The Narrow Road Between Desires – Patrick Rothfuss
Bast knows how to bargain. The give-and-take of a negotiation is as familiar to him as the in-and-out of breathing; to watch him trade is to watch an artist at work. But even a master’s brush can slip. When he accepts a gift, taking something for nothing, Bast’s whole world is knocked askew, for he knows how to bargain—but not how to owe.
by Mike
Caution! Mild spoilers ahead for The Name Of The Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear.
So, similar to The Slow Regard Of Silent Things, this is a spin-off novella in the world of the Kingkiller Chronicles, the author’s main (yet unfinished) trilogy. It follows Bast, as we now know (a most likely) Fawn from the otherworldy wilderness of the Fae. He is disguised as a human, in service of the protagonist who is now in hiding after having his “chosen one” narrative go utterly wrong (see the reviews on the aforementioned part 1 and part 2 of the trilogy). They run an inn as inconspiciously as they can, while the kingdom seems to be at war with itself, by inexplicable fault of Bast’s master.
Bast’s town-level shanenigans are the sole focus of this lovely little side story, and ranges from cozy-core to mythological and somewhat psychological and spiritual. Bast hangs out around a place that seems to be Fae-touched, and there he seems to seal very real deals with some of the town kids, each lovely, realistic, believable, and full of antics. They trade in lies, secrets, and trinkets, which become ever more mystifying and binding, however trivial some of them may seem on the surface. Bast, a figure straight out of a fairy tale, who seems as much a kid himself at times, also takes on beautiful moments of brotherly love. And then, one kid binds Bast to a wish, and a dark family history.
The prose is as impeccable as I have come to expect from the author. And dare I say it fully affirmed my trust in his ability to bring a story home, dealing me heartache in both a positive and negative sense, with a firm grasp on the things that bring one back to childlike wonder and dread. I can’t wait for the last entry in the trilogy; this book proves it will be glorious.
This one’s a literal fairytale that’s a definitive reflection on fairytales. And dreams. And childhood. And promises. And then abuse. And then trauma. And then healing. And then being whole.
Make sure to read the endnote. The author talks about his idea for an endnote, which wasn’t working out, and how he always feels like a professional failure (many of the fanbase has given up on him finishing his main trilogy). And that he’ll instead write about reading to his kids, and how doing so, and his kids’ responses changed how he views stories, his own writing, and life.
