The Name of the Wind is a mix between High Fantasy in the tradition of Tolkien, and mock-Medieval fiction (ie Tolkien without the elves etc).
The main character is a likely lad named Kvothe, who deals admirably with the trials of his youth, which include extreme bereavement and homelessness, by becoming the Medieval equivalent of a Guitar God (only he plays the lute, because that is more realistic). As lead characters go he is actually extremely likeable, although he does have an annoying tendency to be too good at things. For example, in addition to his status as Lute-god, he is also unimaginably good at magic. It is occasionally difficult to believe he could have so many issues with life if he is really that much better at everything than his peers.
The Name of the Wind is the first book in a trilogy featuring the inimitable Kvothe. The novel covers Kvothe's childhood and entrance into the University, where he wants to learn, as I'm sure you can guess, 'the name of the wind'. The narrative is cleverly framed by passages describing Kvothe as a grown man of indeterminate age, who has become an inkeeper, and is telling his story to The Chronicler. Consequently, although the narrative of Kvothe's youth has a largely satisfactory ending, the framing tempts the reader to try and guess how he has ended up there, and why it's such a big deal that he has.
Overall, it is a well-plotted novel with wonderful imagery and interesting characters. It is, however, a bit long for the amount of plot it contains. But that just means you get to follow Kvothe around for a little longer...
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