The first third of this book is a continuation of the Dracoy-Malfoy-esque school drama arc which comprised the second half of the first book. Usage of blood magic ups the stakes and makes things a bit more interesting and less juvenile than the obvious trope, but it is still just a schoolboys' feud which doesn't do much to progress the overarching plot. Much of this drama is also frustrating because neither boy is willing to escalate to the appropriate school authorities out of misguided fear (trafficked mentality) that they'll be held responsible for being a victim.

Denna is an annoying love interest, but Kvolthe is too blind to see that he's being 100% used by the elusive missus who touts her boy toys directly in front of him stoking jealousy. It's hinted that she has a death note kind of arcane ability, but this isn't really explored much.

Just as I'm starting to get bored of the University arc, Rothfuss does a hard cut away ex machina a la "oh yeah, and then I had to take a semester off, trust me it was for the best," with much handwaving even to the chagrin of the other characters in the inn who are being told the same story as we, the audience.

The second half of the book can be broken into 3 or 4 distinct subplots following Kvolthe's time as an underling for a mayor in a well-to-do aristocratic landscape, being sent on a sidequest to stop some bandits who have been raiding the trade routes, slipping into the fae to do some sucking n fucking, studying the peculiar daoist ways of the Ademre (Samurai analogs), and then doing some vigilante work.

While the story is enjoyable to read, the cracks in Rothfuss's structure are beginning to show. One thousand pages further into what was clearly the second to last book of the trilogy and the king has yet to become significant to the plot, let alone how Kvolthe will come about to kill him. It's very much just an adventure story about a hero going around and gaining skills, and it's no shock that Rothfuss has been struggling to tie up book three for over a decade at this point as he's fallen victim to the same writer's folly as G.R.R.M.

While it's an enjoyable read internally, externally this story is unfortunately poorly concocted and amateur (in the same way that ASoIaF is, which is more of a compliment than a critique).

related