Sunday 29 June 2014

REVIEW: The Name of the Wind



The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle #1)  by Patrick Rothfuss
Published: March 27th 2007 by DAW
Genres: Epic/High Fantasy, Science Fiction, Magic, Adventure
Pages: 722 pages
Format: Paperback
Rating: 10/10
Description: Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature. A high-action story written with a poet's hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.
What more can I say about this novel that hasn't been said already? Simply put, this novel is a masterpiece. It truly is a work of art. 
Basically, The Name of the Wind is an absolutely beautiful narrative about a legend named Kvothe. As a gross simplification, it's a retelling of his life from boyhood. 

The Characters? I don't know how all the characters in The Name of the Wind managed to be so fully-fleshed out. Every. Single. Character. Even the minor characters such as merchants, or quick acquaintances felt so real. Each character was so interesting and stood out. 
Kvothe was a wonderful protagonist. It was a privilege discover his mysterious and heartbreaking past. He is a legend, and he was shaped and molded into the stuff of fairy-tales and we got to see a sneak peak as to how. He is extremely intelligent and talented in so many areas. I had faith in Kvothe! I felt like I knew him. He is a great protagonist. 

The Setting? Beautiful. The Name of the Wind is not only for those who are fans of fantasy... It is for anyone who wishes for a brilliant escape into another world. From the colorful and magical travels with the troupe, to the dark and dangerous streets of Tarbean, to the prestigious and ethereal airs of the University and Archives... This world was magnificent, to say the least. 

The Plot? Dazzling. I can honestly say that I lost myself in this book. I loose all sense of time as the only things I could think about when I wasn't reading The Name of the Wind was what Kvothe was doing. I laughed, I cheered, and I gasped out loud, and I might have cried. I didn't have to do any work at all... Rothfuss carried me through with his beautifully crafted story. 
I especially love the system of magic that Rothfuss uses. It takes intelligence, concentration, and a whole lot of talent for one to successfully use magic. I love how science such as chemistry and mathematics are weaved seamlessly into magic.  

Overall?The Name of the Wind lives up to it's hype. It is an authentic and exciting journey of a young boy. It carried me through emotions that I didn't know I could feel while reading a book. It is an absolute masterpiece, and I could honestly recommend it to almost anyone, regardless of their preference in genres. Excuse me as I pick up the second novel in the Kingkiller Chronicles...




http://maggiecakes.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone-book-cover.jpg 
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling simply because of the magical academic setting. A majority of The Name of the Wind is set in the ever famous University. Here, students will continue their education studying alchemy, chemistry, healing, sympathy... magic, essentially. The fully fleshed out cast of professors in The Name of the Wind reminds me of Harry Potter as well. You have the loony teachers, the strict teachers, the kind teachers, the blatantly abusive teachers... It's great. 
However, it does differ from Harry Potter, so don't pick up The Name of the Wind expecting it to be super similar. 

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 The A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin purely because of the similarities in genre. If you enjoyed the epic fantasy that is A Song of Ice and Fire series you will most definietly enjoy The Name of the Wind. I do not see other similarities past that, though. ASoIaF follows a huge cast of characters while The Name of the Wind focuses on the life of only one man. However, both are wonderful epic fantasy reads.

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