Are they a liar, or a blind fool?
Unreliable narrator, my beloved (Fantasy edition)
created by Liv-n-Stories
last updated June, 2026
Comments
Please add seven blades in black to this.
The author has apparently received (and admitted to) several accusations of sexual harassment so I won't add his work of the list, but thank you for taking the time to recommend
Oh! I love unreliable narrators! I’m curious though, why is Kvothe considered an unreliable narrator?
Most of those are on my tbr, I've only read a few so far (originally, that list was gonna be a shelf. I was just looking for more books with unreliable narrators) so I can't answer that, sorry! I've listed books that were recommended to me/described as having an unreliable narrator, so there's a part of subjectivity for sure
I think it's because he is narrating his own story and as is human nature it is generally thought he is boastful in places or might also have omitted the less fascinating bits of his life. We wouldn't know because we don't have a conclusion but that is the general idea that he takes liberties with his own life's story
Oh! Right! It makes sense! I asked because I’d never thought about it, but great!
Personally, I didn't feel he was unreliable either , more secretive like he's bound by something or something is stopping him . I later began to see that angle from other people as well
If your narration is bound by the will of others, if you're keeping secrets, does that not make you an unreliable narrator?
Not to me, the way I see it an unreliable narrator would be someone who is voluntarily choosing to be ambiguous for personal gain or some ulterior motive —positive or negative. Kvothe to me did not read like that, more like he was done and tired and bogged down by the world or forces bigger than his control like he bit off more than he could chew. Besides Kvothe narrates his story from his childhood to the present, realistically nobody remembers their life in crystal clarity, memory is fleeting. Someone who is bound by oaths or secrecy seems to be a narrated influenced by external will
Liv ! This is such a good list ! Despite the iffy nature of The Name of the Wind I love seeing it now and again ! Saving
thank you! There's plenty in there I have yet to read and The Name of the Wind is one of them (ngl I'm just scared to start it and never see the release of book 3 in my lifetime!) so I hope it's presence isn't making me unknowingly endorse something I wouldn't if I'd read it first 👀
I don't think that will be a problem. Rothfuss will do anything except give us concrete solutions to his book. It's sad honestly, I am convinced the guy either got too attached or too scared to finish it
It's soo frustrating but I can definitely imagine being too scared to finish something that has built up such expectations after such a long wait. It's a conversation I've had several times about G.R.R Martin as well. Having so many eyes and opinions on your work could easily put you in a writing slump for sure (but seeing them work on other things while you're waiting for over a decade does breed violence into my soul a little)
Looove the inclusion of Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City (a masterclass in unreliable narrator, really) - I read it over the summer and was super intrigued by it, and The Raven Tower. Such an underrated book in general 😌
I keep hearing about The Raven Tower, I really need to bumb it up my tbr! Hearing it described as having an unreliable narrator definitely is a strong selling point for me 😌
It was one of the things that I loved, but also the writing style in general. And it has trans* representation! 🤭
