The Name of the Wind
(The Kingkiller Chronicle #1) by Patrick Rothfuss

Summary:
Told in Kvothe’s own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature. A high-action story written with a poet’s hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

My Take, Why it’s worth a read:
I’m a huge fantasy nerd.  After finishing series like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Inheritance Cycle, The Sword of Truth, and Wheel of Time etc.  I was actively seeking a new series to dig my teeth into.  I came across this book on accident but can’t express how glad I am that I did.  The book has everything a fantasy reader could want: “magic,” myths, an imperfect hero, love, bards, fighting, but most importantly it transports you to another world every time you open its’ pages.  Rothfuss creates an intriguing storyline where anything can happen.  Kvothe’s appeal is in his realism. Though blessed with some incredible talents he still has to fight for everything he achieves.

This book (and series) has a certain amount of reality in it because things don’t unfold how you expect them to.  You don’t ever know how or even if a problem will be solved which keeps you turning the pages quicker than you’d believe  I’ve read two of the3 books and honestly have no idea how the series will end.  Of all the fantasy series I have ever read The KingKiller Chronicle is in my top 3.  My only warning is that the third book isn’t out yet so once you blow through the first two books (and if you like fantasy books, you will) you’ll be stuck just like me, waiting.  But I suppose there are worse problems to have.

Favorite Quote:
“I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me.”

About the Author:
Patrick Rothfuss was born in Madison, Wisconsin and received his B.S. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1999 after spending nine years as an undergraduate exploring various majors such as Chemical Engineering, Clinical Psychology, and others. He contributed to The Pointer, the campus paper and produced a widely-circulated parody warning about the Goodtimes Virus.

He graduated in 1999, received an MA at Washington State, and returned to teach at Stevens Point.  In 2002, he won the Writers of the Future  2002 Second Quarter competition with “The Road to Levinshir”, an excerpt from his then-unpublished novel The Wise Man’s Fear.  Rothfuss subsequently sold the novel to DAW Books.

In August 2012, Rothfuss began a monthly podcast called The Story Board  on fantasy, featuring authors such as Terry Brooks and Brandon Sanderson. The Story Board ran for 8 episodes.

Rothfuss organizes the charity Worldbuilders, which, since 2008, has raised over $2 million for Heifer International a charity which provides livestock, clean water, education and training for communities in the developing world.

Rothfuss’ first novel, The Name of the Wind, was published in 2007. It won a Quill Award (for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror) and was listed among Publishers Weekly’s “Books of the Year”.  It also won an Alex Award in 2008. The Wise Man’s Fear was published in 2011 and reached Number 1 on the New York Times Hardback Fiction Best Seller List.