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A review by pewter
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This book has almost everything I'm looking for in a fantasy setting - some excellent writing, an interesting plot hook, an established and thoroughly developed world, and a fantastic magic system that brings all of these together. Aside from some poor character development and problematic pacing and editing, this makes for a fun and engaging read from start to finish.
It's clearly the first book in a trilogy, which often bears the heaviest responsibility to weave the world, develop the cast of characters, and gain the reader's trust. The world is lovingly crafted, and he magic systems are especially exciting - it feels practical and real, and doesn't require extreme suspension of disbelief. It feels right at home with most other magical worlds and classical fantasy settings, while also standing out in it's own ways.
But the cast of characters feels shallow. Aside from the protagonist, Kvothe, the most interesting supporting characters get little page time, while the bland ones seem to get the most. Occasionally we get a glimpse of a real gem, only to never see them again.
We get a first-hand feel for Kvothe, as the narrator; his motivations are clear. His attitudes are strong. His narration is clever and feels like I'm sitting beside him chatting. It's warm and inviting. There is no mistaking what he is good at - so many skills, in fact, that we're certainly toeing the line of a Mary Sue character. Rothfuss unfortunately has leaned into the idea that intelligence also comes hand-in-hand with mean-ness. Snarkiness, clever quips, and theatrical vengeance doesn't exactly endear Kvothe to an audience that is tired of internet trolls, and his unfortunate background doesn't excuse his assholery. However, since Kvothe is actively narrating the story, we do get the occasional "looking back, this was a mistake" musings, which remind us that he is a child during the main story.
However, Kvothe as a narrator brings up a number of problems, specifically around the roles other characters, especially women, play. Because he is the narrator, this world is almost entirely described through his (rather arrogant) lens. This leads to some pretty poor writing about the other cast, and leaves most women as damsel, demon, or devoted love interest. It's hard to tell where Kvothe's attitudes end and Rothfuss' picks up. Either way, it doesn't read well.
The plot pacing also needed a bit of editing. Many arcs don't ever finish, but are instead abandoned for a new sudden development, never to be revisited. Parts of the plot that need more pages to grow are left rushed, while others are long and needed some clipping. One could argue that life doesn't clean up neatly... but I'd still like some closure.
A beginning of a trilogy also has the pleasure of opening many mysteries which it doesn't need to resolve yet. So many of these mysteries remain at the end of the book, that it's hard to imagine everything being tied up - more of a reason to excitedly grab the next in the series.
All in all, the strengths of this book lie in the world, the magic, and the clever writing, while the cast and protagonist are rather disappointing. The potential is here, though, and if we see some growth in both Kvothe and the author, we might really get to see something great.
It's clearly the first book in a trilogy, which often bears the heaviest responsibility to weave the world, develop the cast of characters, and gain the reader's trust. The world is lovingly crafted, and he magic systems are especially exciting - it feels practical and real, and doesn't require extreme suspension of disbelief. It feels right at home with most other magical worlds and classical fantasy settings, while also standing out in it's own ways.
But the cast of characters feels shallow. Aside from the protagonist, Kvothe, the most interesting supporting characters get little page time, while the bland ones seem to get the most. Occasionally we get a glimpse of a real gem, only to never see them again.
We get a first-hand feel for Kvothe, as the narrator; his motivations are clear. His attitudes are strong. His narration is clever and feels like I'm sitting beside him chatting. It's warm and inviting. There is no mistaking what he is good at - so many skills, in fact, that we're certainly toeing the line of a Mary Sue character. Rothfuss unfortunately has leaned into the idea that intelligence also comes hand-in-hand with mean-ness. Snarkiness, clever quips, and theatrical vengeance doesn't exactly endear Kvothe to an audience that is tired of internet trolls, and his unfortunate background doesn't excuse his assholery. However, since Kvothe is actively narrating the story, we do get the occasional "looking back, this was a mistake" musings, which remind us that he is a child during the main story.
However, Kvothe as a narrator brings up a number of problems, specifically around the roles other characters, especially women, play. Because he is the narrator, this world is almost entirely described through his (rather arrogant) lens. This leads to some pretty poor writing about the other cast, and leaves most women as damsel, demon, or devoted love interest. It's hard to tell where Kvothe's attitudes end and Rothfuss' picks up. Either way, it doesn't read well.
The plot pacing also needed a bit of editing. Many arcs don't ever finish, but are instead abandoned for a new sudden development, never to be revisited. Parts of the plot that need more pages to grow are left rushed, while others are long and needed some clipping. One could argue that life doesn't clean up neatly... but I'd still like some closure.
A beginning of a trilogy also has the pleasure of opening many mysteries which it doesn't need to resolve yet. So many of these mysteries remain at the end of the book, that it's hard to imagine everything being tied up - more of a reason to excitedly grab the next in the series.
All in all, the strengths of this book lie in the world, the magic, and the clever writing, while the cast and protagonist are rather disappointing. The potential is here, though, and if we see some growth in both Kvothe and the author, we might really get to see something great.