The Name of the Wind

by Patrick Rothfuss

Book Overview

Discover #1 New York Times-bestselling Patrick Rothfuss' epic fantasy series, The Kingkiller Chronicle. "I just love the world of Patrick Rothfuss." --Lin-Manuel Miranda - "He's bloody good, this... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0756404746
• ISBN13: 8601300468570
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: DAW Books
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

a one star review for what should be a five star book

dont start this so-called trilogy. only two excellent books have been released. but the author gives no indication of ever finishing this. therefore i cannot recommend this.

Overhyped

People got nuts about this book. Proof that opinions vary. I found it dreadfully boring and the protagonist to be a real jerk. The author is a selfish jerk also as he has been promising a final third book in the trilogy that he now refuses to write leaving his fans to hang. He has been quoted saying “ I owe them nothing”! Bye bye Mr. Rothfuss you won’t be missed.

Do not buy the edition published by Paw Prints

This story is phenomenal, and I wanted a hardcover copy for my collection. The edition published by Paw Prints is essentially a mass market paperback glued into a badly printed hardcover binding. It was bound so poorly that when I opened it to the middle of the book, the book itself wouldn't open all the way without ripping the pages. The cover looks as if someone photocopied the original art, then printed it out. The words are even cut off on the top. I'm going to try to buy a copy printed by DAW instead.

Beautifully written!

Got this book as a gift and didn’t pick it up for years. Once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down! It’s become my favorite series. It flows so smoothly and the character makes me feel so many emotions through out. I look forward to the third and final book to come out!

Excellent read.

Such a great story. I can't wait to see what comes next!! This is my favorite genre of books, and Name of the Wind did not disappoint. It was not a tedious read, as some fantasy/sci-fi books can be. There was just enough description and detail that I was pulled into their world...but not so much that it was annoying...I tend to skip overly descriptive passages and I didn't do that with this book...anxiously awaiting the next book in this series and ready to dig into more of the author's works.

Fantasy on a fantastic scale

Readers of Tolkien, Sanderson, and Jordan will love this intimate look into the life of what will soon be known as one of fantasies greatest heros. Kvothe's story is wonderfully told, deeply relatable, and evolves so organically that one finds themselves engrossed.

Skip the first couple chapters until later

This is truly an amazing series. I bought the first book about three years ago, and it took me a whole year to get into it. The problem was the first couple chapters (set in the present) are sooo boring! Nothing really happens! I must have reread the first three chapters a dozen times because I kept giving up on it. But once I finally got through and the real story started (set in the past) it was so good I couldn’t put it down! And I immediately bought the next book and devoured that as well!

The Best Fantasy Novel I've Read in Nearly a Decade

First, I just want to say that this is the best fantasy book I’ve read since A Game of Thrones back in 2011. I am very impressed with Rothfuss’ writing style and the characters. I spent more of my free time reading this than just about any other task. I found myself staying up late at night because finishing one chapter wasn’t good enough to settle my mind. I also found myself daydreaming about the book as I was trying to go to sleep on many occasions. For what seemed like a hundred times, I thought to myself: “Kvothe is a smart kid!” “Kvothe is an arrogant jerk!” “Kvothe is so ignorant about women! Come on, kid!” “I guess Kvothe really is a hero.” “Kvothe will eventually be a villain.” “Kvothe loses more money that I’ve ever had.” What Rothfuss did perfectly in this book was make me either love or hate all the characters, even the minor ones who are just a merchant that Kvothe meets for a brief moment. They all captured my imagination and I was constantly trying to figure out if this or that minor character would be important later. The comedy was something I wasn’t expecting. I found myself laughing out loud, sometimes so loud that my wife looked at me like I’m a lunatic. Sometimes Rothfuss would sneak the comedy in when you think a moment was about to get very intense and serious. Without spoiling anything, I highly recommend this book to anybody that enjoys fantasy novels, and also this book should be the first fantasy book that anybody should read if they’re new to the genre. I give it a 5/5!

Masterful Storytelling in a Compelling World

I had heard of this book a few months ago and decided I should work on reading it. Now that I've finished, I greatly wish I would have read it much earlier in my life! As a voracious fantasty reader and musician, I found myself continually enticed to plow through this novel. It is an immersive world, the storytelling conventions are unique, and I [mostly] enjoyed the characters. Kvothe is a wonderfully written character I could find myself relating with. Other characters were somewhat delightful to read but at times felt like they had little to no development(Ambrose would be a good example of this.) I have mixed feelings about the way Denna was written but overall I think I liked her character. My only dissatisfaction with the book was the lack of connection to the world map provided in the first few pages. The worldbuilding was masterfully done, there was just little sense of comprehension with the actual image of the world. I recently purchased the second book from this site and just started reading it so time will tell how things turn out in the continuation of this story, but overall I would HIGHLY recommend The Name of the Wind to anyone who enjoys a good epic fantasy. (And especially those who want to read a story with music as a central, integral part of the book!) P. S.: There is supposedly both a movie and tv show in the works for this story, and the music will be produced/written by Lin-Manuel Miranda! :D here's to hoping he nails the music in Kvothe's tale! I'm certain that talented man will do the music some justice as long as there's no hip-hop inspiration... I love Hamilton but that genre would be entirely unfitting to this story. xD

Unbelievably good!

I read this first book from the recommendation of a friend, and imidiately fell in love. I've now amlost finished the second book, and I can hardly wait for the third. Anyone and everyone should read this book!!

Must Read

One of the most beautiful, touching, deeply relevant works of fantasy literature I have ever read. As previous reviewers have mentioned, I can only really compare it to the Lord of the Rings in scope, importance and quality. The tale follows the mythic (but quite human) character of Kvothe, uniquely fully realized as a human with incomparable mental powers and skills of survival. The series chronicles Kvothe's extraordinary and tragic life as he tells it to a traveler storyteller known as the Chronicler. Patrick Rothfuss has not released a date for the final installment in this truly epic trilogy. On a personal note, I never thought I would love any fantasy apart from Harry Potter and LOTR. I am very picky when it comes to this genre. But I read the Name of the Wind on the advice of a friend, and it was some of the best advice I ever took. Don't even consider not reading this book.

I highly recommend this book!

Seriously, this is one of the best books I've read in a long time and I recommend this series to everyone. Completely worth full price msrp so picking it up discounted is a no brainer!

One of the best reads in a very long time

I don't have much to add to what's already been said except to say that it's one of the best books I've read in a very long time. I can't say it's completely "perfect" in my own personal opinion, mostly with the occasional minor pacing issues, but seriously I loved the heck out of it. As the first effort from a new author, it's staggering. I'm left yearning for the remaining parts of the trilogy. If you've any doubts as to whether you should go ahead and purchase this book, put them out of your mind and order it. You will not be sorry.

"Good Beyond Hope"

C. S. Lewis said of Lord of the Rings: "Here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron; here is a book that will break your heart ... good beyond hope." To use it for this book is high praise, indeed, but accurate. I've been reading fantasy since the 60's, and have lost track of the number of copies of LOTR I've worn out. Of the 1,000's of books sitting on my shelves, I can count on the fingers of one hand the ones that reach that level: The Fionavar Tapestry, the first Deryni trilogy, the Belgariad Epic, and the Riddlemaster of Hed. This pantheon now has a new member. Never have I read a book that was so engrossing, so quickly. I cannot praise it enough. Mr Rothfuss, where have you been hiding?

Best Debut Novel - Best Fantasy Novel - In Years

This is the kind of novel that fantasy readers dream of reading. It's the kind of novel would-be writers dream of writing. Excellent writing, deeply complex characters, careful revelations and wonderful plot twists. I haven't enjoyed a debut fantasy novel this much since Barry Hughart's "Bridge of Birds" or Rosemary Kirstein's "The Steerswoman." The protagonist, Kvothe, is seemingly hiding as an innkeeper. But there are nasty creatures about, that may or may not be attracted to him. After Kvothe rescues a bard, he ends up telling the bard his life story. So you get the back story on a nearly-mythical wizard, mixed with increasingly dark events happening in the present. It is an extremely effective way to to tell a story. It certainly kept me up all night. And I can truthfully say I savored each of the 660 plus pages. Maybe the best part is that Rothfuss, in his blog, says all three books in the trilogy are written, and will be released at one year intervals. I can't wait. This is about as good as high fantasy gets. An imaginative, powerful and compelling story that is exceptionally well told. My compliments to Mr. Rothfuss. And my very highest recommendation to readers.

Consumer Warning: Highly Addictive

By far the best fantasy book I've read in a while. Kvothe is one the most real, imperfect and relatable fantasy heroes you will ever have the pleasure of reading about, and the rest of the characters (with the exception of Ambrose, who is a little too stereotypical for my taste) are just as good. The setting is also very well done. The world we're introduced to is more conservative than most fantasy worlds, there are no elves or dwarves, but they aren't necessary as it turns out. What is distinct about it is the lore. It is a world complete with gods and demons, myths surrounding them, holidays and celebrations revolving around them, people who believe in them and people who don't, all of them making the world feel much more real than many other comparable endeavors. The magic "system" is also very unique and detailed, a little hard to understand in some cases, but that makes sense because its supposed to be a hard thing to learn, hence its an even harder thing for Kvothe to explain as he tells his story. What really brings it home is the writing. It is verbose and concise in all the right places, suspenseful (to the point where you have to exert a considerable amount of effort to keep yourself from skipping down the page to find out what happened), and funny. The only real downside is that its only part one, and the rest of the series isn't even on the horizon yet. I finished reading a week ago, and I'm still going through withdrawal, so be careful. However, in all seriousness, if you ever found a fantasy book enjoyable, chances are you will like this one. So buy it, you wont be sorry.

Well worth your precious reading hours

It seems to me that every year there are more books I want to read and less time for me to read them. Because my time is limited, I'm guilty of picking up the books by my favorite authors first, and fitting in new authors only when it's convenient. Due to a stroke of luck, I've had an advance copy of The Name of the Wind by my bedside for over six months, just waiting for me to open it. Unfortunately, deadlines of my own kept getting in the way. But in a way, it's lucky that I didn't crack this book until just a few days ago. If I'd had this tale to distract me, I'd have been even later getting my work done. I loathe spoilers, so I'm not going to discuss the plot of this book. I will say it has all the things that I demand of a book. The characters are real, the action is convincing and it has a compelling story to tell. One of the things I like best about this book is that the magic is absolutely rooted in the book's world. Nothing seems contrived; the consistency is excellent. The characters are very well realized. That means that when the protagonist does something clever, it's believable. And when he does something youthfully dumb, it rings just as authentically true. Because the characters are real and the magic is true to its own world, I closed this book feeling as if I'd been on a journey with an entertaining new friend, rather than sitting alone looking at words on a page. This one is well worth some of your precious reading time. I'll wager that the books to follow it will also be. Robin Hobb