2015: A Wise Man’s Fear: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day 2 – Patrick Rothfuss

As entertaining and engaging as I found The Name of the Wind, A Wise Man’s Fear actually surpassed it. The scope is larger, the long introduction of Kvothe is unnecessary, so the story can unfold a little more quickly. The second book in the series actually guides you in the direction of better questions to ask than the first. It is easier to know which characters to invest in, and you begin to see change and growth beyond Kvothe himself.

Rothfuss is a talented writer no doubt, and from what I have gleaned outside the books he really enjoys the community of his readership. He is till touring A Wise Man’s Fear and his third book, The Slow Regard of Silent Things, which focuses on Auri instead of Kvothe. He is promoting the work of other author’s in the same vein of writing; and he has a mind to make positive change in the world. I think in that regard I forgive the wait for the final book of the series knowing that it will be far in the future.

What makes book 2 stand apart is some of the self-awareness of Kvothe. He understands things about himself that inform the text and story. When he reflects back he has a “little did I know” care toward his own actions. This book also introduces readers to two new cultures within the book. The handspeak of the Adem is a reminder of our own world that we make all share humanity, but culturally we can be light years away.

The Adem are such different people; different than Kvothe, who is Edema Ruh; they think him a “whore,” because of the way he uses and shares his words. Whereas as a culture, they have no problem with sleeping with whoever they want, whenever they want to. And also for all the advanced thought and understanding they have of the world they do not believe that men are involved in the production of children and mock Kvothe for such belief. I think this is where Rothfuss shows intelligence in his writing. Too often the thoughtful, meditative culture is seen as far superior to all other cultures. Here however they are short-sighted and mistaken about important, even elementary things.

As I mentioned above the second book leads to important questions that are different from questions I might have asked after the first question. Although we are still left wondering what king he killed, we are also now wondering at Denna’s patron, what happened after the University, does Kvothe become an arcanist and much more. As I mentioned above it will be a long while before these questions are answered. However, I look forward to the way Kvothe tells the tale. I also look forward to learning more of Bast and the Chronicler as their pasts have mysteriously been silent. I don’t know that I will read this entire 1,000 page book again before the next book, but doubt that I need to as the story Rothfuss has begun was told so well that I remember it quite well.