From the Bookshelf of Read Runners…

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

Patrick Rothfuss

Start date: April 1, 2015

Finish date: April 30, 2015

Discussion: The Pillars of Fantasy

Why we're reading this: Buddy Read
[close] Buddy Read

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 5 topics — 3,633 comments total

The Pillars of Fantasy

* The Pillars of Fantasy
By Anirudh · 2336 posts · 308 views

last updated Sep 10, 2016 05:48AM

new released manga
By Joyce · 1 post · 7 views

last updated Jun 07, 2023 12:13PM

showing 10 of 11 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Nov 22, 2014 ~~Poulomi Sylphrena Tonk$~~ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, mystery, fantasy, adventure, ravenclaw-mmp

A million mysterious, awesome to the point infinity, adventurous, Kvothe-obsessed stars!!!

It’s probably a disgrace to mark a marvel as this epic fantasy as a mere 5-star read. I wish I could empty all the stars of the universe and beyond just to do all the justice to this book.
I took to reading this book as a part of a group read, and I can’t find words enough to thank everyone of that group for making me read something as wonderful as The name of the wind.

The book narrates the story of Kvo A million mysterious, awesome to the point infinity, adventurous, Kvothe-obsessed stars!!!

It’s probably a disgrace to mark a marvel as this epic fantasy as a mere 5-star read. I wish I could empty all the stars of the universe and beyond just to do all the justice to this book.
I took to reading this book as a part of a group read, and I can’t find words enough to thank everyone of that group for making me read something as wonderful as The name of the wind.

The book narrates the story of Kvothe. Kvothe Kingkiller. Kvothe the Bloodless. Kvothe the Arcane.
The book is split in two halves. One describes Kvothe as the red-haired innkeeper, narrating his stories to Devan, the Chronicler and Bast, his forever-devoted student, in the Waystone inn. The other travels back, several ages old, to Kvothe’s life spanning across a childhood spent as a part of a troupe, the blue flame that robbed him of all that he called family, his dark days at Tarbean, the University and his days as an E’lir, a quest to his never-quenching thirst about the Chandrian, and of course, his stumbling over a certain woman. The woman. The woman who was not any less than the wind itself. Sought after by men, tall and rich, far and near, yet rare as a draccus in hiding.

This book is the work of an absolute genius. Rothfuss, I bow to you. You are plain terrific.
And I’m going to state the reasons why.
Firstly, the book is an supreme treat to fantasy lovers. There is magic, there is chemistry, there are demons and dark forces of all kinds, but it never seemed too much. Epic Fantasy is a genre for which you have access to tomes and shelves of elements which you can create and recreate.There’s actually no end. But it needs a tremendous amount of precision to execute it in the right manner, to avoid letting those elements dwindle or overflow. And I haven’t seen someone do it any better other than Rothfuss. The simple, concise manner in which he explained the principles of Arcany, Sympathy and Fishery seemed so real at times, one would be amazed that they don’t actually happen.
Secondly, the depth of the story. I know the book is long, and I’m more than glad that it is, because had it been any less, I doubt the aptness of this book would’ve have been unhindered. The author is in no hurry to finish off the book; he takes the slower, gradual road to make you stand exactly where Kvothe stood, lets you walk through the same woods as those upon which Kvothe set his foot. When he’s scared, he’ll immerse you in the same wind of adrenaline; when he’s happy, he’ll make you cheery.That’s what I call some powerful writing. I’ll quote one of my favourite examples to emphasize this point:

Go out in the early days of winter, after the first cold snap of the season. Find a pool of water with a sheet of ice across the top, still fresh and new and clear as glass. Near the shore the ice will hold you. Slide out farther. Farther. Eventually you'll find the place where the surface just barely bears your weight. There you will feel what I felt. The ice splinters under your feet... This is what happened when Denna smiled at me. I felt like the ice itself, suddenly shattered, with cracks spiraling out from where she had touched my chest.

Thirdly, the way he builds up the story is breathtaking. He’ll leave you crumbs of the story along the way, spiking your curiousity to an unprecedented level, and before long you realise you’re being ensnared into a Hansel and Gretel castle. You can’t help but be in awe of his cleverness.

Next up the characters. Kvothe, being the central point of the story, undergoes a definite progression from being a pup to a full fledged Arcanist. By he end of the book, you find yoursef justifying everything that he did or felt because it seems like you’ve known him more than can be deemed possible. That is again when I salute Rothfuss for his unmatched ability of painting a character with such careful and seamless detail. Others like Denna, Bast, the Masters, Auri and even that hag, Ambrose, all go through fairly appropriate specifications. All the characters appear like a speck of light in the background at first, but as you progress with the story, you know there’s more to them than that meets the eye.

No matter how much I write about him, you’ll never truly believe me until you read it yourself. Highly recommended to all fantasy fanatics! You simply got to read this.
5 (Alas! GR, you’re mean) stars for me.
...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Jul 24, 2015 Priyatham Bollimpalli rated it really liked it · review of another edition

With a gripping story and a compelling narrative, The Name of the Wind is a great debut novel.

“That should do for now, I imagine,” Kvothe said, gesturing for Chronicler to lay down his pen. “We have all the groundwork now. A foundation of story to build upon.”

But this book is not without its flaws. This is not a standalone novel. It is a bit slow in some places. (view spoiler). Not all characters are likable. But this may change once oth ...more

2 likes · Like · see review