The Name of the Wind Thread

[Calibandar]

I've not read the book but in the reviews I read that did hint at his age they did speak of him being 30 or in his thirties at the time of the telling of the tale to the Chronicler.

[Jaxom 1974]

Take anything from KJA with a grain of salt

Not really the point though. KJA is supposed to have been the one who helped him get his start. Why would someone who believed in Patrick warn just TG to look to his laurels? Patrick's already beat TG. Some patron KJA turned out to be.

[AverageGuy]

I thought I remembered some passage saying that Kvothe was only in his twenties as the innkeeper. Did a quick skim of the book and couldn't find it, so I'm not sure now. He's maybe sixteen at the end of the book, though, so if he gets expelled soon, he'll have a few years to mess around with fairies, kings, gods, and demons before he hits thirty.

[Multaniette]

like it or not, goodkind is a giant in the fantasy publishing industry. he has oodles of fans, he has pretty high comparison value among certain circles and not all of 'em are synonymous with ayn-rand-loveforever-society.

[beniowa]

I just finished this book and agreed with what Dylan and everyone else has said about this book. Definitely looking forward to the next one.

I think Kvothe must be a little under 30. Like averageguy said there's something somewhere that said his age was in his twenties, but I can't find it either. He can't be older than the Chronicler because Kvothe read his book when he was 15 so he has to be somewhat younger and I'd put the Chronicler somewhere around early middle age (just a guess). Finally there is the passage cadell pointed out. The passage is ambiguous because of the lines on his face which I think is Rothfuss' way of showing some of the weight of Kvothe's past experiences even though he is not yet 30.

[kcf]

I think that the ambiguity surrounding his age is very intentional - but all the hints seem to point to his being in his late 20s.

[duchess of malfi]

From what everyone is saying this book sounds good, and this author sounds promising.

But I have a couple of questions - I take it that this is a first book of a series? And if so, how many projected books will there be in this series?

I am in the middle of far too many series these days, and time is far too short to try to do rereads whenever a new book is coming out in all of them.

So I am trying to avoid starting any series that sounds like it is going to be very long (say more than four of five long books) until it is finished or nearly finished...but a duology or trilogy (especially if it looks like it will be completed in only a couple of years) might be a lot more doable.

[kcf]

From what everyone is saying this book sounds good, and this author sounds promising.

But I have a couple of questions - I take it that this is a first book of a series? And if so, how many projected books will there be in this series?

I am in the middle of far too many series these days, and time is far too short to try to do rereads whenever a new book is coming out in all of them.

So I am trying to avoid starting any series that sounds like it is going to be very long (say more than four of five long books) until it is finished or nearly finished...but a duology or trilogy (especially if it looks like it will be completed in only a couple of years) might be a lot more doable.

Well, this is the first in a trilogy - the next two books are already written and scheduled to come out at one-year intervals. However, this trilogy is the back story of the main character - he is telling the story of his life and how he came to be where he's at. I expect there will be second trilogy that will follow this one to take the story into the future.

[pat5150]

Well, this is the first in a trilogy - the next two books are already written and scheduled to come out at one-year intervals. However, this trilogy is the back story of the main character - he is telling the story of his life and how he came to be where he's at. I expect there will be second trilogy that will follow this one to take the story into the future.

It's a sure thing, at least according to Betsy Wollheim, Daw Books's president. She told me that a second trilogy will chronicle Kvothe's "present" adventures.

Patrick

[wuzzup3003]

I dont think a second trilogy is planned for Kvothe as of now. I talked to the author and he told me that he didn't have another book/serious planned. He has ideas for some, but whether he starts to write full time depends on the sales of the first few books.

He could write other stories based in that world, but he didn't mention anyhting about Kvothe. I think everything will be shown in the third book.

[Caine]

Reading it now, but is the entire book a flashback?

[beniowa]

Mainly, but it also bounces back and forth with the present.

[sparky]

Just got the book, and I'm looking forward to it. So, I sit down, open it up, and am met with a map of Europe, the Mediteranian, Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. No? COME ON!!!! Tell me it ain't so.

Mike

[Bellis]

I saw this in a library. I looked it over, read the first couple pages. It looked really good. But I don't know if I'll ever get around to it, or want to start another series maybe i pick it up once i have more disposable income.

[Caine]

Yeah, I have it checked out from our library as well.

I'm only about 100 pages in and I hate to say it, but it's pretty damn boring.

#1- I hate flashbacks. Hate them with a passion. And the entire book is flashback.

#2- I hate where the author uses different words over and over again to hype up a character without showing us anything. It isn't making me curious to read more, it's actually very annoying. Kvothe is this, he's that, he's lived a full life at a young age, he's an accomplished musician, he can do some amazing magic, he's a deadly killer, blah, blah, blah... without actually showing us anything. And of course there's already so much training chronicling Kvothe's coming-of-age into the Jack-of-all-Trades and really superior in every trade (again showing us very little).

I hope this gets better because it's suffering from obvious epic fantasy syndrome where there's so much setup without much happening. I'll take a hackneyed Terry-Brooks over this any day, at least from what I've read so far.

[Spring Bass]

Yeah, I have it checked out from our library as well.

I'm only about 100 pages in and I hate to say it, but it's pretty damn boring.

#1- I hate flashbacks. Hate them with a passion. And the entire book is flashback.

Then why did you even bother to start reading it? It's pretty obvious from the inside flap and back that the story is a flashback on the life of Kvothe up until a certain point.

#2- I hate where the author uses different words over and over again to hype up a character without showing us anything. It isn't making me curious to read more, it's actually very annoying. Kvothe is this, he's that, he's lived a full life at a young age, he's an accomplished musician, he can do some amazing magic, he's a deadly killer, blah, blah, blah... without actually showing us anything. And of course there's already so much training chronicling Kvothe's coming-of-age into the Jack-of-all-Trades and really superior in every trade (again showing us very little).

What are you talking about? As I remember from reading, Rothfuss does a significant amount of showing. He shows Kvothe taking lessons from Ben, which is why he seems advanced when he goes into the academy. He shows us succeeding, at a certain point, in applying his music.

And the "really superior in every trade" is garbage. Kvothe comes from a background of musical and theatric performers, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he's good at skills related to that area, like speaking, acting, and singing/dancing. At the same time, he learned for a while under a capable magician, which, in combination with a good memory, made him very good at certain parts of magic going into the book. At the same time, though, he has trouble with areas that he's not familiar. He gets beat up in the streets by a more capable street thug. He gets by later on the City, but doesn't glide through as some kind of Locke Lamora'esque pickpocking master.

I hope this gets better because it's suffering from obvious epic fantasy syndrome where there's so much setup without much happening. I'll take a hackneyed Terry-Brooks over this any day, at least from what I've read so far.

It's the first book in a series, so obviously there's going to be a lot of setup. At the same time, it's hardly a secret that this book was a flashback going in.

[Caine]

Take it easy. Just because you obviously liked it doesn't mean everyone has to, the idea of a forum is to be exposed to a vast array of opinions and viewpoints. Don't expect everyone to be shy about voicing an unpopular opinion. No reason to pick apart every single minute point of mine.

I've already mentioned that I'm only 100 pages in, and so far there's a lot of hype without much showing. Rothfuss hasn't shown me anything about Kvothe, both Rothfuss and Kvothe himself (in conversations with the Chronicler) have hyped up Kvothe as some sort of Demi-God without showing anything. Kvothe manages to kill some spider-like monsters but it wasn't shown how. Instead, we have a lot of rhetoric on Kvothe's various names from his accomplishments. The lessons with Ben / Abenthy isn't really showing me anything, it's more training-phase setup.

As for the flashback bit and why I picked it up, I suppose I was curious what the buzz was all about. Is that a crime? I knew a part of it was flashback, but I honestly didn't realize the entire book was a flashbook. So sue me.

Again, this is more of an early response only being 100 pages. I'm not going to apologize for my reaction just because you don't find merit in it. And you never know, I may end up loving it by the time I'm finished, assuming I finish.

[Dolorous Edd]

I enjoyed this book, but didn't love it.

I wasn't annoyed by the flashback format, but there were several things that did annoy me.

One, I am finding Kvothe's one-of-a-kind (or nearly one-of-a-kind) prodigy status kind of annoying right now. The way he picks up almost any magical or intellectual concept nearly instantly seems somewhat ridiculous. Perhaps there will be some reveal in books two or three that explains why this stuff comes so easy to him, but I find a little too convenient right now.

Two, his love interest is so incredibly annoying that I don't know where to begin.

Third, Rothfuss throws up a lot of what I consider to be false obstacles in Kvothe's path. His money troubles constantly hang over his head, but it seems to me that someone as talented and intelligent as Kvothe could find ways to avoid them without as much angst as occurs. Some of these ways seem obvious to me as I read the book. And, in fact, he often does eventually find these ways, but only after they could help him, or after some other plot element has advanced far enough to prevent that way of helping him all the way out of the jam.

Fourth, some of the politics at the University don't ring true to me. I realize that prodigies are often resented and held back at time more out of spite than anything else, but that one Master's instant enmity towards Kvothe seems too contrived. And while a couple of the Masters appear to have taken an interest in Kvothe and are allies, prodigies like Kvothe tend to attract more interest, sponsorship and protection than he has (not necessarily out of some inherent good nature in mankind, but also from the idea that such a sponsor can profit in one fashion or another from his prodigy's success.)

Despite my criticisms, I did enjoy the book and look forward to Rothfuss's next entry. But I do think the book is being overhyped (although I understand why - the book has that callow-youth-becomes-all-powerful tone that publishers use to attract young readers to the genre, while being sophisticated enough for more nuanced consumers of fantasy to enjoy) and there have been many author debuts over the past few years that I think are superior.

[Spring Bass]

Take it easy. Just because you obviously liked it doesn't mean everyone has to, the idea of a forum is to be exposed to a vast array of opinions and viewpoints. Don't expect everyone to be shy about voicing an unpopular opinion. No reason to pick apart every single minute point of mine.

That wasn't my intention. If it came across too harsh, then I apologize. However, I generally do like to pick apart criticisms if I think they are unjustified.

I've already mentioned that I'm only 100 pages in, and so far there's a lot of hype without much showing. Rothfuss hasn't shown me anything about Kvothe, both Rothfuss and Kvothe himself (in conversations with the Chronicler) have hyped up Kvothe as some sort of Demi-God without showing anything. Kvothe manages to kill some spider-like monsters but it wasn't shown how. Instead, we have a lot of rhetoric on Kvothe's various names from his accomplishments. The lessons with Ben / Abenthy isn't really showing me anything, it's more training-phase setup.

You'll get a much better explanation if you keep on reading. At the same time, keep in mind that it is a flashback, leading up to a point where Kvothe apparently became famous for his magical skills, so don't be too surprised if he comes off as a bit uber.

As for the flashback bit and why I picked it up, I suppose I was curious what the buzz was all about. Is that a crime? I knew a part of it was flashback, but I honestly didn't realize the entire book was a flashbook. So sue me.

All I'm saying is that it should have been pretty obvious to anyone who read the inslip that a large part of the book was a flashback. If you didn't do it, you didn't do it - but I didn't know you hadn't done it, so I was curious as to why you even bothered buying a book that is mostly flashback if you hate flashbacks.

Again, this is more of an early response only being 100 pages. I'm not going to apologize for my reaction just because you don't find merit in it. And you never know, I may end up loving it by the time I'm finished, assuming I finish.

My intention was only to point out where I thought you were wrong in criticism, and to find out more about your intentions in buying it, particularly with regards to the 'dislike of flashbacks' dealie.

[Spring Bass]

I enjoyed this book, but didn't love it.

I wasn't annoyed by the flashback format, but there were several things that did annoy me.

One, I am finding Kvothe's one-of-a-kind (or nearly one-of-a-kind) prodigy status kind of annoying right now. The way he picks up almost any magical or intellectual concept nearly instantly seems somewhat ridiculous. Perhaps there will be some reveal in books two or three that explains why this stuff comes so easy to him, but I find a little too convenient right now.

He suffers a little bit from 'hero syndrome', but at the same time, you have to remember that he has essentially a photographic memory. That alone helps a lot with his studies, and the fact that he's a smart kid (and the magic system is somewhat of an intellectual one), helps him along.

Two, his love interest is so incredibly annoying that I don't know where to begin.

That girl is definitely annoying - although I attributed it mostly due to it being Rothfuss's first book, and the fact that his character is awkward around girls.

Third, Rothfuss throws up a lot of what I consider to be false obstacles in Kvothe's path. His money troubles constantly hang over his head, but it seems to me that someone as talented and intelligent as Kvothe could find ways to avoid them without as much angst as occurs. Some of these ways seem obvious to me as I read the book. And, in fact, he often does eventually find these ways, but only after they could help him, or after some other plot element has advanced far enough to prevent that way of helping him all the way out of the jam.

I'll have to disagree on on part of this. You have to remember that he's basically a 12-year-old orphan who gets dumped into an entirely unfamiliar city all by himself, with no money and only some basic skills that won't help him in the city - from a background of a previously tight family and greater 'tribal' type of group. Plus, medievalesque cities are really not great budding opportunities for young orphan boys - although they have it slightly better than young orphan girls, like his friend. Even with his intelligence, it's a pretty big handicap.

The whole 'Draccus' bit at the end is definitely annoying, dragged, and felt like a false obstacle thrown into his path just to give him an adventure. It's still only a small section of a large book, though.

Fourth, some of the politics at the University don't ring true to me. I realize that prodigies are often resented and held back at time more out of spite than anything else, but that one Master's instant enmity towards Kvothe seems too contrived. And while a couple of the Masters appear to have taken an interest in Kvothe and are allies, prodigies like Kvothe tend to attract more interest, sponsorship and protection than he has (not necessarily out of some inherent good nature in mankind, but also from the idea that such a sponsor can profit in one fashion or another from his prodigy's success.)

Well, he does have some interest, and Kilvin in particular offered work. The one master's particular enmity is a bit "Snape-ish", but you have to remember that as far we can tell, petty masters can afford to be petty, since they're pretty much not accountable to anyone but other masters.

Despite my criticisms, I did enjoy the book and look forward to Rothfuss's next entry. But I do think the book is being overhyped (although I understand why - the book has that callow-youth-becomes-all-powerful tone that publishers use to attract young readers to the genre, while being sophisticated enough for more nuanced consumers of fantasy to enjoy) and there have been many author debuts over the past few years that I think are superior.

Its hype is not as bad as TLoLL (which I think is a superior book), but still, I'm all for the hype if the book's half-decent, and we want the author to publish more.

It's not as good as TLoLL, and I think it's definitely inferior to A Shadow in Summer, but it's not bad for a first-time novelist. I can think of worse books.