How many words are in The Name of the Wind?

by Patrick Rothfuss · 2007 · Fantasy

259,221
Word count
18 hr 9 min
Reading time
1,037
Est. pages
2007
Published

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is approximately 259,221 wordslong. At an average reading speed of 238 words per minute, that's about 18 hr 9 min of reading spread across several sittings. First published in 2007, it sits in the Fantasy category.

Typical fantasy novels run 70,000150,000 words, with a sweet spot around 90,000–120,000. At 259,221 words, The Name of the Wind runs longer than the typical range, in epic territory.

Source: Author-confirmed word count via Goodreads AMA; DAW Books edition · referenceVerified 2026-04-20

Fantasy novels of similar length

TitleAuthorWord count
Harry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixJ.K. Rowling257,045
A Game of ThronesGeorge R.R. Martin298,000
The Fellowship of the RingJ.R.R. Tolkien187,790
EragonChristopher Paolini157,220
The Way of KingsBrandon Sanderson387,000
The HobbitJ.R.R. Tolkien95,356