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| Book 1 in Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicle: The Name of the Wind |
I discovered this while browsing through Foyles on Charing Cross, whilst on one of my many many bookbinges. It was also one of those rare occasions that I gave in to the desire to do a search for the title on Goodreads.
With some encouragement from the kind souls at Foyles who review the books that grace their impressive shelves and the four+plus+plus rating on Goodreads, this book was first on the "to get" pile.
Typically, I am quite a sceptic of the over-embellished reviews that are embossed on the jackets of most books. And, there have been more than one occasion where I've disagreed with the over 4-star ratings on Goodreads.
It was no different in this case but curiousity got the better of me and I went ahead and got both this and the second book in Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicle - The Wise Man's Fear, despite, and maybe because of my scepticism. Moreover, I simply could not resist the urge after I saw the picture of the author on Goodreads. :)
It would take me a couple of months to warm up to it, and I still had a shelf filled with books from my earlier binges that I hadn't indulged in. In some way, I was disappointed that I didn't pick this one up first. In fact, crazy as it may sound, I actually packed the book along with another during a recent trip to Europe. Alas, I didn't manage to read it as Drizzt Do'urden got my attention. Well, I finally did, and boy, was it worth the wait.
Within the first few chapters, I realised that this was being written in a biographical form told by the main protagonist, Kote or Kvothe the Bloodless. Kvothe the Arcane. Kvothe Kingkiller.
If I am honest, I admit I was a bit worried about that but the deeper and deeper I got in to the book, the more and more I got drawn into Kvothe's life. At times, I felt the story (and please do forgive the appalling and awful comparison) was like a darker, juicier, more intricate, mature and way better version of a certain Potter, Weasley, Granger journey through Hogwarts. Well, at least during this phase of Kvothe's life that's documented in this first book.
Perhaps it's the reference to Kvothe's time at The University, and the trouble that somehow found a way to gravitate toward him. Whatever the reason may be, I loved it. It's artfully and beautifully written in my humble opinion. A joy to read and get lost in. Rothfuss manages to draw you in slowly and skilfully keeping you glued to every page.
Truly enjoyable and deserving on the four+plus+plus reviews!! I can't wait to indulge in the second book..
But here's my conundrum. When is the third book - Doors of Stone - coming out Mr. Rothfuss? Then there's book 2.5 - The Slow Regard of Silent Things.. I ask because my problem is that I have this strange thing where I simply have to have ALL the related books in a series in my possession. Otherwise the wait would be excruciatingly painful and not to mention, rather annoying.
To add to salt to the wound, upon publication of the books in the northern hemisphere, I would then have to add XX months before it finally lands on the shores of my humble tropical nation.
Oh well.
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