REVIEW: The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

I think I read this in record time (11 days) ... but this can mainly be attributed to my lack of classes at the moment. I've been finishing at 12 everyday and coming home to read the afternoon away.

I don't really want to say much about The Wise Man's Fear ... having read it back to back with The Name of the Wind I don't remember much distinction between the two and they have melded into one. Still an amazing and engaging read. I really enjoy novels that are lengthy but continue to move at a pace that never feels slow and laboured and Rothfuss really succeeded at this.

I did get a little impatient for two reasons ... Firstly because present day Kvothe is known as The King Killer, one who has spoken with Gods etc etc, and I feel like there will come a point in the story where he will become truly amazing and accomplish truly great deeds, rather than incidental ones ... and I want it to hurry up and get there. Then again, I also have a strong feeling that none of these things actually happen and are just a product of his growing reputation and gossip, such as the 'dragon' of Trebon. Then in the end we find out that Kvothe is not really what he is cracked up to be after expecting some grand, magical quest which has left him a battered and broken middle-aged man. Which would definitely be an interesting twist, but I would still feel kind of robbed.

Secondly, it annoys me that Kvothe can leave things unfinished. The whole time he spent with Maer Alveron I was thinking, 'but when are you going to get back to the University?'. Then when hunting bandits and spending time in Ademre I was becoming impatient as to when he would return to the Maer to resolve that matter. Although still a realistic story-line, I found the non-linear fashion annoying. Plus, the training in Ademre was a little half arsed.

All in all, an incredible story ... but ... I don't know, it didn't have the magic I have felt from my favourite books. I didn't feel like an empty shell when it ended, I didn't have to trawl through the final chapters at 3am in the morning ... there just wasn't a fire to it. Book three, The Doors of Stone has no release date yet, but I'm not on the edge of my seat in anticipation.

With the upcoming release of Inheritance I have decided to reread Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr instead of starting Fallen as I had intended. I might have to leave off Inheritance for a few weeks and then I can take it on holiday with me to Hamilton Island ... but then again, if I do that, all I will do is read instead of sipping martinis on the beach.