The Wise Man's Fear

by Patrick Rothfuss, 993 pages

For an excellent, detailed review, please see Jenny E's review on this same blog.

I have listened to both The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear. That's 36 cds for Wise Man's Fear alone! So Kvothe and I have spent a lot of time together in recent weeks. Though Kvothe didn't know I was there (the table to the right of the main hearth of the Inn: that apple pie does smell tasty!) I consider the time I listened to the innkeeper's tale very well-spent.

Certainly, sometimes I did roll my eyes back in my hidden corner. Out looking for Dinna again? (Oh, Kvothe, forever she will be breaking your heart!) And yes, Grasshopper, your own time with Tempi, the amusing but lethal Adem mercenary, did stretch on a bit too long. But Kvothe kept me enthralled through a thousand pages of adventure, enchantment and great peril. I am already looking forward to my next visit to the Waystone Inn.

While George R R Martin has been getting a great deal of press recently with the long awaited arrival of his next installment of A Song of Ice and Fire, A Dance With Dragons, IMHO he is not the hottest fantasy writer in America. Just based on his first two novels, I think Patrick Rothfuss should be.

Name of the Wind

Volume One of the Kingkiller Chronicles

by Patrick Rothfuss, 722 pages

Read Jenny E's review for more detailed explanation of the characters and plot. I loved the first person narration of a legendary character called Kvothe, from his days as a child in a traveling troupe of Edema Ru to his swift rise into the Arcanum of the University in Imre, the acclaimed capital of wizardry. Kvothe is by turns charming, insolent, brave and fool-hardy. He has a good heart, but that doesn't stop him from being the victim of malfeasance by an aristocratic bounder who is envious of Kvothe's superior talents.

I am already reading book two of the series, The Wise Man's Fear. Kvothe once again is being threatened by malevolent forces. Rothfuss is such a skilled story-teller that I am already anxious for Book 3.

The Name of the Wind

by Patrick Rothfuss, 722 pages

What I want to say is, "See Jenny E's" review. She does an excellent job detailing the story's high points without giving any spoilers. I agree with Aleah, Jenny---you should write a book!

In the fantasy genre, you often hear authors being touted as "the next Tolkien". Since Tolkien is my favorite author, I am particularly sensitive to this sort of hype. While Patrick Rothfuss won't dethrone Tolkien from his place of honor, his work is a worthy addition to the sub-genre of high fantasy.

Rothfuss captures your interest immediately with the character of Kvothe, an epic figure shrouded in mystery. The first person narration seems to effortlessly draw you along. Suddenly, you're 700 pages in and anxiously awaiting the next volume of the Kingkiller Chronicles. Luckily for this impatient reader, The Wise Man's Fear has just been released. I'm sure I'll be eagerly awaiting volume 3 when I've finished volume 2.

Highly recommended for lovers of adventure and epic fantasy.