The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The first instalment in the Kingkiller Chronicle, "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss is a fantasy epic that can accurately be described as a literary masterpiece. The story follows Kvothe (pronounced Kwothe) from his childhood in a travelling theatre troupe, to his time as a homeless street urchin, through his learning of arcane magics and various misadventures as a overly gifted student, to his (presumable, eventual) killing of a king. It may sound like your typical brilliant-young-wizard-overcomes-struggles-then-beats-the-bad-guy fantasy tale, but this couldn't be further from the truth.
Emma: My favourite part about this book is how meticulously every detail is planned out. Every line is potentially a hint about things to come. There are so many stories within stories... All of them giving you fodder for theories and discussions about the world Rothfuss has created and how the main story arc and countless side plots might play out. I don't say this at all lightly, it is definitely my favourite adult fantasy book of all time.
Ben: I'd like to add that no matter how mundane the scene, Rothfuss manages to keep the entire book engaging. Every chapter leaves you wanting more. Whether it's the state of Kvothe's finances, or the overarching story of the Chandrian, every aspect of this story is captivating right up until the last page. His writing style is a joy to read and he skilfully weaves information about the world of Temerant into Kvothe's story without bogging the reader down with the details. This is by far one of the best books that I have ever read.
Lauren: Rothfuss not only crafts a truly fascinating and engrossing world for his readers, but within this world he beautifully creates intriguing and complex characters, all with their own character arcs which masterfully feed into Kvothe's story. Rothfuss' captivating writing style combined with the rich world he builds leaves the reader understandably craving more. While we all anxiously await the release of the elusive third book, I can promise that re-reads of the the first two books are just as enthralling, with more hints and details from Rothfuss' intricately layered stories revealing themselves to the reader. This series is undoubtedly the best I've ever read, so much so that I felt compelled to spread the word!
You can also check out The Name of the Wind in our DPL catalogue.
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