N is for Name of the Wind

Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss, startled me when I read it. It did several things that I’d been told you couldn’t do in a book if you wanted to get published: only one POV in an epic fantasy — and first person at that, a story that is either told primarily in flashback or has a frame story (depending on how you look at it), a main character who is good at everything — magic, music, and swordwork. Kvothe (the main character) does have a temper, though, and more than a bit of pride, so even when you see him about to make a mistake, you understand and you keep reading, to find out both the repercussions of his actions and the way he copes with them.

It’s a completely engaging read. When I first checked it out of the library, I showed it to my son, who promptly sat down and began reading — not least because he wanted to learn what the name of the wind is. I’ll admit to not having picked up the following book yet (Wise Man’s Fear), but I have no doubt I will enjoy it when I do.


This is a post for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. My theme is epic fantasy, and blog posts will cover authors, books, tropes, themes, or anything else I can think of to fill the alphabet. Check out some of the other bloggers participating or follow my blog by e-mail if you like what you’ve read.

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14 Responses to N is for Name of the Wind

  1. Sounds very interesting, can’t say I’ve read it though. I do like books that break the “rules” 🙂

  2. DL Hammons says:

    Never heard of it, but I’m not a big fan of Epic Fantasy either. 🙂

    • Erin says:

      😀 It’s a pretty safe bet that if you’re not an epic fantasy fan, you won’t know (or care) about most of the books I’m mentioning this month. Thanks for popping in and commenting!

  3. Laura Eno says:

    Wow…I’ve only read 1st person, one POV in YA novels. I can’t imagine it in epic fantasy. Now I must read it! *the TBR stack trembles with another addition*

    • Erin says:

      Heh. Glad I can give you something new to pursue. (For the record, a lot of urban fantasy is written 1st person, one POV. Check out the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, the Greywalker series by Kat Richardson, or the Mercedes Thompson books by Patricia Briggs.)

  4. Arlee Bird says:

    When done well any rule can be broken.

    Lee
    An A to Z Co-Host
    Tossing It Out
    Try my networking experiment

  5. lynn w. proctor says:

    reminds me of the song “and they call the wind mariah”–hope i had that right–would love to read it

    • Erin says:

      “The rain is Tess, the fire’s Joe . . . ” Love that song!

      If you enjoy the book, please let the author know.

      Thanks for coming by and commenting.

    • Erin says:

      It’s fabulous, isn’t it? Have you read his second book yet?

      Thanks for stopping in and commenting!

  6. It’s a fantastic book, and I’ve met Patrick. He’s a hilarious and humble man. It’s one of those rare books that break all the rules and yet still remains an amazing read.

    • Erin says:

      I saw him last year at Worldcon in Reno, and he struck me as a very nice person. I hope to actually have a chance to talk with him sometime. Have you read the sequel? (I must admit that I haven’t yet.)

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