The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Plot: Young Kvothe's adventures continue in the second book of The Kingkiller Chronicles (read my review of the first book, The Name of the Wind). His relationship with Denna grows complicated as his relationship with the University grows strained. Kvothe travels far away and learns many things about combat, reality, and himself. Meanwhile, problems are piling up. The conflict rises steadily to the promise of a spectacular climax.

Comments: I recommend rereading The Name of the Wind before reading The Wise Man's Fear, as there are many details and names to remember. However, Patrick Rothfuss does a good job of keeping the plot complex without making it confusing. That's not to say this book doesn't leave you with a lot of questions.

I love watching Kvothe grow into a young man, though I don't particularly like some of his more annoying attitudes. He is as pigheaded as ever, but now he has more power at his fingertips and more enemies lurking behind his back. Kvothe is not a perfect person; this is a good reminder that no one is. Once again, I'm struck by how Rothfuss has created characters who are all imperfect and therefore realistic. I also was much more satisfied with the strong women in this book than the first book.

The words grip you like real hands: they shake you senseless, spinning you around and around before setting you gently back on the ground. That's what it feels like reading The Wise Man's Fear. It's challenging to stop reading for even a moment. The story seizes your attention and takes you on a wild ride that includes science-fiction, romance, and philosophy. This book is a very exciting, engaging, and witty read.

Rating: I rate The Wise Man's Fear as a nine out of ten! I can't wait until the third and final book.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Plot: "My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me." An excerpt from the book.

Comments: I absolutely loved this book! It's the first book in a series, and I believe it's also Patrick Rothfuss' first published book (congratulations!). This is a great example of true fiction. It's got adventure, mystery, magic, love, and an amazing voice. Kvothe (pronounced almost like "quoth") himself narrates the story, and I must say, I love the way he thinks and talks. The characters in this book are amazing; they all feel very real and 3D, with little details summing up entire personalities. I got caught up in Kvothe's feud with a priggish, rich - and unfortunately for Kvothe, cunning - student at the University, and was intrigued with the woman that has caught Kvothe's attention. This book completely ensnared me. However, I got mad at Kvothe when he was doing/was about to do something stupid. He could be rather pig-headed sometimes.

I learned to set aside my expectations and to just let the book lead me where it was going. The plot is too complex to guess correctly. I liked how it switched back and forth from the young Kvothe to the older Kvothe telling the story. It added a bit of a cliffhanger, where I would be wondering what would happen next to young Kvothe and the story would suddenly switch to older Kvothe - and then something would happen to older Kvothe and I would forget about younger Kvothe...Like I said earlier; complex. The only reason I ever put it down was that it is a good-sized book, and I had too many things going on to read it in one day.

One thing I disliked was the lack of strong female characters. Few women attend the famed University, and several main female characters rely on men (often Kvothe) to be saved. I hope the characters evolve in the next  book, or I'll start being fairly annoyed.

Rating: I rate this book an eight and a half out of ten. Outstanding!

Read the second book in The Kingkiller Chronicles, The Wise Man's Fear.