The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Name of the Wind, if you are late to the party like me, is probably the fantasy read you’ve been looking for. Wisconsin author Patrick Rothfuss brings us a gorgeously layered world, sharp humor, hard times, a sensible dose of the fae, realistic romance, truly scary darkness, a lot of good sense and a lot of good sense ignored. The novel is deeply satisfying, and sheer fun to read. Kvothe as a hero is everything we hope for him to be, and yet still many things beyond our reach–a believable hero of legend whose legends aren’t always true, but the truth, once revealed, is even better. The Name of the Wind will make you chuckle, cheer, sigh, and startle. I now understand the cult following of this series-in-progress. Demons! Taverns! Dragons! Troupes! Magic! Miss the childlike wonder that accompanied your reading of the Harry Potter series? Read this, and be convinced that J.K. Rowling isn’t the only wizard living among us.