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Pro Metronome - Tempo,Beat,Subdivision,Polyrhythm

Music and Education

(0 Ratings) Rate It

App

Pro Metronome - The best metronome app. Period. Featured in Apple's WWDC 2014 showcase "Apps We...

Ande Thomas (69 KP) rated The Name of the Wind in Books

May 30, 2019

The Name of the Wind

Patrick Rothfuss | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

9.2

(74 Ratings)

Book Rating

The Name of the Wind is a great start to a promising series. The world of Temerant feels rich and full and unpacking the histories it holds feels like it could go on forever. Sometimes I can get a bit weary of ubermensch protagonists, but Kvothe, despite being a virtuoso lute player, a prodigy arcanist, and a deft actor to boot, doesn't ever come off as invincible. He's relatable, likable, and awkward at times, in the most lovable way possible.
I don't consider myself a high fantasy fan. I generally tend to prefer a more grounded world, even just loosely, to the limitless possibilities of magic. But I love the way it's presented here. I love how physical Temerant's magic is. There's a tangibility to it. Not only does it require physical material, but it inflicts a physical toll on the caster. There are real consequences to it, and it relies more on quick thinking and an alchemy-like knowledge over spell memorization and gestures.

One of the only things I can hold against the author is how many times we, the reader, simply "can't understand." Never been poor? You can't understand. Not a musician? Can't understand. If you've never been in a dark cave, if you've never seen Denna, if you've never been on stage. It's a very lazy way to explain something. Make us understand. It's why we read. So we can reach outside of our own experiences. I can only hope he moves past his crutches in the next book because I'm really enjoying Kvothe's story.