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Book 1: The Wise Man's Fear, by Patrick Rothfuss
I thought I had written a review of the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicles, called The Name of the Wind, but it turns out I read it a year and a half ago, in June 2010. Thank you, Goodreads, for helping me keep track...
For those of you who don't know the series, it's a fantasy fiction tale about a young man named Kvothe and how he became a legend in his own world. It starts with his family, a group of travelling troupers, being killed by a myserious evil. The recurring goal in Kvothe's life is to track down this evil, but he meets people along the way, goes to university and learns about magic and other subjects, and has various adventures. The story is essentially about his life, growing up. I enjoyed the first book quite a lot, and read it quickly despite its size.
I did enjoy the second book, but I often got tired of the slow pace. Kvothe would spend months at one place, and months at another. Each place seemed like a completely different story, so different that they almost need to be separate books. Occasionally it dragged on, with nothing much happening. Maybe it's because this book is meant to be in the middle of the series without a serious beginning or end, not meant to just be picked up and read without reading The Name of the Wind. However, I think it could be seriously trimmed down, and it would make for a better book.
That said, I'll probably end up reading the third and final book when it comes out. The characters are enjoyable, and I care enough about them that I want to know what happens. Just be forewarned: the books are incredibly long. Not for the faint of heart!
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