A review by adithyanair
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

5.0

“The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts.”

So it begins, the story of Kvothe The Arcane. So it begins, the story of Kvothe The Bloodless. And so it begins, the story of Kvothe Arliden.

This story is tuned to perfection. Not a single sentence is wasted. Every word is chosen with careful consideration. Reading the book has a smoothness that makes every other book look sloppy in comparison.

This is the closest thing to the mythical 'perfect book'. It does everything right. But that isn't enough for a book to be perfect. Patrick Rothfuss doesn't just do everything right, he elevates the standard for what is right.

This book always reminds me why I started reading fantasy. The sense of wonder that pushes me to turn the page. I can't think of any book that captures that sense of wonder quite like this book, except perhaps the first 3 Harry Potters. The magic actually feels like magic, it has that delightful balance of knowing enough to understand it, but not enough to know what it exactly is.

The world is so vast and unique, yet so small and intimate. From the grimy streets of Tarbean, the taverns of Imre, the University big enough to be a city by itself, the Waystone Inn. All of these locations are small, and yet Rothfuss wastes not a single word in bringing these tiny magical places to life.

The characters are so filled with life that I'm sure Patrick Rothfuss has hundreds of other novels about them that he hasn't published, just to get the timelines straight. Every character has their own story and plot line going on that Kvothe is only a tiny part of, and it's so much fun trying to figure out what's going on in the background.

Especially because this is a story being told to you, rather than you being in the character's head, there's so much being revealed about Kvothe with everything he seems to focus on and the things he misses that you might notice. The mysteries in this book are mysteries with answers already hidden within the pages, and that's why the fandom thrives after 15 years and just 2 books.

To all those who haven't read this book, read it... there's nothing quite like it. It will change your understanding of what the heights of fantasy can be. To those who have already read it, reread it... because there are countless new things you'll notice. To those who have reread it as much as I have, you don't need me to tell you why you and I have poured so much time on these two books for so long.

And to those who are uncertain because there is no ending in sight, it's always about the journey and not the destination, and Kvothe's story is one worth hearing regardless of the fact that you only get two-thirds of it, and I envy you for being able to experience this masterpiece of a book for the first time.

(Pat, I know you put in 20 years for each book, and that your craftsmanship is a slow but steady process, but this trilogy is woefully incomplete because of your excellent work. Please release book 3 as soon as possible, I have never wanted a conclusion to a trilogy like I have for this one. I don't know you personally, but your work speaks for itself, I admire you and everything that you have done within these pages.)