The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss

The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: High Fantasy
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: DAW
Release date: November 17, 2015

Series:  The Kingkiller Chronicles #2.5

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Deep below the University, there is a dark place. Few people know of it: a broken web of ancient passageways and abandoned rooms. A young woman lives there, tucked among the sprawling tunnels of the Underthing, snug in the heart of this forgotten place.

Her name is Auri, and she is full of mysteries.

The Slow Regard of Silent Things is a brief, bittersweet glimpse of Auri’s life, a small adventure all her own. At once joyous and haunting, this story offers a chance to see the world through Auri’s eyes. And it gives the reader a chance to learn things that only Auri knows....

In this book, Patrick Rothfuss brings us into the world of one of The Kingkiller Chronicle’s most enigmatic characters. Full of secrets and mysteries, The Slow Regard of Silent Things is the story of a broken girl trying to live in a broken world. 

This book takes place after The Wise Man's Fear from minor character Auri's perspective. It has no bearing, that I can tell, upon Kvothe's tale, but presents a different snapshot of Rothfuss's world in a unique voice and point of view. Therefore, don't pick this tale up without having read the first two books! If you're interested in reading about Auri and only Auri, then you will find this a quick, engrossing read.

Auri lives in the Underthing, a network of forgotten rooms and places under the University. The Underthing is her entire home. She has her own names for things, very few of which was revealed in the other stories, as she is secretive and shy of people. Also, she is very sensitive to emotion and confrontation, running away at direct questions. Readers will know she has befriended mainly Kvothe, for his lute playing and special nature, and Master Elodin, another odd duck. No one else (to our knowledge) knows she lives there as she would be hauled off to Haven, the asylum for people who experienced magical mishaps, because Auri isn't quite...normal. Instead, the characters of her world are objects and places, which Auri gives somewhat human characteristics. For example, her magical light is "Foxen" and acts as a sort of pet; while the large gear she finds, she carries from place to place, showing it the rooms and seeing if that is its place of belonging.

In my estimation, I think she could have a form of magical Asperger's since she is very gifted and smart, prefers things to people, and yet everything has to be "just so". I really enjoyed this novella despite not having a plot or purpose other than to get a glimpse of everyday life for Auri. It's sweet how carefully she prepares for Kvothe's visits and takes care of her Underthing, trying to preserve it rather than be selfish and take from the things she finds. The descriptions and work of making numerous inanimate objects and places act as characters shows Rothfuss's talent in a new light, as its truly a delicate, faintly rhythmic piece of short fiction.

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by Kara at Thursday, November 16, 2017

 Adult, DAW, High Fantasy, patrick rothfuss, the kingkiller chronicles, The Slow Regard of Silent Things  18 People left their mark

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The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: High Fantasy
Hardcover: 993 pages
Publisher: DAW
Release date: March 1, 2011

Series:  The Kingkiller Chronicles, #2

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

DAY TWO: THE WISE MAN’S FEAR

“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”

My name is Kvothe. You may have heard of me.

So begins a tale told from his own point of view—a story unequaled in fantasy literature. Now in The Wise Man’s Fear, Day Two of The Kingkiller Chronicle, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.

Our mysterious innkeeper, Kote, continues the story of Kvothe, really his own secret story, and his many unbelievable adventures. Having called the name of the wind in the last revelation, Kvothe is still at the University and participating in some of his usual antics: playing tricks on Ambrose, learning nonsense from Elodin, and fawning over Denna. However, when he heroically attempts to help Denna by snubbing Ambrose, this creates a mess where Kvothe is forced to take a term off from the University and travel to perhaps find a wealthy patron.

This book takes us on Kvothe's longest journey yet and well away from the University and classes, but not losing any bit of the magnitude of his learning and maturity. Where Kvothe seemed like a chip-on-the-shoulder wily teenager in the last book, here he gains some perspective and a great deal of wisdom. Having made brash decisions in the past and well-paid for them, he attempts to give more consideration to the consequences of potential outcomes though there are still plenty of opportunities for spontaneity and hilarity. Almost every wild escapade seems to happen in this book with masterfully credible storytelling, both on the part of Kvothe and Rothfuss. Here his greatest personal gains are discipline and in romance, for the Kvothe who sets out from the University is nowhere near the man who returns. However, despite the fun adventure, there is still the undercurrent of great danger as Kvothe hunts for lore on the Chandrian and comes quite close to imminent disaster.

Quite a few world details caught me this time as we encounter the world of the Fae, which hasn't much been explained by the presence of Bast and their vague references to Fae; and the unconventional modes of culture and communication by the Ademre, who are largely stoics and staunch observers of tradition. I quite enjoyed learning about the Ademre, in particular. The Fae, on the other hand, is still a great mystery as not much is revealed except about Felurian and the Cthaeh. I also liked the parts in Vintas (I think this was where Severen was, on the coast? I'm really bad with locations if I haven't mentally mapped it out.) with the Maer and his romance. There were a lot of thought-provoking details about that culture and social behaviors that I savored reading.

Though the narrative is not fast-paced, it still is an interesting adventure. (In adventures, you still have to have boring days, and Kvothe has no few of them but still even if it is a boring day, he manages to learn something or give a few details for the reader to worry over.) We also learn a bit more details about Denna, find out what's in the Archives, and discover some truth and some folly in the tales of the magnificent Kvothe. Lastly, we leave our hero not quite as pitiful as he was before, for he has actually made some money on a few ventures. It's downright positive! But wait...that means he'll have to get kicked out of the University in the next novel. I'll be nervously fidgeting until then.

I still loved this second book despite its daunting size (993 pages!), and will count myself in the hordes of people eagerly anticipating his third novel, currently still TBD due to the vast number of revisions. Look for my brief review of his novella about sweet Auri very soon!

(Please note, he has been at work on the final book, but as stated on his blog, he's had a tough few years personally with his family and regular life responsibilities. That is a lot for any person to take, let alone a writer who has to get out of his own head and into his character's. I have a lot of sympathy for him, and no, I'm not talking about the ones that make magical lamps...) 

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by Kara at Thursday, November 09, 2017

 Adult, DAW, High Fantasy, patrick rothfuss, The kingkiller chronicles, the wise man's fear  Leave your mark

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The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: High Fantasy
Paperback: 672 pages
Publisher: DAW
Release date: April 7, 2009

Series:  The Kingkiller Chronicles #1

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

DAY ONE: THE NAME OF THE WIND 

My name is Kvothe.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature—the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.

Why have I not picked this book up before? It is AMAZING! Instantly one of my favorite fantasies. It is rich in description, gripping in plot, and possesses some unique and memorable characters, not in the least, Kvothe himself. It begins rather oddly though, in a variety of ways.
The prologue and epilogue are almost word for word the same, which is obviously unusual, and there is a sort of wisdom parable about three significant things about the current setting that actually reveals itself throughout the story. Essentially, each book is one day of telling a story in a scene at an inn far remote though it begins with an even older tale of lore, one that most people dismiss as legend or a story told to children. This is of Taborlin the Great who calls the wind to save himself from the evil beings known as the Chandrian. This meaning will become relevant later.
Back at the inn, the innkeeper, Kote, has a seemingly normal life with his apprentice, Bast. When a man known as the Chronicler visits, Kote reluctantly tells his story, revealing himself as Kvothe the Kingkiller and tries to set the record straight for Kvothe's wild tales. His tale grows from himself as a young child, born amongst traveling minstrels who are viewed as base rabble, to becoming an orphan and struggling to survive. All the while, he is truly gifted with his lute and in his goal to attend the University, where magics are taught. It's truly an 'epic' fantasy as it is a tale told in historic oral tradition about the adventures and famed deeds of a hero or legendary figure. However, the reasons behind Kvothe being Kote are mysterious and not fully explained...yet. *winking emoji*
The worldbuilding is pretty amazing though a lot of things are not fleshed out yet, that assuming will be revealed in later books. There isn't a map in the books (that I can remember), but here is one from his website that may help in your readings.

I loved the description of Kvothe's classes and his scrappy upbringing, which any true fan of Harry Potter would totally draw some parallels and grow to love this series. There's also the mystery of his beloved Denna, whom he meets on the road to the University and she disappears and reappears and does who knows what in the time she's gone. She's truly something for both Kvothe and the reader to figure out. Kvothe as a boy/young man is quite brash and stupid for being so talented and smart, so he's got quite a bit of growing up to do but is still very much a likeable hero. He's funny in his mishaps and you're proud when he does figure things out properly and sad when circumstances deal him some terribly rotten luck. He has a nemesis, Ambrose, a rich noble's son, and makes some good friends, including a special girl named Auri, and he manages to get kicked out of the Archives (*gasp* to be banned from the LIBRARY?! FOREVER?!), so Kvothe certainly is no perfect character. He struggles, sometimes constantly, just to have a shirt on his back, but contrarily, he also doesn't have much of a sense of self-preservation. (Does that sound like any young adults you know?) Of course, many of these things are what makes him and this book irresistible. There's no spoilers here, so there's plenty for you to find out in reading, especially some key points in the plot and overall arc of the trilogy. I hope you love it as much as I did. Look for the review of the next book in the series in next week's post! 

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by Kara at Thursday, November 02, 2017

 Adult, DAW, High Fantasy, patrick rothfuss, the kingkiller chronicles, the name of the wind  2 People left their mark

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