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Nate Taylor
Nate Taylor is the author of Narrow Road Between Desires, a novel that explores themes of faith and doubt. He writes fiction that makes you think.
Narrow Road Between Desires
Synopsis
The Narrow Road Between Desires follows Bast, the fae companion of Kvothe, through a single day in the village of Newarre. At the Lightning Tree, local children bring Bast their troubles, questions, and small hurts, and he trades help for secrets, favors, and odd jobs — his usual game of small bargains.
As the day unfolds, the story moves past Bast's mischief toward something warmer: a boy named Rike, dealing with an abusive father, becomes the focus of a more serious act of care. Rothfuss uses the day's episodic structure to widen what readers know of Bast beyond his role as comic relief in the main novels.
This expanded edition, illustrated throughout by Nate Taylor, builds on the earlier novella "The Lightning Tree," first published in the anthology Rogues, with new and extended scenes.
Genres
Characters
DeviProtagonist
BastProtagonist
Kvothe's fae student, spending a day trading favors and bargains with the village children of Newarre.
RikeSupporting
A village boy dealing with an abusive father, whom Bast helps.
Frequently asked questions
Is this book a new story or a reprint?
This book is an expanded and reimagined version of the novella The Lightning Tree, which was originally published in the 2014 anthology Rogues. It features significantly more text and new illustrations by Nate Taylor.
Do I need to have read the other books in the series to understand this?
The story functions as a standalone narrative, meaning it can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of the larger series. It focuses on a single day in the life of a specific character, providing a self-contained look at their activities and personality.
What is the significance of the illustrations in this edition?
The book includes over 40 interior illustrations created by Nate Taylor, who collaborated directly with the author to visually represent the world and the protagonist's experiences. These illustrations are a central feature of this specific edition, similar to the artistic approach taken in The Slow Regard of Silent Things.