The Wise Man's Fear (2011)

Author: Patrick Rothfuss | Page Count: 994

“I am trying to wake your sleeping mind to the subtle language the world is whispering. I am trying to seduce you into understanding. I am trying to teach you.” He leaned forward until his face was almost touching mine. “Quit grabbing at my tits.” - Elodin

The second book of the Kingkiller Chronicle, Wise Man’s Fear is the second day of Kvothe’s narration to Chronicler. Events at the University drive Kvothe to take a break from academia and so he enters the service of a nobleman. With the time and money the noble’s support affords him, he begins to investigate events linked to his past that he had put aside at school. This leads him on quests that add to his growing fame, skillset and maturity. Unfolding events then beg the question of how he went from great adventurer to lowly innkeeper and if his story has any connection to the current state of affairs in the present.

Rothfuss continues his streak of crisp fantasy writing with a story and characters that are detailed and developed, but this large amount of character growth and story detail is accomplished with an equally large amount of text. This book is looooooooooooong. Rothfuss is clearly setting the stage for big things that don’t come to fruition in this book’s 150+ chapters. Complaining that there is too much of such great writing isn’t much of a gripe, but when it causes a 3 year delay in release someone needs to take the pen or keyboard away. Damn.

4½ knocked over chamber pots out of 5