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The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One)

by Patrick Rothfuss

The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One) Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

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
.

So begins the tale of Kvothe-from his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a difficult and dangerous school of magic. In these pages you will come to know Kvothe as a notorious magician, an accomplished thief, a masterful musician, and an infamous assassin. But The Name Of The Wind is so much more-for the story it tells reveals the truth behind Kvothe's legend.

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.

Review:

"The originality of Rothfuss's outstanding debut fantasy, the first of a trilogy, lies less in its unnamed imaginary world than in its precise execution. Kvothe ('pronounced nearly the same as 'Quothe' '), the hero and villain of a thousand tales who's presumed dead, lives as the simple proprietor of the Waystone Inn under an assumed name. Prompted by a biographer called Chronicler who realizes his true identity, Kvothe starts to tell his life story. From his upbringing as an actor in his family's traveling troupe of magicians, jugglers and jesters, the Edema Ruh, to feral child on the streets of the vast port city of Tarbean, then his education at 'the University,' Kvothe is driven by twin imperatives — his desire to learn the higher magic of naming and his need to discover as much as possible about the Chandrian, the demons of legend who murdered his family. As absorbing on a second reading as it is on the first, this is the type of assured, rich first novel most writers can only dream of producing. The fantasy world has a new star." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Elegantly told and layered with images of tales to come, this richly detailed 'autobiography' of a hero is highly recommended." Library Journal (Starred Review)

Review:

"Writers like George R.R. Martin and Gene Wolfe are old hands at revitalizing old tropes...but Rothfuss sets out to retell what should be the most familiar tale of all, in the most familiar mode (the triple-decker). Remarkably, he does make it fresh again....So bring on volume two!" Locas

Review:

"The Name of the Wind marks the debut of a writer we would all do well to watch. Patrick Rothfuss has real talent, and his tale of Kvothe is deep and intricate and wondrous." Terry Brooks

Review:

"This fast-moving, vivid, and unpretentious debut roots its coming-of-age fantasy in convincing mythology. (Grade:A-)" Entertainment Weekly

Synopsis:

NOT TO BE MISSED:

THE POWERFUL DEBUT NOVEL FROM FANTASY'S NEXT SUPERSTAR

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.

Synopsis:

This powerful debut novel follows the story of Kvothe, the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 6 comments:
Jillian, November 23, 2008 (view all comments by Jillian)
I picked this up on a whim and couldn't have been more pleased, the story is well written and surprisingly easy to follow while remaining complex and engaging. I recommend it to those who enjoyed Harry Potter and those who didn't each I'm sure will find it worth their time.
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(1 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
sferris, November 1, 2008 (view all comments by sferris)
This is the best thing I've read in a long while. If you liked Lord of the Rings, Patrick Rothfuss will blow you away. The writing is beautiful but at the same time each word pushes the story forward,keeping you glued to your seat.
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(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
bluenude3, April 12, 2008 (view all comments by bluenude3)
One of the most well written fantasy novels by a first time author I have read. Wonderful story line that follows a typical fantasy role, yet it doesn't seem old or re-done. Harry Potter for adults.
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(2 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
View all 6 comments

Product Details

ISBN:
9780756404079
Author:
Rothfuss, Patrick
Publisher:
Daw Books
Subject:
Magic
Subject:
Fantasy - General
Subject:
Fantasy - Epic
Subject:
Magicians
Subject:
Fantasy fiction
Copyright:
Series:
Kingkiller Chronicles
Series Volume:
01
Publication Date:
April 2007
Binding:
Hardcover
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
672
Dimensions:
9.30x6.37x1.95 in. 2.03 lbs.

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