Last Updated on November 28, 2023 by Louisa
I love a good high fantasy novel, and when I stumbled across Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss in a bookstore, I was intrigued by its dark and mysterious cover.
You know how they say never judge a book by its cover? Well, Name of the Wind didn’t give much away, so I went into this book with no expectations but came away in awe.
The poetic prose by Patrick Rothfuss made this fantasy story come to life. The storyline was full of highs and lows, gripping scenes and so many unanswered questions.
So what do I read while waiting for the next book? In this guide, I’ve listed my top similar books like Name of the Wind to add to your reading list while you wait for the long-awaited sequel to be released.
Go take a look!
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Quick Answer: Top 3 Picks!
Need a book fast but don’t have much time? Don’t worry, here are my top three favorites.
Our Favourites!
#1 Best Highly Acclaimed Book
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K LeGuin
- Written in 1968 and could be considered inspiration for Name of the Wind
- Has a chronicle-style storytelling approach to delivering the story
- Winner of The Women’s Prize for Fiction Award in 2021
#2 Best High Fantasy Book
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
- A mind-bending story about a man who seeks to explore a house with infinite rooms
- Poetically written and full of action
- Winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award in 1969
Summary of Name of The Wind
Before I get into the top similar books to Name of The Wind, let’s quickly recap the story. Don’t worry, I won’t reveal any spoilers if you haven’t finished reading it yet.
Name of The Wind, which is sometimes called The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One, is a fantasy book about Kvothe Kingkiller, a man with magical powers who shares his story of how he became a man of legends.
It’s written in first person as Kvothe chronicles his story from childhood through to his present life.
It follows the account of how he went from a simple, magically gifted young man to the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.
It’s full of high-action scenes with some poetic prose, as well as some mystical elements that keep the reader asking questions throughout.
It was the winner of the 2007 Quill Award for Best Science Fiction and Fantasy/Horror, as well as the 2008 Reader’s Choice Award.
I loved the mystery, the suspense, the excitement and the elegant writing style – but sadly, we still need to wait for the third and final book, Doors of Stone, to be released.
Books Like Name of The Wind
Now you have been reminded of the story, it’s time to show you the best books to read if you liked Name of the Wind.
1. The Wise Man’s Fear – Patrick Rothfuss
Let’s start with the obvious. If you’ve finished reading Name of The Wind, you should add the sequel to your next-to-read list. The second book is just as exciting and gripping as the first.
On the second day of his chronicles, Kvothe continues the narrative of The Name of the Wind, where he pursues his education at the University.
There he has a feud with a fellow student, Ambrose, which leads to him being charged with Consortation with Demonic Powers, a capital crime.
Now he must defend himself in court, and because of the charge, his tuition fees go up. Facing debts, he must come up with ways of getting out of this difficult situation…
Just like the first book, The Wise Man’s Fear is packed with suspense, action, and thought-provoking messages.
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2. American Gods – Neil Gaiman
If you loved Name of the Wind, then you’ll probably enjoy the works of Neil Gaiman, whose most famous work is American Gods.
The story follows a man named Shadow, who has just been released from jail. His wife, Laura, was killed in a vehicle accident, and he is crushed by her death. He’s also upset to learn that she died with his best friend Robbie, with whom she had an affair.
After being released from jail, he returns home and takes a job as a bodyguard for Mr. Wednesday, a strange con artist who claims to be a refugee, a former deity, and the king of America.
With Mr. Wednesday, he sets off on a bizarre adventure across the heart of the United States, visiting Wednesday’s acquaintances and encountering a hidden America where magic is real and fear grows over the increasing power of New Gods.
American Gods is similar to Name of the Wind in that it’s a tale of deception, power, and sacrifice. The story is a mash-up of Americana, fantasy, and mythology that takes a hard look into the soul of America.
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3. Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire) – George R. R. Martin
Fantasy lovers will probably already have this on their reading list, but it if you haven’t read Game of Thrones yet, be sure to add it to your list of books to read after Name of the Wind.
A Game of Thrones is the first of the A Song of Ice and Fire series and is where we are introduced to a world of dragons, sorcerers, dark omens and assassins.
The storyline is packed full of action, much like Name of the Wind, and has many intriguing characters, plot twists, and scenes of tragedy and betrayal.
George R. R. Martin has created an entirely new world and has often been praised as one of the best high fantasy authors, along with the likes of Neil Gaiman and J. R. R. Tolkien.
If you are a fan of Patrick Rothfuss, then chances are you’ll enjoy this series.
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4. Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller
The Song of Achilles is a coming-of-age book similar to Name of the Wind and is known for its mythical elements, but has more of a romantic element to it.
Patroclus, a young prince, has been sent to the kingdom of Phthia after murdering another boy.
Falling in love with Achilles, the son of a Greek Goddess, Patroclus is everything Achilles is not.
Growing up together, they form an irrevocably deep bond, and soon comes the beginnings of the Trojan War.
Helen of Sparta is kidnapped and persuaded by the promise of a future full of glory, Achilles joins the monumental effort to get Helen back with Patroclus joining too.
Told from his perspective, Miller’s exquisite writing style allows us to venture into the life and mind of Patroclus and see his worship for Achilles and the horrors of war.
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Related Post: Books with Mythical Creatures
5. Assassin’s Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy) – Robin Hobb
Another exciting book like Name of the Wind with royal intrigue, suspense and magic is Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb.
In a faraway land, the royal family members are named for the virtues they embody. One young boy is about to have his fate changed forever.
Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, was born a royal bastard and cast out into the world alone. His only solace is his magical connection with animals, an old art form known as the Wit.
With the animals, he finds companionship. But the Wit can be a perilous magic if used too much and is a power that is only given to those with the nobility.
So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must put the Wit aside, leave his animal friends, and embrace a new way of life with courtly manners…and learn how to secretly kill a man, as he soon becomes the royal assassin.
This is a fast-paced book that you will struggle to put down. It will have you glued to the pages!
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6. The Last Unicorn – Peter S. Beagle
Unicorns have lived since the dawn of time in the magical land of The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. In a forest where death touches nothing, a rumor spreads that unicorns are gone from the world.
But could the villainous King Haggard be behind their disappearance?
A young unicorn, Mia Farrow, learns she’s in danger and may even be the last unicorn on Earth, so she flees to the safety of the protected forest.
Here she meets a sorcerer, Schmendrick, who helps her on her quest to stop the evil king and save the unicorns from going extinct.
This novel was written in 1968 and was turned into an animated movie in 1982 starring Christopher Lee and Jeff Bridges.
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7. Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K LeGuin
Another classic fantasy novel like Name of the Wind is the 1968 novel, Wizard of Earthsea. In fact, you might even go as far as to say that Name of the Wind is like Wizard of Earthsea.
This classic tale was widely influential when it was released. The story takes place in the fictional island archipelago of Earthsea, and follows a young mage named Ged, who displays great power from a young age.
He joins a school of wizardry, where he gets into conflict with a fellow student. When they engage in a magical duel, Ged’s spell goes wrong and he accidentally releases a shadow creature that attacks him.
The novel then follows Ged’s adventures as he seeks to be rid of the creature.
It’s a part coming-of-age story and part fantasy adventure book.
It has a similar chronicle approach to storytelling that Patrick Rothfuss has in Name of the Wind but largely focuses on the empathetic development of Ged as he learns to embrace his power and come to terms with loss.
It won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award in 1969 and was a recipient of the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1979.
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8. The Lies of Locke Lamora – Scott Lynch
The Lies of Locke Lamora is the first book of the Gentleman Bastard series by Scott Lynch. It follows a group of elite con artists who call themselves the “Gentleman Bastards,” who have a “Robin Hood” ethos of robbing the rich.
The setting of the book is the city of Camorr, which is based on late medieval Venice but is fictional.
There are two interweaving stories in The Lies of Locke Lamora; one follows the Gentleman Bastards as they fight a mysterious Grey King that is trying to take over the underworld, whilst simultaneously the story covers the history of Camorr and the Gentleman Bastards group.
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9. The Summer Tree (The Fionavar Tapestry Trilogy) – Guy Gavriel Kay
Another classic fantasy trilogy to add to your reading list is The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy by Guy Gavriel Kay.
It was originally published between 1984 and 1986 and could have been an influence on Name of the Wind.
The novels are set in the fictional world of Fionavar, and partly in today’s society, as it follows five University of Toronto senior law and medical students who are lured into the ‘first world of the Tapestry’ by a mage named Loren Silvercloak.
Once there, they each discover that each student has a role to play in an epic conflict about to take place…
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10. Senlin Ascends (The Books of Babel Series) – Josiah Bancroft
Another fantasy series like Name of the Wind to get lost in is the Books of Babel series by Josiah Bancroft.
The first book, Senlin Ascends, is where we are first introduced to the mountain, Tower of Babel, an immense mountain that holds ancient kingdoms stacked one on top of the other.
In this world, some kingdoms are peaceful, some are at war, and all of them are full of geniuses, tyrants, unusual animals, and mystery.
Thomas Senlin first arrives at the Tower on his honeymoon, where he gets separated from his wife, Marya, in the throng of tourists, residents, and miscreants.
Senlin is determined to find his wife, but to find her he needs to navigate through the madhouses, ballrooms, and burlesque theaters.
His adventure takes him to assassins and gun fights, and epic battle scenes.
It’s similar to Name of the Wind for its action scenes, and the character development of a simple man turning into a hero.
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11. The Stolen Child – Keith Donohue
If you liked Name of the Wind for its poetic prose and the depth of Patrick Rothfuss’s writing, then The Stolen Child should be on your reading list.
It was inspired by the Irish poet, William Butler Yeats’ poem about a child who is tempted from home to the waters and the wild.
In The Stolen Child, the story is narrated by the child, Henry Day, and his double life, Aniday.
On a summer night, Henry runs away from home and hides in a hollow tree, where he is taken by changelings into an unknown world of darkness and secrets.
They take him in and make him one of their own, calling him Aniday, but in doing so, he is stuck as a child forever.
As he grows, he struggles to remember his true home and the family he once knew. As he learns to accept his new land, a double lives his old life, which was put there by the changelings.
As Aniday learns to accept the mythical world, this new Henry Day must adapt to the modern world, whilst hiding his identity.
The Stolen Child is a classic coming-of-age tale about the search for identity.
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12. The Hobbit – J. R. R. Tolkien
Many fans of Patrick Rothfuss also enjoy the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the world-famous Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Perhaps the most similar book to Name of the Wind by Tolkien is The Hobbit, which follows the story of Bilbo Baggins who goes from a timid hobbit in The Shire to a brave and courageous hero, helping the dwarves take back the Lonely Mountain from the evil dragon Smaug.
The Hobbit is packed with adventures, mystery, and action.
It’s similar to Name of the Wind for its action scenes and also for the character development, as Bilbo Baggins also goes from a humble hobbit to a legend (though without magic).
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13. The Priory Of The Orange Tree – Samantha Shannon
The Priory of the Orange Tree is about a divided world where a queen rules without an heir, and an enemy seeks to destroy the lands.
Queen Sabran is the ruler of The House of Berethnet who has ruled Inys for centuries.
But she must conceive a daughter in order to protect her realm from falling apart, meanwhile facing off assassins who are nearing closer.
Her lady-in-waiting, Ead Duryan, is an outsider at court, but she is also loyal to a hidden society of mages.
While Sabran fends off the assassins, Ead keeps a watchful eye on her and protects her with forbidden magic.
Meanwhile across the sea, a dragon rider seeks to change the fate of everything…
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Related Reading: Books About Dragon Riders
14. Lord Foul’s Bane (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever) – Stephen R. Donaldson
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever is a series of books about a man, named Thomas Covenant, who is thrust into a strange alternate world.
In his modern world, he had been sick but now is healthy. In his world, he was an outcast, but now he is regarded as the reincarnation of the Land’s greatest hero, Berek Halfhand.
Armed with the mystic power of White Gold, Thomas Covenant has been tasked with protecting the Lords of the Land from an ancient evil, Lord Foul.
Only…Covenant has no idea how to use the power.
This is a witty, humorous tale about a mythical land where a simple man turns into a hero, much like Name of the Wind.
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15. Piranesi – Susanna Clarke
Piranesi is an award-winning novel about an extraordinary house called Piranesi with infinite rooms. Its corridors are endless and the walls are lined with thousands of statues – each different from each other.
Amongst the labyrinth, there is an ocean that has been imprisoned there. The waves crash against staircases and the rooms are flooded instantly.
But Piranesi understands the tides and the pattern of the labyrinth. His life is about exploring the house and all its secrets.
Only, there is one other person in the house. A man known as The Other, visits Piranesi two times a week and asks for help with his research into “A Great and Secret Knowledge”.
As Piranesi explores the house, more evidence emerges of yet another person. As he explores, a terrible truth starts to unveil itself…
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Final Word on Books Like Name of The Wind
So there you have it, those are fifteen books similar to Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
Whether you enjoyed the first novel for its poetic prose, its mysterious plot, or the first-person storytelling, you’ll find something to keep you satisfied until the long-awaited release of Doors of Stone on this list.
Do you have any more books like Name of the Wind to suggest? Let me know in the comments.
