The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
Deep below the University, the ancient home of magic and learning, a young girl lives amongst the caves, tunnels, and abandoned rooms. In Seven days, her friend will be visiting - one of her few friends, and someone who Auri cannot wait to see. Those seven days are filled with Auri's preparations - her hunt amongst the tunnels and caves for a proper gift, and her thoughts as she goes about her business.
| The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss | |
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| Category: Fantasy | |
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Reviewer: Luke Marlowe
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| Summary: A beautiful, magical and enchanting tale about Auri, a character who has featured in the author's other two books, The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear. Wonderfully written, Rothfuss clearly enjoys writing at a slower pace, and the reader will enjoy reading more about the mysterious Auri, in a tale that reveals a little and leaves much a mystery | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 176 | Date: November 2014 |
| Publisher: Gollancz | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9781473209329 | |
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Rothfuss opens this book with a fairly simple message - 'You might not want to buy this book'. And I see his point - those who have not read the other two books set in this world - The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear, will be rather lost, as Auri is a unique character with a distinctive viewpoint and way of seeing the world. However, those who have read them will no doubt be longing to know more about the mysterious Auri, and this book is the perfect solution for that.
Of course, no big mysteries are revealed about Auri here - I imagine Rothfuss is keeping those revelations (if there are any) for the third book in his Kingkiller chronicles. This is instead a tale told entirely from Auri's viewpoint, and she's the only human character in the whole book. As Auri travels around her tunnels and rooms, we see her interacting with the various inanimate objects that are scattered throughout her life - and these soon take on personalities so strong they become secondary characters.
In the two other books set in this universe, Rothfuss has the pace go at a rapid speed in order to fit everything - the books are action packed and are both around 1000 pages long. The Slow Regard of Silent Things comes in at just under 160, and as the title suggest, moves at a slower pace. It really allows Rothfuss to let rip as a writer - his writing is elegant, poetic, and incredibly, wonderfully descriptive.
To accompany such gorgeous writing are lots of illustrations - simple, graceful drawings that really capture Auri and her world, and fit in amongst the words beautifully. In fact, the whole book is gorgeous - the cover too is wonderfully fitting.
For those who have read The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear, this is an absolute must read. You can learn about Auri's world and how she thinks, whilst gaining an insight into the underground world of University, and as to what Auri does in between Kvothe's visits. And those who haven't? Whilst I would recommend anybody to read Rothfuss's books, this may not be the easiest place to start. But, if you feel like reading a short, beautifully written tale about a slightly broken girl who finds wonder and magic in everything she finds - then certainly give it a go.
I only hope Rothfuss writes more books about these wonderful characters - whilst the third book in The Kingkiller Chronicles is in progress, I'd be delighted to read more about some of my favourites whilst I wait - perhaps a book about Master Elodin?
Many thanks to the publishers for the copy - it'll be treasured.
As you may have noticed, I really recommend you read the two books in The Kingkiller Chronicles - Rothfuss is a master creator of a wonderfully exciting fantasy world.
Another book that shows the world from the perspective of one who perhaps isn't considered 'normal', is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon - they're not immediately similar, but they both tell captivating tales about broken people.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss at Amazon.com.
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