{"id":5741,"date":"2011-03-04T10:14:30","date_gmt":"2011-03-04T18:14:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aidanmoher.com\/blog\/?p=5741"},"modified":"2011-03-04T10:14:30","modified_gmt":"2011-03-04T18:14:30","slug":"an-aside-review-round-up-for-the-wise-mans-fear-by-patrick-rothfuss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aidanmoher.com\/blog\/2011\/03\/news\/an-aside-review-round-up-for-the-wise-mans-fear-by-patrick-rothfuss\/","title":{"rendered":"An Aside | Review Round-up for THE WISE MAN’S FEAR by Patrick Rothfuss"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/a>It’s almost hard to believe, given the various delays, but The Wise Man’s Fear<\/strong> had been sitting on store shelves and cracked open in the sweaty hands of fervent fanboys (and fangirls!) for three days. Not surprisingly, there are a number of (generally glowing) reviews on the web. Since I couldn’t finish the book in time for release (I read slower than molasses climbs a hill), I thought I’d round up some of those reviews for those still sitting on the fence.<\/p>\n

Brandon Sanderson<\/a>, author of The Way of Kings<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Why do I recommend it?<\/p>\n

Because it\u2019s awesome.<\/p>\n

Why is it awesome?<\/p>\n

This often stops me. Why IS Pat\u2019s writing awesome?<\/p>\n

Well, the books have an absolutely wonderful magic system. One part science, one part historical pseudoscience, one part magical wonder. It\u2019s the type of magic system that I\u2019m always delighted to read, and ranks among my favorites in fantasy literature. But that alone doesn\u2019t describe why the books are awesome.<\/p>\n

In many ways, Name of the Wind is like an old, familiar coat. A young man orphaned at a young age. Time spent on the streets living as a thief and a street rat. A wizards\u2019 school. Those who have not liked the book have often complained about the familiar tropes. What I love about how Pat uses these tropes, however, is the realism he strives to impart.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n


\nJo Walton<\/a>, author of Among Others<\/strong> for Tor.com:<\/p>\n

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of immersing myself completely in the world and the events. It’s such a great world, and the people are like real people, and what happens is endlessly entertaining. The only caveat I have is that there’s likely to be another long wait for the third one. But…it’s worth it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Walton also has a (very) spoiler-filled review<\/a>:<\/p>\n

[It’s] not about the destination, it\u2019s about the journey, and this is a journey I am enjoying very very much.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Shawn Speakman<\/a> for Suvudu:<\/p>\n

The Wise Man\u2019s Fear is a great deal tighter when it comes to its words. Patrick spent four years rewriting it and it shows quite clearly. The additional words that hampered The Name of the Wind a bit are gone here. Each sentence is constructed with nary a word out of place; every paragraph flows smoothly page after page. I think readers will be able to tell the difference.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist<\/a>:<\/p>\n

In the end, if you liked The Name of the Wind, you will love The Wise Man’s Fear. Indeed, although both books suffer from the same shortcomings, Patrick Rothfuss managed to take it up a few notches in this one. Hence, you are less likely to find the pacing issues and my nitpicking offputting in any significant manner. For those who had problems with Rothfuss’ debut, however, this one might not be for you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fantasy Book Critic<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Compared to The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man\u2019s Fear is everything that made the first novel such a huge success except bigger, better and more rewarding. Granted, many of the same flaws that ailed The Name of the Wind can still be found in The Wise Man\u2019s Fear, but considering the vast improvements made to the sequel, these issues are only minor annoyances. To put it simply, anyone who enjoyed The Name of the Wind will be blown away by The Wise Man\u2019s Fear. The book is that much better. Even more, there is no doubt in my mind that The Wise Man\u2019s Fear will end up being one of the best fantasy novels of the year. As far as the third and final volume in The Kingkiller Chronicle, Patrick Rothfuss can take as much time as he needs to finish the book. If The Wise Man\u2019s Fear is any indication, it will be worth waiting for…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mysterious Galaxy<\/a>:<\/p>\n

The story is long and involved, but it is neither as long, nor as involved as it could have been. What others might explain, and explain, and explain some more \u2026 in a hundred or so pages \u2026 our friend Rothfuss does in just a few (see chapter fifty-two, for example). The story\u2019s all there, yes, but we move quickly to the good parts \u2026 we cut to the chase. And what a chase it is.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Grasping for the Wind<\/a>:<\/p>\n

It is amazing how involved and complex the first person story of The Wise Man\u2019s Fear really is, and Rothfuss is, with only two novels to his credit, already a Grand Master of epic fantasy. There simply aren\u2019t enough superlatives in the world to describe how excellent The Wise Man\u2019s Fear is. It is a novel you won\u2019t want to miss.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Neth Space<\/a>:<\/p>\n

my mind The Wise Man\u2019s Fear absolutely lives up to and even surpasses Rothfuss\u2019 entertaining debut, The Name of the Wind. However, I think it\u2019s also equally clear that The Wise Man\u2019s Fear has essentially the same strengths and weaknesses as The Name of the Wind. Like me, many fans will get lost in Rothfuss\u2019 superb story-telling, while others will be let down by a book that begins and ends at the University and once again lacks the standard climatic ending of a typical epic fantasy book. A book that still offers no hints about the king-killing of the trilogy title of The Kingkiller Chronicle and no resolution to plots set in motion in book 1. For me the value is in the journey \u2013 the story \u2013 and with Rothfuss telling, I\u2019m all ears.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fantasy Literature<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Regardless,The Wise Man\u2019s Fear is another excellent novel. Just getting to read more about the young, brilliant Kvothe at the University is a pleasure, although it did feel as if the first few hundred pages of this novel moved a bit more slowly and actually could have been part of the first book, with Kvothe\u2019s eventual departure making a perfect starting point for the sequel. Then again, we know this is meant to be one long tale split across three days of narration by present-day Kvothe to Chronicler, so it makes sense to think of these books as one big story with somewhat arbitrary cut-off points. (And oh, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a spoiler to mention that the ending of this novel is once again of the somewhat anti-climactic \u201cand then they all went to sleep to continue the story the next day\u201d variety.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, then, general consensus? If you liked The Name of the Wind<\/strong> (and most people did<\/em>, judging by its reputation and sales), you’ll enjoy The Wise Man’s Fear<\/strong> as much or more. At the half-way mark, I’d have to agree. Full review coming soon. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s almost hard to believe, given the various delays, but The Wise Man’s Fear had been sitting on store shelves and cracked open in the sweaty hands of fervent fanboys (and fangirls!) for three days. Not surprisingly, there are a number of (generally glowing) reviews on the web. Since I couldn’t finish the book in… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n