Review - The Name of the Wind

[howeird]

Patrick Rothfuss' fantasy novel The Name of the Wind was recommended to me by three or four friends who said that even if you're like me and generally loathe fantasy novels, the writing in this one is good enough to give it a read. And that turns out to be mostly true.

It is well-written, though towards the end things bog down a bit as the author prepares us to buy the sequel, which I will not be doing. Many of the characters are well-drawn, many are woefully superficial. As with many fantasy novelists, Rothfuss takes liberties with the powers of the various supporting charaters, adding to them when the whim strikes. Some of the magic described can only be understood if one is the author.

There are several females who have a place in the young male protagonist's heart, and it's unclear whom he prefers. Save it for the sequel, I guess.

The book starts out asd a page-turner, but by the end I was counting pages to the end. And coming to the end and finding the story still had a long way to go, I was not amused.

Worth used bookstore price if you're not a fantasy fan, worth full price and sequels if you are.