Saturday 13 July 2013

The Wise Man's Fear - Patrick Rothfuss

RATING: FIVE STARS

I must confess that this review has been behind the scenes as a half-finished draft for a while now. But, after recently watching an interview with Patrick Rothfuss, I've finally been motivated to sit down and finish it! In fact, I'm finding it slightly odd that I haven't already posted the review as I write this - The Wise Man's Fear has, after all, become one of my favorite books!

Anyway, enough of the stuff you don't really care about and let's begin. After the spectacular grandeur of The Name of the Wind, I picked up The Wise Man's Fear with a mixture of anxious excitement and trepidation. As much as I was looking forward to reading it, I was thinking that it couldn't possibly fill the shoes of its predecessor. How could Patrick Rothfuss possibly have it in him to write another book to that standard?

Luckily, I was wrong. He could and he did. The Wise Man's Fear is every bit as gripping and beautifully written as its younger brother - continuing the story of Kvothe the Arcane in an installment that is all but impossible to put down!

The Wise Man's Fear is very similar to The Name of the Wind and is predominantly told in the first person as Kvothe narrates more of his life story to the renown scribe, Chronicler. This main 'flashback' story is again broken up with intermissions set in the current time, which are just as interesting as they are in the first novel. I think that they are more important in this book though and really begin to set the scene for the third and final installment, painting a picture of a world in dire straights (hinting somehow that it's all Kvothe's fault) and showing how Kvothe has become a broken shell of a man. This contrasts sharply with his character in his early life, adding a bleak sense of tragedy over Kvothe's autobiography as we now that (by the end of the coming book), it doesn't end well.

In fact, the young Kvothe is very happy as he continues telling his tale, resuming with his time at the University. Here, Kvothe describes hows his powers grew to frightening degrees even as he struggled to escape his poverty and his vendetta with Ambrose intensified. As his autobiography progresses, Kvothe decides (rather reluctantly) to take a hiatus from his studies and more of his legend unfolds as he travels the world. Ranging from how he was taught to love by Felurian herself to the time he spent living with the legendary Adem warriors, Kvothe's story is nothing short of epic and, by the end, will leave you desperate for more.

I have to say that The Wise Man's Fear is one of the best novel's I've ever read. It's a must read for any fan of the fantasy genre and, with both of the books released so far being beautifully written and heartfelt, The Kingkiller Chronicle is a one of those rare series that few (if any) people won't enjoy. It is a series that has made it to my 'Shelf of Fame' and, for your own fantasy education, is one that you should invest in - I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

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