Tag: throwback thursday

Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary – 19th August 2018

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Sunday evenings come around all too quickly! It feels like you literally blink and time has run away from you. Weekends aren’t long enough – who is with me?

If there is one thing I look forward to every Sunday though, it’s re-capping my week and catching you all up on my reading progress.

On Tuesday I shared my review of Individutopia by Joss Sheldon – a dystopian novel in which society does not exist. Individuals compete for their survival. They are expected to apply for new work every day. They cannot see their peers and are reliant on their avatars for social interaction.

On Thursday I began a new series. I wanted to find a way to incorporate books that I read prior to starting my blog into my writing. In this Throwback Thursday series, I am writing mini-reviews… and this week I kicked off with the first three books in The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss.

 

Books Read

I’ve spent this week focussing on reading The Relic Guild by Edward Cox, as I am more likely to finish this book in good time to review it. I am enjoying The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan – but it’s a heavy read, and a book that I will have to work my way through with time. I am hoping to make some progress with The Eye of the World next week though. I’ll let you know how I get on.

I also took a break from audiobooks this week. The next one I have is Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff, which will follow on from Nevernight. I’ve been very tired lately (which is unusual, because my routine hasn’t changed) but consequently, I don’t want to focus on something like an audiobook first thing in the morning. If anything, I’ll listen to music, because I don’t have to concentrate on it. I hope I can get back into it soon.

 

Books Discovered

I’ve added a few books to the list this week. This section of my blog always feels like a confessional! Well, I shouldn’t feel guilty, but I do a little bit. Who am I kidding, no I don’t!. So, here goes:-

Playing with Matches by Lee Strauss is a World War II novel. As this is one of my favourite historical fiction settings, it caught my eye immediately. It also has a very good average review rating on Goodreads, so I decided to get myself a copy!

When writing my Throwback Thursday mini-review post, I realised that I had given my copy of The Name of the Wind to charity! I have the rest of The Kingkiller Chronicles series on my kindle, so I bought myself an e-copy of this book too!

On the 17th August a local author, Rona Halsall, published Keep you Safe. Naturally, I want to support anyone local that I can, so I bought a copy! I have really enjoyed the thrillers I have read in the last year or so; reading one set on the Isle of Man should be even more exciting!

The Thief Taker by C. S. Quinn is a book that has been on my TBR since April last year, so I feel less guilty about having finally bought this. Do I need to justify it any more than that? Nope.

 

Coming Up…

INevernight am REALLY up to date with my reviews at the moment. Whilst I finish reading The Relic Guild by Edward Cox, I’ll review the audiobook I recently finished – Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. It’s been a little while since I finished and reviewed an audiobook, so I am looking forward to getting my thoughts to you on this one.

 

 

 

 

I am continuing my new series this week, with another throwback mini-review. Stay tuned to find out which book I am featuring… because I have as much of a clue as you do! Aha!

 

 

 

Throwback Thursday Mini-Review: The Kingkiller Chronicles – Patrick Rothfuss

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I wanted to start my new mini-review series with a set of books that I love. Equally, I wanted to choose books that aren’t so cliché that they make for an obvious choice. To that end, I have chosen The Kingkiller Chronicles, or perhaps better known by the first book of the series, The Name of the Wind.

 

The Kingkiller Chronicles – Patrick Rothfuss

 

Told in Kvothe’s own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.

The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature.

A high-action story written with a poet’s hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

 

My Thoughts…

This is definitely a series I am going to re-read in my lifetime. I fell in love with the narrative straightaway and the characters shortly after that. I’ve just had a look at my shelf. I used to own a physical copy of The Name of the Wind, but I donated it to charity when I last had a sort out. I have an electronic copy instead, as I own the rest of the series on Kindle. I’ll console myself with the knowledge that someone else has the chance to enjoy a brilliant book.

The tale is narrated by Kvothe; he recounts his life to the well-known traveling scribe, otherwise known as the Chronicler. Kvothe’s triumphs and tribulations are recorded in equal measure. Kvothe is almost unapologetic for the mistakes he makes, which in any other character would border on arrogance. Rothfuss, however, is very good at making our characters likeable… flaws and all.

I also really enjoyed reading The Slow Regard of Silent Things, a novella that takes the perspective of Auri. Kvothe meets Auri at the University in the main series. It is through The Slow Regard of Silent Things that we come to learn more about this mysterious girl’s life. It is an unusual book, as it is less structured than The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear, but again the narrative is beautiful. Auri has a unique and almost innocent perspective; she isn’t quite naive, but her curiosity surpasses that of any child. Becuase of this, she is an adorable character whom you cannot help but take under your wing.

 

Conclusion…

If you love epic fantasy and have the chance to try the series, I seriously implore you to do so. The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear average at 4.5 stars on Goodreads for a reason!