The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day 1) Reviews

• Well worth your precious reading hours

  
  By A3NKVC51L4XVWB on 2007-03-20
  It seems to me that every year there are more books I want to read and less time for me to read them. Because my time is limited, I'm guilty of picking up the books by my favorite authors first, and fitting in new authors only when it's convenient.
  Due to a stroke of luck, I've had an advance copy of The Name of the Wind by my bedside for over six months, just waiting for me to open it. Unfortunately, deadlines of my own kept getting in the way. But in a way, it's lucky that I didn't crack this book until just a few days ago. If I'd had this tale to distract me, I'd have been even later getting my work done.
  I loathe spoilers, so I'm not going to discuss the plot of this book. I will say it has all the things that I demand of a book. The characters are real, the action is convincing and it has a compelling story to tell.
  One of the things I like best about this book is that the magic is absolutely rooted in the book's world. Nothing seems contrived; the consistency is excellent.
  
  The characters are very well realized. That means that when the protagonist does something clever, it's believable. And when he does something youthfully dumb, it rings just as authentically true. Because the characters are real and the magic is true to its own world, I closed this book feeling as if I'd been on a journey with an entertaining new friend, rather than sitting alone looking at words on a page.
  This one is well worth some of your precious reading time. I'll wager that the books to follow it will also be.
  
  Robin Hobb
  
  

• Intruiging but horribly overwritten

  
  By AR3RAD2DPXBRN on 2007-08-30
  It's hard to be too critical of The Name of the Wind, because there is a lot in there that is interesting. One thing that stood out for me was the slight obsession with currency. Finances are something that are routinely omitted from fantasy novels, but as Kvothe works his way up the income and prestige ladder it's kinda cool to have a real understanding of his financial situation, which adds an edge to the parts of his story where he is broke. I thought the imagining of magic in his world, the concept of Sympathy, was rather clever.
  
  But at the end of the day, I didn't care for The Name of the Wind, and I think the problem is that Mr Rothfuss greatly overplays his hand. He sets up a world and a character in the first few chapters of the book, a world which is currently in crisis with all sorts of unexplained things happening. We are then introduced to this retired adventurer running a bar, and the idea is clearly to bring Kvothe out of retirement to help deal with the world's ills. To do that, for some reason we need to hear the entire story of Kvothe's life to this point. In excruciating detail.
  
  So what we then get is 900 pages of back-story on the first, oh, 20 years of his life or so. Parts of the story are interesting, many are not. Some of the characters are interesting and very well-drawn, many are not. He goes through a flavorful and occasionally challenging existence and then has a short and marginally exciting adventure at the end. It's all a little ... well, boring. No risk, no drama, no confrontation of difficult choices, no struggle to succeed, little real character growth ... all the ingredients of a basically uninteresting story. One of the reasons I liked the money element of the book is because it's used so efficiently - a little bit about how much he earned or spent or what things cost is slipped in easily from time to time and it cheaply adds depth, interest, and realism to the story. Sadly, virtually nothing else in the story is so clean, and the book never attains momentum or has much tension. The real killer is that the character of Kvothe is simply uninteresting. He wanders around, does a bunch of stuff, excels at virtually all of it, but he never engages on a personal level, is never interesting enough to like, hate, or feel much of anything for.
  
  What makes it irritating is all the foreshadowing. We know there is a huge amount of story left to tell. We have to make it through another couple volumes of this length to tell Kvothe's entire back story, and then we can start working on the here and now that was set up way back in the beginning of book 1. So we're staring down the barrel of maybe 5000 pages to tell the story Mr Rothfuss has envisioned. Which is, quite frankly, grossly excessive. None of the characters in here are interesting enough to sustain that kind of page count. If we're generous, there is barely - barely - enough plot to sustain just this one book, which is carried mostly by good writing and to a lesser degree by some modestly interesting characters. But I have no enthusiasm to follow them through another thousand or so pages, never mind multiple thousand-page volumes. They are modestly interesting. Not compelling. I doubt that anything that is drawn out to this degree could ever be that compelling.
  
  What we needed here was an editor. Give me the best stuff of this entire envisioned world or series in three books of 300-400 pages each, and maybe we have something really good. Even better might be a collection of short stories with a novel in the middle or at the end. But The Name of the Wind creaks badly at 900 pages and does not give us enough to get emotionally or intellectually engaged in for this one book alone, never mind where Mr Rothfuss is apparently trying to take us.
  
  Look, War and Peace was only about 1400 pages. Tolkien told the entire tale of the Lord of the Rings in less space than it takes Mr Rothfuss to tell this quarter-finished tale. People always joke about Charles Dickens being paid by the word, but The Tale of Two Cities is only 300 pages or so. Why do modern fantasy and sci-fi authors feel compelled to put so many word on the page? Are they so arrogant that they can't admit that not all of their ideas are worthy of printing? This is ridiculous. Mr Rothfuss clearly has writing talent, too bad his editor and/or agent couldn't force him to tell one interesting story and finish it before his readers lose interest.
  
  

• Best Debut Novel - Best Fantasy Novel - In Years

  
  By A15Y2FQ5WNR63Y on 2007-05-23
  This is the kind of novel that fantasy readers dream of reading. It's the kind of novel would-be writers dream of writing. Excellent writing, deeply complex characters, careful revelations and wonderful plot twists. I haven't enjoyed a debut fantasy novel this much since Barry Hughart's "Bridge of Birds" or Rosemary Kirstein's "The Steerswoman."
  
  The protagonist, Kvothe, is seemingly hiding as an innkeeper. But there are nasty creatures about, that may or may not be attracted to him. After Kvothe rescues a bard, he ends up telling the bard his life story. So you get the back story on a nearly-mythical wizard, mixed with increasingly dark events happening in the present. It is an extremely effective way to to tell a story. It certainly kept me up all night. And I can truthfully say I savored each of the 660 plus pages.
  
  Maybe the best part is that Rothfuss, in his blog, says all three books in the trilogy are written, and will be released at one year intervals. I can't wait.
  
  This is about as good as high fantasy gets. An imaginative, powerful and compelling story that is exceptionally well told. My compliments to Mr. Rothfuss. And my very highest recommendation to readers.
  
  

• A Darkly Bright New Voice in Fantasy

  
  By A2CGVVD9ZEH9PU on 2007-03-28
  Kvothe is a legend. Pronounced much like the word "quothe," his name strikes both fear and awe into the hearts of men. These days, however, he prefers his anonymity in the inconspicuous role of an innkeeper. When a talented scribe crosses his threshold, he reluctantly agrees to tell his tale. It is a saga, one that can be told in no fewer than three days.
  
  This is Day One...
  
  Growing up among a troupe of actors, Kvothe is unusually bright, a student at heart. After witnessing an arcanist call the wind in self defense, young Kvothe vows to learn the same skills. Forced into destitution by tragedy, his dream is pushed aside in the name of survival.
  
  When Kvothe finally gains entry to the famed arcanists' University, he learns that nothing is straightforward, that he must use his street smarts to survive even among scholars. Making friends and enemies is one small aspect to the journey that will lead him to knowledge of his family's murderers.
  
  In this debut novel, Patrick Rothfuss presents a new take on fantasy with a bad-boy hero and ruthless villains. While the very beginning starts off a little slow, the action kicks in and takes hold through the remaining pages. Rothfuss writes with the voice of a seasoned author in the creation of setting, tension, and characterization. Fans will enjoy this darkly bright new voice in fantasy.
  
  Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
  03/22/2007
  
  

• Fine debut missing some oomph

  
  By A1J26EX3XIL5DB on 2007-05-22
  The Name of the Wind is a solid, mostly entertaining debut novel. The characters are likable, the pace is brisk, and the writing is first rate. I like how Kvothe relies on his cleverness (rather than his skill as a warrior, for example) to overcome his obstacles. I also like the sensible explanation of magic. As an author, Rothfuss reminds me of Robin Hobb, who has made a career out of producing well-written, satisfying, and ultimately forgettable fantasies. While I enjoyed the novel while I read it, once I finished it I didn't spare it another thought. It simply is not provocative, audacious, or unpredictable. There are no "oh sh*%" moments. It lacks an edge, in my opinion. Despite being executed with style and competence, the storyline is so familiar. Where's the originality? I also think that Kvothe is too capable. How many young people are efficient woodsmen, lockpicks, thieves, singers, arcanists, and lutists? He has too many advantages over everyone else, so it is no surprise that he succeeds in his endeavors. Also, the novel is missing dramatic conflict. The Chandrian make a brief, melodramatic appearance but never return. Instead of facing them in a climax, Kvothe encounters a stoned dragon with an equally stoned Denna as support. The episode--especially the slapstick comedy of Denna being hopped up--seems out of place. Also, the novel lacks closure. I don't see much progress. At the end, Kvothe is still a student at the academy, still has issues with Ambrose, still wants to defeat the Chandrian (but never meets them), still likes Denna without embarking on a romance, etc. Nothing is resolved. As the first volume in a series, I understand that Rothfuss wants to introduce the characters and the storylines; however first volumes still need to provide a satisfactory resolution. While I will most likely read the subsequent volumes, I won't rush to the bookstore or library to get them.
  
  
• The Definition of Tedious
  By A21Z8FUB9IZI2L on 2007-10-24
  Several months ago my grandmother and I went with a friend to see a four-hour documentary about French college students sitting around smoking pot in the days following the failed revolution of '68, all lovingly shot on grainy, black-and-white film. As the theatre emptied, Grandma loudly proclaimed in classic old person style, "That certainly was a long, boring movie." Her blunt assessment largely mirrors what I feel after reading "The Name of the Wind". Partick Rothfuss did not write an utter waste of paper like Terry Goodkind, nor a shameless Tolkien ripoff like Terry Brooks. But he did, unfortunately, write a 660-page book in which very little happens.
  
  Kvothe (pronounced "quothe", as we're repeatedly informed) first appears minding an inn in the middle of nowhere, where the regulars come straight from fantasy casting central. A hint of a story appears when a spider-like demon attacks. Then, sadly, that story is abandoned in favor of a long flashback. We meet young Kvothe and his parents traveling the world with a troupe of actors. Another story seems to be in motion when the troupe gets attacked by villains thought to be legendary. Even more sadly, that story is also abandoned. Instead the book follows Kvothe through the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Wagon trips, baths, fundraising, clothes shopping, food shopping, book shopping, music shopping, horse shopping, and so forth. To be forthright, this is very boring and repetitious.
  
  Kvothe is strictly the male version of a Mary Sue. Besides being the world's greatest wizard at an age when Harry Potter still lived under the stairs, he also is perfect at fist-fighting, knife-fighting, music, business, horse-riding, poetry, and attracting beautiful young women. (A good half dozen of these fling themselves at his feet throughout the book.) I ploughed grimly through the book, hoping that a whiz-bang ending might redeem the lackluster middle. Sadly, there was no ending whatever. No mysteries are solved, no villains beaten, no conclusions reached. The book peters outs with many lame attempts to trick us into buying the next book, and at last we realize that we spent thirty-five bucks on an advertisement for the sequel.
  
  Rothfuss' writing is not awful, yet at the same time it is certainly not great. His poor dialogue tends to crush any life that the storyline may have had. Particularly annoying is when he declares through the narrator that he has avoided clichés, as in, "If this had been a fancy drama we would have made love right then, but of course we did not." Using this trick once would be lame, but Rothfuss often does it two or three times on a single page.
  
  "The Name of the Wind" is far from the worst fantasy ever written, but it is frustrating as a lost opportunity. There are moments, few and far between, where a better and more ambitious novel is trying to break out. A handful of scenes, such as Kvothe's second encounter with the murderous Chandrian, stand out for their genuine emotion and moving prose. But in the end, they get buried under a flood of turgid details. This one would have been better if a strong-willed editor could have chopped out roughly 500 pages of swill.
  
  
  
  
• Unfortunately Overrated
  By A19QJ8QKAK1WO3 on 2007-07-23
  My creds: I've read em all: Martin, Jordan, Donaldson, Erikson, Bakker, Eddings, Weis n Hickman, etc. I pretty much only read fantasy.
  
  Average at best. It reads like a Weis & Hickman novel. Reviewers who call it "dark" don't know what dark means. It's about as dark as the later Potter books. And there's a very noticeable lack of action. It's quite the talky novel, with long descriptions of everyday things. He spends several pages describing Kvothe's purchase of a horse, which he turns around and sells a few pages later in the same chapter, so why did he initally bother?
  
  The book peaks 150 pages in when we meet the big baddy and his cohorts, and hear a storyteller's exposition of what is surely the background of the story. But then we don't get anything else about the big picture and suffer 500 pages of mideval Hogwart's complete with Snape and Malfoy clones. And we're treated to a chapter by chapter recounting of Kvothe's bank account, the amount of talents, jots and ha'pennies in his pocket. He's poor, I get it. Though after he wins the coveted "pipes" from the inn, he should be able to rake it in just playing minstrel at any street corner.
  
  Which brings us to the main problem: Kvothe. For all the book jacket's blathering on about him being the legendary hero of the realm, he's just not that interesting. He considers himself a genius, and though he manages to pull off some cleverness here and there, Ender would kick the crap out of him mentally and physically. Expectations were high going in, but part of that is the author's fault for his introduction to his star character. The book really doesn't accomplish very much and didn't pull any emotional response from me. A disappointment. I'll probably read the sequels in the hopes he gets back to the main story, but something tells me it's gonna be Kvothe-mania all the way until he catches up with the present.
  
  Which is another problem: the present is more interesting than the past. The spider demons, his faery companion, Chronicler. I was looking forward to the interludes. Not a good sign.
  
  
• Disappointing
  By A1EW1OILI6AGGC on 2007-05-28
  I found this book to be very disappointing after all the hype I'd read. It's pretty much cookie cutter fantasy. Young orphan making his way in the world. Check. School of magic. Check. A girl. Check. A dragon. Check. *Ahem* Yawn.
  It starts off pretty decently and then goes into a book long flashback that's mostly slow and tedious. (I'm sure the book would be about 50 pages shorter if the author skipped over all the meals described in detail.) There's not much action or adventure in the flashback coming of age story, and not much new to add to the world of fantasy. Better than Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan or Mercedes Lackey, but not up to par with Steven Erickson, James Barclay, Scott Lynch or George R.R. Martin.
  
  
• snoozeville
  By A3GWD3393FO05C on 2007-09-24
  I could not finish this book because it couldn't keep my attention. To me, there was no climax, it didn't build to anything. It kept going on and on and nothing was happening. I kept picking it back up hoping for a spark, but alas! I was disappointed.
  
  
• A good but flawed first novel
  By A1HBC0NBQJHT7X on 2008-01-25
  I had a very hard time deciding how to rate this book. There are many pluses but there are also many minuses and so I decided to go with strictly middle of the road. Even though the pluses are very strong, so are the minuses and so I feel that the book is deserving of three stars because the pros and cons of it do balance one another out.
  
  On the minus side of the scale, we have the length of the novel. I am not opposed to long novels by any means but I am opposed to a novel being longer than it needs to be. It is easy for a writer to ramble a bit about their subject. The challenge is in paring the story down to its essentials without losing any of its essence. There is a great deal in the story that propels the plot and gives the reader some necessary information about the characters but there is also a great deal that really isn't essential to the story and, thus, tends to bog it down.
  
  I also did not care for the story within a story format. I think Rothfuss would have been better served simply by telling Kvothe's tale of his childhood in this novel and leaving off the glimpses of the now-adult Kvothe. I understand that he is laying the foundation for the great mystery that is meant to be central to the series but I found the transition from one time period to another to be rough and distracting. It is a difficult device to use and I didn't feel that Rothfuss put it to good use here. Whenever the story switched to the present day Kvothe, I couldn't help but find him a bit self-indulgent for going on and on about his past while the world is seemingly falling apart right outside his door. I also felt that the whole build up to his beginning to tell his tale was too much exposition and was rather dull at times.
  
  I still can't quite make up my mind about the characters. Rothfuss does a good job of creating some vivid ones but not so much with other ones. The present day Kvothe doesn't quite jibe with the past Kvothe so I'm hoping that transformation will become clearer in future installments. I liked and sympathized with the past Kvothe, though I admit to sometimes raising an eyebrow as his seemingly effortless talent for picking up anything and everything and learning it in about two days flat. I did not like Denna who did inspire some serious eye rolling. In general, Rothfuss treats his female characters well but I still found them all a bit stereotypical and little more than plot devices and none more so than Denna. Still, there is time for her to become more developed so she may be redeemed in the end. Of all the characters, I think the one that interested me the most was Bast because Rothfuss gives teasingly little detail about him but it was just enough to pique my interest and make me want to discover more.
  
  Lastly, it has to be said that there was some evidence of some imperfect editing in this book. Some of it was repetitive and I distinctly remember a paragraph where two sentences in a row began with "Still,". At other times I would stumble across a phrase and think, "Didn't I just read that exact same phrase fifteen pages ago?"
  
  On the plus side, Rothfuss has created a rather good coming-of-age tale in his telling of Kvothe's childhood. I liked knowing what went into making Kvothe the person he became and I think that if the story had just picked up with modern day Kvothe while throwing in a detail or two about his past, the character would have been done a disservice. I found the scenes in Tarbean particularly vivid and Rothfuss did a nice job of creating a very sympathetic tale about an orphan forced to live on his wits alone in very harsh conditions.
  
  I also liked that Rothfuss did not simply label Kvothe as "poor" and then move on with the tale. His poverty is a real obstacle and an integral part of Kvothe's struggle to survive. I liked that Rothfuss got down to the nuts and bolts of Kvothe's poverty, discussing every last bit of cash that Kvothe possessed because it's a very real representation of what people in such circumstances deal with every day. It's only when someone has money that they don't need to think about it. Kvothe has none and so his every move is influenced by this reality and I found his constant fears of insolvency to be very real.
  
  The strongest plus for me was the quality of Rothfuss's writing. His tale is anything but mere formula and he has created a rich and fully realized world. His descriptions are very nice and he has a very tender touch with some of the scenes in the novel. He doesn't shy away from use of emotion and the fact that Kvothe sometimes cries, is sometimes afraid, and is sometimes very angry make the character all the more human and real. Rothfuss strikes me as the type of author who will only improve over time and I think that as he pares his story down more, his writing will become that much stronger. This was a good debut but I look forward to even better things to come from this author.
  
  
• I'm convinced.
  By ADY0QI5IENSLY on 2007-05-08
  Even after reading the star reviews on the back of the book and all the praise for Rothfuss on Amazon reviews, I had my doubts. People tend to get a little over-excited about new authors and their debut novels. Still, I thought I'd give this one a chance. Good damn thing too! Don't take it lightly when I tell you that I think Rothfuss will be recognized as one of America's very best fantasy authors in the near future.
  
  This is the first part of a three-book series recounting the life of Kvothe, an almost mythical man somewhere between an outlaw and a hero. As Kvothe-in-hiding narrates the majority of this book, recounting his early days as a child to his coming of age as an advanced student at the University, a new story is also starting to unfold in the present tense. The overall effect is that you're really reading two separate stories at once, one being the primary story of Kvothe's youth, and the other being much more brief and mysterious but guaranteeing dark futures. Both stories are extremely infectious and promise excellent tales to come. You're left with a feeling of only knowing a small part of an epic tale with many secrets and mysteries yet to be discovered.
  
  As other reviewers have stated, the characters are incredible. Kvothe, the main character and storyteller, is somehow at once intimately knowable and mysterious. One of the strange dynamics of the story is being able to compare the Kvothe of the present to the Kvothe of his story. Two very different seeming people. Most of the side characters hold their own secrets as well. What is the role of the creature of fae who appears to be Kvothe's apprentice or protector or something else? What is the deal with the frustrating Denna, who presents young Kvothe with so much heartache but appears to be desperately in love with him too? I can't wait to find out.
  
  The overriding theme of this first book is in the form of foreshadowing great events to come. The reader knows much less than the characters in the book, but gains hint after hint of mysterious secrets to be discovered in the future. I can't think of another book that takes quite the same approach to telling a tale, but it worked quite well for this one. Props to Rothfuss for taking the chance on doing something new with his first novel.
  
  It is going to be hard waiting two years for the conclusion of the trilogy, but you can bet I won't forget much of this compelling story in the mean time. After reading Rothfuss' first novel, I'm convinced that he deserves the hype.
  
  
  
• well written, but...
  By A2RI7Z8BN4D6VJ on 2008-01-12
  [minor spoilers follow]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This is a bit of a problematic book for me to review...
  
  I really liked Patrick Rothfuss's writing style, and enjoyed the book as I was reading it.
  
  I enjoyed the university, even with the Snape and Malfoy clones.
  
  I liked the magic system. I especially liked how knowing (and understanding) the true name of something (like the wind of the title) can give you power over it.
  
  And the Chandrian, with their blue flames, show promise as the mega-villains of the piece.
  
  But...
  
  *Not a whole lot happens in this book, especially considering its 600+ page count.
  
  * I found the bits of present day framing story(especially the demons and hints of war) to be a lot more interesting than a lot of the flashback stories (and the flashback stories took up the majority of the novel).
  
  * Kvothe is just too good at too many things (particularly given his young age - he is what? 15 at the close of the flashback sequences of the book?), and it irritated me after awhile. Seems to me that both his magic studies and his music would be extremely demanding mistresses, and I just do not buy that he would be so good at both at such a young age, even with natural gifts
  
  * the street orphan sequences in Tarbean go on way too long. He is living on the street and he is poor and hungry. I get it. Does this really have to take up such a large chunk of the book?
  
  * the whole draccus sequence, while cool, is just a side trip without really adding anything to the plot or to the growth of the characters - and it added a lot of unnecessary length to the book
  
  In short - I find Rothfuss to be a promising writer - but a very wordy one. This book could have been a lot better with a ruthless editor willing to cut out some of the tangenital side stories and cut back on a lot of the repetitous stuff both in the street orphan sequence and once the main character gets to the university. (Yes, he is poor. I get it . And get it again. And get it again. And get it again. Rinse and repeat.)
  
  With Rothfuss being such a new writer I blame the editor more than the writer for the problems I have with the book.
  
  I will most certainly read the next book in the trilogy. But I will not be dropping everything in my life to do so on its release day, as I would do with some other writers in the genre.
  
  
  
  
• An Emperor's New Clothes Situation
  By A32VZYSJU4PW3F on 2007-03-30
  This book is beyond dull. At over 660 pages, essentially nothing happens. It is a classic example of too much foreplay and not enough climax.
  
  
• Another Carbon Copy Fantasy, Slow Pacing Included
  By APQKHR5ITKINR on 2007-07-19
  I had high hopes for this book after reading several favorable reviews...alas I was tricked again. I thought I was going to be getting another George R.R. Martin page-turner, but instead I got a book that was really hindered by back story, tired themes and inconsequential details. The author loves to have his characters "pause" or "hesitate" before speaking. The book would have been 30 pages shorter without this clunky device. I confess to having quit the book at page 140, thinking life was too short. Perhaps the book redeems itself in the remaining pages.
  
  
• Very Impressive Debut
  By A36QA6206M1L3H on 2007-07-25
  On many levels, the story of Kvothe is a familiar one. Gifted orphan goes off to magical school and becomes a hero. I know I've heard that plotline before. And some of the events of the book were a bit predictable as a result. But this isn't a book you read to discover what's going to happen; you read to discover *how* things will happen, and to appreciate Rothfuss' storytelling.
  
  As you read, you're immersed in Kvothe's world. The cultures and geography and characters and details, everything is amazingly well developed. If you're a worldbuilding junkie, you should enjoy this one.
  
  While the book is basically one big flashback, we do get bits of an approaching crisis in the present day. These glimpses, brief though they are, show us how much Kvothe has changed, how different he is from the young Kvothe of his own story. I wish I had seen a little more of the present, but I'm assuming I'll get more answers in the next books.
  
  While plot-oriented readers might complain about the pacing, I had no problem at all. If I had to point to a weakness, it would be that some of Rothfuss' antagonists feel a bit two-dimensional. Kvothe's foes at the University are nasty, petty, and often a little dim. The Chandrian are a more interesting antagonist, but we don't really see enough of them in this book for them to feel completely real yet. (Which is appropriate, since they're creatures of legend.)
  
  Overall, this is a very good book. The fact that it's Rothfuss' first novel is even more impressive.
  
  
• Had promise...but weak areas drag this novel down to just being OK
  By AUX9KZUUB3YCE on 2007-08-04
  I had, in general, mixed feelings for this book.
  
  I read many reviews on this book before I decided to purchase this novel (most were strongly positive but there was the occasional, not so impressed, review). Now having finished the book I find myself on the lower side of the middle.
  
  There were areas of the book I did like...for instance.
  
  1.)I enjoyed the overall concept of this medieval story (that being the retelling of a life's journey by the hero [Kvothe]); it was well done.
  
  2.)There were moments (unfortunately, few and far between) of intense danger and foreboding at different parts of the story that really added a wonderful, disquieting atmosphere to these surroundings.
  
  3.)I found the story (and maybe the overall quality of writing) seemed to improve towards the latter 3rd of the novel.
  
  4.)There was an adequate map.
  
  5.)It had an interesting ending, which hopefully bodes well for book 2.
  
  The Cons: (which eventually seemed to take over and generally overshadow the good features of this novel)
  
  1.)I found there were areas of this novel a slow moving (almost to the point of thinking about skimming through them).
  
  2.)Some of the problems Kvothe had with money (debt), his girl friend and some of his university associates, seemed the be quite repetitious. It just seemed that for all his special "talents" he never seemed to learn from previous encounters and frequently used questionable judgment. I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated with each recurrence of these shortcomings.
  
  3.)the repetition of [2.) above] seemed to give this novel extraordinary length; this novel could have be a couple hundred pages shorter and not suffered any major ill effects.
  
  Conclusion:
  An interesting first book, however, I hope the author is able to correct some of the perceived weaknesses in his next installment. 2 Stars.
  
  R. Nicholson
  
  P.S.
  Since writing my review I've become more aware of the authors ongoing blog that precedes the actual reviews. I can't remember when I've seen a more narcissistic or megalomaniac display; talk about having an opinion of self-importance. This might be a case where a little gratitude attitude
  might serve this author very well.
  
  P.P.S. If you want some fast paced fantasy/adventure with some great characters, might I humbly suggest Joe Abercrombie's, 'The First Law' trilogy. Simply the best in this genre in ages.
  
  
  
• Surprisingly juvenile and disappointing
  By A1UC4XW9V2F5T1 on 2008-02-04
  Like many others, I'd grown sick of waiting for GRR Martin to finish his next book and started looking for something else to fill the time. I checked Martin's website and wrote down about 5 different books he had recommended, then was referred to Name of the Wind by a friend, and decided to give it a shot instead.
  
  Perhaps I've simply accustomed to the complexity and characterization of Martin's work, or perhaps, as a character in Kurt Vonnegut's Bluebeard says "Once you've seen 10,000 paintings, you know what's good", I've read too much to really enjoy a book like this, but I was very disappointed.
  
  The novel has some great stuff in it. The interactions with the guys who run the University, the brief appearance of the Chandrian, and everything related to Kvothe's performance to earn his "pipes" was really well done, but so much of the book just feels overwritten, stereotypical and simplistic. All the Harry Potter stereotypes from Hogwarts are there (the masters who cut him breaks despite his offences because they know he has potential, the rich evil kid who comes from a powerful family who hates him just because he's poor). But most of all, the story is told from a tavern as a "chronciler" writes it all down. That perspective is just really boring. You never feel like you really get to know any of the characters in the book, and you're left without much incentive to read the 2nd book.
  
  Just before Name of the Wind, I had picked up the three original Farseer books by Robin Hobb. The first book was decent, but the second one was really good and I can't wait to go back to the series and start the third one. Her main character story arc is remarkably similar to Rothfuss', but better written. I would recommend you give her stuff a shot if you're looking to pass the time - it's got everything you'll find here, but richer characters, plotting, and a more complex world to read through.
  
  I'll probably check out Rothfuss' second book in the series if the reviews are good, but this one just didn't live up to the hype.
  Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1)
  
  
• A good debut!
  By A26KR9L8E16F2X on 2007-04-03
  In a nutshell, The Name of the Wind recounts the tale of Kvothe, a young man destined to become the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen. It begins with Kvothe's childhood years, first as a member of a traveling troupe of musicians and artists, and then as a street urchin forced to fend for himself in a violent environment. Later, the story shifts to his adolescence, at a time when he is admitted to the University, renowned school of magic.
  
  Reading along, I found the structure of the story a little odd. The better part of the novel is comprised of Kvothe's back story, with only a few scenes occurring in "real time." Having never encountered something like it, I discussed it with Betsy Wollheim. She did shine some light on the matter, and it turns out that Rothfuss' first trilogy will focus on the main character's past, with occasional tantalizing hints of things to come. A second trilogy will then recount Kvothe's "present" tale.
  
  The Name of the Wind is told in a first person narrative. Hence, other than those "real time" segments told in the third person, most of the book is told from Kvothe's perspective. Those who have a problem with single-POV narratives similar to that of Robin Hobb's The Farseer and The Tawny Man trilogies, consider yourselves warned. The main danger in using the first person narrative is that the entire story rests on the shoulder of a single character. If you like Kvothe, terrific. If you don't, that's where it gets tricky. I had no problem with that facet of the novel, but I'm acutely aware that some readers don't care much for the first person perspective.
  
  The worldbuilding doesn't play a big role in this debut. And yet, Rothfuss hints at a much vaster depth, hopefully to be explored in future sequels. The author has an eye for details, and the story does come alive as you turn the pages. The magic system appears to be well thought of and interesting, and I'm eager to learn more about it.
  
  The Name of the Wind is a character-driven book. As a first person narrative, it can't be anything but that. The supporting cast is composed of a relatively small number of characters, which is rather rare for a book of this size. I'm looking forward to learning more about them in the upcoming installments.
  
  The novel suffers from only one flaw -- a flaw shared by various Daw books: it's too long. I feel that Rothfuss' attention to details slows the pace in several portions of the book. I feel that some scenes could have been truncated and others excised without the readers missing out on any major plotlines. In my opinion, this would quicken the rhythm and improve the overall quality of the book.
  
  Unlike some debuts that are not easily accessible -- Hal Duncan's Vellum and Steven Erikson's Gardens of the Moon come to mind -- I'm persuaded that The Name of the Wind can appeal to both neophytes and long-time fans of the genre. As such, it's similar to both Brandon Sanderson's Elantris and Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself in that regard. It's also a throwback work, which brought fantasy novels likes Raymond E. Feist's Magician and David Eddings' Pawn of the Prophecy to mind.
  
  Although a bit overlong, The Name of the Wind is a solid and ambitious effort. Two years ago I would have claimed that it could well be the debut of the year. But Hal Duncan and Scott Lynch have forced us to look at debuts in a different way. Still, Patrick Rothfuss wrote an auspicious debut, and I'm curious to discover the rest of Kvothe's tale.
  
  [...]
  
  
• This guy must know someone in the business...
  By A29U9JFZ02JJSP on 2008-05-25
  Well, I'll start this out by stating that I accept the fact that my review will likely not sway that many would be readers out there, not with the huge amount of hype surrounding this book and a five-star review from Robin friggin'-Hobb on Amazon.com. That being said, I just slogged through over 700 pages of thoroughly mediocre writing and feel that I'm at least owed the catharsis of an honest review. Why only two stars, you ask?
  
  First, to describe this as 'dark fantasy,' or even adult fantasy, is completely inaccurate. None of the major characters die or even suffer in any meaningful way. There is a large period where Kvothe lives on the streets in a port town, but the danger doesn't seem particularly real or threatening. The worst thing that happens to him while in this 'dark' period, and I'm not exaggerating, is that some bully breaks his little wussy lute. Oh, the humanity! Kvothe spends more time mooning over some manipulative woman than he does fighting or casting spells (or shooting bows, or riding horses, or traveling, or any of a number of things we love reading about in fantasy novels). I don't mean to say that this novel needs to be non-stop action, but there is a word for books where the protagonist spends most of his energy courting a woman: romance.
  
  And this brings me to the second of my huge problems with this book. Kvothe's love interest, a completely unlikeable woman named Dianne, or Deanne, or whatever (she goes by different names, see, because it's so terribly difficult to be pursued by so many men). Actually, almost all the characters are unlikeable, with the exception of a few of Kvothe's classmates at the University and some of the more rustic characters at his inn. Dianne strings Kvothe along throughout the entire book, and like some pathetic fool he just jogs along behind her, hoping for some sort of attention. She leaves him without notice, dates other men incessantly, complains about what it obviously an easy life, and just generally behaves poorly. It would be even more irritating if Kvothe himself weren't so insufferable. The guy is good at EVERYTHING, and when I say everything, I mean it. Medicine, magic, bartering, history, geography, business, thieving, horse-riding, acting, singing, playing the lute, fitting in with commoners as well as the nobility. The book never says anything about sailing or swimming, but I'm sure that if there was a nautical scene he would have had a chance to teach some 60 year old ship's captain a thing or two. I never once considered him even remotly believable. I know that this is a fantasy novel, but you at least expect the characters to act realistically within the framework the author sets up. I mean, this kid (and he is - at the time of the novel, he's between 15 and 16 years old) spends the first 12 years of his life in a 'troupe,' essentially a traveling circus or performer's group. Then, he spends three years living on the streets as a half-starved beggar/thief. Finally he manages to get to the University and b.s. his way in at a young age, and instantly he is great at everything. I could go on and on about Kvothe, but I'm getting irritated just writing about him. All I know is that when you're book is essentially a character study, it really helps when the character is likeable or at least interesting.
  
  Another major complaint about this book is how conveniently the author muddies up technology to suit his needs. You'll have one scene where people are using torches, riding horses, drawing water from wells, etc. Then in the next, Kvothe the Stupendous will casually refer to a physiological concept not discovered in our own universe until the twentieth century. A character will be looking at clouds and describing the shapes they see, and Kvothe the Omniscient will silently think that he knows the weather patterns that these particular clouds portend. This is a trait you see in writers who are so immersed in our own culture of technology and conveniences that they literally cannot conceive there was a time when no one knew much of what we consider common knowledge today.
  
  Fine, you say, but I read this author's work for the characters. The problem is that the characters themselves often act irrationally or almost randomly. With the exception of the metrosexual protagonist, there is no real consistency from one scene to the next with their behavior or even style of speaking. In one particular scene a secondary character, who for the length of the novel has been depicted as a friendly, handsome, womanizing young man, launches into this bizarre threat against a relatively well-intentioned scribe. His threat is very well written, almost poetic, but is completely inconsistent with his personality and totally out of proportion to the subject at hand. Imagine if part-way through "The Two Towers," Samwise threatened some harmless fool with dismemberment and death for asking why hobbits like to eat so much. It would just be...weird.
  
  All in all, this book is well below average. The author clearly has a great vocabulary, but as far as I'm concerned he has a real problem with character development, creating an interesting or unique world, and coming up with a compelling plot. I give this book a very, very qualified two stars.
  
  
• Absolute Waste of Time and Money
  By A1106RU75BS37D on 2008-06-02
  I bought this book based on all the praise it received here and elsewhere. But this book is extremely boring. The book starts out great and interesting but then stalls completely, as the author insists on going into tedious detail about Kvothe's life as a child. The first 600 pages basically amount to Kvothe's struggle with poverty. The other problem I have is with Kvothe himself. He's an annoying character, who is very arrogant and completely unbelievable. He is presented as being extremely intelligent but to a ridiculous point so that he seems fake. We are constantly reminded he's smart but not smart enough to understand women even though the author decided to make his love interest none-too-subtle about her intentions. It's just stupid. If any girl said the things she said, I don't think any man would be so oblivious to not understand her feelings. The fact that he continues to struggle to know whether she would return his feelings is just pointless drivel.
  
  There is very little new to the genre presented in this book. The magic system is mildly interesting, but I felt more often than not that the author was simply trying to impress his readers with his college-level chemistry knowledge moreso than being overly concerned with creating an interesting magic system. Almost everything about this book echoes Harry Potter, whether intentional or not. Intentional or not, however, it does not matter because Harry Potter is far more engaging than this book. Minor spoilers ahead: Kvothe's parents are killed by evil man-creatures named Chandrian, Kvothe is exceptionally talented, there are professors who like Kvothe and those who dislike him (Snape...), there is a villainous student (Malfoy...), and a university setting (although a very boring and uninteresting university). The book never emotionally engaged me. There is such a poor want of conflict, and all I ever looked forward to in this book was getting back to the adult Kvothe and figuring out what the heck he was up to. Instead, we are stuck reading 700 pages about his poverty-stricken childhood. There is about a 500-page dearth where the book strays so far away from Kvothe's original plan of exacting revenge on the Chandrian that when it was finally mentioned again, I was like, Oh, yeah, that's what his motivation was. This book is extremely overhyped, overly verbose, and worst of all, cliched, childish, and a poor imitation. It is a mockery to give this book such a high rating on Amazon. This book is pointless, and just seeing the author's comments about the next book doesn't give much hope that it will be that interesting. Why did you write this book, Rothfuss? Why?
  
  George RR Martin has set a new bar for fantasy writing, and Rothfuss has slammed right into it.
  
  
• Wow!
  By A1QR76SYGTXJN5 on 2007-04-18
  I finished reading Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind yesterday, and after a mere 2 hours or so picked it up and started reading it again. Now why in the world would I do this? I asked myself that question a few times and my answer is:
  
  * It's damn good writing.
  The language Rothfuss uses is beautiful, absolutely beautiful. I found myself rereading sections simply because they were so delightfully and beautifully written. He has a poetical turn of phrase, and there are passages that simply sing.
  
  * But it's also a riveting story.
  The story pulled me in, immersing me in Kvothe's world so much that I half expected to see the scrael scuttling through my backyard (a truly terrifying thought for anyone who hates spiders as passionately as I do).
  
  * And the characters are absolutely believable.
  Kvothe is a living and breathing character who practically leaps off the page--unruly red hair and eyes bright green like new growth grass. He is absolutely believable, especially to anyone who remembers being a boy and the awkwardness that comes with growing up.
  
  I guess that's three answers.
  
  Anyway, run out and grab this book. Grab two. It's that good.
  
  
• There should be a 6th star exclusively for books like this.
  By A32EULVVPEZZHV on 2007-08-20
  I read a lot of fantasy books and due to the mediocrity that the genre has been tending towards lately; I most times shy away from a lot of the more recent, big door-stopper, ever-lasting epics. Then, every few years, a book like The Name of the Wind comes along and reminds me of why I love fantasy to start with.
  
  To me, when fantasy is written well you almost believe it, like it's some big historic narrative of a forgotten legend, all dust-covered, yellow-paged, and long-lost among other gargantuan tomes on a shadowy, back-wall-book-shelf in the basement of a monstrous and ageing library. The prose, language, setting, creatures, and characters, all come together and take you to a place so fantastic it can't be real, but you almost feel like you're really there anyway.
  
  If you could just simply time-travel inter-dimensionally, you really could be sipping an evening, ale at a table in the Waystone Inn, and wondering why the warm fire in the hearth isn't making you feel as cozy as it did before the man you know as Kote, but is really Kvothe pronounced nearly the same as Quothe, started telling his story.
  
  That's how a fantasy was intended to make you feel, and that's the way Mr. Rothfuss tells his tale.
  
  
  
• Rothfuss will be a household name among fantasy fans
  By A3PDFD2GPD5BNZ on 2007-08-23
  I recently gave a good book a 5 out of 5 star rating. After reading THE NAME OF THE WIND I realized that I've been too liberal with my reviews. WIND blows the doors off of anything I've read in the last five years.
  
  This book is fantastic! I put it down and realized that it has been some time since I've read something that is truly exceptional; something that is totally engrossing that I will read over and over again. Well, WIND is that book.
  
  I don't know if a book can be smooth, but if so, WIND is it. Rothfuss slowly builds interest and tension. Nothing in WIND feels artificial or manufactured solely to elicit a response from the reader (e.g., graphic violence, sex, language, etc.).
  
  The hero, Kvothe, tells his story from a first person perspective. His is the story of his life. The reader will come to understand how a hero is made, what has shaped him, and how he earned his renown. But Kvothe's is not merely a history, but is a story still in the making.
  
  If you are leery of beginning a new series because you will have to wait many years for its completion, then take heart. Rothfuss has already completed the KINGKILLER CHRONICLE. He states that we will have all three books within the next two years. (Not bad considering the trend in fantasy these days -- I'm looking at you GRRM).
  
  WIND is already one of my favorite books. Buy it, read it, spread the word. Rothfuss is the real deal.
  
  
  
• Interesting, but self-indulgent
  By A2W4HB3JP0V87Z on 2007-09-25
  Have to admit, the cover (with the Green Man) drew me to read this. (What a Green Man has to do with the story is a question, but then, the cover did its job.) The book is easy to read, and the start is highly entertaining, yet I preferred the third-person narration to Kvothe's own telling. Kvothe isn't really very likeable, from inside his own head. And my goodness me, in 600 pages, it would be nice to have a semblance of a plot. That's where the "self-indulgent" stems from. Disgressions and philosophy are all very well, but really, our protagonist Kvothe thinks highly of himself and Mr. Rothfuss' opinions, and he does go on and on and on...
  
  Imagine my disappointment in discovering that this doorstop of a book was but the start of another tedious trilogy. (Publishers - get over it. Rattling good stories used to be told in one book.) Life is too short to wade through a book this long, only to discover: 1) not much story, and 2) what story there is must be discovered in subsequent books.
  
  Rothfuss is very good with emotions, and that helped me keep reading, as did his hints (but little more than hints) at world. The magic is excellent, creative and believable. However, Mr. Rothfuss and his editor need to pay attention to standard English grammar. The verb to lie (not the one meaning to prevaricate, the one meaning to set down or stretch out) is misused every single time! It's maddening -- and not the only error.
  
  Fun, but on the whole, no thanks.
  
  
• Fantasy authors--take note! Remember how it's done!
  By AL704UZ5S13IQ on 2007-05-04
  Hello, George R.R., Bob Jordan and Mr. Goodkind! The FIRST volumes of your overlong, multivolume epics remind me of THIS ONE! I guess Mr. Rothfuss has read your works, and decided: "Let's get to the point, for crying out loud!"
  
  This entertaining and unusual fantasy speeds along--even though much of it takes place in flashbacks. Instead of introducing a new character (or three) every other chapter, the author concentrates on the protagonist, Kvothe. And he is worthy of the attention.
  
  A legend in his own time, he's hiding out in an obscure inn--but why? A teller of tales locates him unexpectedly...and Kvothe tells him his story. He has three days to tell it, and this first volume is just one day.
  
  This is a lively, engaging, often hilarious, frequently moving story. I highly recommend it to fantasy fans who are ready for something fresh--and not quite so self-indulgent as the 7, 8, 9 volume heavyweights we've been reading.
  
  I pray that Mr. Rothfuss sticks to his principals--and keeps this to three volumes. I hope that the second two are as great as the first!
  
  
• Going Nowhere Slowly
  By A93YP84H4GRFP on 2007-11-14
  That Mr. Rothfuss has a good vocabulary is evident. He pounds you with his vocabulary, beats you with his vocabulary and leaves you bloodied and bruised.
  
  What he lacks is the ability to draw characters well. The characters in the "present" section are entirely two dimensional. It is not until the "first person" section that the narrative picks up to anything beyond a crawl and succeeds only because the characters are just interesting enough that curiosity is piqued.
  
  The prose (although gorgeous, and filled with more details about geography and money than you could ever want to know) is incredibly tedious by sheer weight of words.
  
  A good editor should have been able to chop at least half (if not two thirds) of this massive tome and come up with a far more interesting read. As it is, although interest is piqued it is not piqued enough to make me want to pursue this any further.
  
  Perhaps with age, Mr. Rothfuss will learn brevity. (I suggest he study the works of Truman Capote.) Until then, I just don't want to waste any more time on this series.
  
  
• Consumer Warning: Highly Addictive
  By AOQHGAG3EWFY on 2007-04-03
  By far the best fantasy book I've read in a while.
  
  Kvothe is one the most real, imperfect and relatable fantasy heroes you will ever have the pleasure of reading about, and the rest of the characters (with the exception of Ambrose, who is a little too stereotypical for my taste) are just as good.
  
  The setting is also very well done. The world we're introduced to is more conservative than most fantasy worlds, there are no elves or dwarves, but they aren't necessary as it turns out. What is distinct about it is the lore. It is a world complete with gods and demons, myths surrounding them, holidays and celebrations revolving around them, people who believe in them and people who don't, all of them making the world feel much more real than many other comparable endeavors. The magic "system" is also very unique and detailed, a little hard to understand in some cases, but that makes sense because its supposed to be a hard thing to learn, hence its an even harder thing for Kvothe to explain as he tells his story.
  
  What really brings it home is the writing. It is verbose and concise in all the right places, suspenseful (to the point where you have to exert a considerable amount of effort to keep yourself from skipping down the page to find out what happened), and funny.
  
  The only real downside is that its only part one, and the rest of the series isn't even on the horizon yet. I finished reading a week ago, and I'm still going through withdrawal, so be careful.
  
  However, in all seriousness, if you ever found a fantasy book enjoyable, chances are you will like this one. So buy it, you wont be sorry.
  
  
• Wonderful Book
  By A2WP8RN0FYW91E on 2007-04-06
  I would say that there are three types of books. One is the book that you cannot finish no matter how hard you attempt to, the next would be the ones that you read and enjoy but you are eager to finish so that you can move to the next book, and a few are the ones that you enjoy so much that as you get nearer the end you are saddened, the book is so enjoyable you do not wish it to end. This one falls into the third category for me. I found the characters well developed and admirable and I am saddened that this book is finished. An outstanding first book, Kvothe's story held my interest from start to finish and left me sad that I must wait for the next book.
  
  
• Just your average fantasy novel
  By A8JOM8YJ158RK on 2008-01-09
  So I bought this book after hearing all the wonderful reviews it was getting. The last two times I took a chance on a novel I read Brandon Sanderson's "Elantris" and Scott Lynch's "The Lies of Locke Lamora" Both of those books were amazing and kept me turning pages until the end. Third time's the charm, right? Nope.
  
  From the dust jacket we know that Kvothe (pronounced nearly the same as "quothe", as we are told about one hundred and seventeen times before the book is over) is a legend. Depending on which story you believe, he is either the world's greatest assassin, greatest musician, greatest wizard, or the sexiest man to be bestowed upon the female gender. But he's given all that up to live a simple life as an innkeeper.
  
  The story starts in the third person where Kote's (as he calls himself now) peaceful business is interrupted by a spider-like demon attacking the town. Then we meet Chronicler, a famous, you got it, chronicler of historical events. Kote agrees to tell him his true life story to set all the rumors and lies about him straight.
  
  Now, up until now I was interested. The spider-demons had my attention and so did the war going on in another part of the land. But instead Rothfuss takes us back some 20-25 years ago to when Kovthe was a boy.
  
  What follows is a dreadfully slow re-telling (in the first person) of his life. This is where all the fantasy cliches come in: (spoilers below)
  
  - Murdered family (check)
  - Orphaned (check)
  - Smarter, wiser, clever, and better fighter than anyone (check)
  - Doing it all before puberty (check)
  
  The story only picks up again when Kvothe fanagles his way into Hogwarts...oh, excuse me, "The University" and begins learning magic. There's also the Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy clones lying in wait and his two best buddies he meets shortly after enrolling.
  
  The events at The University takes up most of this novel. We watch Kvothe learn magic, impress his teachers, and become the darling of the school. Along the way he explores the nearby town and gets himself into a bit of trouble.
  
  About 100 pages before it ends Kvothe has the big confrontation. But it isn't with who you think. It's with a character that just appeared about 50 pages before out of the blue. Honestly, nothing exciting.
  
  When it is over, nothing is resolved. The events in the present from the beginning of the book are never addressed again, the villain from the start of Kvothe's flashback is never seen again, and none of the sub-plots at the school are resolved. It's like the editors just decided to stop right there.
  
  I know I've ranted a lot but this book does have a few good things:
  
  Not often do we see an emphasis on currency. Rothfuss created a viable currency system and Kvothe often goes into detail about the state of his finanaces.
  
  The magic system is original. "Sympathy" is well realized and used accordingly.
  
  Rothfuss has a profound vocabulary and doesn't mind beating you over the head with it. While Goodkind may bludgeon you with speeches and Jordan pulverizes you with every minute detail of a character's clothes, Rothfuss will teach you a few new words for you lexicon.
  
  But, there isn't enough here to justify the price. It's not a *bad* book per se, it's just...not that good. Wait for the paperback if you really want to read it. Hopefully book two will close some of the dangling plot lines and show us more of the present.
  
  
• Fresh air in foul time
  By A2IYF0T2DHOPC2 on 2007-04-04
  Fresh, Exciting. The premise is similar to all fantasy tales, but Rothfuss' approach is delicate, not boarish. His characters act of their own accord, and he doesn't take into account what his readers WANT to happen, but what should happen. With an unassuming and unobtrusive style, Rothfuss delivers a beautiful tale with ease and excitement. Simply a pleasure. (P.S. Do not start this book if you wish to accomplish anything in the next few days.)
  
  

• The Lies of Locke Lamora
• The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day 2)
• The Blade Itself (The First Law: Book One)
• The Final Empire (Mistborn, Book 1)
• The Innocent Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker)