The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (Kingkiller Chronicles # 1)

Fantasy. Storytelling. Magic. Music. 

Second time reading.

Rating: 4/5

Started: 3/18/22

Finished: 3/21/22

Summary:

    Kote, a bartender in a remote village, tells the beginning of the story of when he was Kvothe--the bloodless, the dragonslayer, the kingkiller, who could make people break down crying with a song and control the wind by speaking his name. 

    But Kvothe started out as a son of the traveling troupers called the Edema Ruh. He was an unusually smart child, and while his intelligence made it possible for him to learn incredible magic, it also got him into all kinds of trouble. 

Thoughts:

    This book is really good. The framing of the tale, as storytelling, is super cool and allows the story to have a sort of lyricism to it that's gorgeous. The plot is also brilliant: It has so many pieces, and it's super cool to be able to put things together and make connections to things that are mentioned earlier. I also love the characters. They are interesting and clever and feel complex and 3-D enough to not be predictable or fit into archetypes, which is fun. 

    The only problem I have with the book is the character-loses-their-power trope in the present-day pieces of the book. While I'm sure that it's part of the plot, I really hate it when authors do that. But aside from that, the book is clever and interesting, and I am very excited to read the second book. I'm very glad that Emmett Elsom recommended it to me last summer, especially since, when I read it, it feels like that summer again, which is always super fun.

Words: 

    Dickered (v) engage in petty argument or bargaining

    Aphrodisiac (n) a food, drink, or drug that stimulates sexual desire

    Laudable (adj) deserving of praise and commendation

    Credo (n) a statement of the beliefs or aims which guide someone's actions

    Consanguinity (n) the fact of being descended from the same ancestors

    Coterie (n) a small group of people with shared interests or tastes, especially one that is exclusive of other people

    Giller (n, archaic) a person who fishes using a gillnet

    Hypercritical (adj) excessively and unreasonably critical, especially of small faults 

    Expurgated (v) remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable 

    Dox (v) search for and publish private or identifying information about someone on the internet, typically with malicious intent

    Ingratiating (adj) intended to gain approval or favor