The Slow Regard of Silent Things

by Patrick Rothfuss
159 pgs

There are two "hands" when it comes to The Slow Regard of Silent Things, the newest offering to Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles. On the one hand, it's Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicles, and I think it's safe to say that anyone who has read the first two books in the series has been salivating for this book to come out ever since he first mentioned it. I include myself in that group. On the other hand, this isn't really a book that fits into the series or that moves the story along from where The Wise Man's Fear left off. It's a novella and only has one character in it--Auri, who is only a minor side character in the other two books. Back to the first hand, it's beautifully written, and it gives you a much deeper insight into Auri and her solitary life in the tunnels of the Underthing. On the other hand, reading it was kind of like eating a fantastic appetizer, without ever being given the chance for an entrée.

In the Author's Note at the end of the book Rothfuss explains the genesis of the story, and how he really never intended for it to be published. He also talks about the fear he had when it was decided that it would be. As he's quick to admit, the book doesn't have any of the things people want to have in a book: dialogue, a plot, action, other characters, etc. And I'll admit that for the first half of the story I kept waiting for something to take place or for Kvothe to make an appearance. But when I finally figured out what it was that Rothfuss had written, even minus everything that I was hoping for when I began reading it, I gained an appreciation for what he had accomplished.

I mentioned earlier that it's beautifully written. It's clear that Rothfuss toils over his writing until he gets it exactly like he wants it. And the end result is the reason why so many of us are anxiously waiting for Kvothe's story to continue. In the meantime, this was still a fantastic appetizer.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

The Wise Man's Fear

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

I know when I reviewed The Name of the Wind I said I was going to wait until book three was announced before reading book two, but I needed a literary rebound after the disappointments of the last couple of books and I was fairly certain The Wise Man's Fear would reverse the recent trend – it did.

This installment leaves the first one in the dust as far as size and scope is concerned. It's just shy of 1,000 pages long and while the first book took place primarily at the University, this one begins there but soon expands when Kvothe’s ongoing feud with his wealthy and privileged nemesis, Ambrose, comes to a head, forcing him to suspend his studies for a year and try to pursue information about the elusive Chandrian out in the world.

I’m really enjoying how Rothfuss has framed his story. He’s done it in a unique and interesting way. On the inside flap of the first book, he has Kvothe describe himself, saying “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” But when the book begins, we meet Kvothe and he appears in stark contrast to the man he described. He’s the owner of a simple tavern about to tell his tale to the King’s scribe.

The books consist primarily of that tale, interjected occasionally with “real-time” chapters that repeatedly remind the reader that the man telling the story has changed drastically since the events that he’s describing took place. This second book describes his journey to the courts of the Maer, one of the country’s wealthiest men where he uncovers an assassination attempt on the Maer’s life. It describes his journey to the land of Fae and his encounter with the mythical Felurian, and it tells of the time he spent with the Adem, an isolated society of well trained fighters who possess what appears to be unnatural speed and agility.

The Wise Man's Fear is fantastic, just as good as the first one. But now, I’m going to have to pay the price for my impatience and will have to wait a couple of years for the last book in the trilogy  to come out and to find out how things conclude.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I mentioned in another post that I'm not a big epic fantasy reader. Well, I'm starting to question that image I have of myself. The Name of the Wind is the first in Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles series and it is a fantastic series opener. The book itself is a doorstop at 660 pages but it took me less time to read it than it has many books half its size. It's a quick moving story with a great cast of characters and it has the depth that I'm starting to appreciate with epic fantasy.

It's the story of a man named Kvothe, whose parents are members of a troupe of magicians, storytellers, and other types of entertainers who travel from city to city. Kvothe is a prodigy of sorts. He's just a young boy as he begins telling his story, but he's advanced for his years. He's quick to learn and has an insatiable appetite for knowledge. One evening, after Kvothe had been wandering around as his parents prepared dinner, he returns to find his parents and everyone else in their troupe murdered. He has a brief encounter with their killers and comes to believe that they are the Chandrian - a group previously believed to exist only in myths and legends.

So begins Kvothe's quest - to discover the truth behind the legends and gain the skills he'd need to avenge his parents' deaths. His journey takes him from the life of a street urchin, fighting daily for his survival, to that of the youngest student ever to be accepted at the University - a Hogwarts-esqe type of school that teaches those who attend the power behind the names things are given. The book ends after just one day of Kvothe telling his tale to a scribe, day two picks up with The Wise Man's Fear, which is on my bookshelf right now. We'll see how long I can hold out before picking it up. My goal is to wait until publication of the third book has been announced.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★