The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss kind of appealed to me since I'm a fan of Trudi Canavan's books. I think I'm noticing a running theme here. *points to book cover* Of course the difference here is that Patrick Rothfuss spent 7 years writing the Kingkiller Chronicle which was eventually split into 3 parts starting with The Name of the Wind and following it with The Wise Man's Fear.
I'm no expert on literature nor am I a good judge of reading material but I really enjoyed this one! After a while you just get absorbed in it. Kvothe is the flawed protagonist in the book and in the story, he's dictating his past and how he became a legend, to a scribe.
Elodin has got be my most favorite character in this book. He's the kooky master arcanist at the University who's the best Namer there is. This means, in layman's terms (or to people who haven't read the book), that you can control something if you know its true name.
Favorite quotes: "Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts. There are seven words that will make a person love you. There are ten words that will break a strong man's will. But a word is nothing but a painting of a fire. A name is the fire itself."
"Elodin proved a difficult man to find. He had an office in Hollows, but never seemed to use it. When I visited Ledgers and Lists, I discovered he only taught one class: Unlikely Maths. However, this was less than helpful in tracking him down, as according to the ledger, the time of the class was 'now' and the location was 'everywhere."
Favorite bits:- Whenever Kvothe plays the lute
- Chapter 46: The Ever-Changing Wind; where Kvothe tries to get under Elodin's tutelage for the art of naming (HAHAHAHAHA)
~As I lay there, counting my blessings and broken ribs, Elodin stepped into my line of vision. He looked down at me. "Congratulations," he said. That was the stupidest thing I've ever seen." His expression was a mix of awe and disbelief. "Ever."
And that is when I decided to pursue the noble art of artificing.~
-------------------------------Currently on the lookout for the sequel: The Wise Man's Fear. It came out in March but it's still hard to find in KK... Will continue hunting for it in KL! =D
Image credit: Marc Simonetti