BOOK DESCRIPTION

The University, a renowned bastion of knowledge, attracts the brightest minds to unravel the mysteries of enlightened sciences like artificing and alchemy. Yet deep below its bustling halls lies a complex and cavernous maze of abandoned rooms and ancient passageways – and in the heart of it all lives Auri.

Formerly a student at the University, now Auri spends her days tending the world around her. She has learned that some mysteries are best left settled and safe. No longer fooled by the sharp rationality so treasured by the University, Auri sees beyond the surface of things, into subtle dangers and hidden names.

At once joyous and haunting, THE SLOW REGARD OF SILENT THINGS is a rich, atmospheric and lyrical tale, featuring one of the most beloved characters from Rothfuss’ acclaimed fantasy series.

MY THOUGHTS

What an unexpected treat of a surprise! I hadn’t read anything about this novella since I bought it a while back (two years ago, in fact!), so entered the world of Auri without any expectations of what I would discover. 

Auri is such a sweet, pure character, with her half-made words and her interesting approach to her life. As a writer, I loved the language (some of it reminiscent of a prose-poem). As a reader, the sheer Auri-ness that seeps out of every sentence means that reading the book feels like being on the threshold of a waking dream. 

The fact that Rothfuss has allowed the story to be exactly what it needed to be (a bit like Auri’s own approach to things!) also endeared me. In his Author Note, he states how weird this story is. And how it breaks all the rules of storytelling. And yet … somehow it doesn’t. Because Auri had a story to tell, and secrets to share (oh so gently, and in their right and perfect place), and this tale does exactly that, in its best and purest way. I don’t think I’ll ever read anything else quite like it. 

I agree with Rothfuss that it will mostly appeal to a subset of readers – those who are happy to fall into quirky, careful, sweet tales where you have no need for it to be anything but a mindful meander through something “quite different”.  If you decide to take a step into Auri’s world, I hope you enjoy it too!

With lovelight blessings,

Joanna and Ron |The Lazuli Portals
fiction for the awakening