The Wise Man's Fear is the Feast for Crows of Kingkiller. That is how i'd pitch it to you. A lot of people think its bad or not worth it, but it is much more meaningful and significant than people give it credit for.
I did read "The name of the wind" in 2007. Back then ,when the book was new. And according to Rothfuss himself you would not have to wait long for each part of the trilogy to come out. (Onlike some other writers work he added.) Basicly one part every 2 years or so. Part 2 "The wise man's fear came out 4 years later in 2011. Then......nothing !!! 11 year's and counting. That did teach me 2 things. 1 Not to start any trilogy that is not published yet. And 2, Take anything Rothfuss says with a shitload of salt.
The only complaint I have about this series is that it isn’t done yet. I love the world Rothfuss built. The first 2 books were fantastic. The Stone Door or whatever is easily my most anticipated book especially since I gave up on GRRM.
@@jedicraftmaster2426agreed plus Martin has other commitments and projects he’s involved with and at least he’s putting work out there and supporting smaller artists. Do I wish he would hurry up and just finish the series absolutely but I can’t fault him for supporting smaller artists and using his fame to help support them
Glad you enjoyed The Name of The Wind! it was awesome to hear your thoughts on it, I look forward to hearing what you think of The Wise Man's Fear. Definitely agree with you on the Le Guin vibes! Rothfuss has written in his blogs about how Ursula Le Guin is one of his favorite authors. I don't think Kvothe is quite a 'chosen-one' as he often states how his story ends in tragedy, after all he is a man "who is waiting to die", and it's apparent he's caused a lot of problems in the world during the frame story. It's almost like he's an anti-chosen one, he was chosen to mess everything up haha! The mystery is definitely one of the major aspects of this series that keeps me coming back again, since it just gets better with each read
The legend himself! I appreciate you taking time to watch and to comment. I was so happy to read this finally so I can watch all your dope content on NOTW 😂 Very good point about the anti chosen one, I think you're right. I need to read WMF now 😅
This is my current favorite book series. I get alot of the criticisms, some make alot of sense, and yes waiting for book 3 sucks, but, and this is a big BUT, i have reread this series now roughly a full dozen times. Each time you find and/or realize new things, and the more you notice, and more you realize, the more amazing this world and the story get and make sense and the more you want to know more! Rereading this series is almost a must for this reason, and you will easily find it more enjoyable upon atleast one or two rereads. I cannot recommend rereading this series enough.
The wise man's fear is great and the novella about a certain minor character is really great. The unreliable narrator part of this series is a large part of it
Currently on my third reread of the series and I love it more every time. It's so rich with lore and little details, it really allows you to piece everything together into the giant web that the world is, including its mysteries. I also think that the characters are marvelous and unique, full of personality and depth.
What do you like about the Kingkiller Chronicles (without spoilers)? I am almost 500 pages into the first book, but nothing seems to happen. I keep reading in good faith, but it will be difficult to continue if it stays this way. I have TWMF in my shelf waiting, but I am unsure, if I have it in me, to read another book like NoTW
I think you generated your own future video idea - seasonal reading - what books line up best with each of the four seasons. Love the concept and I would change my TBR based on those recommendations.
This was a great review, Jimmy. I read this back when I was just getting into the fantasy genre, and I thought this was fantastic. Definitely played a part in my appreciation for fantasy and prompted me to read more of it. Wise Man's fear, while I didn't love it at the same level of Name of the Wind, I still had a blast reading and rated 5☆
I loved this book so much Jimmy!! I read it and WMF early on in my foray into fantasy and am hopeful for the 3rd in the near future. I would absolutely encourage you to do a spoiler discussion on the books. I’m very excited that you took the plunge and read it. It’s been over a year since I’ve read them and you stirred the embers of them by how you describe the friendships and the community feel of it being important. Thank you for your thoughts!!
This is my favourite book, probably ever and it's always a delight to find out people have put in the effort and time to actually read all of it. You're absolutely right that it gets better with re-reads, the first time I read it, I thought it was stunning but yet there were things I didn't really get the first time around. Things connected with re-reading TNOTF and WMF, as well as watching videos on the lore and popular theories the community has. I would recommend waiting maybe, maybe re-reading it in a few months and then reading WMF But then again, I love WMF too so I'd completely get it if you just go ahead and read it. Just know that you might not get some of the things in WMF just because you've only read TNOTW once
So glad you enjoyed this! It’s such a fully immersive, cozy read. The details on the money system and Kvothe’s constant worries about how he would pay for things were one of my favorite parts of the book because it felt so true to real life. I’ve just started a reread of this, since it’s been four years since I read it and I never managed to get to the sequel and am eager to soon.
I got the first 2 books on audio just from a friend's recommendation and simply listened to them back-to-back with a dozen other books that were also recommended. They were good and I liked them, but I liked many of the other books too. That said, these are the only 2 of the many books I've listened to within the past couple of years that I've gone back and listened to twice more. Each time I find I like it more and more. Quite a unique experience!
This is my second favorite book of all time behind A Storm of Swords. I also thought the Tarbean section was overly long, but the story just enchanted me. I'm a big fan of Kvothe, and I actually like highly skilled characters. Who wants to read about average people? Can't stand Mary Sue complaints, in any story. Wise Man's Fear was not quite as engaging, but still very good.
This book is so interesting because I objectively agree that the Tarbean section is too long. It is also the part of the book that has made many non-fantasy readers I have recommended this to stop reading. Telling someone "It gets really good after 200 pages" is not great when trying to pitch your favorite book to people. That being said, I am in my 4th read of this book now, the first in 5 years, in anticipation of the hopefully finally actually release of Doors of stone and I must say, subjectively I now love the Tarbean and Inn sections. I breezed through them because I knew where I was heading towards, but also picked up at least 5-10 new details that are relevant later on in the series that I never noticed in the first 3 readings which is just astounding.
Great review. I read Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear when they came out and thought they were ok, but not as great as everyone else made them out to be. This review, and A.P.'s deep reading of the prologue, kind of makes me want to re-read them and see if I appreciate them more now. I look forward to your review of Wise Man' s Fear!
My favorite book of all time. I’m currently on book 5 of Wheel of Time. Once I’m done with that I’ll read the First Law trilogy then the Farseer trilogy. I’m a slow reader. So I imagine by the time I’m done with all those books, I’ll have plenty of time to read even more books before Doors of Stones is officially announced.
Wow, you've made me want to reread this book, and I enjoyed it the first time! Loved your insights on stories within stories and what you said about worldbuilding through Kvothe's perspective! I hadn't thought of this as a fall read before, and I'll have to put it into a fall TBR if I reread it someday.
Love the review as always Jimmy! NotW is a book where I’ve no idea where I’m going to land on it, I can see myself really loving it or hating it. Also love the images you included, adds a nice aesthetic to the video.
Steering the craft is fantastic! If I'm not mistaken, I saw Rothfuss say he sent the book (or maybe it was TWMF) to Le Guin before launch and he's said she's an influence as well. The details get to the point of the prose itself. It's a really cool book to re-read! I understand, but disagree with the criticism that Kvothe is a mary sue. He has skills, yeah, but emotionally he's broken. He's not perfect, and his emotions make his power dangerous, that's what makes him interesting, and to me, not a mary sue. I enjoyed TWMF more than this one, so definitely recommend you read it!
Wow, just started feeling like I needed to do one of my rereads after thinking I would stop rereading, but it’s because it’s fall!!! Great take. It is a fall feel!
Awesome review man, I love all of the art you added into it! I have very similar opinions to you about this book although I have yet to start WMF and I read this quite a while ago haha
I have such a complicated relationship with this book. I really like the authors voice, and there are so many landmark scenes that I think about pretty darn often. But it’s difficult to love this book because I just dislike so many of the characters. Even/especially Kvothe. And while I can’t fault his choices(because he’s a child) I still just can’t find myself rooting for him like I usually love to do with these series.
Kvothe's character was my biggest dislike of the entire story. His main antagonist being a basic school yard bully was a close second. Everyone else was either okay, or tolerable. Which could just be because we don't spend as much time with them. I stuck it out because of the world building.
I completely agree with your point of community and friends being such a strong central theme. The world building is incredibly well done to the extent you could walk into this world and it would be a functioning world, but what has always made me come back to this book vs other books with great worlds is the dialogue. It's the way Kvothe uses his wit to get where he needs to be and how it often gets him in trouble too (like with our good friend Ambrose if that is how you spell it). The way the characters interact and the bonds they have are the types of bonds I want/have with people and to me it elevates the book from good fantasy to just an overall great story regardless of genre
I called it! So glad you finally read (and liked) it, Jimmy! This book just feels like home to me-familiar, loving, and cozy. Speaking of Le Guin, you should check out her short story, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” It is absolutely terrific, plus you could probably read it in 10 minutes. Cheers!
I'm really glad you enjoyed it! I think you're completely right when you describe it as 'cosy', that seems to me to be exactly what Rothfuss was going for, and to be honest that might be the reason why it didn't completely resonate with me. It felt like he had tried to sanitize virtually everything about the book, removing anything that might genuinely unsettle or unnerve the reader; I like that cosy feeling in sweaters, but not so much in books. For instance, there are numerous times when Kvothe turns to Bast or someone and says "If this was a story then X or Y would have happened. But whilst that may have made for an interesting story, this is real life; what really happened is this..." It was like Rothfuss was patting me on the shoulder saying "Fools may be more content with the old storytelling clichés, but you and I have more sophisticated tastes, don't we?" I just found it soooooo patronizing, not to mention wrong-headed because everything that happened to Kvothe was so thoroughly predictable in every particular - there were no surprises whatsoever. So yeah I can easily see why this book has a large audience, but if Rothfuss was promising the real fantasy experience he should have committed to it and written characters and language less comfortable, and perhaps less accessible, to a twenty-first century audience, in the manner of E. R. Eddison or J. R. R. Tolkien or Chretien de Troyes, but to do that would have required shifting around the psychological portraiture of the entire project.
Really well done dude! I know you have a long list of must reads but R.A. Salvatore was my favorite author and loved the Drizzt series. Yes all of them. Keep up the great work! 💪👍
@@thefantasynuttwork I did! Read it without stopping on release day, haha. I haven’t reread, though, so I wonder how I would feel about it now. Your call for yearly fall rereads has me thinking I should reread them both in a couple of months.
Just gave this book to my husband, who is currently struggling with mental health issues. He was kind of upset that I brought him this, rather than a reread... but I agree with your take that this book promotes community & friendship, and I think he needs that right now. Hoping he sees it as well. Anyways, appreciate your take! Definitely a top recommendation for me in the fantasy genre - especially for newer fantasy readers since it's a rich world that's not THAT complex for a great fantasy novel. Complex has certainly turned me off in the past, and the writing itself is excellent.
I really hope your husband comes out of this, I struggle with depression and know how hard it can be. Best wishes to you and your husband. Thanks for taking time to watch and connect.
That was an very interesting review! I read this quite a few years ago, but now you made me want to reread it! I do agree that this book feels very cozy and perfect for fall/cold winter.
I recently read NoTW and i absolutely loved it!! Rothfuss really knows how to create scenes that have a distinct vibe to them. The dialogue between characters was also so incredibly well done and the characters personalities bled through the page in my opinion! Kvothe is also a really intriguing character and seeing how he makes a bleak situation turn into a hopeful circumstance was inspiring! Loved it so much and cant wait to read WMF! Nice review as always Jimmy!
I really got that cozy feeling too. It was helped by reading it toward the end of Fall and the beginning of Winter. I also enjoyed the friendships he made at the university. It reminded me of the group of friends I made at college. And indeed this one book had more depth in its setting than most entire series.
Woah! You mentioned Ursula K. LeGuin! The whole time I was reading the booked I kept recalling Earthsea vaguely but I couldn't remember the name of the book or the author! It's been almost a decade since I read it so thank you for scratching that brain itch! I'm glad you enjoyed TNW as much as I did and hope you read and review The Wise Man's Fear soon!
I love these books so much. I liked Wise Man’s Fear more than Name of the Wind, actually-it has a lot more worldbuilding, which was always my favorite part.
I finally read The Name of the Wind at the start of this year. I liked the book, the world building was fantastic and it definitely left me wanting more. But Kvothe is the absolute definition of a Mary Stu. I actually almost didn't get through the first couple hundred pages because I was eye rolling so hard. Also, getting to the end of the book and finding out the series is on hiatus was just so disappointing. I'm not investing one more second in it until there is a release date for the next book. I hope it's soon!
I love The Name of the Wind. One thing I always found a bit weird however was how close his 'secret' identity name is to his real name. Kvoth and Kote. I don't know why more people don't mention this. It's like if my name was Dean and I went into hiding, and to keep my identity secret all I did was drop the 'e' and call myself Dan. If I was in hiding, I would call myself Ralph or Ludwig or something waaaaay further from my real name than Kote & Kvothe!! It's almost as silly as Clark Kent isn't Superman because he's wearing little glasses.
I’m the same way as you, saving this for a rainy day. Lots of other series I want to check out first. But I’ll definitely read this series. Hopefully when The Doors of Stone is out.
Glad you finally got to experience this pillar of the modern fantasy genre! You mentioned you waited to start it after reading a lot of the other big series. I took the opposite approach -- I actually picked up The Name of the Wind as my next book after finishing reading LOTR and realizing that I enjoyed fantasy. It certainly set me off on the right foot in continuing my love for fantasy!
I just finished this a few days ago and I was enthralled the whole way through. The only point that I had an issue with was near the end at the farm, it seemed to drag on a bit but other than that I was captivated the whole way through. When you mentioned the worldbuilding with the languages and currency and all that I had to laugh since the words Silver Talent appear probably 17000 times throughout the book.
Also, if you're looking for a great school setting, read book of the ancestor trilogy by Mark Lawrence, you'll enjoy that usage of the magic school. It's so far been the only mark Lawrence trilogy I've finished and it's a top ten trilogy of all time for me
@@thefantasynuttwork Teenage warrior mage nuns. Lawrence's trilogies are all very different but his pseudo-science Magicky settings are amazing. Will pick up the prequel when it is done.
I enjoyed the first book immensely. I think the Gary Stu vibes crank up markedly in the second book and you can't really escape them. Yes he gets things wrong in terms of decisions. But when it comes to any sort of skill he always ends up being absolutely incredible at whatever he tries. He may not be perfect immediately, but I think being exceptional at magic, at music, at swordplay is a bit much - even the women in the series fall over themselves for him even when they have no real reason to (the loanshark!). It's always one step too far for me lol.
This is one of my favorite fantasy books. I’m always surprised when I see/hear people say they don’t like it. I especially don’t get the “Gary Stu” and “too focused on sex” complaints. Feels like I read different books to me
I read this book before I heard anything about it or Rothfuss and loved it. Top 5 series for me. I'm happy when people just try it because I feel like a lot of people won't even give it a shot because of what they read or watched.
Kvothe in the narrative is very strong both in will and in power. This contrasts with Kvothe the narrator who seems to be someone who has withdrawn or given up. There is something the breaks him and makes him become the tavern keeper not the hero.
Great review Jimmy. This is one of my favorite series. I’m a glass half full guy - I still think he’ll finish the books. Can’t wait to read more, and I’m excited for your thoughts on Wise Man’s Fear when you get to it.
Excellent review!! I loved hearing your thoughts and I am so glad that you ended up falling into the camp of readers who enjoys this book :) I read this one about a year ago and even though I had a blast reading it, I never continued on with book 2. I think I am actually more eager to do a re-read at this point than to jump into book 2 😛
Yes! I'd definitely recommend that. There are little things you'll notice the second time around that just went over your head at first, and things in WMF will click so much better once you've re-read TNOTW
It’s nice to see a review of a reluctant reader, as that’s what I am. I’ve decided I don’t want another George Martin in my life, although, like you, I feel like I will like this book. Hopefully he finishes book 3!
I did suspect you were going to like this story. I love this story-telling device where the main character is telling you their life story. Almost all my favorite books have that type of narrative, and Name of the Wind is no exception. It's been a very long time since I read this story but I do remember loving the atmosphere most of all.
You are very wrong, or very right, or whatever internet thing I should say about NOTW. Enjoyed your thoughts about this one, Jimmy. I thought NOTW was fantastic despite some small gripes. I haven't read WMF yet but every time people talk about NOTW I want to start it haha. Hopefully you enjoy it. I'll probably reread NOTW first because it seems like a book that would be very rewarding on second read.
While at times the story would go into a lull for me I was constantly impressed by the details. I'd honestly love to re-read this book next year and maybe do WMF then
Fall you say?? Okay, im a big seasonal reader and i guess i found my Fall read! Winter was reserved for Hogfather and my first read through of Hobbit + LOTR! Loved this review jimmy, this is just another confirmation that this is something i will love, and i better do since i did cash in on the special edition myself.
Interesting take on the book. I feel like I should reread but I'm waiting on a release date before I continue any further. Now that you mention seasonal reads, most of the fantasy I've read is autumnal/wintery in feel for me. Especially Robin Hobbs work. Shes just so good at cosy scenes with blazing hearths and winter fare. Any summery fantasy suggestions?
I remember reading "The Name of the Wind" and I was over the top WILD about it. I couldn't wait to start the second book - but though some people really liked the 2nd book - I had to push to make myself read it.
I've read the 2 kingkiller books a few times now and honestly I don't really consider Kvothe's story as an unreliable narrator. Sure he's going to be biased towards himself but he's pointed out his own flaws many times and so far as I can tell he hasn't embellished his story to make the boring parts more interesting. The trial is a good example. Can't remember if that scene was in NotW or WMF so I'll just leave it at that to avoid spoilers.
As a fan of the series I definitely agree on the books giving more and more with each reread you do. I think I've found a little nugget I missed with each pass through I've done. lol I usually find myself counting the number of words people speak... But I'd never really considered the aspect of community that you mentioned in your review. It's an interesting thought and I'm surprised I didn't consider it earlier. I think if you do get around to Wise Man's Fear you might have even more argument going for you too. And its true that Kvothe could be a bit of a mary sue but that's only if you're buying what he's selling. Lol Enjoyed the video, cheers.
As far as rereads go-there are a bunch of small features in the books, that reveal themselves on rereads. It’s a book dense with details, which lends to a thriving theorycrafting community.
👏👏👏👏 Great review...I too have been putting off reading this in hopes Rothfuss gets book 3 out before I die. Plus I've got shelves of other books to read. Lol
I would typically have an issue with kvothe being a "Mary Sue" but for me Patrick answers that issue by leaning into the moral ambiguity of kvothe. The tension is never focused on his success or failure, it is more so about to what end is he succeeding. Is it for the better or worse?
WOW! interesting that you think Kvothe is unhappy that his inn is empty. Have I missed the entire point? He likes it empty, just a few, just enough to keep him connected.
I really enjoyed this one when I read it. It felt a bit different from most fantasy I grew up reading, your typical hero's journey quest, and had that bit of mystery to it. I think the thing I didn't like was the trope of "look at me I am good at everything I touch without fail" but I think that comes from the unreliable narrator portion of the book so what can you do.
Kvothe, as a child who was born and raised in a troupe, now surrounded by silence, is a very unnatural thing. So yeah, I think that he really belongs in a community or a group of beloved people.
Now that you have read NotW, do you also find similarities between it and Empire of Silence. I read NotW first and wile reading EoS i kept thinking back how similar they where.
@@thefantasynuttwork Currently, i would say the NotW mainly because it is a book that i have read more than once over the years and my thoughts and opinions over it have had time to solidify. Empire of Silence is still a recent read but, if i am being honest, the diference in preference isn't that big between both and i think it will probably sway as i read the second book.
I tried reading this twice, the first "DNF" was simply cuz I was an impatient teenager and then 2nd was because of mood. I think I was also reading LotR, First Law and Wheel of Time at the time, if not then it wasn't very long after. Plus I knew a University setting played a huge role and I had graduated from college months earlier. But Seven Hells Jimmy, your enthusiasm is just too infectious.
@@thefantasynuttwork I'm confident I'll love it, I really like what I've read of Rothfuss' prose and I'm a sucker for stories told in the 1st person retrospective, like someone at the bar relaying their life story. I've since let go off the excuse "I'll wait til it's done" since I caught up with Gentleman B*****d and the next book is nowhere in sight.
Yay! I'm glad you liked NotW. I love these two books. I agree that his time in Tarbien went on too long. But I love a university setting. This book isn't my favorite but it's really really good. Your opinion is correct. Lol
definitely gets better with book 2 , as you said its very cozy. i find myself in between too , i liked it Very much but im not obsessing about book 3 . i feel this book its perfect for a buddy read. when i told my hubbs about it , he laughed😂.be said he read them almost 2 decades ago and still waiting on book 3. on a silver lining we can read together book 3 someday❤
Actually, I don't think Kvothe is a Chosen One. Even in the beginning, it's clear that he's the one that has caused some of the major problems in the world rather than solve them. I suspect that his Vendetta against the Chandrian won't be that much important to the world, wich is okay. Rather refreshing to read a low stakes story that manages to feel as interesting as an epic fantasy.
I was about where you are after NOTW - I enjoyed it but it wasn't a new favourite. Gave it 4 stars on GR. I hated WMF so much it made me retroactively hate NOTW as well (I didn't change the rating though because that would seem dishonest). I'd still probably reread it if Rothfuss ever finishes book 3, but I'd probably skim most of WMF!
Haha I’ve kind of also put this book in my back pocket and I also have a feeling I’m going to like it, I guess I know what I’m going to read next P. S make a review for Tolkien pls, it would be cool to hear what you have to say
I love Wise Man’s Fear nearly as much as Name of the Wind, but that obviously isn’t a universal opinion. I definitely did not enjoy the novella Slow Regard of Silent Things. Name of the Wind is a book that I adore and it is about time for a re-read.
