REVIEW: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

April 29, 2020

You know that feeling when you start a new book that's 600+ pages long, part of a trilogy and you fall in love with it from the first chapter? That was The Name of the Wind for me. Even though it took me nearly four months (!!!) to read it, it definitely consumed my life for the past few weeks. Let's just say it was the perfect lock down companion.

First off, the medieval vibe was incredibly refreshing. (I say medieval even though Rothfuss has never confirmed this but it's what feels right to me.) The medieval trope can sometimes be overdone and repetitive, especially in fantasy for adults, but not this one. It was medieval enough for my brain to place it in time and space pretty easily, but Rothfuss has put his own interesting twist on details such as money, clothing style, languages etc. It could literally be anywhere in the world at any point in time.

Title: The Name of the Wind
Author: Patrick Rothfuss
Rating: 5/5
You can buy it here

Kvothe may just be one of my favourite characters ever written - at first, I thought he was too much of a smart arse, but by the end, my favourite thing about him was that he is a smart arse. He constantly had the odds stacked against him yet still managed to always come out on top, which definitely has the potential to be annoying, but because it was Kvothe I let it slide. His character development is absolutely phenomenal - every time the setting changes, we see a different side to him. I particularly liked how Rothfuss portrayed his romance with Denna. I like how Kvothe is an awkward, bumbling teenage boy around girls whilst simultaneously being a total genius; it gives him much more depth as a character. (Although, I must add, he always says he's an idiot around girls and yet is probably the smoothest and most naturally charming 15 year old I've ever come across... Give yourself some credit, Kvothe!)

Speaking of setting, the University was by far my favourite one. I found the first quarter of the book a bit too slow paced at times so the University was a welcome change, and I am so glad the majority of the novel is set there. For a debut novel, Rothfuss really knows how to immerse the reader into a fantasy world, so well that I really felt like I knew it like the back of my hand. Every aspect of the University was meticulously thought out, which really shone through the narrative.

After Kvothe, my second favourite character would have to be Auri. Some of the things she said that showed her imagination just floored me in how beautiful and thought provoking they were. In times like these, it really hit home with me about how important it is to find the beauty in the everyday. I'm incredibly glad Rothfuss has dedicated an entire novella to Auri, I'm really looking forward to reading that.

A lot of comparisons have been made between The Name of the Wind and the Harry Potter series, which does make a lot of sense. I think The Name of the Wind is ten times better than Harry Potter, but that's just me. This book is literally like if Harry Potter was actually punished for everything he did, learning from it rather than getting away with everything. Kvothe also has the looming threat of student debt, too, which makes him even more of a relatable character. Harry just gets a free ride.

Although this book was a huge investment of my time, I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to read the sequel. In a way I'm glad I only read this in 2020 (it was published in 2007!) so that I won't have to wait too long until the finale is published in August!