Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
DAW Books (New York, 2012). 2nd trade paperback printing. 1008 pages. $19.00.
Description
Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero as he attempts to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm where he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist.
Media reviews
Rothfuss takes to the Hero’s Journey with a passion and depth that routinely turns the trite into the transcendent.
Rothfuss works all the well-worn conventions of the genre, with a shadow cloak here and a stinging sword there and lots of wizardry throughout, blending a thoroughly prosaic prose style with the heft-of-tome ambitions of a William T. Vollmann. This is a great big book indeed, but not much
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happens—which, to judge by the success of its predecessor, will faze readers not a whit. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member alcarinqa
This book both surprised and disappointed me. I’m stil not sure how I feel about it, but when reading The Wise Man’s Fear I got the impression that Patrick Rothfuss took all these wonderful ideas about how he is going to change fantasy literature, and then proceeded to stuff his book with them
When reading these books it’s sometimes hard to remember that Kvothe is sixteen - the adventures he has are befitting of an older man. But he assumes he is all-knowing until proven wrong and is generally irritating. What else can you expect from a sixteen year old? I’m glad that he matured by the end of the book and finally empathised with those around him instead of just assuming he knows what’s best for everyone. I find the interludes most interesting because Kvothe-the-man is wonderful, grounded and haunted by his past. He makes a more interesting protagonist than Kvothe-the-teenager.
I hated aspects of the plot of this book. The beginning was ridiculous - a complete rehashing of the first book with Kvothe being poor, working hard to scrape every coin together for his tuition, the recklessly borrowing money from Levi, then spending all his money like he has no cares. The first mildly interesting thing that happens is that Kvothe decides to take some time off studying and journey to Severen. But Rothfuss skips over the journey in a page, and somehow contrives it so Kvothe arrives in Severen penniless and in rags. And then has to earn money coin by coin again. I can’t read one more page about Kvothe having no money!
The plot improves vastly during Kvothe’s time in Severen - it was great to learn about a new culture and see Kvothe in a different environment. The time with Felurian - the incredibly beautiful, sex-crazed Fean - that follows is tedious and boring. It seems like Rothfuss had included this whole section to indulge himself, with no thought to the story at all. In fact, the Felurian adventure did nothing to progress the story except to introduce Kvothe’s legendary cloak and the mysterious all-knowing, future-wrecking tree. The best part of the book occurs after the Felurian episode, with a followup of the Adem culture and Kvothe’s experiences there. Kvothe became calmer and more thoughtful after his stay with the Adem, who have one of the most unique and interesting cultures that I have read about in fantasy novels.
The upturn of the story at the end makes me want to read the next book, The Doors of Stone, now. However, I no longer feel in awe of Patrick Rothfuss’ writing skills and can’t credit him with writing superior fantasy stories - he seems to simply be churning out a story full of the usual tropes in the genre.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
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without really thinking about the flow of the narrative or character development. When reading these books it’s sometimes hard to remember that Kvothe is sixteen - the adventures he has are befitting of an older man. But he assumes he is all-knowing until proven wrong and is generally irritating. What else can you expect from a sixteen year old? I’m glad that he matured by the end of the book and finally empathised with those around him instead of just assuming he knows what’s best for everyone. I find the interludes most interesting because Kvothe-the-man is wonderful, grounded and haunted by his past. He makes a more interesting protagonist than Kvothe-the-teenager.
I hated aspects of the plot of this book. The beginning was ridiculous - a complete rehashing of the first book with Kvothe being poor, working hard to scrape every coin together for his tuition, the recklessly borrowing money from Levi, then spending all his money like he has no cares. The first mildly interesting thing that happens is that Kvothe decides to take some time off studying and journey to Severen. But Rothfuss skips over the journey in a page, and somehow contrives it so Kvothe arrives in Severen penniless and in rags. And then has to earn money coin by coin again. I can’t read one more page about Kvothe having no money!
The plot improves vastly during Kvothe’s time in Severen - it was great to learn about a new culture and see Kvothe in a different environment. The time with Felurian - the incredibly beautiful, sex-crazed Fean - that follows is tedious and boring. It seems like Rothfuss had included this whole section to indulge himself, with no thought to the story at all. In fact, the Felurian adventure did nothing to progress the story except to introduce Kvothe’s legendary cloak and the mysterious all-knowing, future-wrecking tree. The best part of the book occurs after the Felurian episode, with a followup of the Adem culture and Kvothe’s experiences there. Kvothe became calmer and more thoughtful after his stay with the Adem, who have one of the most unique and interesting cultures that I have read about in fantasy novels.
The upturn of the story at the end makes me want to read the next book, The Doors of Stone, now. However, I no longer feel in awe of Patrick Rothfuss’ writing skills and can’t credit him with writing superior fantasy stories - he seems to simply be churning out a story full of the usual tropes in the genre.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
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LibraryThing member kaipakartik
Name of the wind was excellent. This is not in the same vein. It just plods and plods mercilessly. I tried really hard to read it but just couldn't manage to.
LibraryThing member MrsLee
Day two. Kvothe continues to relate the incidents of his formative years, while struggling with his present arcane impotency.
I enjoyed most of this tale, especially the time in the university, but I have to say I became very bored when he entered the faerie realm for so long. It was tedious. I
I enjoyed most of this tale, especially the time in the university, but I have to say I became very bored when he entered the faerie realm for so long. It was tedious. I
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certainly did see the Mary Sue effect in this book. That being said, much of the tale was still enticing. I find the pace gentle and compelling. It leaves us in doubt of whether we are reading a tragedy or an heroic epic. Possibly both. I still look forward to the third day. Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
This is the second day of Kvothe's story. He takes up where he left off at the end of The Name of the Wind, still learning at the university and little more than a few pennies to his name. While The Name of the Wind focused on the set up and early education of Kvothe, The Wise Man's Fear presents
What happens to your identity when the stories of your legendary deeds have grown up around you, and no one knows the truth anymore? Kvothe seems to grapple with some version of this question. He may not be just the simple innkeeper he masquerades as, but neither is he Taborlin the Great. Among his deeds, the thread of his search for the truth of the Chandrian who killed his parents and the Amyr continues with a shocking lack of information in the Archives and tantalizing rumor. In nearly 1,000 pages, it would be difficult not to have whole chapters and events that bored some readers, and this tome in so exception. The middle dropped out a bit for me, personally. Interspersed throughout the story of Kvothe's past are interludes with Bast, Kvothe, and the Chronicler that give us, again, a slightly different picture of who Kvothe is now. Why, as shown in The Name of the Wind for example, can he no longer use sympathy? This and more questions remain, meaning I will wait impatiently for the final installment of his story. Let's hope that it comes out a bit more quickly or I will have about 1,700 pages of rereading to complete.
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the truth behind a series of incidents that eventually made up the legend of Kvothe. The truth itself is fantastical, of course, but perhaps a little less so that the stories of Kvothe the Bloodless, Kvothe the Arcane - well, you get the idea.What happens to your identity when the stories of your legendary deeds have grown up around you, and no one knows the truth anymore? Kvothe seems to grapple with some version of this question. He may not be just the simple innkeeper he masquerades as, but neither is he Taborlin the Great. Among his deeds, the thread of his search for the truth of the Chandrian who killed his parents and the Amyr continues with a shocking lack of information in the Archives and tantalizing rumor. In nearly 1,000 pages, it would be difficult not to have whole chapters and events that bored some readers, and this tome in so exception. The middle dropped out a bit for me, personally. Interspersed throughout the story of Kvothe's past are interludes with Bast, Kvothe, and the Chronicler that give us, again, a slightly different picture of who Kvothe is now. Why, as shown in The Name of the Wind for example, can he no longer use sympathy? This and more questions remain, meaning I will wait impatiently for the final installment of his story. Let's hope that it comes out a bit more quickly or I will have about 1,700 pages of rereading to complete.
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LibraryThing member Daniel.Estes
In The Wise Man's Fear, author Patrick Rothfuss continues Kvothe's legendary story as he travels across the four corners of civilization, from the relative familiarity of Imre and the University to the more distant lands of Vintas and beyond. This review contains some spoilers so consider yourself
I spent over a month immersing myself in Rothfuss' magically crafted world, reading slowly and deliberately, not wanting to miss any details and not wanting it to end. I frequently laughed out loud at the writing and often experienced Kvothe's profound moments of fear and sadness. I trust Rothfuss to complete his story exactly how he intends to, and I will suspend all of my judgment until the end in that expectation, but I feel like the story should have progressed much further since the next book is supposed to be the last in the series. Perhaps I've been raised too much on the Empire Strikes Back, but I expected a more substantial confrontation with the Chandrian and more of a dark twist to Kvothe's story to end this middle book. It's arguable that these things did happen, but in a more subtle way. Maybe Rothfuss has plans for the story that doesn't follow the familiar genre standards. Still, I've been introduced to many fascinating characters that seem to have a larger role to play and I wonder if one more book (albeit, a massive one) is enough to tell the whole story.
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forewarned.I spent over a month immersing myself in Rothfuss' magically crafted world, reading slowly and deliberately, not wanting to miss any details and not wanting it to end. I frequently laughed out loud at the writing and often experienced Kvothe's profound moments of fear and sadness. I trust Rothfuss to complete his story exactly how he intends to, and I will suspend all of my judgment until the end in that expectation, but I feel like the story should have progressed much further since the next book is supposed to be the last in the series. Perhaps I've been raised too much on the Empire Strikes Back, but I expected a more substantial confrontation with the Chandrian and more of a dark twist to Kvothe's story to end this middle book. It's arguable that these things did happen, but in a more subtle way. Maybe Rothfuss has plans for the story that doesn't follow the familiar genre standards. Still, I've been introduced to many fascinating characters that seem to have a larger role to play and I wonder if one more book (albeit, a massive one) is enough to tell the whole story.
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LibraryThing member David_David_Katzman
A mixed bag of tricks. Rothfuss maintains his high level of writing, but after these 1000 pages, I’m even more irritated by the flashback storytelling than I was in Book 1. I guess I should realize that calling it the Kingkiller Chronicle series means…it’s going to be the chronicle of how he
Yes, I imagine in a future installment, he will finally take up the warrior mantle and save the world. But right now, I’m like…GET THERE ALREADY. GIVE ME THE PRESENT!
In Book 2 of the series, we are taken through various adventures that show us how the legends around Kvothe developed and also how he acquired some of his magic items, improved his abilities as a fighter, and continued to increase his own magic abilities. While Rothfuss does imbue the story with a great deal of emotion, at times I couldn’t help feeling like many of these long sequences were devised to check off various aspects of Kvothe’s nature. How did he get a magic cloak and how was he lead forward with clues to seek his enemy? Spends some time trapped in the fae world where he is knitted a magic cape by his fae lover and meets an evil oracle who directs him toward the cruelest potential outcome of events. How did he become such an effective warrior? Send him to a fighter school where he is trained hard for many months and pushed to his limits. That latter sequence seemed to drag on and on for me.
I also started to find it a bit sexist how nearly every female who is featured in the story is beautiful. Here’s another beautiful one, just beautiful in a different way.
Despite these negatives, and despite it being told in flashback, my reaction was not entirely negative. If you can think of the flashbacks as occurring more presently, Rothfuss is quite good at building drama and making the reader want to find out what happens next. The writing isn’t showy, but he has a strong command of language. The characters are fairly complex and flawed. And while I did become frustrated to get back to the present and see Kvothe reinvigorated, the highest praise that I can give is that he held my interest enough that I will very likely pick up Book 3 when it comes out to find out what happens next.
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became a king killer…however that doesn’t make for exciting drama. Yes, the story is filled with drama. Lots of drama. Very little humor, which continues to be a negative for me. It’s so bleak in tone. I’m just over the backstory of how Kvothe came to be a great warrior/fighter/mage…although apparently he has lost his skills at present, turning into a rather ineffectual innkeeper.Yes, I imagine in a future installment, he will finally take up the warrior mantle and save the world. But right now, I’m like…GET THERE ALREADY. GIVE ME THE PRESENT!
In Book 2 of the series, we are taken through various adventures that show us how the legends around Kvothe developed and also how he acquired some of his magic items, improved his abilities as a fighter, and continued to increase his own magic abilities. While Rothfuss does imbue the story with a great deal of emotion, at times I couldn’t help feeling like many of these long sequences were devised to check off various aspects of Kvothe’s nature. How did he get a magic cloak and how was he lead forward with clues to seek his enemy? Spends some time trapped in the fae world where he is knitted a magic cape by his fae lover and meets an evil oracle who directs him toward the cruelest potential outcome of events. How did he become such an effective warrior? Send him to a fighter school where he is trained hard for many months and pushed to his limits. That latter sequence seemed to drag on and on for me.
I also started to find it a bit sexist how nearly every female who is featured in the story is beautiful. Here’s another beautiful one, just beautiful in a different way.
Despite these negatives, and despite it being told in flashback, my reaction was not entirely negative. If you can think of the flashbacks as occurring more presently, Rothfuss is quite good at building drama and making the reader want to find out what happens next. The writing isn’t showy, but he has a strong command of language. The characters are fairly complex and flawed. And while I did become frustrated to get back to the present and see Kvothe reinvigorated, the highest praise that I can give is that he held my interest enough that I will very likely pick up Book 3 when it comes out to find out what happens next.
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LibraryThing member rivkat
As he recounts his life, Kvothe is still telling the story of being at the University, with a term off to have adventures. The adventures include him, as a teenaged virgin, having sex with a fairy woman who’s seduced innumerable men to their deaths—and he’s so good at it that she is impressed
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and teaches him more. This is the most eye-rolling part of the book, because the power fantasy aspects intersect with some really annoying tropes about women (she’s not the only one who can’t resist his charms). However, Rothfuss’s apparent awareness of the ridiculous nature of the power fantasy, and his twisting of fantasy standards so that many of Kvothe’s adventures are much less than they seem even as Kvothe remains over-the-top talented and suave, kept me interested enough that I am willing to tolerate this aspect. Much depends on whether Rothfuss will be able to stick the landing, and for that I guess I just have to wait and see. Show Less
LibraryThing member Aerrin99
I hesitate to say that this second novel in the Kingkiller series is stronger than the first, but I do know that I /liked/ it more than the first.
I ordered it for our library's popular reading collection, then put off taking it off the shelf for weeks and weeks out of some sort of low dread. What
Fortunately, these fears were not well-placed. Rothfuss smooths off a lot of the character edges that bothered me in the first book, and now we have a Kvothe who remains charming and capable, but also struggles with some very real problems that don't ever seem to conveniently disappear when he needs them to. Both characterization and difficulties felt more consistent to me in this second volume.
The Wise Man's Fear sees Kvothe - a poor but brilliant magician-in-training who grew up among the Gypsy-like Ruh and is skilled in music, theatre, and making dangerous enemies - continue his studies at the University before circumstances make taking a leave of absence the wisest course of action. He heads off in search of a patron and does a number of services for a very wealthy man and in the course of it all has fantastical adventures. We start to see where the Kvothe of legend came from. The first stories start to spread, and it's rather interesting watching them grow from Kvothe's bemused eyes.
What's great about Rothfuss' work is that his world feels very lived in and his hero's journey feels in some ways very real. Kvothe struggles with finances and bullying, with his own cockiness and need to balance his talents against reality (oh, I've known some college students like this!), with girls and friendships and sometimes saying the wrong thing. He also performs unbelievable feats - and sometimes makes unbelievable feats out of believable ones through manipulation of story and song.
We still only have a glimpse of what Kvothe's legend actually /is/ - we're hearing the story a bit backwards in that regard - but in this volume we get the sense that it's both earned and not earned and far more complicated than anyone knows.
Which is just plain fun.
And it helps that Kvothe is a cocky, smarmy, gifted, arrogant character who manages to be charming and fascinating anyway.
I'll be picking up the next one, when it comes.
I ordered it for our library's popular reading collection, then put off taking it off the shelf for weeks and weeks out of some sort of low dread. What
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if the problems that bothered me about the first book - namely that Kvothe, who is so spectacularly /wonderful/ at everything, can get a little insufferable in places and that the pacing is rather rotten with little payoff at the end - came back to haunt me in this volume? What if I had become more jaded and critical in the interim and it was even /worse/ this time around?Fortunately, these fears were not well-placed. Rothfuss smooths off a lot of the character edges that bothered me in the first book, and now we have a Kvothe who remains charming and capable, but also struggles with some very real problems that don't ever seem to conveniently disappear when he needs them to. Both characterization and difficulties felt more consistent to me in this second volume.
The Wise Man's Fear sees Kvothe - a poor but brilliant magician-in-training who grew up among the Gypsy-like Ruh and is skilled in music, theatre, and making dangerous enemies - continue his studies at the University before circumstances make taking a leave of absence the wisest course of action. He heads off in search of a patron and does a number of services for a very wealthy man and in the course of it all has fantastical adventures. We start to see where the Kvothe of legend came from. The first stories start to spread, and it's rather interesting watching them grow from Kvothe's bemused eyes.
What's great about Rothfuss' work is that his world feels very lived in and his hero's journey feels in some ways very real. Kvothe struggles with finances and bullying, with his own cockiness and need to balance his talents against reality (oh, I've known some college students like this!), with girls and friendships and sometimes saying the wrong thing. He also performs unbelievable feats - and sometimes makes unbelievable feats out of believable ones through manipulation of story and song.
We still only have a glimpse of what Kvothe's legend actually /is/ - we're hearing the story a bit backwards in that regard - but in this volume we get the sense that it's both earned and not earned and far more complicated than anyone knows.
Which is just plain fun.
And it helps that Kvothe is a cocky, smarmy, gifted, arrogant character who manages to be charming and fascinating anyway.
I'll be picking up the next one, when it comes.
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LibraryThing member stephxsu
As the morning of the second day dawns on Waystone Inn, Kvothe continues to recount his incredible life story to Chronicler and Bast. The University goes on as ever but Kvothe is beginning to realize that, in order to find the answers about the Amyr and the Chandrian that has been obsessedly
Those who loved The Name of the Wind will not be disappointed: THE WISE MAN’S FEAR is as meticulously plotted and beautifully written as the first. Which means that you should just read my review of The Name of the Wind for all the reasons why you should read this series, and in this review I will talk instead about some of the things I found, well, a little lacking.
I found myself making a Star Wars comparison as I closed the cover to THE WISE MAN’S FEAR. Specifically, that this book served all the purpose of Episode 2: The Attack of the Clones: it was exciting and adventurous, but hardly answered any of our questions from the first story. In THE WISE MAN’S FEAR, Kvothe pretty much remains the same and does exactly the same sorts of things he did in the first book: he verbally spars elegantly with his superiors, gets into nearly impossible situations and gets himself out or through by dint of his cleverness, and on and on. Oh, and in THE WISE MAN’S FEAR Kvothe adds to his overflowing litany of good qualities some mad skillz in the sack. Kvothe is this perfect hero who experiences no growth throughout books one and two, and it’s finally begun to grate a little on my nerves.
Kvothe goes on his adventure under the pretext learning more about the Amyr and the Chandrian, but narratively speaking, that seems like just an excuse for him to get into increasingly unbelievable mini-adventures, none of which seem to aid him on his ultimate quest of avenging his parents’ death. Which is why I made the Star Wars comparison: I’d be curious to find out if, at the end of the series, his side journeys into Vintas and beyond are actually essential parts of his path to the Chandrian.
For the most part, Patrick Rothfuss characterizes beautifully: supporting characters such as Simmon, Wil, and Vashet stole my heart and demand more page-time than they were allotted. However, I simply cannot get behind Denna as the love interest. It’s almost like Rothfuss wrote a lifetime’s worth of frustration over females into this impossibly beautiful, charmingly clever, woefully haunted woman. She represents the embodiment of unattainable female perfection, and therefore Kvothe is living out the male population’s dream by getting closer to said unattainable female perfection than anyone has before. Their dynamic is unrealistic, self-delusional, and more than a bit annoying. (Don’t tell love lessons from Kvothe: you don’t win over your perfect partner by never giving them any indication that you like them as more than friend, because you’re scared that they don’t like you back in the same way. This leads to unhealthy cases of unrequited love, in which you can’t move on in your life.)
With all that’s been said, however, I will still devotedly read the third and last book in the series when it comes out. Fans will appreciate this installment that’s chock-full of Kvothe’s diversionary adventures, but boy, I hope questions will actually be answered in the next book!
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searching for, he may need to leave his beloved University—nay, even leave familiar lands completely—and travel to the far-off land of Vintas, where he dabbles in court politics, robber-hunting, Fae relations, and more.Those who loved The Name of the Wind will not be disappointed: THE WISE MAN’S FEAR is as meticulously plotted and beautifully written as the first. Which means that you should just read my review of The Name of the Wind for all the reasons why you should read this series, and in this review I will talk instead about some of the things I found, well, a little lacking.
I found myself making a Star Wars comparison as I closed the cover to THE WISE MAN’S FEAR. Specifically, that this book served all the purpose of Episode 2: The Attack of the Clones: it was exciting and adventurous, but hardly answered any of our questions from the first story. In THE WISE MAN’S FEAR, Kvothe pretty much remains the same and does exactly the same sorts of things he did in the first book: he verbally spars elegantly with his superiors, gets into nearly impossible situations and gets himself out or through by dint of his cleverness, and on and on. Oh, and in THE WISE MAN’S FEAR Kvothe adds to his overflowing litany of good qualities some mad skillz in the sack. Kvothe is this perfect hero who experiences no growth throughout books one and two, and it’s finally begun to grate a little on my nerves.
Kvothe goes on his adventure under the pretext learning more about the Amyr and the Chandrian, but narratively speaking, that seems like just an excuse for him to get into increasingly unbelievable mini-adventures, none of which seem to aid him on his ultimate quest of avenging his parents’ death. Which is why I made the Star Wars comparison: I’d be curious to find out if, at the end of the series, his side journeys into Vintas and beyond are actually essential parts of his path to the Chandrian.
For the most part, Patrick Rothfuss characterizes beautifully: supporting characters such as Simmon, Wil, and Vashet stole my heart and demand more page-time than they were allotted. However, I simply cannot get behind Denna as the love interest. It’s almost like Rothfuss wrote a lifetime’s worth of frustration over females into this impossibly beautiful, charmingly clever, woefully haunted woman. She represents the embodiment of unattainable female perfection, and therefore Kvothe is living out the male population’s dream by getting closer to said unattainable female perfection than anyone has before. Their dynamic is unrealistic, self-delusional, and more than a bit annoying. (Don’t tell love lessons from Kvothe: you don’t win over your perfect partner by never giving them any indication that you like them as more than friend, because you’re scared that they don’t like you back in the same way. This leads to unhealthy cases of unrequited love, in which you can’t move on in your life.)
With all that’s been said, however, I will still devotedly read the third and last book in the series when it comes out. Fans will appreciate this installment that’s chock-full of Kvothe’s diversionary adventures, but boy, I hope questions will actually be answered in the next book!
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LibraryThing member suetu
Forget the conventional wisdom about middle books of trilogies
I was late coming to this series. In fact, it was all the excitement over the publication of this second book that inspired me to start the series. And it was the excellence of book 1 that inspired me to continue with these doorstoppers.
Book 2 continues the life story of the hero Kvothe as it is being told to Chronicler. As in the first book, Kvothe relates his tale in his own words, with occasional interludes set in the novel’s present at the inn. I’m not going to try to summarize 1,000 pages of epic. What I will say is that book 2 opens in the immediate wake of the events of book 1. As noted in the novel’s title, it is the second of three days in which Kvothe is going to be telling his tale. In the present, more than ever it’s clear that the current Kvothe is a diminished version of his former self. This book continues the story of Kvothe’s education at the university, and all of the relationships—good and bad—that were introduced in book 1. But this volume takes Kvothe on adventures far beyond his comfort zone at the university.
One of the reasons I think this second novel is so successful is that Rothfuss did a great job building the world and establishing rich characters in the first novel. With all of that in place, the reader can jump right back into the story and be fully immersed without a lot of build-up. Unless, of course, the reader is like me, and forgets every novel they read as soon as they’ve finished it. Here again, I have to give props to Rothfuss. Without a lot of repetition or regurgitation of past plot, he gracefully exposits exactly what the reader needs to get back into the story. I remembered everything that I needed to.
It’s difficult to maintain reader interest over 1,000 pages. Rothfuss does a great job with plot and pacing. He keeps things interesting and moving along briskly. I was never bored and my interest never flagged. That said, the scenes at the university are always my favorite because I’m in love with all the characters that inhabit that world, from Kvothe’s many friends, the diverse professors, and the townsfolk he interacts with. Each is an individual, and maybe this is an artifact of sheer page count, but they all have such well-developed personalities and seem so real—which strikes me as especially impressive in a work of fantasy. This is also due to the tremendous talent of reader Nick Podehl who performed the audiobook and gave each character a distinctive voice, accent, and personality.
Considering the great length of these novels, you can’t complain too much about the four years between books 1 and 2. Noneheless, I’m hoping that the wait for book 3 will be somewhat shorter. I think middle books of trilogies are incredible hard to pull off. Given Mr. Rothfuss’s success here, my expectations for the conclusion are sky high.
I was late coming to this series. In fact, it was all the excitement over the publication of this second book that inspired me to start the series. And it was the excellence of book 1 that inspired me to continue with these doorstoppers.
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As much as I enjoyed the first book, the second was exponentially better.Book 2 continues the life story of the hero Kvothe as it is being told to Chronicler. As in the first book, Kvothe relates his tale in his own words, with occasional interludes set in the novel’s present at the inn. I’m not going to try to summarize 1,000 pages of epic. What I will say is that book 2 opens in the immediate wake of the events of book 1. As noted in the novel’s title, it is the second of three days in which Kvothe is going to be telling his tale. In the present, more than ever it’s clear that the current Kvothe is a diminished version of his former self. This book continues the story of Kvothe’s education at the university, and all of the relationships—good and bad—that were introduced in book 1. But this volume takes Kvothe on adventures far beyond his comfort zone at the university.
One of the reasons I think this second novel is so successful is that Rothfuss did a great job building the world and establishing rich characters in the first novel. With all of that in place, the reader can jump right back into the story and be fully immersed without a lot of build-up. Unless, of course, the reader is like me, and forgets every novel they read as soon as they’ve finished it. Here again, I have to give props to Rothfuss. Without a lot of repetition or regurgitation of past plot, he gracefully exposits exactly what the reader needs to get back into the story. I remembered everything that I needed to.
It’s difficult to maintain reader interest over 1,000 pages. Rothfuss does a great job with plot and pacing. He keeps things interesting and moving along briskly. I was never bored and my interest never flagged. That said, the scenes at the university are always my favorite because I’m in love with all the characters that inhabit that world, from Kvothe’s many friends, the diverse professors, and the townsfolk he interacts with. Each is an individual, and maybe this is an artifact of sheer page count, but they all have such well-developed personalities and seem so real—which strikes me as especially impressive in a work of fantasy. This is also due to the tremendous talent of reader Nick Podehl who performed the audiobook and gave each character a distinctive voice, accent, and personality.
Considering the great length of these novels, you can’t complain too much about the four years between books 1 and 2. Noneheless, I’m hoping that the wait for book 3 will be somewhat shorter. I think middle books of trilogies are incredible hard to pull off. Given Mr. Rothfuss’s success here, my expectations for the conclusion are sky high.
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LibraryThing member mbmackay
This book topped the NY Times best seller list, so I know I'm in the minority when I quibble, but . . .
This guy can write, and he has a created a great story to tell, but I'm not enthused by the result. He needs an editor. A severe editor. One who could carve this series down to the size it should
There's now been an eleven year gap since Volume 2, and Volume 3 is not yet on the horizon. Either Rothfuss is still churning out the pages, and the publisher is hunting for virgin forests to chop down to make enough paper, or, let's hope, the publisher has told him to cut out the non-essentials and deliver a book that plays to the author's skills and the story's deserts. In other words, a shorter one.
This guy can write, and he has a created a great story to tell, but I'm not enthused by the result. He needs an editor. A severe editor. One who could carve this series down to the size it should
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be. The first volume was 600 pages and went nowhere. The second volume is 900 pages and goes nowhere for the first half of them. Maybe he was given a sharp prod around that point, because the story then starts to gain some urgency - events happen, the plot moves forward. A little.There's now been an eleven year gap since Volume 2, and Volume 3 is not yet on the horizon. Either Rothfuss is still churning out the pages, and the publisher is hunting for virgin forests to chop down to make enough paper, or, let's hope, the publisher has told him to cut out the non-essentials and deliver a book that plays to the author's skills and the story's deserts. In other words, a shorter one.
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LibraryThing member xfryx
There are few things as disappointing as a sequel that doesn't live up to the expectations set forth by the original. I felt, with all the things on deck, that this book could have at least delivered something more. They keep teasing me with the idea that Kvothe, has, at some point, killed a king,
The first hundred pages are basically a recap from the last book. Kvothe is poor, he's very clever, in love with Denna, Master Hemme doesn't like him and Ambrose lives up to his surname.
Suddenly, he's forced to leave the University, not because they kicked him out, just because it was more convenient. You could almost feel the jolt, the tug of the strings, as the author pulled him out into the real world. But for what? So he could have sex with a fairy, get a magic cloak, learn some 'forbidden' fighting skills and offend some people? In my opinion, it wasn't worth it.
The spiraling decline lasts throughout the whole book. The last few chapters trudged along, leaving me feeling very tired and worn out. I'm hoping that the next installment is better. This was not the equivalent of Aliens or Judgment Day. It was more like Dead Man's Chest. I still have high hopes for the series. It could be a rolling epic. I can handle one dull book in an awesome series.
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but there is no evidence of such in this book. Patrick Rothfuss should just rename the series to something more apt.The first hundred pages are basically a recap from the last book. Kvothe is poor, he's very clever, in love with Denna, Master Hemme doesn't like him and Ambrose lives up to his surname.
Suddenly, he's forced to leave the University, not because they kicked him out, just because it was more convenient. You could almost feel the jolt, the tug of the strings, as the author pulled him out into the real world. But for what? So he could have sex with a fairy, get a magic cloak, learn some 'forbidden' fighting skills and offend some people? In my opinion, it wasn't worth it.
The spiraling decline lasts throughout the whole book. The last few chapters trudged along, leaving me feeling very tired and worn out. I'm hoping that the next installment is better. This was not the equivalent of Aliens or Judgment Day. It was more like Dead Man's Chest. I still have high hopes for the series. It could be a rolling epic. I can handle one dull book in an awesome series.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
This should have been divided into a few books. It's a book made to be read (by me) on an e-reader, my wrists hated me throughout the reading of this 994 page tome. The framing story of a tale being told over 1 day doesn't work when you realise that the audio version clocks in at 42 hours of
I didn't carry this one home but read it at work, so my reading was slightly disjointed and punctuated by other books, which probably didn't help the experience. By the end of this book, Kvothe has learned how to satisfy women (escaping his faerie teacher); got himself a magic cloak; learned some martial arts; gained a legendary sword and found a way to fund his further studies.
There are also some things going on in the background that could prove interesting when they resolve themselves, but that's for the future. Who and what Bast is is intriguing me.
Don't get me wrong, I wanted to read this and it did read fairly quickly, but he needs a few more interesting landmines in his life.
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reading.I didn't carry this one home but read it at work, so my reading was slightly disjointed and punctuated by other books, which probably didn't help the experience. By the end of this book, Kvothe has learned how to satisfy women (escaping his faerie teacher); got himself a magic cloak; learned some martial arts; gained a legendary sword and found a way to fund his further studies.
There are also some things going on in the background that could prove interesting when they resolve themselves, but that's for the future. Who and what Bast is is intriguing me.
Don't get me wrong, I wanted to read this and it did read fairly quickly, but he needs a few more interesting landmines in his life.
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LibraryThing member Cygnus555
Hmmm... I really loved the first one... really. I was looking forward to this one. I guess I felt like WAY too much time was spent on the interpersonal relationships and not enough on the adventure of the story. I kept finding myself wondering, "this guys really famous in his own time, legendary!
To be honest, I was feeling like I was reading the first book again... the background to a larger story that has yet to emerge. I'm sure the larger story will emerge and I'm sure it will be grand when it does... just not sure if I will be there to see it.
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Why don't I see why yet?"To be honest, I was feeling like I was reading the first book again... the background to a larger story that has yet to emerge. I'm sure the larger story will emerge and I'm sure it will be grand when it does... just not sure if I will be there to see it.
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LibraryThing member Jarratt
For our book club, I'd picked The Name of the Wind as I wanted to try what was being purported to be a great fantasy novel. Gave it 2.5 stars because it just didn't go anywhere. Another club member upon his turn to pick a book chose The Wise Man's Fear, the second installment. I reluctantly agreed
Make no mistake: Rothfuss can write. But being a good writer and being able to tell a good story are clearly two different things. There's really little story between the two books. I got halfway through this one and just had to call it quits.
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and found it to be just as long winded and rudderless.Make no mistake: Rothfuss can write. But being a good writer and being able to tell a good story are clearly two different things. There's really little story between the two books. I got halfway through this one and just had to call it quits.
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LibraryThing member slanger89
The way Rothfuss writes is completely engrossing. The places, people, adventures, and concepts are amazing and easy to lose yourself in. This second book continues Kvothe's real story at the University, and some more of his wanderings and adventures on his pursuit for the Chandrian. In real-time
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another day passes with Chronicler taking down his story and some more of the interesting Bast is seen. The only downside to this series is that it takes a long time for the plot to progress toward any sort of ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member whiteknight50
WOW, WOW, WOW! I loved this book even more than the first book by Patrick Rothfuss. I couldn't put it down, literally...(I couldn't hold it up either!! Its a big book). Despite tired arms, I truly, truly enjoyed every minute of this, and was very sorry to see the book end. I cannot wait for the
Again, as in 'The Name of the Wind', the first of the trilogy, Rothfuss has hit it out of the park. His writing is flawless, his sense of timing is excellent, and his characterization is thorough and believable. Patrick's command of the language is among the best I have seen, and the sense of quirkiness he brings to the writing brings a unique and fresh flavor to the story. I join others in my sincere hope that the trilogy itself is not the end of this world and its characters.
In this edition, Kvothe continues to tell the story of his unique and eventful life to Chronicler, the well known story teller. Kvothe tells the story of four unique periods in this life, and each period has its own character and charm.
Patrick Rothfuss, new writer or not, has climbed to the very pinnacle of my mountain of favorite writers. I love his quirky sense of style and his mastery of both story telling and of the English language.
This series is very, very, very high on my list of favorite books of all time!
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third book in the trilogy! Again, as in 'The Name of the Wind', the first of the trilogy, Rothfuss has hit it out of the park. His writing is flawless, his sense of timing is excellent, and his characterization is thorough and believable. Patrick's command of the language is among the best I have seen, and the sense of quirkiness he brings to the writing brings a unique and fresh flavor to the story. I join others in my sincere hope that the trilogy itself is not the end of this world and its characters.
In this edition, Kvothe continues to tell the story of his unique and eventful life to Chronicler, the well known story teller. Kvothe tells the story of four unique periods in this life, and each period has its own character and charm.
Patrick Rothfuss, new writer or not, has climbed to the very pinnacle of my mountain of favorite writers. I love his quirky sense of style and his mastery of both story telling and of the English language.
This series is very, very, very high on my list of favorite books of all time!
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LibraryThing member caseface377
LOVE. That is the best word I can use to describe my feelings towards this book. Above and beyond my expectations - Patrck Rothfuss really outdid himself! I enjoyed it even more than the first, and appreciated every word of the hefty book. He definately didn't sacrifice quality for a less
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intimidating size! Show Less
LibraryThing member aleahmarie
"There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man."
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Kvothe is a trouper, a thief, and a brilliant student whose lifetime of achievements and failures have become the stuff of legend. Most believe that death has
In Patrick Rothfuss' stunning debut novel, "The Name of the Wind," the great scribe Chronicler has found Kvothe still alive if not altogether well. Kvothe is quietly passing his time as Kote, a humble innkeeper in the middle of Newarre. Chronicler collects personal histories and no story in the four corners of civilization is more prized than Kvothe's. None too pleased at being discovered, Kvothe does his best to discourage the scribe. Chronicler, however, will not be turned away. Reluctantly, Kvothe agrees to share the true story of his life. It will take him three days to give a full recounting. "The Wise Man's Fear" is day two.
Kvothe's story is fraught with peril, tangled in desire, and hilariously funny in nearly equal parts. But that's all I'll say on it. Kvothe tells his story much better than I ever could. When asked to describe his book Rothfuss himself simply says, "It's a story about how stories grow." Seven truer words were never spoken.
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Kvothe is a trouper, a thief, and a brilliant student whose lifetime of achievements and failures have become the stuff of legend. Most believe that death has
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finally caught up with him. Kvothe values the privacy that such beliefs bring too much to argue. In Patrick Rothfuss' stunning debut novel, "The Name of the Wind," the great scribe Chronicler has found Kvothe still alive if not altogether well. Kvothe is quietly passing his time as Kote, a humble innkeeper in the middle of Newarre. Chronicler collects personal histories and no story in the four corners of civilization is more prized than Kvothe's. None too pleased at being discovered, Kvothe does his best to discourage the scribe. Chronicler, however, will not be turned away. Reluctantly, Kvothe agrees to share the true story of his life. It will take him three days to give a full recounting. "The Wise Man's Fear" is day two.
Kvothe's story is fraught with peril, tangled in desire, and hilariously funny in nearly equal parts. But that's all I'll say on it. Kvothe tells his story much better than I ever could. When asked to describe his book Rothfuss himself simply says, "It's a story about how stories grow." Seven truer words were never spoken.
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LibraryThing member awoods187
This is the best fantasy book i have ever read. Seriously. It is EXTREMELY well written. I cannot recommend Rothfuss enough...
LibraryThing member viking2917
solid. not great, compared to the first book, which was amazing, but solid.
LibraryThing member PardaMustang
I loved the first book in this series, but I found this one falling quite a bit short of it's predecessor. Most of the first book was set at the University and those are by far my favorite interactions. This book jumped to so many different places that it was hard to keep track of at times and oft
Still, it was an enjoyable read in and of itself.
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seemed more like several smaller novels put into one big one. Still, it was an enjoyable read in and of itself.
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LibraryThing member chillybee
I loved the first book, merely liked this one. As others have noted, it rambles a bit too much and doesn't offer us much, if any, progress on the major plot points of the story. However, Rothfuss is a very talented writer and I will certainly buy and read the third installment as soon as it appears.
LibraryThing member reannon
Wise man's Fear is book two in the story of Kvothe. How good is this series? After two books and about 1700 pages, we are not quite up to Kvothe's 17th year, and the story never palls. I never once thought this book is too long, that part should have been cut out. It is a fantasy series in a
The two books are a seamless story. There is a framing story in which Kvothe is older, we don't know how old, an innkeeper living quietly at the fringes of civilization under another name. A scribe, The Chronicler, finds Kvothe and eventually persuades him to tell the real story of his life, a life about which legends abound. Kvothe grows up in a troop of traveling players, learns acting and music from his birth. The troupe is joined by an arcanist who recognizes the boy's brilliance and begins training him in magic, with the goal that Kvothe will go to the University when old enough. Kvothe survives the loss of everything at age 11 and three years of life on the streets before getting to the University, where things are, shall we say, rarely dull.
How is it that the story never gets dull? The plots are good, first of all. Rothfuss never violates the reader's willing suspension of disbelief. The reader feels that yes, this could have happened in this way in this world. There is also plenty of action. Yet Rothfuss also builds the story with exquisite detail, showing Kvothe's life as more than just action. We have Kvothe's thoughts, emotions, his loves, dreams, fears, - and we have his soul, at the heart of which is music and magic. We have his interactions with the other characters, all of whom are also marvelously human. Kvothe is brilliant, but young. He makes mistakes and deals with the consequences, and there are also consequences when he gets things right. We see him almost mad in grief, in love, with all a young man's difficulty figuring love out, we see how music anchors him, we see how he cares for others, how he deals with enemies... In short, we see a universe entire through one brilliant character.
How good is this series? I started reading Wise Man's Fear about noon on Saturday, and with a couple of interruptions finished at 7:15 Sunday morning, and I'm a person who needs a good night's sleep. Do I recommend both books? Oh, yeah. With these two books and Discovery of Witches, my year of reading is already extraordinary, and it is only May!
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vaguely medieval setting, though magic exists and those at the University, or Arcanum, study magic and related sciences such as chemistry.The two books are a seamless story. There is a framing story in which Kvothe is older, we don't know how old, an innkeeper living quietly at the fringes of civilization under another name. A scribe, The Chronicler, finds Kvothe and eventually persuades him to tell the real story of his life, a life about which legends abound. Kvothe grows up in a troop of traveling players, learns acting and music from his birth. The troupe is joined by an arcanist who recognizes the boy's brilliance and begins training him in magic, with the goal that Kvothe will go to the University when old enough. Kvothe survives the loss of everything at age 11 and three years of life on the streets before getting to the University, where things are, shall we say, rarely dull.
How is it that the story never gets dull? The plots are good, first of all. Rothfuss never violates the reader's willing suspension of disbelief. The reader feels that yes, this could have happened in this way in this world. There is also plenty of action. Yet Rothfuss also builds the story with exquisite detail, showing Kvothe's life as more than just action. We have Kvothe's thoughts, emotions, his loves, dreams, fears, - and we have his soul, at the heart of which is music and magic. We have his interactions with the other characters, all of whom are also marvelously human. Kvothe is brilliant, but young. He makes mistakes and deals with the consequences, and there are also consequences when he gets things right. We see him almost mad in grief, in love, with all a young man's difficulty figuring love out, we see how music anchors him, we see how he cares for others, how he deals with enemies... In short, we see a universe entire through one brilliant character.
How good is this series? I started reading Wise Man's Fear about noon on Saturday, and with a couple of interruptions finished at 7:15 Sunday morning, and I'm a person who needs a good night's sleep. Do I recommend both books? Oh, yeah. With these two books and Discovery of Witches, my year of reading is already extraordinary, and it is only May!
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LibraryThing member Paroxysm10
Some fantasty books are like a canoe down a river; occassional rapids, a few rocks but mostly just pleasant scenery and an easy flow. Other books are like a swim at the beach; plenty of ducking under crashing waves, the occassional loss of breath and some exhilarating rides as you body surf. This
I'm almost tempted to say it was a bit boring and didn't really go anywhere. There didn't seem to be much that brought resolution to any of the big challenges facing Kvothe in the first of the series. The development of Kvothes strengths seemed to frustratingly slow. And there wasn't really much action. Truth be known, I often wonder at some of the underlying theology and morality some of these authors seem to want to have their characters argue the reader towards. Mostly when they enter this sort of realm their stuff gets really shoddy, while they are attempting to portray their characters as wonderfully profound and progressive. It weakens the depth of their books when they seem to venture from their strengths.
However I loved it. In spite of the above I often wanted to pick the book up and read when I should have been doing other things. I found reading the book pleasant. Loved the characters and love the way this guy writes. His use of language is entertaining. At one point I couldn't restrain myself from laughing long and loud (at the climax of the story of the boy with the golden screw).
I would and do strongly recommend these 2 books by Patrick Rothfuss. I look forward to the next and it will be one book that I will pluck off the New Releases shelf as soon as it appears.
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book by Patrick Rothfuss was more like a soak in a warm bath.I'm almost tempted to say it was a bit boring and didn't really go anywhere. There didn't seem to be much that brought resolution to any of the big challenges facing Kvothe in the first of the series. The development of Kvothes strengths seemed to frustratingly slow. And there wasn't really much action. Truth be known, I often wonder at some of the underlying theology and morality some of these authors seem to want to have their characters argue the reader towards. Mostly when they enter this sort of realm their stuff gets really shoddy, while they are attempting to portray their characters as wonderfully profound and progressive. It weakens the depth of their books when they seem to venture from their strengths.
However I loved it. In spite of the above I often wanted to pick the book up and read when I should have been doing other things. I found reading the book pleasant. Loved the characters and love the way this guy writes. His use of language is entertaining. At one point I couldn't restrain myself from laughing long and loud (at the climax of the story of the boy with the golden screw).
I would and do strongly recommend these 2 books by Patrick Rothfuss. I look forward to the next and it will be one book that I will pluck off the New Releases shelf as soon as it appears.
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Awards
Locus Award (Finalist — Fantasy Novel — 2012)
SF Site Reader's Choice (2011)
RUSA CODES Reading List (Shortlist — Fantasy — 2012)
David Gemmell Legend Award (Winner — 2012)
Locus Recommended Reading (2011)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2011-03-01
Physical description
1008 p.; 6 inches
ISBN
9780756407124
UPC
071125019000
Local notes
Inscribed (Phoenix, June 2014).