Natalie Monroe's Reviews > The Wise Man’s Fear

"In many ways, unwise love is the truest love. Anyone can love a thing because. That's as easy as putting a penny in your pocket. But to love something despite. To know the flaws and love them too. That is rare and pure and perfect.”

I used to be into the manga/anime Fairy Tail in 2008. That was before I discovered feminism, so I overlooked the hourglass-shaped women and sexual assault paraded as humor, stuff that would give me a rage-induced brain tumor now.



I didn't quit reading because of that. I quit reading because of the lack of plot. It's a common occurrence in manga. They have arcs that exist as mini-plotlines and may or may not trickle into the main one twenty years later.

The Wise Man's Fear brought me back to my otaku days. It's long and rambling and if you put some thought into it, nothing much happens. I thought this installment was about how he got expelled, but instead we get a Naming Class arc, Research arc, Patron arc, Make Sex With Fae Goddess arc, and the obligatory Training With Recluses arc. They matter in the long run the way a drop of water matters to a pond.

In all fairness, the Patron arc is fascinating and I skimmed the Make Sex With Fae Goddess arc to get back to it quicker. Faye makes a really good point in her review: the good stuff is left out. Where's his trial against Ambrose? I'd rather read that than pages and pages of YA-rating sex with Felurian.


I wanted this scene so very badly.

Near the end of the book, our dashing hero happens across two raped girls.

Yeah, you can guess what happens next.

I don't doubt Rothfuss identifies as a feminist. You can tell by the way he characterizes Kvothe and the thinly veiled direct-to-reader-addresses. But—and for the lack of a better term—he has a typical male understanding of feminism. Take Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, for instance. It tries to be feminist, but turns female suffragists into murdering extremists.

Rescuing women from rape is such a cliche, gendered trope it makes my vagina boil. Then, after the bad guys are slain and our good Samaritan is taking Krin and Ell home, Kvothe has to tell Krin to take care of Ell. A man has to tell a woman to help another woman.



It gets better. The girls get home and Kvothe tells the resident healer, an old lady, that a few of the responsible kidnappers were women. Old Lady is outraged, then says no women should do that because "they know what it feels like."

On the surface, it looks feminist. Women standing up for each other, yay! but remember it's Kvothe who prompts Krin into helping Ell. It's all tell, no show.

Then there's the context. One of the female bandits, before Kvothe kills her, said it was either her or them. You can't condemn her for valuing her own well-being over others, then dress it as feminism. Was it the right thing to do? No, but it falls into the area of morality, not feminism.

After my huge feminist rant, you'll see I still gave it 4 stars. Why? Because I enjoyed reading Kvothe's adventures. Because I hope maybe Rothfuss will read what his female fans have to say and change his perspective. I put that quote up there for a reason. The Wise Man's Fear is far from perfect, but it's pretty damn good nonetheless.