The Name of the Wind is the first book in a trilogy about life, growth and heroic deeds of the main character Kvothe. The name of the novel is related to the magic system in it in which magic is drawn from elements and combination of energy.
It begins with our main character living as an owner of a secluded tavern. He changed his name to Kote, so he can live in disguise, since his deeds are famous all over the kingdom. It begins with a sudden appearance of demons called Chandrian, and these awaken memories of Kvothe's past. It just so happens that a Chronicler stumbles upon Kvothe and so it begins the telling of Kvothe's story.
He tells the story from the beginning, his life on the road with a family of actors and artists, and the tutoring he received from Abenthe, an old arcenist, or magician in other words. One night his entire family is murdered by Chandrian and so begins his path toward revenge. He lives for a while on the poor streets of Tarbean, but his luck soon changes, and he finally arrives to University. Even there Kvothe doesn't have it easy, having to work diligently for money to stay, while trouble is never far from.
The novel is characteristic in its absence of plot; it is a bildungsroman focused on the growth and life of the main character. It has an abrupt end which serves as a cliff-hanger for the next book. Moreover, it has important themes of social classes and importance of money embedded into it, along with an atmospheric setting.
Opinions on Kvothe as a main character may be divided due to lack of flaws, while some might argue that his arrogance is his biggest one. The lack of plot could be due to it being a part of a trilogy; it isn't made to be a stand-alone book, so the questions posed in it are left to be answers in its successors.
