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Kingkiller Chronicles Book 3: The Doors of Stone Release Date, Characters, Maps, Spoilers, Chapter Excerpts, News, Updates, and Everything To Know About Patrick Rothfuss Series Finale


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Will Kingkiller Chronicles Book 3 ever be released? It's a question many fans of the series have been patiently waiting for an answer on.

The Doors of Stone, the third installment in the Kingkilles Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, is one of the most eagerly awaited fantasy books, and one as famously delayed as The Winds of Winter by George R. R. Martin.

While Rothfuss reportedly completed a draft in 2013 if a now unavailable Google+ post is any indication. But ten long years have passed since the publication of the second installment, The Wise Man's Fear and there have been relatively few updates in the last few years. Here is what we know so far:

The Doors of Stone Release Date

In January 2021, Patrick Rothfuss gave his most recent update on the status of the book. You can watch below:

Essentially, Rothfuss informed readers that he feels "better about the state that the book is in" and believes he is on the right trajectory toward completion. He also goes on to let readers know there were some personal parts of his life he needed to work out so he could focus on his book, and that he has done that.

It appears that The Doors of Stone is on the right path, but with no completion or publication date in sight.

As for today, there is no announced release day for The Doors of Stone.In trueThe Winds of Winter fashion, many possible release dates have been given between 2014 and 2020, but there is no indication that the book is any closer. Not all is lost, though. Author Patrick Rothfuss takes his craft seriously, as his statements in several videos and podcasts suggest, and he wants to give his fans the best possible book.

As parts of the ending of his trilogy were written decades ago, when he considered himself much less skilled in writing, a lot of re-writing is naturally involved. At the end of the day, getting words down on paper is only one part of the creative process, and redrafting takes longer for some.

Patrick Rothfuss
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Credit: Gage Skidmore

The Doors of Stone Characters

The Kingkiller Chronicles follows the main character Kvothe, a famed musician and scholar who has become a living legend. In his own words, from the blurb of the first book, The Name of the Wind :

'I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during the day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

My name is Kvothe.
You may have heard of me.'

This description alone, illustrates Kvothe as a fascinating character whose voice dominates the narrative. The story is framed as a transcription of him recounting important events of his life for a chronicler. The Doors of Stone is expected to continue in the same pattern.

The Doors of Stone Maps

While Rothfuss has not released any maps that are particular to The Doors of Stone, the author has revealed that Kvothe will travel quite a bit in the third book. Among other places, he is expected to visit Renere, the "three-part city."

The Name of the Wind
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Credit: DAW books

The Doors of Stone Chapter Excerpts

Unlike George R. R. Martin, who has released several chapters of the long-awaited The Winds of Winter, Rothfuss has not released extracts from The Doors of Stone. This is understandably frustrating for fans, but it will also mean everyone will be on the same page when The Doors of Stone finally comes out.

The Doors of Stone Spoilers

With no excerpts published, it might be difficult to make out possible spoilers. But we know for sure that since Kvothe's frame narrative is supposed to last three days, and The Doors of Stone will essentially cover the third. Fans expect that Rothfuss will tie all loose ends and answer one of the trilogy's burning questions: why did Kvothe, a living legend, retired as an inn-keeper so early in life?

We know that he is in hiding, as he's hated by powerful people, but is that all? In book 2, there was a scene at the inn whereby Kvothe was unable to perform magic when bandits attacked.

Does that mean that his bold experimentation with it during his youth took its toll? Or was foregoing magic a conscious choice? For now, we can only speculate.

Of course, the blurb of The Name of the Wind is a spoiler itself. Reading it, we know that those events books 1 and 2 didn't cover will unfold in The Doors of Stone.

For example, it's a foregone conclusion that Kvothe will be expelled from the university while still very young, and his confrontation with his classmate and rival, Ambrose, at the end of The Wise Man's Fear might have something to do with it.

Apart from those confirmed events, there are several fan theories, with the idea that Lady Meluan Lackless is Kvothe's aunt being a popular one; the lady is known to have an older sister who runs away with the nomadic cultural group Kvothe grew up with.

Given that his mother was a noblewoman who ran away with his father, many fans have done the math. We can also expect to read more about the Chandrian, the powerful magic beings who killed Kvothe's parents, about whom too little is known so far.

Hidden things and mysterious boxes are also an important motif in the trilogy, and the third book should shed some light on those: Kvothe keeps a thrice-locked chest even he is unable to open it.

Given that true names are an important theme in the series, some fans speculate that it contains Kvothe's true name, disconnecting him from his magic. Some also notice associations between this chest and the Lackless box, which has no obvious locks or hinges but still contains something.

These being only a few of the mysteries and fan theories that have circulated over years, The Doors of Stone has a lot to cover.

The Doors of Stone Cover

With the release date currently unknown, no cover has been announced yet. Judging from the two existing covers, generally dark tones and a hooded, shadowy figure, or something equally mysterious might be expected. Unless, of course, the pattern is somehow broken for The Doors of Stone, but since it's plain that we can expect some dark events, such a change seems unlikely.

The Wise Man's Fear
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Credit: DAW books

The Doors of Stone Updates

While streaming on Twitch, Rothfuss talked about The Doors of Stone quite a bit. The author gave away some details such as the return of Mola, a student at Kvothe's University.

While he did not expand on the Chandrian, he does mention he is eager to explore the realm of the Fae more in his third book.

Also read: 6 Must Read George RR Martin Books Before Winds of Winter Releases

While this is definitely not enough to satisfy fans who have waited for so long, Rothfuss's willingness to share some details might indicate that The Doors of Stone will hit us in the not-so-distant future, or so we can hope. Stay tuned for more updates!

Another book that explores the Faerie realm, with a February release date is A Court of Silver Flames.

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