Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: bouncy
  • Music: Lilly demanding I go watch TV with her.

Book review: 'The Name of the Wind,' Patrick Rothfuss.

The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss
DAW, paperback
736 pages, epic fantasy
Currently in print

***

Let's start with my biases: I would never, ever, in a million years, have picked up this book during a casual stroll through the bookstore. Too many bad Tolkien impersonators and wanna-be chroniclers of their epic D&D adventures have rendered me largely opposed to the 'epic fantasy' genre, even as the prevalence of poorly-masked porn has turned a lot of people off the genre where I write. So believe me when I say that my even reading this book was something of a miracle, born out of desperation for something new to read and the author's own status as Also A Guy At DAW.

Let's follow with an anecdote: I was in Seattle this past weekend, and mentioned to my friend Luis that I'd just finished an amazing book, called The Name of the Wind. His wife Alisa immediately squealed that she'd just finished the book herself, and followed her squealing with unqualified raving. None of which I was in a position to argue with, because I was raving just as vigorously.

The Name of the Wind is epic fantasy; that isn't up for debate. It's also the most incredible, amazing work of epic fantasy I've encountered since I hit the jaded old age of eleven, when I started to note the similarity in all these 'fantastic' worlds. It's difficult to give too much detail, both because there's so much detail to give, and because I don't want to spoil the surprises that this book has in store. It's all the best bits of the quest novel, the coming of age, the mystery, and the epic quest. It's funny, it's moving, it's sobering, and it's incredibly well-constructed. I am in awe. And I don't say that often.

Our hero is Kvothe (pronounced very much like 'Quoth,' and he talks enough to make a decent stand-in for Poe's raven), hero and villain of a thousand stories. This man is a legend in his own time...assuming his time is still the one he's in. The closest comparison my own experience gives is to Roland, the protagonist of Stephen King's Dark Tower series. This isn't anything like that, really, but it's the same sort of man. From the outside, you'd expect this incredible, legendary figure. And really...he's just a man.

Trying to give too much justification for why I loved this book would start going into the twists that made it such an incredible read, so I'll say this: it's been a long time since a book has sucked me in so hard, so fast, and so unexpectedly that I not only stayed up past my bedtime, I left my phone at home and spent the walk to and from the store reading. It's a doorway to another world, and its only real flaw is that it's the first of a trilogy, and the other two aren't ready to drop into your hands.

If you love epic fantasy, read this. If you don't love epic fantasy, because you've been burned by all the knock-offs and rip-offs and just plain trash, read this twice. It'll reaffirm your belief that Sturgeon's Law applies to everything, not just the things we admit to loving.

I can't wait for the sequel.
Tags: book review, good things, literary critique
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  • 20 comments

branna

September 23 2008, 00:57:03 UTC 8 years ago

I'd been avoiding this religiously until a few months ago, when I picked it up and was hooked. As usual when this happens, I totally failed my "make sure the sequel is available" roll.

Nice to know I've got company :)

alethea_eastrid

September 23 2008, 01:15:19 UTC 8 years ago

I've been holding off, trying to find out if this in fact had a sequel. Nice to know both that I should wait, and that I have something good to look forward to.

seanan_mcguire

September 23 2008, 01:52:39 UTC 8 years ago

Definitely hold off, if you're the sort of person who needs to know what comes next now now now. Also definitely buy the book, since he's a first-time author, and we like to be nice to those around here (especially when it comes to earning out their advances). ;)

jimhines

September 23 2008, 12:14:20 UTC 8 years ago

Heh. Pat is not a fast writer, but I think some of that also shows in the amount of care and detail he puts into the story.

Somehow I don't think he needs to worry about earning out, though ;-)

seanan_mcguire

September 23 2008, 15:53:56 UTC 8 years ago

No, probably not.

seanan_mcguire

September 23 2008, 01:51:33 UTC 8 years ago

You do! And it's even my company, which is rare in this genre.

spectralbovine

September 23 2008, 01:27:20 UTC 8 years ago

Dude! My friend Ravi totally just pimped this to me last night! And now you? I think it's a sign.

Also A Guy At DAW.
I noticed that!!

And, okay, you've made me put it in my mental queueueue, which is rapidly growing.

seanan_mcguire

September 23 2008, 01:53:23 UTC 8 years ago

It is. It's a total sign. For one thing, it's a sign that you should come to Conflikt in January.

Just saying.

spectralbovine

September 23 2008, 01:55:09 UTC 8 years ago

I only have a vague idea of what that is. It sounds like a supervillain.

tibicina

September 23 2008, 12:07:31 UTC 8 years ago

It is a filk convention in Seattle. I second that you should come.

seanan_mcguire

September 23 2008, 15:54:50 UTC 8 years ago

See, now we're a consensus.

seanan_mcguire

September 23 2008, 15:54:33 UTC 8 years ago

It's the convention in January where I'm gonna be the Guest of Honor. There will be much leaping about.

wldhrsjen3

September 23 2008, 01:34:59 UTC 8 years ago

::squeals:: Oh, I *love* The Name of the Wind!! I've been passing out copies to my family going, "You have to read this!! Even if you don't like fantasy, give it a try!" :D I can't wait for the sequel...

seanan_mcguire

September 23 2008, 01:53:47 UTC 8 years ago

Such an awesome book.

gaaneden

September 23 2008, 03:17:08 UTC 8 years ago

I own this book but have not yet read it. I'll move it up on the "read" pile.

seanan_mcguire

September 23 2008, 15:55:06 UTC 8 years ago

Excellent.

jimhines

September 23 2008, 12:18:13 UTC 8 years ago

I liked the book a lot, and was particularly impressed that it was his first novel. Kvothe is fun, and it definitely captures that epic feel without being a rip-off of everything else in the Tolkien wannabe section of the bookstore.

I did sometimes feel like Kvothe was a little too perfect, and his rivals a little bit flat in their nastiness. This is a minor thing, but it's something I noticed. I also wish we had seen more of the current-day problems. I really liked Kvothe and his buddy at the inn, and there's obviously something big coming along, but we only get the tiniest bits and pieces.

Those are nitpicks. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It's an impressive piece of writing, and a fun story.

seanan_mcguire

September 23 2008, 15:55:46 UTC 8 years ago

See, oddly, I caught that, and then dismissed it as 'Kvothe is telling the story' -- everything in the present-day (what there was of it) was a lot less cut-and-dried.

jimhines

September 23 2008, 15:57:30 UTC 8 years ago

That's a good point. I'm not sure I'm convinced, but it's definitely worth some thought....

seanan_mcguire

October 1 2008, 14:17:03 UTC 8 years ago

It may not be the case, but especially with in-character-narratives -- 'Bob is your protagonist, now Bob tells a story' -- I tend to be a bit more forgiving, on that specific basis.