This series came highly recommended by a close friend and did really start off with a bang. With two titles currently in market and a 3rd on the way, this (eventual) trilogy covers the life of a single hero name Kvothe. The general premise is that Kvothe is retelling the story of his life to a historian over the period of three days; each book in the trilogy represents a single day of the retelling, with brief interludes of "present day" action.

The first book, "The Name of the Wind", blew me away. I ended up sitting in the parking lot at my office for a few extra minutes each day just to get further and further into the audiobook. Kvothe is a compelling character who is far from the perfect hero that you typically encounter. Without spoiling any plot, I can confidently tell you that he literally falls on his face at one point and who doesn't love a bit of physical humor? As the book progresses, both Kvothe and the reader discover an entire world and system of magic (the hallmark of any good fantasy world).

The second book ("The Wise Man's Fear"), however, is where I differ from many lovers of Rothfuss. Again, while attempting to avoid any specific spoilers, I would just say that Kvothe stops being this relatable, imperfect hero to becoming too unbelievable. The best at everything he does, all the time. As the reader, I didn't believe the progression and all of a sudden felt distanced from Kvothe and began wondering if, perhaps, he was an unreliable narrator. He is telling the story himself to a historian, is he not? Suffice to say, I was a bit turned off by the second installment in this trilogy. I know I don't necessarily represent the feelings of the rest of the fantasy-loving community.

The third book, "Doors of Stone", is stuck in the same realm as George R.R. Martin's "The Winds of Winter"; everyone's looking forward to at least hearing what the release date might be. Even though I was a bit turned off by the direction the series went, I'll still pick it up when it finally does come out.

On a barely-related note, I did see Patrick Rothfuss at Mosinee Airport last year but he was on the phone and I wasn't rude enough to interrupt him to introduce myself. Maybe next time.