The Name of the Wind

by: Patrick Rothfuss
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 women, and written songs that make the mistrels weep. 
You may have heard of me.
So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature--the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man's search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend. {cover copy}
I picked up this book as part of my research for the Fantasy Nerdy Post box. I had seen it a few times in the bookstore and been intrigued by it, but hadn't ever picked it up. When I finally did, it was along with several others. I was trying to decide which book to start with, so I asked in a poll on my IG. It was overwhelmingly the favorite. So I dove in. 
I wish I could accurately explain what it was about this book that caught and then held my attention, but I honestly don't know. Something about hearing the story being told from the main character's point of view was intriguing, because you keep getting these hints of events to come. But it wasn't just that. The story itself was really engaging. The magic, the school, the trials and tribulations of the main character... it all just had me sucked in. I loved it so much I immediately wanted to start the next one, but I didn't for two reasons. 1: there are only two parts of the story currently published, and there seemed to be a pretty large gap between them, so i figured it would be best to wait as long as I could stand to read the next one so I would have to wait less time for the final one. 2: I had a bunch of other fantasy books to read for the box and a short amount of time to do so. 
Regardless, it was a great start to a story I am absolutely invested in, and while I can't wait to read the next one, I'm forcing myself to! For now.

It was night again. {first line}
"Onward then. Music and magic. Triumph and folly."

"That was what I wanted. Stacks of books. Great heaps of books. Shelf after endless shelf of books."

"There's no good story that doesn't touch the truth."

"All stories are true... But this one really happened."

"You have to be a bit of a liar to tell a story the right way."

"As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts."

• die • {last word}