Kingkiller Chronicle

[Observer]

Oh, how I loved this series. The whole Ferulian thing dragged for me, and I wound up skimming, but I still loved the book.

+1 for the amazing theories. As the Chronicler is told, something about music leave Kvothe deeply saddened. It could be the only way to open the chest, or maybe it could be one of the things he lost inside of it.

Totally missed the whole Lackless Door thing. I swear, that name should have tipped me off instantly. I'm so stupid some times...

[Cracknut]

Oh, how I loved this series. The whole Ferulian thing dragged for me, and I wound up skimming, but I still loved the book.

+1 for the amazing theories. As the Chronicler is told, something about music leave Kvothe deeply saddened. It could be the only way to open the chest, or maybe it could be one of the things he lost inside of it.

Totally missed the whole Lackless Door thing. I swear, that name should have tipped me off instantly. I'm so stupid some times...

A lot people hate on Felurian thing though I pretty much liked that. You know there are lots of creatures like that, sirens/faeries/etc in fantasy books and most of the times main characters resist/run away/kill it but never, NEVER have I read about a character who surrenders and thing actually happens and then he survives. Of course its too much but still its better then another siren trying to eat good guys ...... And it was essential to the story.

[Observer]

A lot people hate on Felurian thing though I pretty much liked that. You know there are lots of creatures like that, sirens/faeries/etc in fantasy books and most of the times main characters resist/run away/kill it but never, NEVER have I read about a character who surrenders and thing actually happens and then he survives. Of course its too much but still its better then another siren trying to eat good guys ...... And it was essential to the story.

I'm not saying the idea and spirit of the part was bad. No, I think you have a great point with the whole Siren thing. I just felt that it dragged a bit, and I've never really beena massive fan of the writing style used in that particular section. But still, don't mistake my slight dislike for anything more than that.

[Retsam]

I read TNotW a couple years ago on the recommendation of my roommate and enjoyed it but wasn't hugely impressed. (Admission: I read it immediately after I read Way of Kings. I may not have been entirely fair in my original assessment)

A few months ago, I read WMF, and then stared getting into theories a little online and discussing with my roommate. I've been meaning to reread Book 1, but haven't gotten around to it, so the first books events are rather hazy.

Impressions of WMF: *Some spoilers*

-The Adem really reminded me of the Aiel (Wheel of Time). Not really in a bad way, but I felt like I was expecting them to say something about "milk-hearted wetlanders who know nothing about ji'e'toh" at any minute.

-Didn't mind the Ferulean thing as much as the fact that Kvothe seems to decide he's gods' gift to women afterwards (and that he's apparently more or less justified in this only makes it worse). This mildly frustrates me on a few levels. One is simply that, as someone pointed out earlier, Kvothe already feels a little too talented at times. (Music, sympathy, artificery, poetry, naming, etc.) I can justify a character being really intelligent and thus good at all these things. But adding sexual prowess to that list just seemed unnecessary.

-I really enjoyed Vintish court politics with the rings and Bredon. (It moderately worries me that some suggest that he is Master Ash)

Random Theories that I enjoy:

-Ambrose succeeds to the throne, and Kvothe kills him. On evidence is the connection between his sword being the "poet-killer" and Ambrose being a poet. But just from how the story's being told; when I first read book 1, I assumed Ambrose was the Malfoy, as I think many do. (The side nuisance who never really goes away, occasionally stirs up trouble but's never the main threat) Yet, we're two books in and Ambrose is still the biggest antagonist that we've seen, IMO.

-Kvothe changing his Name. I wouldn't say he necessarily locks it inside the box, but I do think that he's changed his Name from Kvothe to Kote is likely.

-The map is deliberately useless. I hope really hope so, because it really really is.

-The tree on the cover of TNotW is the Chtaeh tree, marking the story as a tragedy.

Edited November 12, 2012 by Retsam

[Ryan]

-I really enjoyed Vintish court politics with the rings and Bredon. (It moderately worries me that some suggest that he is Master Ash)

My pet theory which I have never voiced in public is that Master Ash is Cinder. Evidence:

1. Their names (Ash and Cinder) are so similar
   
2. The song he has Denna compose which portrays the story in a way the Chandrian might want it remembered.
   
3. His presence at (and potential involvement in) the wedding massacre, which came about because of a vase depicting the Chandrian.
   
4. His preference for archaic musical instruments.
   
5. His extreme secretive paranoia, which has no known justification.
   
6. The fact that he is a grade-A jerkface.
   

[Observer]

My pet theory which I have never voiced in public is that Master Ash is Cinder. Evidence:

1. Their names (Ash and Cinder) are so similar
   
2. The song he has Denna compose which portrays the story in a way the Chandrian might want it remembered.
   
3. His presence at (and potential involvement in) the wedding massacre, which came about because of a vase depicting the Chandrian.
   
4. His preference for archaic musical instruments.
   
5. His extreme secretive paranoia, which has no known justification.
   
6. The fact that he is a grade-A jerkface.
   

/me pales *

That would be exactly the kind of plot twist I should have expected. Poor Denna...

[Guest Alaxel]

"Kingkiller Chronicle," Alaxel spoke with power and conviction, commanding the thread to live again.

I have all kinds of speculations to throw around, I don't even know where to start.

So I'll start with the Adem and Edema Ruh. I'm conviced that these two cultures share a common ancestry. For example, in both cultures, emotion is communicated best with the left hand. The Adem use subtle gestures to convey feelings, while the Ruh use music. The left hand is, pardon the pun, instrumental in creating music on the lute - something Ruh have been using since before Illien's time. Speaking of music, it is profoundly important to both cultures. The Ruh delight in the making and sharing of music. It's a cornerstone of their culture. The Adem admire music but consider it a very, very intimate experience. They may react to it differently, but there is no denying that both cultures hold it in high regard. Now, the history of the Adem is that of wanderers who were despised everywhere and forced to wander until they finally settled in one of the most inhospitable places on the planet. I think a faction continued to wander. These people eventually became the Ruh as we know them today.

A small observation: When Haliax used Cinder's true name to remind him who was in charge, he said something close to, "Who keeps you safe from the Singers? The Sithe? The Amyr? From all who would do you harm in the world?" Now, the Sithe and the Amyr have both been introduced and explained, at least a little, in the books, but who are these Singer guys? I'm not sure. But I do know that they're powerful enough to keep the Chandrian on edge. And I suspect we've met one. He's a young man, name of Kvothe. You'll recall that when he called Felurian's True Name he looked into her eyes and saw her name "like four notes of music" and he "sang" them. That is extremely significant. Think about it. If Singing a True Name has more power than merely speaking it and my theory about the Adem and Edema Ruh is correct, then we have an ancient culture that split in to two halves where one half has a strong oral tradition of remembering Names and another that has a strong musical tradition. The Edema Ruh and Adem are two parts of an original, greater whole: the Singers.

Also, if you're wondering what the Chandrian's plan is, it's to release Iax from beyond the Doors of Stone.

I'd be delighted to hear other theories.

[The Rooster]

"Kingkiller Chronicle," Alaxel spoke with power and conviction, commanding the thread to live again.

...

Also, if you're wondering what the Chandrian's plan is, it's to release Iax from beyond the Doors of Stone.

I'd be delighted to hear other theories.

 

You sneaky, shadow-hamed so-and-so.

 

I think That Haliax/Larne/Alaxel IS Iax.  I think behind the Doors of Stone are locked all of Farie, with the door in tact they stay separate with the changes in the moon regulating the gateways between.  With the doors unlocked the Four Corners and Fae will become entwined to a dangerous degree, thus the spookies leaking into the frame story.  This is the explanation that for me translates the "Iax locked away the name of the moon" story into real world consequences the best.  The house he makes with weird edges if the land of the Fae.  who knows tho, I wonder how much of the behind the scenes story will be overtly explained in the final book.  We could very well get to the end and still be quite fuzzy on the particulars of what was really happening.

[Argent]

Especially considering how much has to happen...

 

I just finished rereading The Name of the Wind, and man, is the writing beautiful. I've been telling people that it is, but it had been my memory of an impression - I got to feel the words again. Pat and Brandon are still the only authors I feel about the same way...

[Galladon]

I think the doors of stone (maybe the ones in the library) are the doors of death. In the story Skarpi (this storyteller-don't know how he's spelled), Lanre (heliax) is "called from beyond the doors of stone" (not an exact quote- but should be the geneal wording) after he dies in a battle.

What I take from that is that we will learn why the 7 are immortal.

 

does anyone have news conerning Book 3 (how many years we still have to wait)?

[Moogle]

does anyone have news conerning Book 3 (how many years we still have to wait)?

 

Rothfuss doesn't like being asked the question (for understandable reasons). He feels guilty when he spends an hour playing with his kid instead of writing.

 

That said, 2015 is likely. 2014 is also possible, but I wouldn't count on it.

[Swimmingly]

Rothfuss doesn't like being asked the question (for understandable reasons). He feels guilty when he spends an hour playing with his kid instead of writing.

 

That said, 2015 is likely. 2014 is also possible, but I wouldn't count on it.

His readers and fans, however, should feel guilty when he spends an hour writing for them instead of playing with his kid, so it balances out.

[Cartith]

Well, I just read these books last week. I agree with the assessments here. Here are a few of the things I took from the book.

Kvothe is of the Lackless line.

Naming is involved in the frame where Kvothe seems fundamentally different.

The door in the archives is connected with the Lackless thread.

There is something connecting the moon, the chandrian, and the Lackless.

Rough theories on my part, showing a reread is foretold in the near future.

Well, for the part connecting the moon, the chandrian, and the lackless, here's a theory. 

 

Insane Theory (entirely speculation): 

In Latin(just an example, not saying Rothfuss uses Latin as a basis), there is no letter J. When you translate Latin names, i.e Jupiter, its really Iupiter, and English swaps in the J. I think Jax (stealer of the moons name) is really Iax, as in Haliax. The way Haliax got his skill in naming when he had turned evil started with the stealing of the moons name. This book is rife with stories being twisted over time and getting mixed up. 

 

Also, couldn't the Lackless box be the box that Iax used to capture the name of the moon?

 

EDIT: I really should have read the whole thread, huh? I see now that my Haliax=Iax theory has already been mentioned. 

 

Basically, I think Iax=Jax=Haliax. 

Edited December 8, 2013 by Cartith

[Argent]

Iax and Heliax being the same person is a popular idea, yes, but my recent reread. Here's why I think it's wrong:

 

Kvothe gave a wry smile. “So after a person meets the Cthaeh, all their choices will be the wrong ones.”

Bast shook his head, his face pale and drawn. “Not wrong, Reshi, catastrophic. Iax spoke to the Cthaeh before he stole the moon, and that sparked the entire creation war. Lanre spoke to the Cthaeh before he orchestrated the betrayal of Myr Tariniel. The creation of the Nameless. The Scaendyne. They can all be traced back to the Cthaeh.”

 

 

If Bast is to be trusted on this, Jax/Iax and Lanre/Heliax are definitely different people. Furthermore, Felurian is pretty adamant about not speaking of the Chandrian (and thus Heliax), but she does mention Iax once or twice, I believe. More evidence that the two are not the same.

[Bloodfalcon]

Just finished reading these books. I thought NotW flowed like a poem. Loved it. I like WMF too, but I don't think as much... It seemed rather choppy in a sense. The story felt like it hit stone walls of transition constantly. Finally killed bandits BAM Felurian. Done with Felurian BAAAAAM Adem life for months. I don't know, it was all fun but I prefer a more on topic story. 

What makes me feel really dense in the head though, is that I can't figure out why it is called the Wise Man's Fear. Can anyone help me out with that? I don't remember a part that talked about that as openly as we hear characters say "the name of the wind."

[Windrunner]

I think there's a quote in there that's paraphrased to, "There are three things all wise men fear: a moonless night, the sea in a storm, and the anger of a gentle man". Please forgive me for butchering such a beautiful quote. xD

[Bloodfalcon]

I think there's a quote in there that's paraphrased to, "There are three things all wise men fear: a moonless night, the sea in a storm, and the anger of a gentle man". Please forgive me for butchering such a beautiful quote. xD

haha, no problem. I think I remember that now. That connects much better than I thought. It is a pretty brief quote to grab a title from (compared to the name of the wind) but a good one. 

Edited January 6, 2014 by Bloodfalcon

[Argent]

I was actually wondering about that a few months back. The Name of the Wind is a pretty obvious choice - must of Kvothe's journey is inspired by his desire to learn the Name of the wind and some real magic. The Wise Man's Fear is not nearly as clear. One interpretation is that Kvothe (or Kote) is the "gentle man" whose anger is to be feared by wise men. This is certainly backed up by the events around Kote, Bast, and the Chronicler - the innkeeper is a pretty gentle man, but as the proverbial shite hits the metaphorical fan, more and more of Kvothe starts to resurface. I am fairly confident he started practicing his ketan at the end of the second book.

 

Another interpretation of the title is that Kvothe faces all the things a wise man should fear - and he does it fearlessly. Which would make him a fool, but that may or may not be besides the point. The point is that all three fears lead to big changes in Kvothe's life. His ship gets wrecked by a storm (and pirates) on the way to Vintas (?), where he does some serious growing up and even secures himself some finances; he meets Felurian during a moonless night, and that proves pretty educational in more ways than just one; the angry gentle man stumps me a little though =\

[Cracknut]

I was actually wondering about that a few months back. The Name of the Wind is a pretty obvious choice - must of Kvothe's journey is inspired by his desire to learn the Name of the wind and some real magic. The Wise Man's Fear is not nearly as clear. One interpretation is that Kvothe (or Kote) is the "gentle man" whose anger is to be feared by wise men. This is certainly backed up by the events around Kote, Bast, and the Chronicler - the innkeeper is a pretty gentle man, but as the proverbial shite hits the metaphorical fan, more and more of Kvothe starts to resurface. I am fairly confident he started practicing his ketan at the end of the second book.

 

Another interpretation of the title is that Kvothe faces all the things a wise man should fear - and he does it fearlessly. Which would make him a fool, but that may or may not be besides the point. The point is that all three fears lead to big changes in Kvothe's life. His ship gets wrecked by a storm (and pirates) on the way to Vintas (?), where he does some serious growing up and even secures himself some finances; he meets Felurian during a moonless night, and that proves pretty educational in more ways than just one; the angry gentle man stumps me a little though =\

Kvothe isn't a gentleman, Maer is. It was discussed several times in WMF.

"There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man." 

First he gets in a storm, then he meets Felurian on moonless night and in the end he angers Maer.

That's how I see it.

[Argent]

That's what I thought of first as well, but Maer Alveron is hardly gentle. He is a pretty harsh ruler - a little ruthless, highly efficient, and not terribly forgiving. Sim, for example, is gentle - but he is an example, not title material.

[Cracknut]

That's what I thought of first as well, but Maer Alveron is hardly gentle. He is a pretty harsh ruler - a little ruthless, highly efficient, and not terribly forgiving. Sim, for example, is gentle - but he is an example, not title material.

I think whole gentleman thing isn't about gentleness, its about nobility. Maer had a good reason to be angry with Kvothe and he's not ruthless or harsh because he likes it, he acts like that because he has to. + There hasn't been anyone else who we could call angry gentleman.

[Argent]

There is a distinct difference between "gentle man" and "gentleman." The book uses the former phrase.

[The Rooster]

I always pictured Loren in the gentle man capacity, tho I guess that's in the first book when this saying is first mentioned (when Kvothe gets banned from the Archives).  I think the second Book is for sure more challenging than the first especially because the Adem portions and Felurian stuff is frustrating on a first read.  You're like "he has to get so much done and he's stuck there OMG".  But on a second read there's a huge significance to everything going on in those chapters to the "under story".  The talks of philosophy history and little vignettes all really show off that there's way more going on than the surface reveals. 

[Gamma Fiend]

Just picked up Wise Man's Fear. I'll post back when finished.
Gotta say Name of the Wind was absolutely fantastic, so I'm really excited to read this.

[Awesomeness Summoned]

I'm with rooster on wise man's fear. I enjoyed it the first time but not as much as tNotW. I've reread it a couple times though and I like it more and more each time as I pick up on more details under the surface.