“The Name of the Wind”

Rothfuss crafts the beginning of a wondrous trilogy

The Name of the Wind
 DAW Books

Book Cover

“The Name of the Wind” DAW Books

Jake Snyder, Staff Writer

“The Name of the Wind” is the first book in a heroic fantasy series by a relatively new author named Patrick Rothfuss. This is his first attempt at a trilogy and this story is nothing short of wondrous. Like most books in the fantasy genre, this book takes place in an alternate medieval world. The world created by Rothfuss is beautifully crafted containing different nations each with their own language and culture. It is rare that a classic fantasy book can also lend itself to telling someone’s journey through life.

 

This story is nothing short of wondrous.

— Jake Snyder

“The Name of the Wind” is told primarily in the first person, but cleverly some of the characters are written in the third person, which allows the reader to also see their point of view. The story is told in autobiographical form, and tells of a brilliant teenager named Kvothe (pronounced “Quothe”) who lives with a troupe of travelling musicians and actors. It ends with Kvothe as a child and follows him to adulthood as he goes on a journey to understand the tragedies in his life.

True to the fantasy genre, there is magic in the story. The difference here is that the magic is backed by the principles of science. This adds to the realism and relatability of the book because the dynamics behind the magic actually make sense, and the intelligence of the book was not lost in Hollywood. Last year,  20th Century Fox announced that the series was  optioned for a television show, and hopefully the most infamous magician will be on for the entire world to see.