The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

The Wise Man's Fear

To start I want to say that this is the sequel to one of my favorite books of all time (The Name of the Wind). Also, that it's 994 pages long.  It can get a bit slow at parts but it's still very good and there's something in it for everyone.

This is the continuing story of Kvothe as he is telling it to the Chronicler and his apprentice Bast.  We pick up when Kvothe is at the University.  Soon after, he is forced to leave the University by his archenemy Ambrose and he travels abroad.  He goes to Severen to find a powerful Vintan noble, Maer Alveron, who is looking for a skilled musician.  He is sent by the Maer, and with four other mercenaries, he must find and stop who—or what—ever is waylaying tax collectors on the King's Road.  Along the way he becomes the first man to be lured in by the Fae Felurian and survive.  He is also trained and taught by the Adem and much improves his fighting skills (as well as his Ademic).  All the while he is searching for stories of the Amyr and the Chandrian.

I highly recommend reading The Name of the Wind before this sequel.  Many of the events at the beginning won't make much sense.  It will also be hard to understand Kvothe's motivations and desires.  The first book explains Kvothe's origins and more about sympathy (magic) and other elements in The Wise Man's Fear.
The end of this book still leaves many questions unanswered and will have readers clamoring for the final book in The Kingkiller's Chronicle.