The Wise Man's Fear

For all that I've said I'm happy to wait as long as it takes for the third Kingkiller book, reading the second one got me really excited for it. I have so many unanswered questions, and there are so many tantalizing hints about what's to come, that a part of me just wants to get my hands on it now.

But then I tell myself to be patient. I love the first two books because they are basically perfect. The amount of work and care that Rothfuss put into them is clearly evident. He worked hard on them and he's working hard on the next one. And if I have to wait another decade, at least I know that I'll be getting a perfect book at the end of it.

This book is perhaps even more episodic than the first one. Or maybe it's just more evident because Kvothe is moving around a lot more. Either way, people tend to complain about the pacing of this one more. But I maintain that it's better than the first. It has Felurian (true story: there's one page in the Felurian section that I re-read so many times it fell right out of the book). It has the Adem. It has Tak and Jax and Kvothe finally coming in to some well-deserved money.

It also confirms that this is going to be a horrible tragedy. I almost don't want the third book. I don't want the deeply depressing ending that I know is coming. I don't want to see Kvothe's fall, to see just how badly he fucks up everything.

But I do want to know how he meets Bast. Whether he masters any more Names. Where that chest came from and what's going on with the Amyr and the Chandrian and all the rest of it.

Every time I read this book I pick up more hints. It's delightful to re-read them and theorize about where it's all going. It's delightful to spend some time in this world where magic is real, but you have to work at it. In these pages that practically sing thanks to Rothfuss' mastery of language.

I love this book.

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