'm explaining it very well, but I also don't think it's something that'll bother anyone else anyway, so that's okay, I guess. Third is the fact that a lot of things that had been puffed up in the first book were downplayed in this one: Kvothe's time with the Ademre, for example. It wasn't half as impressive as I was expecting it to be. No doubt this was the effect that was intended, but I don't like teasers that turn out to be anti-climactic, so I feel entitled to complain about this. Fourth is what I like to call middle child syndrome. This generally happens to the middle book in a highly-anticipated trilogy; the build-up is greater than it ought to be, making you feel like the product is letting you down just that little bit.

In comparison to most of the fantasy out there, The Wise Man's Fear is a five-star read. In comparison to The Name of the Wind, and my expectations for this book, it would only get a 4.5. But everything said, I am still a rabid fangirl with a massive author-crush on Patrick Rothfuss. My recommendation: read it, but be prepared for a long haul!(less)

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Jan 14, 2012

Noelle Campbell rated it

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Too wordy. Too unbelievable. Even if this is the quintessential exceptional hero, what has happened to the hero in the short span of less than a year is completely unbelievable, especially at 17. There is no time for these events to happen. The wisdom, the luck, the meetings are all too much, it started to get long winded. It feels like you are being manipulated for future events. Like the dungeon master just happened to put the exact sword, gem, and book of magic all in one room and then ...more

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Apr 12, 2011

Ben Johnson rated it

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The first third of The Wise Man’s Fear is a repeat of the plot conflicts of The Name of the Wind. Kvothe is back at the University, but worries about tuition; Ambrose tries to ruin Kvothe’s life; Kvothe loses his instrument, rhapsodizes about how much music means to him, and then gets it back; Denna comes and goes. After the Harry Potter setting is abandoned, the book goes into several side-conflicts that take up more time than they seem to warrant. And then the book ends.

Once again,...moreThe first third of The Wise Man’s Fear is a repeat of the plot conflicts of The Name of the Wind. Kvothe is back at the University, but worries about tuition; Ambrose tries to ruin Kvothe’s life; Kvothe loses his instrument, rhapsodizes about how much music means to him, and then gets it back; Denna comes and goes. After the Harry Potter setting is abandoned, the book goes into several side-conflicts that take up more time than they seem to warrant. And then the book ends.

Once again, there is no overarching plot. Nominally Kvothe is still hunting the Chandrian, but there is so little development on that front that I really can’t call it anything but a background issue. Instead, the book’s main concern seems to be showing how the stories of Kvothe hinted at in The Name of the Wind were created by situations not nearly as extraordinary as expected (for a fantasy book). The nature of stories to take on a life of their own is not an altogether unique concern but one that does have potential; the problem, however, is that it is just not much fun to read about. The most exciting thing about The Name of the Wind were the hints of future heroic exploits by Kvothe, and revealing that these exploits are not as spectacular as they sound is not exactly a recipe for excitement.

And there are still a lot of stories to go. Clearly there is too much for one trilogy - and that’s okay. With a tight plot that uses these hints as context and setting, these events wouldn’t necessarily need to be explained. They could be background depth, just as The Lord of the Rings is a story built upon an encyclopedia. Or the trilogy could have taken a broader view, and moved time quickly in order to hit the highlights. But The Kingkiller Chronicles takes a middle path in which the plot is in the background and the events that are described feel disjointed and irrelevant to each other.

And I still don’t care about Kvothe. He is still a smarmy know-it-all that is firmly encased in the author’s protagonist armor. Kvothe does develop in some new ways: in the middle of the book the story suddenly becomes about sex. Kvothe is taught the arts of love by a beautiful faerie (*eyeroll*) and suddenly he is a womanizer. He then travels to a new culture where sex is not a taboo like it is in Kvothe’s society (or in America). It is a fairly obvious ethnographic trope that I never found compelling or original. And after that there is a situation involving rape and racism. I appreciated the more nuanced representation of females when compared to The Name of the Wind, but it was also a bit jarring to suddenly have every conflict somehow involve sex when the subject had been absent for the first 1,500 pages of the series.

The writing is generally of high quality, but dialogue has a tendency to be more explication than interaction and often comes off as melodramatic. For example, when Kvothe’s heritage is insulted he launches into this dramatic declaration: “And I am Edema Ruh to my bones. That means my blood is red. It means I breathe the free air and walk where my feet take me. I do not cringe and fawn like a dog at a man’s title. That looks like pride to people who have spend their lives cultivating supple spines.” It just doesn’t feel like a real person’s speech, unless that person is on a stage looking at an audience. Kvothe is presented as a master actor (one of the many skills he masters effortlessly), so perhaps that’s the idea. But no one ever calls him on it in the book; nothing ever challenges Kvothe in a significant way. It gets old.

The book comes off as a “fantasy greatest hits” written for the high school crowd, with the inconveniences of an overarching plot structure done away with. Too many issues are injected into conflict (racism, poverty, sexual politics, puberty) and none are dealt with in an original way.

(But I still read all 900 pages of it.)(less)

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Oct 22, 2011

George Loch rated it

· review of another edition

I do enjoy the pacing of this trilogy. It is different than most as it takes a more detailed approach in revealing the main character's story. It seems to sprinkle smaller amounts of fantasy than most in this genre but, enough to qualify for it's inclusion. It is an intriguing approach.

However...

It is fair to call "Mary Sue Factor" on this. The conflict feels mostly predictable as the main character turns his hand to just about everything and becomes master of ...more

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Sep 02, 2011

Contrarius rated it

Shelves: fantasy

This will be a bit of an atypical review for me. Another Goodreads user, Simeon (formerly YeahIknow3), has presented a very inaccurate critique of this book. In the interest of spreading accurate info, and since Simeon seems to be in the habit of deleting comments on his own review that he doesn't like or can't refute, I'm presenting corrections to his false claims about the book here. I have preceded each of his claims with asterisks.

WARNING! SPOILERS BELOW!

-----

...more

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Brian As a close reader of the story I was wondering if you like me suspect that Meluan (the Maer Alveron's wife) is actually Kvothe's Aunt. Also I raised ...more
Dec 01, 2011 11:58am

Mar 18, 2011

Matt rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

The Wise Man's Fear is begins precisely where The Name of the Wind left off. There was very little catching up to do in the plot and the transition between books was as smooth as any i've come across. Kvothe spends a great deal of time at the University once again, however for those who would appreciate a change of pace, Kvothe embarks on a rather lengthy and eventful journey for a large portion of the story. I've read many complaints about the repetitive nature of the story, or that it can ...moreThe Wise Man's Fear is begins precisely where The Name of the Wind left off. There was very little catching up to do in the plot and the transition between books was as smooth as any i've come across. Kvothe spends a great deal of time at the University once again, however for those who would appreciate a change of pace, Kvothe embarks on a rather lengthy and eventful journey for a large portion of the story. I've read many complaints about the repetitive nature of the story, or that it can become dull at times. I would like to say that Rothfuss is all about the Journey. He's doesn't write to WOW you... no corny, cliche parts...the beauty is in the tiny details along the way which are so well written.

Best Part???

Easily when the Ambrose "poisoned" Kvothe with the Plum tasting inhibitor. I have to say i was more or less laughing out loud for a little bit there. One of the most entertaining dialogue i have EVER read in a novel...EVER!

What else did i like ?

A great deal actually. I thoroughly enjoy all Kvothe's time spent at the University. Many reviewers have complained that the University plot becomes somewhat repetitive. I, however, love every single word of it. I enjoy the the banter, the pranks, the admissions, Kvothe's money problems (including Devi), the ladies, and just about every other aspect of Kvothe's university experience. Kvothe becomes closer with Master Elodin and learns a tiny bit more about naming. He also invents a new piece of machinery which helps him solve some of his money issues. All in all the university plot in this novel opens a whole new avenue for Kvothe's character. Kvoth + money - University = Adventure.

In this novel Rothfuss began to explain the life of Kvothe in much more detail. After all the tavern stories being told about the amazing "Kvothe" in The Name of the Wind, the reader is given an in depth look at how some of these rumors began. I love the Kvothe's honesty and cleverness, often admitting that many of the stories were embellished, or just plain made up on his own account. Kvothe works for a somewhat Kingly figure, trains with some badass fighting tribe, and has a romantic vacation with none other than Faelurian herself. The story of Kvothe is slowly but surely taking shape. He learns to fight, sharpens his Sympathy skills, and ends up solving his money problems.

Once again, the interludes were well done...a perfect break in the plot without ruining the flow of the story. I also appreciate some of the subtleties of Rothfuss' writing. There are many clever, and well though out real life lessons and morals a reader can learn from some of Kvothe's mistakes. I also love how Rothfuss often goes against the grain...not everything always goes Kvothe's way when you think it will (i.e When he gave Denna the ring...and she!!!! Didn't really react how he thought...) I guess its the small things i enjoyed most.

What did i Dislike?

I have to admit there was very little i disliked. Although at times the whole Denna plot pisses me off, i have a feeling it there is more depth to come. I believe Rothfuss is holding out on something big with this plot. I also didn't really care for the Maer's personality, or the way he sent Kvothe away. Shouldn't you be a little more appreciative to someone who saved your life, money, and found you a wife? Once again, i think Rothfuss is holding out.

All in all the Likes greatly outweighed the Dislikes. i would urge the reader to remember this is a Book 2 of a trilogy and they are usually a little slow. I have a feeling book 3 will have a lot of punch. I just hope i wont have to wait another 3 years for it.
(less)

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Jun 07, 2011

Gavin rated it

· review of another edition

So, there's an established phenomenon that I don't think anyone has coined a snappy title for yet, in my head I call it "Fabulous but Unpredicted Success Leads to a Complete lack of Editorial Constraint or Outside Input Whatsoever which-in-turn Leads to Creative Stagnation and Catastrophe". FUSLCECOIWLCSC. Foo-Sil-Kec-Oiw-Lecuscu. Not going to be printed in a newspaper any time soon, but it's true in all kinds of media.

Generally:
1. Someone outside the established system will bring in something n...more

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May 16, 2011

Ron rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Ron by: Jon Moss

Shelves: fantasy, maps, signed

Not quite a clean five stars. In some ways it's a better story than The Name of the Wind. Good characterization and plot development. A fun read.

But it has flaws. Too many typos and sloppy constructions. Rothfuss has proved that he is capable of better, so must have been the Multiple Editing Syndrome: you introduce new errors while excising the old ones.

Disappointed the University is becoming another Hogwarts (or whatever the Harry Potter school was called): a place to repeat...more

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Nov 18, 2011

Lee Ann rated it

· review of another edition

Overall rating 4.5. I would give the first half of this book 5 stars...It repeated a few things through the first few chapters, but it was really good. Now the second half was quite difficult for me to rate. I thought way too much time was spent on or "in" places that had little relevance to the story except to add detail and pages...for example, his time in the Fea and with the Adem. I think both could have been condense greatly..but I still loved it. Who knows, maybe it was need...more

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Mar 21, 2011

Robert rated it

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I picked up Name Of The Wind last summer when I was waiting in the airport. I have a tough time picking up any new fantasy now because anything I have tried after reading Robert Jordan and George RR Martin, doesn't not even come close to measuring up to these 2 authors. I noticed NOTW won the Quill award so I thought I would give it a read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn't wait for Wise Mans Fear to be released. I thought WMF moved extremely slow and went nowhere. It was anticlimactic and...more

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Apr 12, 2011

Justin rated it

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Shelves: epic, fantasy, read-2011, 2011-release, penguin

Rothfuss can write. Straight up. Despite the fact that Kvothe is borderline dues ex machina, I find him vulnerable and interesting. That can only be explained by the fact that Rothfuss can really spin a tale.

with that said, I think WMF really loses track at various points in the novel. The book reads more like a travelogue than a novel. Kvothe goes from place to place, has adventures, makes love to a new girl, and then ends up basically where he started.

At several ...more

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Apr 13, 2011

galleycat rated it

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Four years after big buzz and glowing reviews turned "The Name of the Wind" into a surprise New York Times best-seller, rising fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss has finally delivered the widely anticipated middle book in his Kingkiller Chronicles trilogy.

It was worth the wait, even if Rothfuss can't get out of his own way at times.

"The Wise Man's Fear" picks up where "Wind" left off, with the episodic tale of Kvothe the Bloodless (a name he ear...more

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Jun 17, 2011

Victoria rated it

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Shelves: 2011, sf-f

I don't understand why I keep reading these books when they're poorly written, poorly plotted, sexist, shallow, and insulting to my intelligence. Kvothe is a douchebag, women exist solely for his emotional/sexual edification, and the entire plot is so painfully contrived that it makes me cringe.

So actually, that's a lie. I do know why I keep reading these books: because I keep hoping that there will be a twist somewhere along the line where Kote is like LOL JUST KIDDING, I'M NOT ACTU...more

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Jul 20, 2011

Maree ♫ Light's Shadow ♪ rated it

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SO GOOD! So far, living up to the expectations and to the last one. Second books usually don't manage this well, and I'm enjoying being impressed.

I've been loathing the part of the book where Kvothe is done with school just because I've been loving reading about it so much, so when he said he was just going to take a term off, I was okay with it, pleased that he'd be going back eventually. VERY CLEVER, ROTHFUSS! You tempted me with the idea that he'd go back and then sucked me into...more

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Mar 29, 2011

Membrillu rated it

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Tot i tenir (per a mi) defectes similars (sobretot una mena de falta de progressió), m'ha agradat més que el primer. Aconsegueix transmetre més sensació de meravella però li falta una dosi d'èpica. Tot plegat, una lectura molt divertida. L'espera es farà llarguíssima.

[Afegeixo la ressenya del blog]

No té cap sentit llegir The Wise Man's Fear sense haver llegit abans The Name of the Wind, doncs comença al punt exacte a on va acabar aquella. Si la primera us va agradar, aquest

...moreTot i tenir (per a mi) defectes similars (sobretot una mena de falta de progressió), m'ha agradat més que el primer. Aconsegueix transmetre més sensació de meravella però li falta una dosi d'èpica. Tot plegat, una lectura molt divertida. L'espera es farà llarguíssima.

[Afegeixo la ressenya del blog]

No té cap sentit llegir The Wise Man's Fear sense haver llegit abans The Name of the Wind, doncs comença al punt exacte a on va acabar aquella. Si la primera us va agradar, aquesta us encantarà. Si la primera us va deixar freds, aquesta és una millora significativa però no crec que modifiqui gaire la vostra opinió sobre la història de'n Kvothe, mag llegendari i assassí de reis vingut a menys.

La primera part de la trilogia tenia una sèrie de defectes què, tot i ser importants, no evitaven que expliqués una història addictiva i plena de potencial. A despit d'un cert grau de desconnexió entre els fets que se'ns explicaven i la línia argumental de fons (l'assassinat de la família de'n Kvothe a mans dels Chandrian i la cerca d'informació sobre aquests monstres) i d'una progressió a batzegades de la trama, amb ocasionals empantanegaments amb detalls trivials i besllums insuficients de misteris amagats, era difícil sostreure's de l'habilitat narrativa de'n Patrick Rothfuss i tombar pàgina rera pàgina fins què, ai las, no quedaven més pàgines i ens quedàvem amb l'ai al cor durant, al tanto, entre dos i quatre anys fins que ha arribat la segona part de la trilogia!

Potser el paràgraf previ no ho fa pensar, però jo he esperat ansiós la publicació de The Wise Man's Fear i pocs llibres he comprat amb més il·lusió que aquest darrerament. I ha valgut la pena tan llarga espera i tanta expectativa? La resposta és tan rotundament afirmativa que em fan mal les cervicals per la força del meu assentiment. I ull, l'amor és cec i en el cas dels llibres també, però això no vol dir que no sigui conscient de les limitacions, que hi són i fortes, d'aquest llibre. En conjunt, però, crec que és molt superior a la primera part i què, ara si, és una aportació significativa al gènere fantàstic.

Encara penso que la història peca de falta de consistència i sembla que el llibre agrupi vàries novel·les breus d'interès desigual i amb transicions massa brusques. En un cas concret, sobretot, aquesta brusquetat pot ser gairebé dolorosa. Encara costa ignorar la incredul·litat que provoca la suprema brillantor intel·lectual del protagonista i la seva capacitat per a dur a terme activitats infinites sempre amb resultats extraordinaris… però vaja, al capdavall el narrador és el propi protagonista i crec que té dret a exagerar una mica… Encara, també, es manté aquesta atenció gairebé obsessiva al detall que ha fet que altres blogaires parlessin, amb part de raó, d'"antièpica" o de "overkill" en les seves referències a l'obra. No tots ho veuran així, però per a mi això són defectes típics d'un autor primerenc que no ha estat capaç de distanciar-se prou de la seva pròpia obra, que s'ha obsessionat tant en tenir uns arbres perfectes que s'ha oblidat una mica de l'estètica global del bosc. Redueixen la qualitat literària de l'obra sense perjudicar en el més mínim la seva capacitat de proporcionar plaer. Val a dir, ja m'agradaria escriure una novel·la i que em sortís tan bé com aquesta, però la meva percepció és aquesta.

En el plat positiu de la balança, més important, la narració aconsegueix transmetre una sensació de meravella que a la primera li mancava una mica i combina amb més perícia els components tràgics i còmics de la narració. Sense deixar de ser una història "pop", la trama s'ha enfosquit i s'ha endurit sense arribar ni de lluny a la cruesa d'un Martin o un Abercrombie. Ara si que comença a insinuar-se l’home en que en Kvothe arribarà a convertir-se i sorprén la facilitat amb la que pren algunes decissions de vida o mort extremadament dures. Sabíem que en Kvothe podia ser dur, aprendrem que també pot ser despietat. El que no es pot posar en dubte és l’habilitat de’n Patrick Rothfuss amb les paraules i com a constructor d’històries. Aconsegueix capturar l’atenció desde la primera pàgina i mantenir-la durant les pràcticament 1000 que dura la història amb una prosa fluïda i clara que no renuncia a la bellesa (lluny dels millors estilistes, però en absolut "prosaïc" com injustament afirmen a Kirkus) . Es nota la cura que ha posat l’autor en cada frase i en cada paraula i, sabent el llarg temps que ha necessitar per completar el manuscrit, es fàcil imaginar les incomptables reescriptures que deu haver patit aquest llibre. Estructurat en capítols curts i àgils, seguir les aventures (i sovint desventures) de’n Kvothe no deixa mai de ser un plaer. Com ja succeïa a The Name of the Wind, en Rothfuss reparteix petites històries i contes dintre de la història principal, donant-li una mena de qualitat telescòpica molt atractiva. Això és un blockbuster, un bestseller per excel·lència, però d'una qualitat innegable (i aclareixo que per a mi normalment no és així).

Benvolguts lectors, aqui acaba la meva ressenya. Si vau llegir la primera part i us va agradar, aquesta us agradarà més i és una lectura gairebé obligada. Si no us va agradar, no crec que aquesta alteri la vostra opinió. No els heu llegit? A què espereu!

Ara, però, m'agradaria fer un parell de comentaris. Queda un últim llibre i tantes coses per explicar que sembla difícil encabir-ho tot en un únic volum. Hi ha veus que parlen de la possibilitat d’escriure una segona trilogia que explicaria la història de'n Kvothe adult, després dels tres dies que dura la seva narració i a partir de les escenes que fan d'interludis en aquesta trilogia. A mi no se m'havia acudit, però ara que ho he llegit em sembla... probable... El que espero, però (i el contrari em faria ràbia) és que laquesta trilogia sigui un conjunt hermètic i consistent en si mateix i que una hipotètica segona trilogia sigui un afegit que no sigui obligatori per entendre la primera. De moment, però, toca esperar uns anyets per saber com segueix la història!

També vull afegir que la traducció a l’Espanyol de The Wise Man’s Fear està prevista per Novembre de 2011. Serà un magnífic afegit a qualsevol Carta als Reis Mags!

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About Patrick Rothfuss

It all began when Pat Rothfuss was born to a marvelous set of parents. Throughout his formative years they encouraged him to do his best, gave him good advice, and were no doubt appropriately dismayed when he failed to live up to his full potential.

In high-school Pat was something of a class clown. His hobbies included reading a novel or two a day and giving relationship advice to all ...moreIt all began when Pat Rothfuss was born to a marvelous set of parents. Throughout his formative years they encouraged him to do his best, gave him good advice, and were no doubt appropriately dismayed when he failed to live up to his full potential.

In high-school Pat was something of a class clown. His hobbies included reading a novel or two a day and giving relationship advice to all of his female friends despite the fact that he had never so much as kissed a girl. He also roll-played and wrote terrible stories about elves. He was pretty much a geek.

Most of Pat's adult life has been spent in the University Wisconsin Stevens Point. In 1991 he started college in order to pursue a career in chemical engineering, then he considered clinical psychology. In 1993 he quit pretending he knew what he wanted to do with his life, changed his major to "undecided," and proceeded to study whatever amused him. He also began writing a book....

For the next seven years Pat studied anthropology, philosophy, eastern religions, history, alchemy, parapsychology, literature, and writing. He studied six different martial arts, practiced improv comedy, learned how to pick locks, and became a skilled lover of women. He also began writing a satirical advice column which he continues to this day: The College Survivial Guide. Through all of this he continued to work on his novel.

In 2000 Pat went to grad school for English literature. Grad school sucked and Pat hated it. However, Pat learned that he loved to teach. He left in 2002 with his masters degree, shaking the dust from his feet and vowing never to return. During this period of time his novel was rejected by roughly every agent in the known universe.

Now Pat teaches half-time at his old school as an assistant-sub-lecturer. He is underpaid but generally left alone to do as he sees fit with his classes. He is advisor for the college feminists, the fencing club, and, oddly enough, a sorority. He still roll-plays occasionally, but now he does it in an extremely sophisticated, debonair way.

Through a series of lucky breaks, he has wound up with the best agent and editor imaginable, and the first book of his trilogy has been published under the title "The Name of the Wind."

Though it has only been out since April 2007, it has already been sold in 26 foreign countries and won several awards.

Pat has been described as "a rough, earthy iconoclast with a pipeline to the divine in everyone's subconscious." But honestly, that person was pretty drunk at the time, so you might want to take it with a grain of salt.(less)

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Books by Patrick Rothfuss

The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)

The Adventure of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed

The Doors of Stone (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #3)

O Medo do Homem Sábio (A Crónica do Regicida, Livro 2 - Parte 1)

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Quotes from Wise Man's Fear

“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.” — 379 people liked it

“It had flaws, but what does that matter when it comes to matters of the heart? We love what we love. Reason does not enter into it. In many ways, unwise love is the truest love. Anyone can love a thing because. That's as easy as putting a penny in your pocket. But to love something despite. To know the flaws and love them too. That is rare and pure and perfect.” — 177 people liked it

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