The Kingkiller Chronicles
The Name of the Wind concerns Kvothe, something of a sword and sorcery polymath, and owner of a fantastical reputation within his own world. The tale unfolds as a series of reminiscences, recounted by Kvothe himself, focusing mainly on his formative years. The format of the story offers a tantalising glimpse of present day Kvothe and by the end of this book while many aspects of his character and the circumstances in which he currently resides remain a mystery, the foundations of his reputation are beginning to coalesce. Young Kvothe is a precocious individual indeed, the kind of multitalented individual that you would have detested to be at school with. Older Kvothe has a thinly veiled darkness about him, which is not present during his self-described youth, it hints at an atrocity either perpetrated or suffered somewhere along the way, which certainly adds to the desire to keep reading and discover source.
I haven’t done it yet, but when I get round to compiling the recommended reads section of this website, The Name of the Wind is certainly going to feature highly. I found the writing to have a lyrical quality, exposition is neatly concealed as the narrator elaborating to the fictional audience. Further, the story itself was compelling, drawing me back to the book whenever I had a few minutes to spare.
I saw this book on shelves and read plenty of positive reviews before I finally got fed up waiting for the price to drop and took the plunge. My only regret? That I didn’t buy it sooner, don’t make the same mistake!
- The Name of the Wind (2007) – Amazon – Book Depository
- The Wise Man’s Fear (2011) – Amazon – Book Depository
- The Slow Regard of Silent Things (Novella) (2014) – Amazon – Book Depository