Author:
Narrator: Nick Podehl
Format: Unabridged-CD
Publisher: Brilliance Corporation
Published: Jul 2012
Genre: Fiction - Fantasy - General
Retail Price: $19.99
Discs: 23
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. So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature – the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man's search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend. "It is a rare and great pleasure to find a fantasist writing...with true music in the words....Wherever Pat Rothfuss goes...he'll carry us with him as a good singer carries us through a song." – Ursula K. Le Guin, bestselling author and winner of the National Book Award
This is a thoroughly engrossing story to listen to. The plot feels fresh and unfamiliar, which I find to be a nice switch from the many many many fantasy novels that are no more than tweaked versions of previous successful series. The story is told in a clever way, and I didnt find it highhanded with countless, similar sounding names of sons of sons of kings and overly complicated politics, etc.The narrator reads at a natural pace, and does a good job distinguishing voices and emotions. He mispronounces a less commonly used word or two, and misreads the cadence of a turn of phrase here and there, but not often enough to distract from the story.The only criticism I have concerning the writing is that every so often the author uses the lax grammar that we Americans have become notorious for. I found it slightly irksome, yet I was able to forgive the oversight.I had a great movie going on in my head as I followed along, which is what I want most from a good book. Give it a listen!