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A beginner’s guide to Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicle

ByAmanda|
Image: The Name of The Wind/DAW Books
Image: The Name of The Wind/DAW Books

With Game of Throne over, will Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicle become the Next Big Thing? With movies and a TV show coming, it’s worth a look.

Game of Thrones has come to an end. Perhaps you are feeling a bit lost, asking yourself, “What’s next?” That’s a fair question. It’s natural to want to seek out the next great story and engaging fandom, and today I want to introduce you to one of my absolute favorites. Here’s a little background information on how I stumbled across this gem of a fantasy series called The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss.

The year is 2014. Game of Thrones has been on the air for nearly three years. As any good fan knows, it’s based off a fantastic book series called A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. Reads lead to rereads and then re-rereads, with Martin occasionally releasing preview chapters for The Winds of Winter, the next book in his series. Caught in the grip of ASOIAF mania, fans flock to bookstores (or Amazon accounts) to order a copy of the Rogues anthology, looking to gobble up Martin’s latest short story “The Rogue Prince,” a story set in Westeros years before our any of our favorite characters were born, about the infamous Prince Daemon Targaryen.

The book promises 21 multi-genre short stories, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, showcasing work by authors including Neil Gaiman, Scott Lynch, Gillian Flynn, Connie Willis, Joe Abercrombie and Patrick Rothfuss, among others. Of course, “And a new Game of Thrones story by George R.R. Martin” is prominently printed along the bottom quarter of the cover.

Touted as a prequel to a previously published short story “The Princess and the Queen” from the 2013 Dangerous Women anthology, “The Rogue Prince” treads much of the same ground, this time from Daemon’s point of view. With that story promptly consumed, I still had 20 other stories to peruse.

Anthologies are a great resource for readers looking to sample a new series or author without the commitment of having to read an entire novel. I flipped through, looking for something to catch my fancy, and decided to give “The Lightning Tree” a shot. I had never heard of Patrick Rothfuss, but his story was last in the anthology before Martin’s. Being an opening act for Martin is certainly an accomplishment in its own right.

The summary of “The Lightning Tree” says it follows “an average day in the life of Bast, the mysterious innkeeper’s even more mysterious assistant.” I skimmed the first few paragraphs to get a taste of the story, found the narrative unexpectedly delicious, and quickly devoured it. Then I immediately read it again. The next day I went straight to the library and borrowed a copy of The Name of the Wind because I just had to know more about this delightful character.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – SEPTEMBER 18: Honoree Patrick Rothfuss poses at Heifer Internationals 4th Annual Beyond Hunger Gala at the Montage on September 18, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. Heifer International works to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. . (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Heifer International)

So, what’s it about?

As it turns out, the Kingkiller Chronicle isn’t actually about Bast. It’s about his employer, Kote. They work together at a charming and unassuming little inn located in the middle of Newarre (nowhere, get it?). The catch is, Bast isn’t just some innkeeper’s assistant, and Kote isn’t just some innkeeper, much as he may have tricked the country locals into assuming otherwise.

Kote has a secret story; he may be an entirely different person than the man he is presenting to the world. Bast wants Kote to be who he really is. To that end, Bast has lured a man called the Chronicler out to the little inn in Newarre, hoping that if they can wheedle Kote’s story out of him, he will remember who he truly is, and stop pretending to be a simple innkeeper.

Kote finally agrees to share his story, on the condition that the telling will take place over the course of three days. Each book in the series covers a day of the innkeeper narrating the story of his life. There’s a prologue, epilogue, and scenes from the present day inserted throughout, but the meat of the tale recounts Kote’s childhood, a series of mysterious and harrowing incidents that lead him to the University (the one seat of higher learning in the Four Corners of Civilization), and the events that result in his becoming an infamous wizard-bard figure allegedly responsible for some world-altering events, who faked his death and is hiding out under a new identity. (No, his real name is not Kote. It’s Kvothe.)

The Kingkiller Chronicle can be difficult to describe. It’s a story wrapped in a story with even more stories sprinkled throughout. It has the re-readability of A Song of Ice and Fire, the velvety prose of Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn, and the orphaned-boy-goes-to-magical-school angle that leads many to compare it to Harry Potter.

As a child, Kvothe travels with his loving parents and troupe. They are the Edema Ruh, a people well known for their talents in music, storytelling, and performance arts. Due to their nomadic and unusual lifestyle, the Edema Ruh are often distrusted, and are reputed to be thieves and ne’er-do-wells (similar to the glamorized idea of the Romani culture).

Early on in the story, Kvothe and his family adopt a Tinker/Arcanist named Abenthy into their troupe. Tinkers are traveling merchants, and Abenthy is an especially helpful addition to their group as he is a highly educated jack-of-all-trades to whom Kvothe takes an immediate liking, particularly after witnessing Ben call the Name of the Wind. Abenthy recognizes Kvothe is incredibly bright and seems to have a knack for learning, so he takes young Kvothe under his wing to teach him all manner of things, including magic. Ben ultimately inspires in Kvothe a wish to attend the University to continue his education.

Abenthy approaches Kvothe’s parents to talk to them about Kvothe’s future prospects, and Kvothe’s father and mother agree to consider sending Kvothe to the University. While Abenthy is conversing with them, Kvothe’s father — the famous musician Arliden — consults Ben about a particular song he’s been working on. The song is a secret project, Arliden’s magnum opus, and he’s spent years researching the subject of the epic ballad, and wants Ben’s help.

"Their voices were just murmurs, the distant music that a conversation makes when it’s too dim for words. But as I was coming close I heard one word clearly: Chandrian.I pulled up short when I heard that. Everyone in the troupe knew my father was working on a song. He’d been teasing old stories and rhymes from townsfolk for over a year wherever we stopped to play.For months it ‘was stories about Lanre. Then he started gathering old faerie stories too, legends about bogies and shamble-men. Then he began to ask questions about the Chandrian. . . .That was months ago. Over the last half year he had asked more about the Chandrian and less about Lanre, Lyra, and the rest. Most songs my father set to writing were finished in a single season, while this one was stretching toward its second year.–The Name of the Wind  Chapter 12 ‘Puzzle Pieces Fitting’"

The subject in question is about an ages-old character out of legend, a man called Lanre. Arliden’s research leads him towards a mysterious group the Chandrian. But information on them is spotty at best, and mostly comes in bits of myth and superstition. Anytime Arliden asks about the group, people refuse to talk, and his research will dead end. Ben advises Arliden that there may be good reason for the superstition against speaking of the Chandrian.

This desire for higher learning leaves Kvothe at a bit of a crossroads. Only 11 years old, he knows he is brilliant and destined for great things, but chasing his dreams would mean leaving behind his beloved parents, troupe, and the freedom of life on the road that he’s always known.

Unfortunately, his decision is abruptly forced on him when tragedy strikes. His family and troupe are attacked and slaughtered by the Chandrian, whom descend from the ether to wipe out the bard who had been trying to track their stories and anyone else who may have heard the song.

Kvothe somehow manages to escape a similar fate, but is left bereft and orphaned, with only his Father’s lute, his music, and his wits to survive.

It is his music, his intelligence, and his desire to find the Chandrian and avenge the death of his parents that will lead him to becoming an infamous figure of legend himself.

The Kingkiller Chronicle is is a story that’s both epic and intimate. The protagonist confronts legendary fabled forces, searches for truth underneath layers of mystery, learns to wield magics, and weaves a grand reputation for himself. On the other side of the coin, Kvothe struggles with very practical issues like pride, poverty, relationships, academics and youthful impatience. He performs feats of magic and music that turn into stories, and he also makes some really, really stupid choices.

When examined closely, you can find influence from J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula LeGuin, Greek philosophers and mythology, Dungeons & Dragons, chemical engineering, and all manner of other sources that combine to create a story that’s wildly engaging, familiar as an old friend while still refreshingly new and timeless.

In the following weeks and months, we’ll be examining Kvothe’s story and the production of the series in various forms of multi-media in greater detail; as this is an introduction, I’ll do my best to get newcomers caught up quickly.

With the series about to appear on both the small and big screens, it’s a wonderful time to jump into the fandom of the Kingkiller Chronicle. If it’s handled correctly (and with a little luck), it’s sure to become a household name and could be the next pop-culture phenomenon.

The Books

The Kingkiller Chronicle series is set to be a trilogy focused on Kvothe’s story.

  • The first novel, The Name of the Wind (Day One) was published in March 2007, and claimed a spot on the NYT bestseller list as well as a slew of awards. A gorgeously illustrated 10th anniversary edition is also available, and I recommend getting a copy if you get the chance.
  • The second novel The Wise Man’s Fear (Day Two), which debuted in March of 2011 to similar acclaim.
  • The third novel, The Doors of Stone (Day Three), is in the works.

There are also some short stories and novellas set in the world of Temerant, including:

  • “How Old Holly Came to Be,” a companion short story published in 2013’s Unfettered anthology
  • “The Lightning Tree,” published in 2014’s Rogues anthology
  • The Slow Regard of Silent Things, published in October of 2014, is a novella featuring the viewpoint of fan-favorite Auri, a mysterious female friend of Kvothe’s who lives beneath the University.

Audiobook versions of the first two novels are available, narrated by Rupert Degas (UK version) or Nick Podehl (US version). The Slow Regard of Silent Things audiobook version is lovingly narrated by the author himself.

And while not directly connected to Kvothe’s story, Rothfuss has published two “not-for-children” books featuring a wild and morally complicated Princess and her teddy bear called The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed and its sequel The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Dark of Deep Below. Both stories are charming, twisted, unexpected and beautifully illustrated by Nate Taylor.

Rothfuss enjoys reading these stories at various panels and conventions, and videos of them can be found on the web. Do yourself a favor and give one a watch.

The reason I include these books is because Rothfuss hides a big clue about how to read his stories in them:

"That’s kind of what I like to do in my writing. I like to tell you a story that is actually more than one story depending on how close you’re paying attention or depending on how many times you’ve read it. And I like to bury things in the story to reward people who are paying better attention."

Reading The Kingkiller Chronicle is a bit like playing the classic Saran Wrap Ball game. Every reread peels back another layer, and prizes await those who keep coming back to the story.

And just for fun, in 2018/19, Rothfuss teamed up with Jim Zub, Troy Little, and IDW Publishing to release a wild D&D + Rick and Morty crossover comic four issue mini-series that blends tabletop RPG with the raunchy hit sci-fi comedy on Adult Swim.

What’s in the works

Studios are scrambling to land a franchise that is the Next Big Thing, and in October 2015 Rothfuss struck a deal with Lionsgate to bring the story to the screen in a variety of mediums.

In more recent news, Showtime will be the home for the prequel TV series, chronicling the story of a group of traveling performers set one generation prior to the events of the Kingkiller Chronicle. Script writing for the first season was rumored to be complete in May 2019, with some revisions in the works prior to casting and production.

The series is being helmed by showrunner John Rogers (The Librarian, Transformers), with Patrick Rothfuss producing, and with help from his friend playwright, composer, and consummate performer Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights, Moana), who came onboard the project in 2016 to produce and write music for the series and film.

Music is a huge part of Kvothe’s story. It’s crucial to his survival, reputation, income, and mental well being. There are plenty of hints that the music he creates is good for more than just jammin’ out — he might actually be weaving magic of his own with his acoustic lute solos. One of the most important scenes of the series involves Kvothe’s attempts to earn his Talent Pipes, which mark him as being among some of the best musicians in the land, boosting his reputation enough for him to hopefully gain a patron, and maybe even help him find a little love in the process.

The future soundtrack is in good hands with the help of the wildly talented Lin-Manuel Miranda in charge of creating the music for the show and film. Someone give this man his Talent Pipes; he’s earned them ten times over with his diverse  and epic musical catalogue,  and it’s a safe bet that his work on the KKC compositions will be equally superb.

At one time Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, The Evil Dead) was announced to be directing the film adaption but has since been reported to no longer be attached to the production.

Progress updates on the film and video game adaption thus far have been scanty.

Fandom resources

The Kingkiller Chronicle has a thriving fandom, and there’s lots of resources on the web to visit to find theories, fan art, memes, info, podcasts, recaps, and more.

I’d recommend you read at least the first two books prior to dipping your toes into the fandom, just to avoid spoilers, but here are some stellar resources:

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