the kingkiller chronicle

I am just about to finish the second book in a series, The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss. The first, The Name of the Wind and second, The Wise Man's Fear are two of the most brilliant and beautifully written fantasy novels I have ever read.

No spoilers are contained in this post.

To give a little background, the main character is named Kvothe. The books are set in two time periods. The first in the book's present time when Kvothe is telling his life story to the Chronicler, who has tracked the legendary man down to find the truth about his past and document it. Kvothe, or Kote as he calls himself, owns an inn in a small town and chose a new identity to hide who he really is. The second time period is Kvothe's narration as he tells his life story- growing up as part of a traveling performing troupe with his parents, becoming a homeless beggar, and then learning to be an arcanist (which I personally think of as magic explained in a scientific way). All the while, he is an amazing lutist and musician.

I've loved watching Kvothe grow, learn, and develop through the first two books. But what instantly caught my attention from the very first paragraph is the prose. The author's writing is incredible. It is so descriptive in innovative ways- no cliche metaphors or other literary figures of speech. As I read, I can picture in my head exactly what is happening because the descriptions are so rounded, full, and delicious in the simplest ways. These books are a literary snob's dream. Not a single word in either books is superfluous. Neither book needs a single word more or less.

If you don't like fantasy, it may be a little hard for you to swallow. But they are much, much more than just about fantastical creatures or magic. The main story revolves around Kvothe's development and hubris. I haven't read a character this Shakespearean since Shakespeare. The book makes it obvious from the get-go that Kvothe has a dark past and caused a lot of destruction single-handedly, although we don't know what he did or what happened. The fun part about the books is watching this character from the very beginning become the powerful man you know he will become, watch him gain his knowledge, skills, and pride that push him in the direction of the future you know will come. It's like being by Hamlet or MacBeth's side since childhood, knowing their every thought and being able to examine everything they do so you know and understand exactly why they led themselves to their own destruction.

The last book has yet to come out, but is scheduled for release on May 1st, 2012 and will be called The Doors of Stone. I will be waiting on the edge of my seat in a similar fashion to how I waited for the Harry Potter sequels.

The Name of the Wind
The Wise Man's Fear

These books have risen to the very tops of my all-time favorite book list.