The Name of the Wind

How it reads

The Name of the Wind is fantasy (epic fantasy, specifically), and its dominant mood is adventurous. It's driven by momentum, discovery and getting into trouble. The pace is moderate — neither a page-turner nor a slow burn — so it holds up whether you read it in long sittings or short ones.

It's set in an invented world, in the historical past, told in the first person by a single narrator. Its central concerns are identity, survival and art and creativity. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.

It opens a series. It ends on a cliffhanger, so have the next book ready. At 662 pages it's a real commitment. It's a mega-bestseller — the book everyone seems to have read.