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A review by zeldazonks
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
After reading Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, I decided I wanted to get into more fantasy books this year, as it's a genre I haven't really read since I was younger. I'd heard a lot of buzz about this and thought it would be a good start.
From that perspective, I think it's definitely a reasonable introduction to fantasy, the world building and lore are rich enough to be intriguing and interesting (the mythology is probably my favourite part of this book) but without being confusing or overwhelming.
Overall though the story didn't really live up to the hype I'd heard. I found the MC kind of insufferable and basically enjoyed the book in spite of him I think. There was also a thread of misogyny throughout the book which seemed to be a vehicle for the MC to give himself a pat on the back for thinking he's slightly less misogynistic than everyone else? The female characters' voices felt very samey and flat for me. I didn't find it very believable that the biggest female character has clearly known a hard life and is street smart, yet unwittingly does something that leaves her out for the count when it comes to an action scene.
I wasn't really expecting for so much of this book to be following the MC at university, which I think would have put me off if I'd known in advance. So the story kind of lagged for me a bit there but I still enjoyed it enough to continue and see where it went.
In spite of my gripes, I did enjoy the book overall and I'm definitely interested to read the sequel (and perhaps the third book when/if it gets released!) I think it's a case where I went in expecting a 4/5 star read based on the hype and actually I thought it was just pretty good.
From that perspective, I think it's definitely a reasonable introduction to fantasy, the world building and lore are rich enough to be intriguing and interesting (the mythology is probably my favourite part of this book) but without being confusing or overwhelming.
Overall though the story didn't really live up to the hype I'd heard. I found the MC kind of insufferable and basically enjoyed the book in spite of him I think. There was also a thread of misogyny throughout the book which seemed to be a vehicle for the MC to give himself a pat on the back for thinking he's slightly less misogynistic than everyone else? The female characters' voices felt very samey and flat for me. I didn't find it very believable that the biggest female character has clearly known a hard life and is street smart, yet unwittingly does something that leaves her out for the count when it comes to an action scene.
I wasn't really expecting for so much of this book to be following the MC at university, which I think would have put me off if I'd known in advance. So the story kind of lagged for me a bit there but I still enjoyed it enough to continue and see where it went.
In spite of my gripes, I did enjoy the book overall and I'm definitely interested to read the sequel (and perhaps the third book when/if it gets released!) I think it's a case where I went in expecting a 4/5 star read based on the hype and actually I thought it was just pretty good.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Mental illness
Minor: War and Sexual assault