The Name of the Wind
By Patrick Rothfuss
Published March 2007
This was a recommendation on Nancy Pearl's NPR list of great sci-fi and fantasy.
See synopsis and editorial opinions on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
I was worried when this book started with travelers entering an inn. Luckily, the generic beginning did not lead to generic storytelling. From the inn, the plot progressed to a thoroughly engaging, inventive tale of adventure and personal growth, told in the first person by Kvothe, the innkeeper who, like most interesting characters, is more than what he seems.
The world is pretty typical, with villages of superstitious peasantry who whisper of dark times, a hierarchy of Lords and Noblemen, wise academics, wandering performers, and city slums rampant with thieves and bullies. But this is all balanced by the author taking some conventional fantasy elements, like alchemy, the orphaned boy, the wizard school, the talented musician, the dragon slayer, and adding his own unique spin, showcasing these classic concepts in a new light. The environments and personalities are rendered in prose that is clear and without flourish, yet still heartfelt. The pacing was slow at some points, but despite that and its many pages, I flew through this book. The main character hovers at just the right point on the moral grayscale and presents such a mystery that the moment I finished, I was itching for the sequel, to find out more about his past life.
It's nice to read fantasy written in recent times and find imaginative twists and characters that aren't Tolkien or D&D carbon copies. Kudos to Patrick for an immensely enjoyable debut!
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