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| The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day 1) | 
 enlarge | Author: Patrick Rothfuss
Publisher: DAW
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy New: $4.49
You Save: $3.50 (44%)
Buy New/Used from $4.38
Avg. Customer Rating:  (310 reviews)
Sales Rank: 1100
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 736
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.5 x 1.3
ISBN: 0756404746
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780756404741
ASIN: 0756404746
Publication Date: April 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Amazon.com's Best of the Year...So Far Pick for 2007: Harry Potter fans craving a new mind-blowing series should look no further than The Name of the Wind--the first book in a trilogy about an orphan boy who becomes a legend. Full of music, magic, love, and loss, Patrick Rothfuss's vivid and engaging debut fantasy knocked our socks off. --Daphne Durham
10 Second Interview: A Few Words with Patrick Rothfuss
 Q: Were you always a fan of fantasy novels?
A: Always. My first non-picture books were the Narnia Chronicles. After that my mom gave me Ihe Hobbit and Dragonriders. I grew up reading about every fantasy and sci-fi book I could find. I used to go to the local bookstore and look at the paperbacks on the shelf. I read non-fantasy stuff too, of course. But fantasy is where my heart lies. Wait... Should that be "where my heart lays?" I always screw that up.
Q: Who are some of your favorite authors? Favorite books?
A: Hmmm.... How about I post that up as a list?
Q: What are you reading now?
A: Right now I'm reading Capacity, by Tony Balantyne. He was nominated for the Philip K Dick award this last year. I heard him read a piece of the first novel, Recursion, out at Norwescon. I picked it up and got pulled right in. Capacity is the second book in the series. Good writing and cool ideas. Everything I've like best.
Q: How did Kvothe's story come to you? Did you always plan on a trilogy?
A: This story started with Kvothe's character. I knew it was going to be about him from the very beginning. In some ways it's the simplest story possible: it's the story of a man's life. It's the myth of the Hero seen from backstage. It's about the exploration and revelation of a world, but it's also about Kvothe's desire to uncover the truth hidden underneath the stories in his world. The story is a lot of things, I guess. As you can tell, I'm not very good at describing it. I always tell people, "If I could sum it up in 50 words, I wouldn't have needed to write a whole novel about it." I didn't plan it as a trilogy though. I just wrote it and it got to be so long that it had to be broken up into pieces. There were three natural breaking points in the story.... Hence the Trilogy.
Q: What is next for our hero?
A: Hmm..... I don't really believe in spoilers. But I think it's safe to say that Kvothe grows up a little in the second book. He learns more about magic. He learns how to fight, gets tangled up in some court politics, and starts to figure unravel some of the mysteries of romance and relationships, which is really just magic of a different kind, in a way.
Patrick Rothfuss's Books You Should Read 
The Last Unicorn | 
Neverwhere | 
Declare | 
Beatrice's Goat | 
Blankets |
See more recommendations (with comments) from Patrick Rothfuss
Product Description
The riveting first-person narrative of a young man who grows to be the most notorious magician his world has ever seen. From his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime- ridden city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that transports readers into the body and mind of a wizard. It is a high-action novel written with a poet's hand, a powerful coming-of-age story of a magically gifted young man, told through his eyes: to read this book is to be the hero.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 305 more reviews...
 Choke-full of unnecessary plotlines July 4, 2008
Had it been written in about 300 pages, it would have been a good book. Being as it is however it's a real drag to get to the end of it. Sure, there are interesting part, but they're few and far between. When the main character gets into the same situation for the n-th time, and the author doesn't spare the meticulous details describing it, it can be very aggravating. The main character's girlfriend by the way is one of the least likeable female leads in the history of literature.
 WOW July 3, 2008
With already over 300 reviews I wonder if I even need to bother. It was just so good I think I need to add to the masses. This book was recommended by a librarian friend and I was very into it from the first page. Now I look at the reviews and the first one I see is by Robin Hobb. Impressive. I am on the edge of my seat till the next one come out. April can't get here fast enough!!!
Possibly the best novel of our lifetime July 1, 2008
Patrick Rothfuss's 'The Name of the Wind' is essentially a hero's tale, told from the first person perspective of the hero looking back on his life. The main character of Kvothe is extremely well written. At times I disliked him, but it was the kind of dislike bred from seeing yourself in another person's faults. The characterization across the rest of the cast is not as incredibly detailed, but it makes sense just because of the perspective from which the story is written (and does have some exceptions, as in the case of the hero's love interest).
Much of the novel takes place after Kvothe has entered the University - think Hogwart's, except much darker. The magic system as described in the book is very well thought out, with explanations given for how magic actually works. It's a pretty detailed system, and its uses lead to some of the most action packed sequences in the story, though there is also quite a bit of humor involved.
Kvothe's road to the university is not a happy one, and there are many truly heartbreaking sections of the story. It has been a very, very long time since I've been emotionally moved by a book, but this one seemed to do it every hundred pages or so.
That brings me to the book's length, which clocks in at just under 800 pages. This is going to sound strange, but it's actually a very fast read, and never really feels that long. Rothfuss hasn't written any fluff into this story. You don't get explanations of the colors of the various locales and how they relate to the mood of the hero and all that crap. The book moves at a very brisk pace, and despite it's length, will leave you craving more.
This is a serious fantasy book, and you should expect some fantasy conventions. Music, friendship, and magic all play a major role in the story (in that order). You won't find any Tolkien-type critters in the narrative, though (thank goodness!). That's right, this is fantasy without elves, dwarves, hobbits, magical rings of whozamawhatsit, etc.
If I had to pick a criticism, it would be that I have to wait until 2009 for the sequel!
Where did the pages go? June 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I know I must have read all 662 pages, I just can't remember turning them all. Rothfuss has crafted a thoroughly entertaining story which was over far too quickly. I eagerly await the next installment.
 COULD NOT put it down, but... June 26, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book was well written, engaging from the very beginning. I literally could NOT put it down, resulting in less than 2 hours of sleep! There is alot of material covered in this book, and the interruptions in the story within the story are more distracting that engaging. Also, Kvothe's fascination with his love interest is frustrating as well. For a man who is so smart, he is incredibly obtuse when it comes to figuring out the opposite sex. Granted this could be an interesting character flaw, the only thing that prevents him from being perfect. Whatever way you put it, this is a very interesting book, definitly reccommended as a read. I look forward to the next installment in the series!
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