Thursday, May 10, 2012

Character Connection: Kvothe from The Kingkiller Chronicles

Since I am deeply engulfed in the second book of this series, The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, it is only fitting that I dedicate my Character Connection post this month to its hero:


KVOTHE
The Kingkiller


You may remember me mentioning him back when I reviewed the first book, The Name of the Wind, but just let me expound here on all the many ways there are to love this character:

  • First of all he has red hair. Not dark and floppy, not blond and messy, but RED.  And tons of it. So that's something different.
  • And there's the green eyes. Piercing, emerald ones at that! :)
  • He's very very smart and clever. Like.... there's been no one at University like him before or since. 
  • He not only uses his smartness to do well in his studies, but to come up with mischievous schemes, which is always endearing, is it not?
  • He's a musician, one that brings people to tears with his lute playing and his song singing. What's NOT to love about that?
  • He's bookish. Not only smart, but he loves books and reads like crazy and he lives and breathes for the Archives! (The library, of course.)
  • He's romantic, but in a quiet, shy sort of way. He seems scared to death of the girl he likes and at this point in the story (I have tons left to read you see) he's yet to make a move. But oh, so romantic.
  • He's generous. He, himself, has pretty much nothing, But when he does get a little money, he always shares with people (specifically the girl living in the Underthing) who have even less than him.
  • He's reckless, especially when it comes to Ambrose! And I find myself yelling at him in my head.... KVOTHE!!! What ARE you thinking? Stay AWAY from that awful dude!!!
  • He's loyal to his friends, other boys who seem to not fit in anywhere.
  • He saves people from fires and other such hazards. 
  • Did I mention the lute playing?
  • Not only ALL of that, but he can cook too. I just read the part where they are going crazy for his apple pie. 
  • Oh, and then there's the magic bit. Magic, he does it. And better than anyone else of course. 
  • ETA: It's been brought to my attention (see comments) that I neglected to mention that Kvothe is not without his flaws, and since I totally meant to add this (seriously, I did!) and it's bugging me that I forgot, and now that I've been called out for it... I'm adding this P.S..... Yes, part of what makes him so awesome his is flaws, and without them he would not be NEAR as interesting, because what's a perfect character if not BORING! He has flaws galore, and in the end, it's going to cause him all sorts of problems, but I'm so worried about it, that I'm currently in denial.  
Seriously, I think I just got started on this list, but I'll stop for now. I'm sure there'll be more about him when I finish the book and do the review.  But for now, just know that this boy gets in your head and won't leave you alone. And that's a good thing.

Who's your favorite character of the month? I know you have one. Write a post and head on over to The Introverted Reader and link up.


13 comments:

  1. I loved Kvothe too! I'm hoping to pick up book 2 soon, but there are just so many things on my TBR list that I haven't got to it yet. But great list! The Lute playing is definitely towards the top on mine too =)

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    1. Anne: It's only taken me a year to get to this, as much as I love it. I wanted to be able to really concentrate on it, so finally, FINALLY, this is the week! I hope you manage to get to it soon too!

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  2. I also think his flaws are important. He'd be a total Harry Schue if he weren't also arrogant, impetuous, vengeful, poor, and a little bit un-self aware. I also like that Rothfuss showed that although Kvoth is smart, as he gets into advanced subjects and starts to specialize, he's no longer the best at everything. Like everyone he has limits. And as is hinted at at the beginning of book 1, something along the way has broken him badly, so he's not invincible either.

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    1. Heidi: I've add his flaws to the list because I so meant to mention them! Yes, and I agree, he would be near as fascinating without them, that's for sure. As for the "broken" thing... as I said above, I'm in denial about that!

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  3. I completely and totally love Kvothe. I agree with Heidi, his flaws are just as important as his many, many strengths. And the best part is how he learns from his mistakes. Does he ever make a mistake twice? Except for messing with Ambrose? lol

    Great post Suey!

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    1. Heather: It's a blast to see him learn from his mistakes, you are so right!

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  4. +JMJ+

    He sounds totally swoon-worthy! I wonder why more bloggers don't have huge crushes on him.

    Then again, maybe that's best. Then he can be a secret diamond to those who know about him. ;-)

    I'll definitely check this series out, because any writer who can create a character like this must be worth reading!

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    1. Enbrethiliel: I think that everyone that reads these books crushes on him. Don't they? I think so. But I love that secret diamond thing. I'll go for that, though now I've outed him by this gushing post! Oh, well.

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  5. Sheesh! Who the heck care about his flaws if he's that amazing? ;) I really need to get started on this series but I'm having a hard time with EPIC fantasy at the moment. I don't want to push myself and ruin it.

    What's with the brown floppy hair and blonde messy hair? Are you seeing a pattern in YA books or something? ;)

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    1. Jenny: I say, do wait until you are in the moode. It is epic fantasy, but not as overwhelmingly epic as some epics are! :) LOL on the hair thing. I almost said he has red hair that's both floppy AND messy! BUT, you know, I'm not exactly sure if he does! BUT, I love the windblown look of the fan art above. I do picture his hair all over the place and getting in his way sometimes, whether it's floppy or messy or not!

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  6. Seriously, I am in love with Kvothe. In. Love. He is awesome! It's so great to see someone else reading Rothfuss!

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  7. I do love Kvothe, but I hate his name! I mentally trip over it every time I see it. I really need to get to the second book, but I just haven't been in the mood for epic fantasy for a while. I'll get there sometime soon I'm sure!

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