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Liked It4 of 5 members found this review helpful “Pat, or rather "Master Rothfuss" as he liked us to call him, was my professor in college so note that you are forewarned, this is a bias reivew. We would edit his letters to pubishers in class so I feel as though I have a personal hand in the book, tiny though the hand may be. That was my...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Layer upon layer of cleverness, beauty, and sheer power. But the only real word for Patrick Rothfuss is "best."”
Ken Hughes wrote this review 2 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This was a disappointing book, but I didn't want to say I didn't like it because it's not that it was that bad, only that it could (and perhaps should) have been so much better. It starts out as a rather interesting story in an interesting world, and ends up being a typical and even somewhat mediocre young adult novel full of the usual cliches that drive most of the mediocre stories that abound in the genre.”
Oscar R wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Great book! Really engaging characters. I didn't want it to end. ”
Nesredna Divad wrote this review 5 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I loved this book! It's been a while since I've read a fantasy novel that was completely original and unpredictable. I loved Kvothe's voice in the novel, and I loved that it was the comfort of the fantasy genre but with an engaging new plot.”
SHEILA B wrote this review 7 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I was realllllllllly board, I could not finish the book. I tried but It was all about character building and I didn't find them interesting at all. It seemed to take forever to get to the point but I guess if you like a really good painted picture of things you would appreciate it. I think its the type of book that you either love it or hate it.”
EJS wrote this review Monday, April 15, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I read this book and fell in love with an amazing character and a new realm. It was really amazing. ”
Carolyn P wrote this review Saturday, April 13, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is a common review for The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear, the first two books that comprise The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss. While they have been published as two separate books, they are in reality two installments of the same unfinished story, the third installment of which is now being written. Unlike Mistborn and Harry Potter the books do not stand on their own.
Kevan Dinn wrote this review Sunday, March 31, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The two installments are unequal in more respects than mere size. They are estimated (by fantasy-faction.com) to be around 260,000 and 399,000 words long. Over 650k words so far and the story is far from finished. We live in the age of million-word stories.
The two installments are unequal in terms of impact too. The first one - at least the first half of the first one - was stunning. The kind of writing that makes even the cynical sit up and take notice. The second pales in comparison.
Patrick Rothfuss is one of the better fantasy authors I have read recently. Very good writing that reads like a true epic. The author takes the time and the pages to tell a story well, and without too many modern colloquialisms. This is the kind of writing that one reads for the prose alone. Those who like nuanced prose and like fantasy will find this a truly great read.
Those who primarily look for a plot may want to wait for the third (and final?) installment to be published so that they can read the entire plot. 1,600 pages down, the plot remains unclear.
The main character (Kvothe) is strong. Very strong. The entire 1,600 pages have been about him. Some would find him tiring. I liked some of the supporting characters - Elodin, Puppet, Auri, Kvothe's parents and as couple of Masters.
The story itself is interesting, but I wish the author had taken fewer pages to tell it. It is truly compelling in the first book. The world is diverse and the magic system(s) varied and deep. It has its weak parts too - the romance is a little off, Kvothe's stay at the University stretches, and the Ambrose angle reminds me too much of Draco Malfoy's antics. Childish and dark.
For those who care about such things, the books don't have story arcs of their own that finish when a book ends. Each is but an installment of a long story that could be chopped anywhere into two. But when I finished the first book, I deferred other reading plans and picked up the second book.
Rating: I give the first book 4 stars for the stunning debut and setup. Had little more happened in the second half of the book, or if the book had ended well, I would have given it 5 stars. The second book gets between 2 & 3 stars. The story meanders with more of the same. The events are less credible, and the space between them takes far too many pages. But the writing is still excellent. Overall, both books combined, it gets 3 stars.
Summary: Read it for the prose - its lovely. But if you are a plot person, be aware that the plot meanders, and doesn't come to logical points when the books end.”
“A nice change to the normality of fiction literature, one of the best books i have ever read yet.”
whit wrote this review Thursday, March 28, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“LOVED IT!! This book has one of the most fascinating main characters ever. Loved the story and was immediately invested in Kvothe and wanted to know his whole story, but I guess I'll have to wait until book 3 to find out everything Mr. Rothfuss and Kvothe want to tell us. Great book for epic fantasy lovers.”
Coleen wrote this review Thursday, March 28, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“As a 25 year veteran of the fantasy genre, not many books are able to fully engross and immerse me as did The Name of the Wind. This is a masterpiece of storytelling with such rich, in-depth characters it was agonizing when the final page was upon me.”
alireedsalot wrote this review Sunday, March 24, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
