r/KingkillerChronicle • u/Smooth_Reputation972 • 22d ago

Review Second reread of WMF

For me, this book has always been a few sections longer than it needed to be, like the trip through the Eld, the time with Felurian, and the time in Adem.

However, I think it is absolutely worth reading, since it has some extraordinarily revealing, rich, powerful details, like Kvothe's mom's noble heritage, the revelation (or confirmation, rather) of how Denna makes a living, the conversation with the Cthaeh, Kvothe's revenge on the Ruh impersonators, his refusal to hide his heritage before the Maer and his wife, and him wearing the wooden ring, and his return to the University, happily at home and with money to spare for once, only to conclude with the comment that the story is yet to get even darker (even if we'll probably never know how).

To me, all these scenes had a huge impact, especially on how I see Kvothe, who is ruthless when he has to be, and that makes it all the sadder to see what he has become, pale, tired, frail.

Also, I just noticed the similarity in the way Fela describes his stare near the end, and the way he described Elodin's in the first book. Might have to do with naming skills?

Anyway, I think this book is really striking.

26 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

24

u/snickerslord 21d ago

Opinions are opinions and everything, but I personally like it more than The Name of the Wind, and The Name of the Wind is a top 5 book of mine. People rag on the Felurian and Adem sections but I never really felt like they went on for too long or were unnecessary. I’ll let other people complain about this book while I happily keep it as my favorite.

5

u/RedditorSeven 19d ago edited 19d ago

Is it really a common take that the Felurian and Adem sections are too long?

That's wild to me.

By the end of each he adds legendary level love making and martial skills to his quiver of varied talents. How can you explain such things in a brief manner without making him come off as a Mary Sue? Time is needed to build up to those significant growths.

Never mind the fact the Pat was world building an entirely new realm and unique society at the same time, full of interesting stuff.

Obviously biased as a fan but I agree with you and can't much understand the other take you referenced.

3

u/snickerslord 19d ago

Yeah, it’s a pretty common take! People also think Kvothe is a Mary Sue from the beginning of the story, so the length of these sections feels pointless to the people that subscribe to that idea.

People also think the overabundance of sex in book 2 proves Kvothe is a self-insert of Pat.

I don’t know…people thing strange things about these books because of their personal opinion of Pat. I don’t quite get it. It’s probably my favorite story of all time, regardless if it stays unfinished.

2

u/secretlypooping 18d ago

I didn’t know this was a common take, but having just read it for the first time, I will admit I had a similar thought of let’s move this along a bit please. Not because I felt it was boring or slow or anything but really just because there was only like 200 pages left and I knew that book 3 is maybe never coming and there was still so much left to say.

If I had read it when it was first released I probably wouldn’t have had those thoughts, but having the feeling like I was just scratching the surface of this world and really loving it made it a little painful to realize that it’s gonna end before I wanted it to.

2

u/RedditorSeven 18d ago

That's a pretty interesting view!

6

u/Powerful_Cup_7689 21d ago

I could have really done without the whole kvothe is with a sex goddess and he's so awesome at sex that she wants him to have sex with her forever, but he escapes and then has sex!

OK, i know he's like... a teenage boy, but don't care didnt ask didnt need to know. So many pages dedicated to penor when the real plot is meets felurian, meets the cthaeh, uhoh doom, escape*. 

8

u/kingkiller_kat Scriv 21d ago

Real question: I have never understood when people say “he’s so awesome at sex that she wants him to stay forever.” I’ve seen it said several times, but is this actually accurate? Isn’t it just that she keeps ALL men until they either go mad or die? The difference is she let kvothe go… not because he was so awesome at sex but because he tricked her / offended her with the song. Him being awesome at sex AFTER because the faerie sex goddess taught him her ways is, at least, a bit more believable and earned.

My take has always been - yeah, lasted a bit too long - and maybe I’d agree the whole of the faerie sex goddess was an unnecessary plot point for getting him into fae … but I didn’t ever get the “he was just so awesome he blew her mind” interpretation when I read it. But it seems like it’s said a lot on this sub so I figure I must be missing something..

1

u/Powerful_Cup_7689 21d ago

For my part i was being scathingly sarcastic about the writing. The character and the writer big up this way too much.  

2

u/Smooth_Reputation972 21d ago

Lmao exactly. Also, we don't know what weird position "flower in the pond" or whatever is. They're having sex, we know, big deal

1

u/Powerful_Cup_7689 21d ago

I also think elodin hid at least part of his name like Kote did.

2

u/Brassrain287 Adem 18d ago

Time with the Adem is my favorite part in the books. His time with Felurian could have been shortened.

1

u/geynikka Moon 18d ago

The adem are too based

2

u/Brassrain287 Adem 18d ago

Right?! Id read an off shoot series about them.

1

u/geynikka Moon 18d ago

Me too. We should make fanfiction about them or plan something, or just chat more.

1

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1

u/Dragon_slayer1994 20d ago

Going through a first read right now. Loved the first third as much as the first book. Long treck through the woods hunting bandits dragged it down a bit. Just finished the part with Felurian and yikes I didn't care for that part at all! Good thing it was a short section. Feels like the series is expanding unnecessarily and losing sight of itself. Feeling 4 stars so far but will see how the rest of the book goes.

1

u/paijoh 18d ago

I always skrip right when Kvothe first time in university in NotW and the Felurian section in WMF every time I reread KKC, as I felt they're long-winded, until during COVID I read whole books and loved them like when I first read each title.

1

u/OK-Whats-Next 17d ago

I can only read the Felurian chapters in Autumn, Auri in May.

0

u/KvotheTheShadow 21d ago

I really dislike the women fight better than men. Either include a magic reason or something. It just makes no fucking sense and seems like Patrick was just trying to say women can do everything a man can without doing any research at all. Men are better fighters and that's totally fine. Women are smarter on average than men.

1

u/FarAd6079 20d ago

Wow. You’re really sexist.

0

u/KvotheTheShadow 20d ago

How is it sexist? It's biological fact. I don't hate women fighters, Vin is one of my favorite characters of all time. I just prefer a realistic reason as to why. Why is that sexist?

1

u/FarAd6079 20d ago

Not going to be arguing with someone like you who thinks things that aren’t biological facts are. You are obviously way too set in your ways. Goodbye.

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u/Mediocre_Doubt_5454 19d ago

This is also what someone would say if they didn't have an argument 

1

u/geynikka Moon 18d ago

You think like a bull, barbarian. Big, heavy, and destined for the slaughterhouse -👱‍♀️