The Narrow Road Between Desires -- Patrick Rothfuss, Paperback

An instant New York Times, USA Today and Indie Bestseller!

#1 New York Times-bestselling phenomenon Patrick Rothfuss returns to the wildly popular Kingkiller Chronicle universe with a stunning reimagining of "The Lightning Tree." Expanded to twice its previous length and lavishly illustrated by Nate Taylor, this touching stand-alone story is sure to please new readers and veteran Rothfuss fans alike.

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.

From dawn to midnight over the course of a single day, follow the Kingkiller Chronicle's most charming fae as he schemes and sneaks, dancing into trouble and back out again with uncanny grace.

The Narrow Road Between Desires is Bast's story. In it he traces the old ways of making and breaking, following his heart even when doing so goes against his better judgement.

After all, what good is caution if it keeps him from danger and delight?

Author: Patrick Rothfuss
Publisher: Daw Books
Published: 09/23/2025
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.81lbs
ISBN: 9780756419226

About the Author
Patrick Rothfuss is the bestselling author of The Kingkiller Chronicle. His first novel, The Name of the Wind, won the Quill Award and was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. Its sequel, The Wise Man's Fear, debuted at #1 on The New York Times bestseller list and won the David Gemmell Legend Award. His novels have appeared on NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction/Fantasy Books list and Locus's Best 21st Century Fantasy Novels list. Pat lives in Wisconsin, where he brews mead, builds box forts with his children, and runs Worldbuilders, a book-centered charity that has raised more than sixteen million dollars for charity, the lion's share going to Heifer International. He can be found at patrickrothfuss.com and on Twitch at twitch.tv/patrickrothfuss.