Fans waiting for the third installment of Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicles (which began with The Name of the Wind) may be surprised to find this companion novella doesn't continue the main series' story arc.
Even though this isn't the hotly anticipated third volume, it's best not to miss out on this delightful, focused narrative about Auri, the mysterious waif who lives under the University (which the protagonist of the main series attends). Auri lives in what she calls the Underthing, a series of twisting passages and unused, abandoned rooms. She has a magical talent that plays out like obsessive-compulsive disorder. Every discarded thing she finds in the Underthing has an ideal place and position. Auri can detect each object's feelings and desires and has made it her duty to ensure all is in its proper place. She spends her days connecting with these silent castoffs and helping them find their own special spots to be.
She's also waiting for "him," an unnamed hero fans will recognize as the series' protagonist. This sense of anticipation evokes its own rhythm, underscoring Auri's daily routine. This is not an epic novel full of heroic deeds, but rather a soft, gentle tale of a young girl with a specific, burdensome talent and who must follow her compulsions. The Slow Regard of Silent Things is ideal for fans looking better to understand Rothfuss's world through a lovely, peaceful story of a young woman with a rich inner life. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor