He Who Wanders

Alright. So I read “The Name of the Wind” sequel in record time, but I haven’t managed to review it because…meh, I was lazy. No reason to beat around the bush. For “The Name of the Wind” review: https://andrewlaydenegg.wordpress.com/2015/07/12/book-review-the-name-of-the-wind/

Patrick, buddy, you did it again. Great book! But don’t think you will escape without a few critiques. Even you are not perfect.

I’ll start with the critiques. Patrick, listen, there are things you do and don’t do when you write a sequel. One thing you don’t do is remind readers who people are and what they did in the first novel. I’m not just saying this because I read the sequel almost immediately after reading the first book. Look. It’s common sense. Why would a reader completely ignore the first novel and start reading the second novel? And if we read the first novel, then we know that Kvothe has red hair, that Fela is one sexy lady, that…things happened in Kvothe’s inn the previous night. Don’t remind me. Act like it’s all common knowledge because for us it is common knowledge.

Similar to “The Name of the Wind,” I find the story of Kvothe’s past much more interesting. That doesn’t mean that the present Kvothe is boring. On the contrary. But even so, whenever I reached an interlude section, I said to myself, “Ugh. Okay, let’s read through this part quickly. Maybe something exciting will happen. Maybe not. I just want to get back to the other story.” However, these interludes give you a break and build tension for that frame story. So, it’s not all bad.

Also, remember when I said “The Name of the Wind” was geared towards college kids. Yeah, it’s still like that. “The Wise Man’s Fear” became more sexual. Once you meet Felurian, things get a bit racy…Oh Felurian, if only you were real.Oh right. Anyways. It’s geared towards college kids. Kvothe matures as he’s in the University and sexuality is one of those ways. I’m not sure if this target audience is a good or a bad thing. It’s just a thing.

But let’s focus on the good stuff now. The characters are growing more and more. Look at Kvothe. Kvothe is not perfect. He is flawed. He is not some purely positive cliche. He is a damaged boy and he grows more damaged with every page. He is complex. Much like the name of the wind, his life changes constantly. The reader is wondering what will happen, what Kvothe will do, and Patrick you always like to throw a few curveballs to confuse us even more.

Without ruining too much, I must mention the Chtaeh. For those of you who haven’t read this book, I will say only that the Chtaeh is a being that provides for a mind-bending experiment. I don’t know if it makes sense. Does that ruin the Chtaeh and the story as a whole? Maybe not. It makes you think. I’m still thinking about it. That’s for sure. I’m sorry. That’s a not very helpful point for you non-readers, but do yourself a favor and read the novel. Then you’ll understand. You’ll be like, “Woah! Dude. Is that possible? Does that make sense? What are the implications of that shit? Crazy man.”

Just read it. Okay? Thanks.

Overall rating: 9.3/10