The Slow Regard of Silent Things

July 2, 2020July 2, 2020 youwanttoreadthistrustme1 Comment

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Title: The Slow Regard of Silent Things

Author: Patrick Rothfuss

Performer: Patrick Rothfuss

Length: 3 hr, 39 min

Series: The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 2.5)

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2014 by Penguin Group US

Format: eAudiobook

Review: Before deciding to read this novella, I recommend three things:

Read at least the first book of the Kingkiller Chronicle prior to picking up this novella to establish the character of Auri.
Heed the author’s advice in the author’s notes and do NOT expect there to be a plot.
Listen to this in audiobook format.

If I had to describe this audiobook in one word, it would be: soothing. It is a long and meandering stroll through the broken mind of Auri. For those who have read any of the Kingkiller Chronicle books, it is already established that Auri is an airy, mysterious, and sweet-natured young woman. She often brings Kvothe gifts with cryptic descriptions, and this novella delves deeply into her thought process in choosing those gifts, and gives a glimpse of her life in the “Underthing.” It’s less of a story and more of a snapshot of her life.

The author has a fantastic voice for narrating, and though I often found my thoughts drifting off during his reading, I found the listening experience to be very pleasant. With all the stress in my life right now, I found it to be a nice reprieve to just tune out with this playing in the background.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

The Wise Man’s Fear

June 25, 2020June 25, 2020 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: The Wise Man’s Fear

Author: Patrick Rothfuss

Page Count: 994

Series: The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 2

Publishing Date/Publisher: March 1, 2011 by DAW Books

Format: eBook

Review: When it comes to epic fantasy, it really does not get more epic than Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicle. Rothfuss’ worldbuilding is unparalleled, and his character development is on point. My greatest criticism for this installment of the series is that it had too much whimsy at certain points. Although this is a book about a magic wielder, the more magical aspects regarding faeries and the Chandrian always strike me as secondary to the rest of the plot. Similarly, the “interludes” leave me with more far more confusion than clarity. It is difficult to understand how that narrative and portrayal of an older Kvothe plays into the larger story. I imagine that if Rothfuss ever decides to grace his readers with the long awaited final book, most of my questions will be answered.

As with the first book, I found Kvothe’s relationship with Denna to be exceptionally annoying. I am, however, interested in seeing what the significance of that relationship will be in the final book. Her mysterious and abusive benefactor will undoubtedly be important to the storyline, and I am anxious for that big reveal.

This was a very lengthy book and a big investment of time, but I am glad that I read it. Some segments seemed to drag on, but overall, I found Kvothe’s adventures to be very interesting and engaging. It was nice to take a step away from the university setting and see new lands and cultures. I am excited to see where Kvothe goes next, but I am not holding my breath. It has, after all, been almost ten years since this book’s publication, and still no release date for the final book is in sight.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fantasy · Fiction

The Name of The Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One

September 19, 2018September 19, 2018 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: The Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One

Author: Patrick Rothfuss

Page Count: 722

Series: The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2008 by DAW Books, Inc.

Format: Paperback

Review: This book is the first installment of a long saga. Although I am not usually partial to such lengthy epics, I found this one to be rather enjoyable. The beginning was a bit slow, but I was assured by one of my colleagues (the one who made the initial recommendation) that it would soon pick up speed if I invested a little time. She was absolutely right, and I soon found myself drawn into a tale of loss, betrayal, love and resilience.

At times I found this story to be rather stressful. The storyteller, Kvothe, relays many near death experiences, and there are many moments when he is facing imminent danger. He always manages to come out on top due to his own cleverness and resourcefulness, but I still found myself experiencing secondhand anxiety. To me, this is the mark of a very talented writer, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre (and has a lot of spare time and/or patience to get through a long book).

I was not as keen on the chapters that took place in the “present”, but these were added sparingly throughout the story, so I cannot gripe about them too much. I will probably get to the second book in this series eventually, but due to the lengthy nature of each book, I will probably wait until my next maternity leave to tackle it (hopefully a couple years from now). Considering that the author still has not released the third and final book of this series, I am in no rush to get through the second.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: