The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I know that we're not supposed to comment on other people's reviews, but I'm going to anyway. A reader mentioned his/her's frustration at the lack of resolution in Rothfuss' first novel of the Kingkiller Chronicles. I can see the reader's point, as I was definitely left wanting more. I think that was the point. Rothfuss, apparently, has a lot to tell us. And that's definitely okay with me.

As for what I came away with? Oh my. It is rare for me to finish a novel and immediately want to begin it again, but I did in this case. Not all of my questions have satisfactory answers yet, but I'm definitely willing to dive into the next novel to see if they get those answers.

I loved Kvothe. I loved the world. I loved the pictures that Rothfuss painted in my mind. The pace of the book, for me, took a while to get going but once it did? Again: oh my.

I only with the next book wasn't taking so long. But if it's as good as the first I'm willing to wait.

Books are supposed to have endings...

Rothfuss is proclaimed as the up & coming new fantasy writer? A well written novel is supposed to have a compelling plot which The Name of the Wind certainly does, but also -- RESOLUTION. Throughout the book, none of the elements thread together (magic, evil, romance, purpose). While the story was intriquing, I kept thinking Rothfuss would tie it all together. Zilch.

We don’t know what the significance of the Chandrian or demons were – and that was the cornerstone of the story since that abruptly changed Kvothe's life course.

We don’t know what Ambrose did to Kvothe and why he was finally expelled from the University.

We don't even know if Kvothe figured out how he called the name of the wind.

We don’t know why Kvothe quit practicing magic (or become ineffective).

We don't know what Bast is other than not human even though he's a central character to Kvothe.

We don’t even know why Kvothe ended up in seclusion at his Waystone Inn.

Then this writer has the audacity to finish the novel by essentially retyping the prologue as an epilogue saying the guy is waiting to die? WHY???

Come on... I realize this first go round is to be a trilogy, but every book should have an ending in and to itself.

Rothfuss is an above average writer. The dialogue flows well and is often witty. The story pulls the reader along from one exciting scene to the next. The world is well constructed, with a rather original system of magic and a rich lore. The main character is well fleshed and fluid.

I give it a 3 because after reading it...I felt strangely cheated. As if I had been tricked into reading a harry potter clone that didn't reveal itself until the end.

I won't bother to list the similarities between kvothe and harry and their situations, I will only say that both their personalities are annoyed me in the same way.