I hate books like this. Absolutely, positively, loathe them. My fingers hurt from holding them open. Sleep deprivation makes me grumpy, irritable and cranky. I hate any book that is so good that the only thing that makes me stop reading them in the wee hours of the night is that my eyes won't focus any more. Or, God forbid, I finish the damn thing when book two isn't out yet.

THE NAME OF THE WIND tells the story of Kvothe. Or rather, it tells the story of Kvothe telling his story and why he became the infamous figure that he is, and why he has gone into hiding, broken in spirit and waiting for the end. This, the first book in an evident trilogy, starts with Kvothe as a gifted and precocious child. Orphaned by dark powers, he becomes intent on revenge. To gain the knowledge and power he seeks, he enrolls at the University of the Arcane. The book traces up through the early part of his career at the University, as he struggles to excel and survive with no resources beyond his wits.

THE NAME OF THE WIND has all the hallmarks of a great fantasy story - a fully realized, imaginative and immersive world; interesting and believable characters; a gripping, expansive story; and excellent writing. Considering how much the story might resemble the Harry Potter stories in the broad strokes, it is a testament to the creative powers of the author that not once did I even think the word "Hogwarts" the whole time I was reading it. And in a genre rife with various explanations of magic, the arcane arts in this book are presented with a refreshing take that brought a smile to the cold-hearted physicist within me.

It's entirely possible that the series doesn't live up to the promise of this first book. The epic plot so hinted at in THE NAME OF THE WIND may not turn out to be as epic as it seems. Book two may turn out to be a self indulgent mess (Eldest, I'm looking at you). Until the series is finished, I'll refrain from appellations such as "masterpiece," "tour de force," "the new Tolkien," or "best of the new millenium" - but this series is definitely in the running.