The Kingkiller Chronicle is a bestselling fantasy series that has captivated readers worldwide with its deep world-building, lyrical prose, and complex characters. Written by Patrick Rothfuss, this epic saga follows the life of Kvothe, a legendary figure whose tale is recounted through a narrative filled with mystery, adventure, and emotional depth. Blending elements of high fantasy with rich character studies, this series has become a landmark in modern fantasy literature.

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The Kingkiller Chronicle consists of two primary books, and includes two additional books that complement the series but are not considered mandatory reads and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of two more books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

  ★ 9.22 / 174
  ★ 9.10 / 120
  ★ 7.80 / 30
  ★ 8.72 / 7
  ⧗ 9.26 / 26
  ⧗ 8.80 / 5

Book Reviews

06/27/2013
Emmi avatar
Emmi
75 books, 13 reviews
★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8 / 10

The Name of the Wind is a delightfully well-written fantasy. It was easily one of the best reads I've had in some time. No spoilers: On the plus side of the book, the prose is fantastic. Rothfuss' descriptive capabilities are engrossing and while the pace is meandering, it is so in an enjoyable way. There are enough things to potentially cause danger, and most of them DO cause trouble, but Kvothe is within the realms of what is still expectable from a clever young man. The characters are interesting and intriguing, and you often can't quite pinpoint what an encounter will produce in the long run. Also, this is by far one of the best original worlds I've ever read. Everything from the concept of naming, to magic, fables, songs, currency, professions... it's all beautiful, well-done, realistic, and just generally intricate and wonderful. It's mysterious and enthralling all at once.

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11/26/2007
Bluejay avatar
Bluejay
59 books, 27 reviews
★★★★★★★★★★ 10 / 10

The Name of the Wind is Patrick Rothfuss's debut novel which took (according to his own words) fourteen years to complete. It won the Quill Award 2007 in the category for SciFi/Fantasy/Horror. The author succeeds in telling an incredibly detailed story without being longwinded and creating a new, fresh and surprising world with different kind of magic . I love the style and the novel can handle re-reading (which I will definitely do). The Name of the Wind restored my passion and interest in fantasy genre after I abandoned it for few years. This novel could be recommended even for people who normally wouldn't pick up a fantasy book.

03/26/2025
Darkki avatar
Darkki
254 books, 27 reviews, 326 posts
★★★★★★★★★★ 10 / 10

The Name of the Wind was a 10/10 read for me, and I honestly couldn’t put it down. I picked it up randomly at the airport, not knowing what to expect, and it completely captivated me. I found myself so immersed in Kvothe’s story that I read it nonstop through my holiday. I was so hooked, I couldn’t even leave the hotel room in London until I finished the book!

Rothfuss’s writing is absolutely beautiful. The world-building is intricate and magical, and the way the story unfolds, jumping between Kvothe’s past and present, kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Kvothe himself is an incredibly compelling character—intelligent, talented, yet deeply flawed, which made his journey both relatable and fascinating.

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09/01/2015
Booknan the Bookuser avatar
Booknan the Bookuser
47 books, 27 reviews
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 5 / 10

Two of the stars are for the prose alone. Although this book very well-written, and I finished it, I didn't much like it. Seems too few authors these days appreciate In Medias Res, and letting the reader find out things on their own. There's just too much information, some of which is uninteresting and irrelevant, and the pacing is horrendously slow. When the information load is that great, there isn't much room for surprises. We already know what happens to (young)Kvothe, so when he finds himself in a dangerous situation there's no thrill or excitement there, because we already know he's going to pull through. His life is never really at stake...I find the outer tale to be far more interesting, and I wish he'd spent more time on that in the first book. I am going to read the second book just to see how things happen, and if there's more of a development in older Kvothe's story. But my main issue is that young Kvothe is, for me at least, a wholly unlikable character. He's too "perfect", he's selfish, ego-centric, reckless, disrespectful, inconsiderate and in general a major douche. But maybe I just think that about all teenage boys who have no siblings. A kid without siblings is an acquired taste, especially as grown-ups. That said I didn't like Harry Potter much either. Oh, I loved the series, but HP himself is a brat. Ronny Weasley, on the other hand, is a wonderful character. The problem with The Name of the Wind is that Kvothe doesn't really have a Ron Weasley to even out some of the douchiness... If I was going to compare this book to any other(without having read Lies) I would say Peter V Brett's The Painted Man. Almost two-thirds of the books is spent on backstory, and the plot itself is barely enough for a 100-150 pages.

01/15/2014
Adam avatar
Adam
25 books, 11 reviews
★★★★★★★★★★ 10 / 10

an amazing read and a unique settling that i havnt found before or after

08/22/2012
Linda avatar
Linda
5 books, 5 reviews
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6 / 10

Book review: 2 Treasure Boxes Kvothe was the most notorious wizard ever known, but now he can no longer access magic and he is hiding out in a small town. Kvothe is retelling his life story which he claimed would take 3 days for the tale to unfold; this is day one. The story covers the first part of his life, reliving in detail the early years of his life. The Name of the Wind is Patrick Ruthfuss’ debut novel and it is the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicles. The story is told primarily in a first person narrative from the point of view of the main protagonist, Kvothe. This book is a fantasy, and in this world magic, dragons, elfs, as well as the Chandrian exist. The story was interesting, moving back and forth through time, but it progressed at a pretty slow pace. As Kvothe tells his life story the past is replayed. Kvothe is a likeable and interesting character. The world that the story takes place in is unusual and unique with a fascinating magic system. This is not a standalone story, but only one third of the tale, and by the end of the book, we still do not know how of Kvothe ended up as an Innkeeper. I am curious to find out what happens next, so I will be reading the next installment, Wise Man’s Fear. I recommend this book as a good read. For more of my reviews go to http://books-treasureortrash.com

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