The Wise Man's Fears

The sequel to the Name of the Wind follows the next instalment of Kvothe's account of his life to the Chronicler. The main story is again framed with a little more of his present circumstances, with hints about links with his past and his companion Bast.

The bulk of the story relates K's 2nd year at University, including a lengthy (enforced) break. Again he has to use his ingenuity to support himself and pay his tuition. His feuds and friendships among peers and lecturers deepen and develop. We also learn a little more about the magical skills of sympathy and naming. K briefly encounters his nemesis and learns a little more about him and the legendary ‘Amyr'. There is also a change of pace where he spends time with the mysterious Felurian and learns combat skills in another culture.

At almost 1000 pages this book (in hardback) is nearly too heavy to read while held by one hand, but despite that I didn't want to set aside until finished. The academic setting and the year-long length prompted comparisons with Harry Potter, though I suspect University context relates more here to PR's career in a US university. I hope that none of his colleagues or students find themselves in the less pleasant characters! As Kvothe develops his skills, his attitude doesn't always keep pace (though I should remember he's still a teenager) and so I found it harder to sympathise with his setbacks. Having taken this long to cover another year and with K still in his late teens it seems unlikely that PR can conclude this epic in one more volume. Intriguingly his magical and combat skills in the ‘present' don't seem to match those of his ‘past'. Could this mean his account of his past is unreliable or is he just out of practice? I'm now looking forward to the next instalment, but if its as big as this one I'll need to be patient.