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The Wise Man's Fear
- The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 2
- Narrated by: Rupert Degas
- Length: 42 hrs and 49 mins
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The Wise Man's Fear
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Summary
Sequel to the extraordinary The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man’s Fear is the second instalment of this superb fantasy trilogy from Patrick Rothfuss.
This is the most exciting fantasy series since George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and a must for all fans of HBO's Game of Thrones. Picking up the tale of Kvothe Kingkiller once again, we follow him into exile, into political intrigue, courtship, adventure, love and magic...and further along the path that has turned Kvothe, the mightiest magician of his age, a legend in his own time, into Kote, the unassuming pub landlord.
Packed with as much magic, adventure and home-grown drama as The Name of the Wind, this is a sequel in every way the equal to its predecessor and a must for all fantasy fans.
Engaging and gripping, The Wise Man’s Fear is the biggest and the best new fantasy novel out there.
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What listeners say about The Wise Man's Fear
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robyn
- 09-01-14
The problem with a trilogy....
I find that the problem with trilogies is that either 1) book #2 becomes the stuffing in the middle and nothing very much happens, or 2) the second book is just as good as the first, and when it finishes you go charging off to download the final instalment to find it's not yet released, so then you go off to the author's website to find there isn't even an indication of when the third instalment will be written! Much frustration and gnashing of teeth....and trawling through audible looking for a substitute fix (unsuccessfully). This book undoubtedly falls into the latter category!! A worthy sequel. (Although some might say that to suck one's audience into a tale like this, and then leave them hanging is positively cruel. Far too many loose ends, and enticing hints at what is to come)
The only time I felt concern that we might be entering "padding it out territory" was when Kvothe begins to study the Ketan, and with it the never-ending and unresolved exploration of the philosophy of the Lethani. Apart from this, the pace of the first book is maintained. Kvothe remains the imperfect yet very likeable hero.
The interludes, set in the present with the very much weaker Kote, are surely setting the scene for a rich third and final instalment? ....come on Patrick Rothfuss, gives us a clue as to when we can expect the completion of Kvothe's story.
I cannot fault Rupert Degas' performance. He manages to give every character a unique, and fitting voice - even for the women. Masterful.
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131 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Miss DePlume
- 23-02-17
Sociopath, Narcissist - Obnoxious Sonofa - Kvothe
I cannot fault Rupert Degas' performance, likewise I enjoy Patrick Rothfuss from his appearances on Acquisitions Inc and the first Kingkiller book.
However, the longer this tome went on the more I hated Kvothe.... and Denna.... and similies. I don't think I've ever read or listened to anything with more similies than a Patrick Rothfuss book. Audible ate my really clever review so instead let me sum up what you'll be listening to if you decide to get this book:
Kvothe ruins every shirt he's ever owned.
Too many similies. Did I mention that already?
Kvothe acts like an arrogant, cocky jerk to everyone he ever meets. Occasionally he kills people who might deserve it.
Many cringe-worthy hours are spent hearing about Kvothe's eye-rolling sexcapades. And him mooning over Denna. Bloody Denna. In fact, this is probably the majority of the book. It should really be marketed as a romance novel.
Many more cringe-worthy hours are spent hearing about Kvothe learning some kind of fantasy-world Qigong Martial Arts where everyone has totally embarrassing faux Chinese accents. I said I couldn't fault Rupert Degas' performance but actually I found this hard listening.
A weirdly specific but completely nonsensical monetary system - the costs/values of everything is constantly mentioned but nothing seems to actually make sense - 2 shirts cost as much as a year's worth of food. I know this because his ruined shirts feature prominently in the tale.
That's just my 2 Talent's worth - I could have bought a shirt, but instead I wrote this review.
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43 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- David
- 24-02-15
Sorry but I just don't get what the fuss is about
I know I am very much going against the flow in Fantasy circles in not getting excited about Patrick Rothfuss but I just don't see it. I quite enjoyed the Name of the Wind which is a better than average first installment of a fantasy series, laying the ground work with interesting characters and revealing just enough back story to pique further interest. It didn't really feel like it went anywhere but that was OK since it was setting up the series.
The problem with The Wise Man's Fear is that it is more of the same. I had expected the second part of what I believe is meant to be a trilogy to start moving the pace along a bit. That we would start to learn more of Kvothe's life and why he is so notorious in this World. Instead it was Harry Potter the University Years. Very well written, yes, but with no discernable point and, by the end of this book, deeply frustrating.
There is a lot here that I like: great characters richly developed; a coherent and interesting but unobtrusive fantasy world; a low level of magic and supernatural elements; but there needs to be something more than just a character study. The narrative needs to move on and I don't feel any closer to knowing the story of Kvothe after the second book than I did after the first. This vaucousness combines particularly poorly with having to pay for two audiobooks for one book to leave me feeling a little bit cheated
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33 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew
- 14-07-12
Once again - brilliant
As a follow on to the fantastic Name of the Wind - this is absolutely perfect. The story is wonderful, the characters detailed - the narration excellent. No idea when part 3 will be available but I hope that Rupert Degas is available to read it. A perfect combination.
If you want to get completely lost in another world - and enjoy the fantasy genre - listen to Name of the Wind and then The Wise Man's Fear. You will NOT regret it.
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27 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Matt
- 19-05-12
More good work from Partick Rothfuss
Having only just finished listening to "The Name of The Wind" which I thought was wonderful from start to finish I jumped wholeheartedly into the second of the series, "The Wise Man's Fear".
Rupert Degas gives one of my favourite deliveries of any audio narrator with this series. I often find myself preferring to listen to a great narrator reading a fairly good book than a poor narrator reading a fantastic book. It really makes a huge difference.
Thankfully, like the previous title, this audiobook is blessed with both excellent writing and narration. Patrick Rothfuss' intelligent and descriptive style is brought to life by Degas. The book is littered with detail that doesn't get in the way of the plot and characterisation is believable and rewarding. Rothfuss' pacing is nearly always spot on and he's fast becoming one of my favourite authors.
So why only four stars? Well, unlike "The Name of the Wind", this book feels a little disjointed. While the individual chapters are finely crafted, the book reads somewhat like a set of short stories. Kvothe's seems to just end up going from place to place after neatly wrapping up each story arc. It almost feels lazy, the way he bumps into a character, or is given a task which sends him on his way to the next part of the novel. This by no means ruins the book, but I did expect more from Rothfuss who is clearly is an extremely talented writer.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the major part of this novel, and while I don't hold in quite the high regard as "The Name of the Wind" it's still a very good continuation of the series. I eagerly look forward to the next one.
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25 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Ali
- 08-09-12
Brilliant
As with The Name of the Wind (the first book in this series), I absolutely loved this book. Completely engrossing and superb narration as ever from Rupert Degas. Well worth the credit / money!
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15 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- katherine
- 06-04-13
Excellent epic let down by weak female characters
First of all, I want to agree with the general opinion here that Rupert Degas' narration is really excellent - the best I've listened to yet. I'd love to give this book a 5 star rating, but there we're things that annoyed me that started in the first book and got worse in The Wise Man's Fear.
The positive:
The story is an adventure tale with a great writing style and imagination. I loved the stories within stories, the descriptions of Sympathy, Kvoth's childhood as a traveler. There is an atmosphere in his descriptions that reminds me of genuine folk-tales and songs. I agree that it was very long - perhaps unnecessarily - much in the same way the Harry Potter books are long. But I enjoyed the world he created so much that I didn't mind at all. I think this is just a requisite of reading epic fantasy: Wander around the map a little. Enjoy it while you can. The intelligence and believability in this fantasy was such a relief, since I've found it lacking in almost every other novel in the genre. Rothfuss writes it simply like "a book" - rather than as "a fantasy book". Most of the time ....
The negative:
I almost gave up on it halfway-through. Every female character in the book is beautiful, which seems to be their first and most important trait. I've never been convinced by the character of Denna. Kvoth seems to know nothing about her at all. The only time I was vaguely interested was when they first met in NotW. Here, she is talking with Kvoth, and I thought they might have a connection. Yet he simply narrates right over her, saying how beautiful she looked in the moonlight. Rothfuss puts women on pedestals. This seems to be the problem with all women in the book (culminating in the un-readble Fae chapter).
Hopes for Book 3:
Kvoth fails at something with tragic consequences for his ego.
A strong female character appears without endless references to her appearance.
Kvoth realises how to be friends with a woman - without having sex with her!
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13 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Beccameriel
- 06-08-13
Stormingly good fantasy with proper characters
Well, this is splendid. I am quite picky about fantasy and can't bear the usual cliches. Patrick Rothfuss has created a full realised universe and for once the characterisation is as important as the epic sweep of the story.
Rupert Degas is a fabulous narrator with lovely rich voice. He always manages to portray the right amount of emotion and clearly distinguishes between people. A good narrator makes or breaks a book and can make a good book unputdownable (unstoplistenable? - need a new word for audio books)
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12 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- The MacIntyre's
- 21-04-12
Epic Fantasy as good as Lord of the Rings
Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles is on par with Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and JK Rowling’s Harry Potter. The large number of different directions and plots the ‘The Name of the Wind’ covers is dramatically expanded in ‘The Wise Man's Fear’. The world that Patrick Rothfuss has created around the life and tales of the central character Kvothe is incredible and the way the story is link as if a biography is inspirational. These are audio books that I will be listening to again and again; the books are incredibly well crafted, with fantastic audio book narration. I highly recommend them.
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12 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- ChantalChan
- 19-08-17
Longer than needed to be
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, took me completely by surprise and left me wanting more however this 2nd instalment although I still enjoyed it very much I felt some parts of the booked lagged and I found it boring. Too much time was spent in places where I feel the story could've hurried forward and not enough time or no time at all spent exploring parts that could've been interesting. Almost drowned at sea yet completely glossed over that part but spent 20 chapters training and describing in laborious detail how Kvothe gets turned on by any woman, or how women choose when to have babies. Not interested in that and it did nothing to further the story.
The character of Denna I can't get on board with and I find her annoying. I preferred Kvothe when he was a virgin instead of a pervy boy who literally gives it to anyone who shows any sign of interest, oh and every woman he encounters is beautiful.
I hope in the next book I get to find out about this king he supposedly killed, how exactly he got expelled from the university, what's behind the stone door and why he is waiting to die.
Overall still a good book and I would recommend it.
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vira
- 04-10-13
2nd in Series, still Excellent
Much of what I said in my review of the first book of the Kingkiller Chronicles still applies. There are sections here that tend to be rather long-winded, but all is forgiven in writing which is this good.
I'm afraid the talented Rothfuss/Degas duo may have spoilt me for any other fantasy novels, but I'll keep hoping for an equal. (Or at least close).
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Emma
- 26-05-14
Awesome Series
What does Rupert Degas bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I honestly don't think there are words to express what richness and depth Rupert Degas' character voices brought to this audio book. Such amazing range and authenticity, I was totally and utterly lost in his narration.
Any additional comments?
Can't wait for the next in the series to be turned into an audio book!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Thorz
- 01-05-12
Part two of the masterpiece
If you could sum up The Wise Man's Fear (Part One) in three words, what would they be?
Amazing story, period!
What did you like best about this story?
The diversity of the situations Kvothe gets involved with.
What does Rupert Degas bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He give amazing life to all the characters. He is hands down the best performer of the once you'll find in audible
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Made me laugh several times.
Any additional comments?
This story is going to have you on the edge all the time. All the parts have a meaning so be patient when it appears to drive away from the main plot. The Felurian part is wonderful!My only complain is why it was decided to divide the book in 2 parts? The other version found here is just one audiobook of forty-something hours so why not Degas' one? I could not help to feel that they want to leech more money from the consumers. It is still worth to pay for this version that is divided in two because Degas really injects something that the other performer cannot match. This is the only reason because I did not give it 5 starts on the overall category.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Carlos
- 15-08-13
Can't wait for day 3
This is an example of how a good story can develop a sequel that captures the same intriguing mysteries and colorful characters as the original. Can't wait for part 3.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dean
- 09-04-21
Where is the 3rd book?!
I keep coming back to read these books yet there is no satisfaction as I await the next book in the series. Is this what drug addiction feels like? Don't be a fool like me. Don't read this series until the final book is released. It's very good. It's also unfinished.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ely Taysom
- 13-01-20
Sufficient in story, lacking in character
Rupert Degas delivers an incredible performance. Rothfuss on the other hand develops an unrelatable Mary Sue protagonist.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Luisa Motta
- 16-10-18
GIVE THIS MAN AN OSCAR!!!!!!!
YOU HAVE NEVER NOR WILL YOU EVER HEAR A BETTER VOICE ACTOR!!!. My God Rupert Degas is the best! he does different voices for each character and he does sound effects! like when they laugh, of cough, he even did the sound of a donkey! YES A DONKEY!!!! i could recognize every character without the book saying who was talking, just because he does different voices and accents for each one. For the love of God listen to this book 10/10 would recommend. Also this story is the best. THE. BEST.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bruce
- 28-05-18
Great, but a bit long winded in parts
There are parts of this book I thought were amazing and others I skipped through. All in all I enjoyed the descriptive writing and great characterisation but there were parts that dragged.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 14-10-17
Meh
Somewhat pretentious. The author clearly thinks he is more intelligent than the reader. He also sticks on an event for too long dragging it to the point of tedium. The underlying sexism is a put off too
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 26-10-14
Just flawless.
Any additional comments?
Flawless part one of book two of the series, capturing me just as much as the first book did. There is just too many good things to say about this book. I couldn't have asked for more and I loved every bit of it. A must read for any fantasy lover.
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1 person found this helpful