The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind, also known as The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One, is a heroic fantasy novel written by Patrick Rothfuss and published in 2007. As part of the ongoing Kingkiller Chronicle series, it follows the hero Kvothe, and the beginning of his legend as he learns the boundaries of magic.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Incredibly vivid detail in Rothfuss' writing at every corner, with scenes detailed so well it feels like you're actually there. What's even more interesting is that present day segments are told through third person perspectives, while Kvothe's past (being that Chronicler is writing a book about him in his voice) is in first person, which really gets you into his shoes and helps you understand his mindset.
 * 2) Absolutely incredible worldbuilding. The system of magic in the book is very well detailed with plenty of hints into how it actually works and how Kvothe learns to use it. He doesn't just will something to happen and it happens, but he learns that it's partially knowing specific secrets of the world (like knowing the names of objects and elements, hence the title), and partially understanding how to make them work together. The world also has a lot of history that Rothfuss finds new and creative ways to incorporate into the story without feeling preachy.
 * 3) On that last note, excellent dialogue that feels very medieval times but also is easy to understand and makes the characters feel very much like real people, and it's even self-aware, like how Abenthy tries to keep Kvothe on track when examining the history of a coin without talking about the histories of currency in general or the country in general.
 * 4) A very interesting style of storytelling, which is very non-linear, telling important parts of Kvothe's life as they become relevant rather than in a forward moving style.
 * 5) Many likeable and interesting characters.
 * 6) * Kvothe is a very interesting character, taking a keen interest in many different things and learning them from several unexpected sources, and becomes quite a Jack-of-all-trades in each of them.
 * 7) * Abenthy is the one who teaches Kvothe about sympathy and magic through that, teaching him slowly and with discipline, like one scene where he forces Kvothe to believe that dropping a rock, instead of causing it to fall, will cause it to float.
 * 8) * Kvothe's parents are likeable, their travels encourage his curiosity and they are a very loving couple despite not being officially married with any church, and very loving parents to him. They also are risk-taking, setting out to make musical tales of things that are either not common knowledge or believed to be dangerous.
 * 9) Kvothe's backstory, which is the main focus of the book, is incredibly interesting and ludicrously well-detailed.
 * 10) Though not as intense as series like Berserk, it depicts medieval times very realistically, with detailed social standings, currency exchange, careers, and the like. And it does so while still being quite fantastical and without loads of violence.
 * 11) Some tests that Abenthy has Kvothe do in his study for magic are very interesting mind games that are detailed very well, like clearing his mind completely out splitting his consciousness into two different personalities, one which hides a stone and the other tried to find it, but could be mislead by the first.