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I'm probably going to futz a bit more with the format of this as we go.
Title: The Name of the Wind
Author: Patrick Rothfuss
Genre: (I know there's a lot of debate about this term, and what classifications are or aren't allowed, and how one defines each. Don't care. My review, I'll abuse words the way I want to. May get whimsical) Traditional Epic Fantasy trilogy book 1: Education/Starting the Quest
Thingummies: (Don't feel like using stars or bells or whatever. Also, note I'm planning to judge books on how well they seem to accomplish their own goals--fluffy romances are held to fluffy romance standards, not serious literary fiction standards. If you're in the mood for one, the best example of another won't do, and it's not fair to compare apples by how orange they are. Out of five.) 4.5
Synopsis: The innkeeper, his assistant, and the traveler on the road are not who they appear. Strange happenings in a small village frame the first third of the story of a man who may be either one of the greatest heroes or villains the world has ever known. Kvothe the Bloodless tells the tale of how he first learned the arcane arts to take down the dreaded Chandrian.
Thoughts: (Spoiler-free) I'll admit that when ads for this book by some author I'd never heard of first started popping up on websites all over the place, I was kind of annoyed. I think it might have been a crab-bucket kind of annoyance (why did he get all this publicity when other authors didn't?) and suspicion (because what books I've seen advertised in banner ads often appear to be self-published garbage). But I started hearing a lot of buzz and reluctantly conceded that maybe the book was worth reading. I'm kind of glad I waited--there's been a lot of delays in the sequel coming out and the current date is March. If I'd read it before, I would have had to champ at the bit for the sequel for quite a lot longer.
This is a very traditional epic fantasy trilogy book 1 and it's got a lot of the typical cliches. The most promising brilliant child ever is cast out on his own and ends up at a mage academy. There are gypsy acting companies, busking in the taverns for money, a courtesan with a heart of gold, petty villains that make his life hell, and hints of overarcing major villains he will have to defeat later. There are children's songs that hold an important clue to the main villains, the faded remnants of an ancient empire, and legendary figures that will come back to haunt us all.There's even a dragon.
All that said--Rothfuss takes a very well-worn set of tropes and nonetheless makes you care about them. The characters are lovingly and subtly drawn. The worldbuilding is solid (although the map looks suspiciously like Europe with some minor changes to the landmass). And the prose--oh, the prose is gorgeous. Lush without turning purple. The book veers realistically dark when dealing with human nature and the kinds of hell an abandoned child might face, but there are unexpected flashes of humor.
The plot is predictable in its overall trajectory, but there's enough surprises to keep you interested. The author uses foreshadowing cleverly, not only to build suspense, but in some cases to fake you out. You know that bad thing X is going to happen, but it doesn't happen as soon as you think it will. It's hard, at the beginning of a trilogy, to see how well everything will tie together in the end. But the first book does come to a logical resting point while making you eager to pick up the next.
Actually, come to think of it, The Name of the Wind is a good answer to my complaint a couple days back regarding literary vs. genre fiction. Rothfuss actually does a very nice job of bringing the level of focus on character and style that I'd expect more from a literary work, while staying within the conventions of his chosen genre.
This is not so amazing a work that I would expect it to convert non-lovers of epic fantasy. If you don't want to read about a fantastically gifted child learning to use magic (and then I'm going to guess establishing his reputation in book 2 and then finally overcoming his enemies and his own nature in book 3), with all the trappings of the traditional European medieval fantasy hero's quest, this isn't the book for you. But if that sounds remotely appealing, this is an exceptionally well done example of the form, and utterly delightful.
Title: The Name of the Wind
Author: Patrick Rothfuss
Genre: (I know there's a lot of debate about this term, and what classifications are or aren't allowed, and how one defines each. Don't care. My review, I'll abuse words the way I want to. May get whimsical) Traditional Epic Fantasy trilogy book 1: Education/Starting the Quest
Thingummies: (Don't feel like using stars or bells or whatever. Also, note I'm planning to judge books on how well they seem to accomplish their own goals--fluffy romances are held to fluffy romance standards, not serious literary fiction standards. If you're in the mood for one, the best example of another won't do, and it's not fair to compare apples by how orange they are. Out of five.) 4.5
Synopsis: The innkeeper, his assistant, and the traveler on the road are not who they appear. Strange happenings in a small village frame the first third of the story of a man who may be either one of the greatest heroes or villains the world has ever known. Kvothe the Bloodless tells the tale of how he first learned the arcane arts to take down the dreaded Chandrian.
Thoughts: (Spoiler-free) I'll admit that when ads for this book by some author I'd never heard of first started popping up on websites all over the place, I was kind of annoyed. I think it might have been a crab-bucket kind of annoyance (why did he get all this publicity when other authors didn't?) and suspicion (because what books I've seen advertised in banner ads often appear to be self-published garbage). But I started hearing a lot of buzz and reluctantly conceded that maybe the book was worth reading. I'm kind of glad I waited--there's been a lot of delays in the sequel coming out and the current date is March. If I'd read it before, I would have had to champ at the bit for the sequel for quite a lot longer.
This is a very traditional epic fantasy trilogy book 1 and it's got a lot of the typical cliches. The most promising brilliant child ever is cast out on his own and ends up at a mage academy. There are gypsy acting companies, busking in the taverns for money, a courtesan with a heart of gold, petty villains that make his life hell, and hints of overarcing major villains he will have to defeat later. There are children's songs that hold an important clue to the main villains, the faded remnants of an ancient empire, and legendary figures that will come back to haunt us all.There's even a dragon.
All that said--Rothfuss takes a very well-worn set of tropes and nonetheless makes you care about them. The characters are lovingly and subtly drawn. The worldbuilding is solid (although the map looks suspiciously like Europe with some minor changes to the landmass). And the prose--oh, the prose is gorgeous. Lush without turning purple. The book veers realistically dark when dealing with human nature and the kinds of hell an abandoned child might face, but there are unexpected flashes of humor.
The plot is predictable in its overall trajectory, but there's enough surprises to keep you interested. The author uses foreshadowing cleverly, not only to build suspense, but in some cases to fake you out. You know that bad thing X is going to happen, but it doesn't happen as soon as you think it will. It's hard, at the beginning of a trilogy, to see how well everything will tie together in the end. But the first book does come to a logical resting point while making you eager to pick up the next.
Actually, come to think of it, The Name of the Wind is a good answer to my complaint a couple days back regarding literary vs. genre fiction. Rothfuss actually does a very nice job of bringing the level of focus on character and style that I'd expect more from a literary work, while staying within the conventions of his chosen genre.
This is not so amazing a work that I would expect it to convert non-lovers of epic fantasy. If you don't want to read about a fantastically gifted child learning to use magic (and then I'm going to guess establishing his reputation in book 2 and then finally overcoming his enemies and his own nature in book 3), with all the trappings of the traditional European medieval fantasy hero's quest, this isn't the book for you. But if that sounds remotely appealing, this is an exceptionally well done example of the form, and utterly delightful.
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no subject
Date: 2011-01-04 06:38 pm (UTC)From:I agree with pretty much the entirety of the review.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-04 07:11 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2011-01-04 07:33 pm (UTC)From:Goddamn but I have to make you read Erekos someday. Just sayin'.
I like your planned Thingummy system and "accomplish their own goals" rating...that's ever so much more helpful than judging fluff against Srs Bsnz Fiction.
And re) banner ads...this is one reason I've been worried about how to promote Candlemark & Gleam and our books, because most book ads DO seem to be for self-published trash, and other ads, well, I can't afford to be in those publications...
no subject
Date: 2011-01-04 07:45 pm (UTC)From:It's definitely on my radar. The fact that I don't have an e-reader is a lot of the problem--most of my reading time is away from screens. This will change, inevitably, though.
Regarding banner ads--perhaps as more serious authors start using them, it'll become a little more respectable. It certainly seems to have worked well for Rothfuss in the end.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-04 07:53 pm (UTC)From:That said, I spend WAY too much time staring at screens. I hear ya.
It definitely seems to have worked well for Rothfuss. I need to make a list of places where eager readers might actually notice such things, and then find out how much ads cost.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-04 07:40 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2011-01-04 07:46 pm (UTC)From: