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Birken Books~ The Name of the Wind

This month, I chose to write about the book The Name of the Wind, one of my all time favorites. It is narrated in the first person by Kvothe (Quothe), a boy who in his quest to avenge the murder of his troupe by the mysterious and feared Chandrian, will ultimely become one of the most famous magician/swordfighter/musician of his era, feared and known by all. The book takes place in a bar called the Waystone Inn, where Kvothe tells his life story to Chronicler, a scribe, and to Bast, Kvothe's asssistant. We are transported back in time to follow the young Kvothe's incredible story and learn how he became one of the world's most respected hero.

I immensely enjoyed this book because although it was 672 pages, not a single page was boring. The book was thought provoking, exciting and intense. Switching between the past and the present was an interesting idea, because it allows us to see Kvothe's opinions, as a boy and as a man and how he'd matured. Another thing I liked about this book was the "magic". In this world, you would have to go to the University to learn magic, but what I liked about it was that magic was very related to science. You could learn Chemistry, Alchemy, Medecine and various others, but the magic was called Symetry. Being a person that values logic, I admired that unlike in Harry Potter where magic appears out of nothing, in this book it applied the rules of science. For instance if you wanted to light a candle, you would first have to bind the candle to your body and draw on your own body heat to light the candle, which means that of course magic could have consequences if you over use it, which I found refreshing. Another great thing about this book is there is a romance, but it doesn't ruin or override the story, which can sometimes happen.

To conclude, I really liked the Name of the Wind, because it was entertaining, thought provoking and reminded me of the Lord of the Rings. I heavily recommend it if you like action, science fiction, fantasy or just a good story.

Passage from the Name of the Wind

My name is Kvothe.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

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