Exclusive: A Sneak Peek at the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Name of the Wind

"My name is Kvothe… You may have heard of me."

Ten years after the publication of The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss' hero Kvothe—the Arcane, the Bloodless, the Kingkiller—is well on his way to becoming as legendary in our world as he is in his own. While readers await the final installment of his story, a television and film adaptation of the entire Kingkiller Chronicle is currently on its way from Lionsgate and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

To mark the anniversary of this beloved fantasy epic, a deluxe edition arrives next month, featuring a brand-new cover, never-before-seen illustrations by artist Dan Dos Santos, a pronunciation guide, and more. Rothfuss shares the edition's Author's Note exclusively with Goodreads as well as an updated world map by artist Nathan Taylor.


First and foremost, this is the best, cleanest version of the text we have. We fixed a few mistakes we've discovered over the years. Though I've resisted the urge to go back in and fiddle with the language except for just a few words here and there for the sake of clarity. And a few more that I tucked in to add clues about the eighth Chandrian, Devi's real name, and Auri's backstory.

No. Wait. I'm sorry. I shouldn't joke about that. Don't waste your time digging through the text and comparing the changes. All of that was a lie.

Secondarily, we have illustrations by the marvelous Dan Dos Santos. New maps by friend and frequent artistic collaborator Nate Taylor, who has also graciously agreed to provide illustrations in the supplementary materials here at the end of the book.

What materials are those, you might ask? Well, for those of you who want to go deep, deep down the obsessive, geeky rabbit-hole of my worldbuilding, we have appendices which provide information about the history of the world, the calendar, and my multifarious currency systems.

There's a pronunciation guide, too. For those of you who are into that sort of thing….

* * *
One of the best things about my new life is getting to know the people who have read and enjoyed my books. Back when I daydreamed of being published, it never occurred to me that the community of readers that sprang up around my books would be so amazing. So wonderful and kind.

I started a blog, and tens of thousands of you showed up to read the little stories I wrote there. You have made beautiful fan art, sent me sweet letters and gifts. You show up when I attend conventions, podcasts, or play video games on Twitch.

I ran a photo contest and y'all stunned me with your creativity and enthusiasm. When I teamed up with a game designer to create the rules for Tak, you showed up on Kickstarter to help us produce it.

And when I started a charity, you proved how generous geeks could be. Through our online store (The Tinker's Packs) and various fundraisers, y'all have helped Worldbuilders raise more than $8,000,000 to help make the world a better place. Have I said thank you yet?

Even if I haven't said it yet, I hope you know that I've been thinking it.

Thank you.

—Patrick Rothfuss





The 10th Anniversary Edition of The Name of the Wind hits bookshelves on October 3. Add it to your Want to Read shelf here.

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