The Name of the Wind is the story of a legend. Kvothe, the renowned hero famous for his skills in magic and music, somehow ends up as an innkeeper in a small village in the middle on nowhere after faking his death. Why? That’s what the scribe known as the Chronicler wants to find out when he journeys to said village.

Kvothe recounts his life story, telling the Chronicler it will take no less than three days for the truth behind the legend to be put to paper. From his childhood growing up with his family’s troupe of performers, to his studies at the University Arcanum, The Name of the Wind tells the first third of Kvoth’s tale.

The book’s story flows well and the characters have a realistic quality that together make it hard to stop reading for the night. I more than once stayed awake reading far longer than I intended.

The Name of the Wind is one of the best epic fantasy novels I’ve read in a long time, and I look forward to reading the second book. (I don’t know what I’m going to do while waiting for the third book in the trilogy…) It’s really a prime example of the genre, and one anyone who considers themselves a “fantasy fan” should definitely read.