bookoftheweek: The Name of the Wind

I'm a sucker for a good character-building novel. More often than not a fantasy author is so concerned with building his or her world (replete with maps and a glossary) that the characters populating it suffer, becoming one-dimensional cutouts. When an author decides to concentrate on his characters, the world seems to follow suit. Terry Pratchett is an excellent example. His first Discworld novel was funny in some parts, but seemed like your run-of-the-mill spoof of your basic fantasy. As he hit his stride, creating memorable characters as Vimes, Carrot and the Witches, Discworld grew to be as real as Middle Earth.

Patrick Rothfuss' first novel, The Name of the Wind tells the story of Kvothe, an innkeeper who is not all that he seems. It is a story within a story--Kvothe in the present time, narrating his past growing up. In a way, it's a bit like the first Recluce novel by Modesitt, where he tells how Lerris grows from a bored youth to a woodworker to one of the greatest order-mages in that world. In Rothfuss' novel, it tells of Kvothe's transformation from troubador's son to sympathy-user (read: magic-user).

It's an excellent book, one I couldn't put down. Probably the best book I've read so far this year (unless Harry has a few tricks up his sleeve...). Very Highly Recommended.