The Wise Man's Fear

At the Waystone Inn, he moved like clockwork, like a wagon rolling down the road in well-worn ruts.

As my journey and adventures with Kvothe continues, I find myself plummeting deeper into the life of this shrewd prodigy. He is no ordinary teenager you can find in a regular school—belligerent and content with a little knowledge and flair. He is different. He is wise, atypical and profound with a bravado rising above what is predictable from a guy his age. He is not some kind of wizard who exist in the shadow of a pretty face; he is an arcanist of unquestionable wit and potential.
And there were many things that happened…

“If I were Kvothe, I’d fake my death, change my name, and find some little town out in the middle of nowhere. Then I’d open an inn and do my best to disappear.”

As Chronicler readies himself to transcribe everything the legendary man will recount, I also brace myself for the likely staggering revelations. Then in a glint, I am following Kvothe as he tries his best and musters all his mental power and strength to make it through the University for another term. Without a family, without money, he has to rely on his own ingenuity and gift to realize his purpose. And there he is—working hard in the Medica, the Artificery, or the Fishery—racing against time for his admission.

It is the way of his life. And I am in awe and am inspired by how he manages every sliver of his time to complete all that he needs to fulfill. I am captivated not only at how he works in those several areas in the University, but also at how he breaks the hearts of those who listen to his music and, at the same time, has the spirit to be jovial at the skimpy money he gets from hurting his fingers and severing his lute’s strings—not to forget how the songs that he plays remind him of the people he loved but he can never see again.

“Sometimes falling teaches us things too. In dreams you often fall before you wake.” – Elodin, Master Namer

In all honesty, the saga of Kvothe makes me cry. But although it is sometimes painful and lonely and sad and cruel, I will never want to change any line in the story of his life. Because I learned and loved so many things from it, especially the times when the moon hangs low in the sky and he is there sneaking out of his window to the rooftops and come to a place where Auri, his enigmatic friend, is waiting for him on the wide brick chimney. They will talk, or sometimes eat in silence, and he must carefully choose his every word for fear that he might scare her, and in a wink she will be gone in the darkness to her secret lair.

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

The journey that disconnects him from the University is so memorable, because not only it changes his life, it also allows him to discover new possibilities, find new friends, and learn new lessons that make him stronger and wiser. But I hate his fixation with Denna because she is unpredictable and puzzling and I am afraid it might never have a happy ending. What about Felurian? A mischievous entity that she is, I marvel at how she captures my friend to her realm and exploits his innocence for because of it, he transforms into a man.

“And it might have been, if I didn’t have a talent for making enemies and borrowing trouble. All I wanted was to play my music, attend my classes, and find my answers. Everything I wanted was at the University. All I wanted was to stay.” —Kote

Well, The Wise Man's Fear is not the end of my travels with Kvothe. I believe The Doors of Stone promises to be more exciting and fun!