The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss

Across the land, people tell stories of Kvothe: a wizard, a musician, a thief and a killer, whose deeds have grown into legend. Some say he burned down a town, others that he spoke with gods. The truth, as he himself admits, is both more ordinary and more extraordinary than the songs.

The Name of the Wind, the first volume of Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicle, is the tale of how a gifted young boy became the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. Now living in hiding as an innkeeper in a quiet village, Kvothe agrees to tell his true story to a traveling scribe, setting the record straight on the myths that surround him.

His story begins among the Edema Ruh, a family of traveling performers, where he learns music, acting and the first secrets of magic from an old arcanist. When his family is slaughtered by the legendary Chandrian, Kvothe is left alone. After years of surviving on the streets of a vast city, he finally earns a place at the University, where he studies sympathy, alchemy and the names of things, plays his lute in taverns to survive, falls for the elusive Denna and makes dangerous enemies.

With its lyrical writing, intricate magic system and richly drawn world, the novel has earned a devoted following and is often ranked among the best fantasy novels of recent decades.

The Name of the Wind is an enthralling read for fans of epic fantasy, coming-of-age stories and beautifully crafted storytelling. It contains some violence and dark themes.