Patrick Rothfuss, a 2000 alumnus and associate lecturer in English at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, has published his debut novel, The Name of the Wind, the first in a fantasy trilogy about Kvothe, a legendary magician.

The 662-page novel will be released through Daw /Penguin Group on Tuesday, March 27. It has already achieved critical acclaim and was named to the March Significant Seven Editors� Pick at Amazon.com.

Daw publisher Betsy Wollheim described The Name of the Wind as "the most brilliant first fantasy novel I have read in over thirty years as an editor." A review by Publishers Weekly called Rothfuss "the fantasy world�s new star."

As the novel begins, Kvothe is living as an innkeeper under an assumed name. Prompted by a biographer who realizes his true identity, Kvothe retells the story of his childhood, his days as a student of magic and his development as a hero, musician, magician, assassin and legend.

"I love the world and the characters that I�ve created," said Rothfuss, "and I love that people are getting the chance to meet them. I wanted to create a fantasy novel that didn�t stick to the standard clich�s of elves, goblins and evil sorcerers. My novel takes things in a different direction. It�s a behind the scenes look into what it really means to be a hero."

Rothfuss has already completed all the books in the trilogy, which he wrote while a student at UWSP and finished two months before he graduated with a degree in English. He returned to UWSP to teach after two years of graduate school at Washington State University. After entering a piece of the novel as a short story, Rothfuss won the Writers of the Future contest and was introduced to his agent and Wollheim.

The foreign rights to the book have been sold in Russia, Germany, France, the UK, Sweden and the Netherlands. Additionally, there are already plans in the works for versions of the trilogy to be adapted into films, games and graphic novels, says Rothfuss.

"I didn�t know I even had a film agent until he called me on the phone," he said. "It�s been exciting, but surreal."

His future plans include more books after this trilogy, including an urban fairy tale and more novels set in the same world as The Name of the Wind. "My world is bigger than this single story," he said. "There are places on the map yet to be explored. Characters that only make brief cameos in this trilogy will have larger roles in the works to come. Honestly, I think I could write stories in this world forever."

He also hopes to eventually teach a course on speculative fiction or creative writing.

At UWSP, Rothfuss is the adviser to the College Feminists and the Fencing Club and writes a regular column for UWSP campus newspaper, The Pointer. He resides in Stevens Point.

More about The Name of the Wind may be found at www.nameofthewind.com.