Search for characters or series


85 chapters - View chapters and summaries
| Name | Aliases | Role |
|---|---|---|
Kvothe Legendary figure known as the Kingkiller, the Bloodless, and other names. Telling his own story from behind the bar of a quiet inn. | Kote, Reshi, Dulator, Maedre, E'lir Kvothe | Protagonist |
Ambrose Jakis A wealthy, entitled nobleman and University student. Twelfth in line for the throne of Vintas. Kvothe's persistent rival. | Ambrose | Antagonist |
Cinder One of the Chandrian, also known as Ferule. White-haired with black eyes, he led the attack that killed Kvothe's troupe. His cruelty is casual and absolute. Kvothe's desire for revenge against him drives much of the story. | Antagonist | |
| Alaxel, Lanre | Antagonist | |
Master Hemme Master Rhetorician at the University. Pompous, petty, and vindictive, he takes an instant dislike to Kvothe and uses his position on the horns to make the boy's life as difficult as possible. | Antagonist | |
Abenthy An arcanist who travels with Kvothe's troupe and becomes his first teacher. Known as Ben, he recognises Kvothe's extraordinary talent and teaches him the fundamentals of sympathy, naming, and the Alar before leaving the troupe. | Supporting | |
Auri A mysterious, fragile young woman who lives in the Underthing beneath the University. Kvothe befriends her by playing his lute on the rooftops, and she becomes one of the people he cares about most - though understanding her is another matter entirely. | Supporting | |
| Bastas | Supporting | |
Count Threpe A minor nobleman and patron of the arts in Imre. He becomes Kvothe's ally and advocate, helping him navigate the world of patronage and eventually securing him a position with Maer Alveron. | Supporting | |
| Dianne, Dinah, Dinnah, Donna, Dyane, Alora | Supporting | |
Devan Lochees A renowned scribe and author who seeks out Kvothe to record his true story. | The Chronicler | Supporting |
Devi A moneylender and former University student expelled for reasons she does not fully explain. Brilliant, dangerous, and charming, she provides Kvothe with loans at terrible interest and proves to be one of the most formidable sympathists he encounters. | Supporting | |
Fela A University student and one of Kvothe's friends. Beautiful and intelligent, she studies under Kilvin in the Fishery and later under Elodin in Naming, where she proves to have genuine talent. | Supporting | |
Master Elodin Master Namer at the University and former Chancellor. Brilliant, eccentric, and apparently mad, he teaches Naming - the deepest and most dangerous of the University's arts. He recognises Kvothe's talent and becomes his most important teacher. | Supporting | |
Master Kilvin Master Artificer at the University. A large Cealdish man who runs the Fishery where students build artificed devices. Fair-minded and demanding, he becomes one of Kvothe's most important mentors. | Supporting | |
Master Lorren Master Archivist at the University, guardian of the Archives. Tall, imposing, and utterly expressionless, he bans Kvothe from the Archives early in his studies - a punishment that shapes much of Kvothe's time at the University. | Supporting | |
Simmon One of Kvothe's closest friends at the University. Warm-hearted, earnest, and given to poetry, he provides emotional support and genuine kindness in an environment that often rewards neither. | Supporting | |
Wilem One of Kvothe's closest friends at the University. A Cealdish student who is steady, practical, and loyal. He and Simmon form the core of Kvothe's social circle. | Supporting |
| Name | Type |
|---|---|
| The University | Organisation |
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
2007 | Award Won | Quill Award SF/fantasy/horror category |
27 March 2007 | Publication | Published by DAW Books on 27 March 2007. A remarkable debut that arrived with comparisons to Martin, Tolkien, and Robert Jordan from critics who are generally slow to reach for such names. It won the Quill Award, was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and sold over a million copies. The prose drew particular praise - Rothfuss's lyrical, almost poetic style was cited by most reviewers as the book's defining strength, carrying even slower passages. The magic system and the frame narrative structure - Kvothe dictating his own legend to a chronicler - were widely admired as fresh takes on familiar fantasy conventions. The main criticism was pacing: at nearly 700 pages, some readers found certain sections self-indulgent and Kvothe himself occasionally insufferably superior. The unresolved wait for the third volume has cast a long shadow over the series' reputation in the years since, but the first book's standing as one of the strongest fantasy debuts of the 21st century remains largely intact. |
2008 | Award Nominated | Locus Award Fantasy novel category, 17th place |
2008 | Award Nominated | Locus Award First novel category, 2nd place |
2008 | Award Nominated | Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Memorial Award Best first novel, finalist |
2009 | Award Won | Phantastik Preis Foreign novel category |
2010 | Award Nominated | Xatafi-Cyberdark Award Foreign book category |
Quill Award
SF/fantasy/horror category
Published by DAW Books on 27 March 2007. A remarkable debut that arrived with comparisons to Martin, Tolkien, and Robert Jordan from critics who are generally slow to reach for such names. It won the Quill Award, was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and sold over a million copies. The prose drew particular praise - Rothfuss's lyrical, almost poetic style was cited by most reviewers as the book's defining strength, carrying even slower passages. The magic system and the frame narrative structure - Kvothe dictating his own legend to a chronicler - were widely admired as fresh takes on familiar fantasy conventions. The main criticism was pacing: at nearly 700 pages, some readers found certain sections self-indulgent and Kvothe himself occasionally insufferably superior. The unresolved wait for the third volume has cast a long shadow over the series' reputation in the years since, but the first book's standing as one of the strongest fantasy debuts of the 21st century remains largely intact.
Locus Award
Fantasy novel category, 17th place
Locus Award
First novel category, 2nd place
Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Memorial Award
Best first novel, finalist
Phantastik Preis
Foreign novel category
Xatafi-Cyberdark Award
Foreign book category