The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind is a 2007 fantasy novel by Patrick Rothfuss and the first book in The Kingkiller Chronicle. It is also known as The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One. The book opens the series with a large fantasy world and a story built around a narrator who is telling the story of his life and how he came to be spoken about with both fame and infamy. It sets up the series rather than wrapping up a self-contained plot.

It fits readers who like epic fantasy with careful worldbuilding, a measured pace, and a story told through memory and framing rather than nonstop action. If you enjoy long-form fantasy with a distinctive voice and a strong sense of character history, this is a good place to start. Its connection to similar fantasy is strongest in stories centered on identity, reputation, and a life being recounted over time, rather than on a tight, closed plot.