Book recommendation

Every so often you’ll find one of our recommendations for new reading material. This time, and for the first time, we’re recommending ‘The Name of The Wind’, by Patrick Rothfuss.

This is a high-fantasy book that follows the story of a legendary hero called, Kvothe. The book hits all of the markers of a great fantasy novel. It has wonderful story structure, going back and forth between present day Kvothe and a younger version of himself, going through the trials that eventually turned him into a hero. The story switches between the point of views. A third person POV takes place in present day where Kvothe is an Innkeeper telling his story to another character who is called The Chronicler, but the majority of the story is Kvothe’s first person telling of his tale. We’d also be crazy to not mention the magic, a must in fantasy. The system of magic that is put in place is so far out there that it almost seems possible. It is complicated and thus challenges the reader to think and focus, but it is written and described with so much flair that the challenge is always welcome.

Rothfuss also builds an elaborate and detailed world around this character and his adventures, while it may not seem as large as some of its high fantasy counter parts, like A Song of Ice and Fire or The Lord of the Rings, the author has a knack for providing detail in the form of side stories, poetry, myths and legends that only make you feel more and more like you are a part of the world. Also by experiencing most of this through Kvothe’s eyes we get deep insight into the character’s workings and is it ever interesting. Kvothe is smart, capable and been through his fair share of suffering. He’s also reckless, wrathful and not the all-powerful being that the people of this world make him out to be. He is stacked with insecurities and failings that make him seem human enough to be relatable but he is also mystical in a way that is awe-inspiring. The character’s determination and Rothfuss’s portrayal of his ability to overcome obstacles is the type of thing that makes you want to jump up and down.

What sets this book apart though is the attention to detail. Every sentence, punctuation mark, and word seems to suggest bigger plot points and is a testament to the effort behind the writing. Every character is interesting and seems thought out, in a way that rivals the magical world of Harry Potter. It also is just plain brilliant. While the simplest way to describe this story is a coming of age story, showing friendship, love, loss, victory, and failure, it would be a mistake on our part to say that it’s just that. Rothfuss has huge overarching themes that connect to all the characters, each other and even other little stories within the story. The whole thing is wonderfully complex and engaging. Plus the themes are a mix of both classics and new ones. Focusing on things like Hubris whilst also mixing it up with one of the biggest themes which are the power words and stories.

Our advice to you is to pick this up immediately, you can find on the Google Play store or possibly get a physical copy at a large book store like Kinokuniya. It’s probably best for people of the ages 16 and up as the language can be advanced at times and it does contain some profanity. This book is also a part of a larger series and already has one other novel and a few short stories. We’re all currently waiting on the third and final part of the series to come out, hopefully sometime next year. Our final words are that the story is brilliant, ruthlessly addictive, traditional and yet innovative all at the same time. Seriously, go buy a copy.

Thanks for reading.

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