Review: The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Koth had been a simple innkeeper in the town of Newarre for a while. A traveling scribe, calling himself Chronicler, is rescued from the Scrael, lethal spider-like creatures by Koth. Realising that there was more than meets the eye to this innkeeper, Chronicler offers to write his story. Koth reveals that he is actually Kvothe, renowned musician, fabled magician and legendary fighter, and agrees to spend three days telling his story.

Starting with his childhood, he tells of the time spent travelling with the Edema Ruh, a travelling band of performers. It is a happy time for him, even more so when they are joined by Abenthy, a gentle man who teaches him about the world and some elements of the ‘sympathy’ magic that exists in this world. He witnesses him call on the Name of the Wind one day and vows that he will learn this skill at the university. Tragic events and a lucky escape from the mythical Chandrian causes him to end up in the city of Tarbean as a beggar where he has to survive on his wits. He is still driven by the desire to reach the university to learn more of the magic that Abenthy taught him. So begins the next phase and possibly most dangerous phase of his life.

I have heard lots of good things about this book, but this is the first time I have read anything by Rothfuss at all. And it was a really good story; it had a great plot, with a good build up of tension and twists galore. I liked too the mediaeval world that he has created; it feels real whilst infused with magic and dark elements. It did feel a little YA, not always a problem, and I didn’t like the spoilers in the book concerning Kvothe and another character. I want to find out for myself as I read it. Looking forward to getting my hands on the next one, 4.5 stars overall.

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