Oh my goodness, there are no words! I fell in love with this book right from the beginning. It is everything you could ask for from a fantasy. No wonder people compare it to LotR!

The writing is so finely balanced- not too much description, perfect pacing, just the right amount of everything. Every word expertly balanced with the one before and after it, without feeling like it's trying too hard to be flowery or prosaic.
The highest praise I can give this book is that it makes you forget you are reading a book!

There is also an exquisite balance between the questions and answers in the book. All those delightful mysteries to be solved, and when one question is answered, it only brings up another new enigma! It keeps you really engaged and involved as you read. The plot is intricate, and with so many layers to discover, it kept me guessing the entire time!

One of the many things I loved about the story was the descriptions of musicians. Patrick Rothfuss has to be a musician himself, or he could never write so feelingly and discerningly about how musicians feel when they perform, how they feel about their instruments, and their worst fears, etc... All of the writing about music rang true for me in a deep way.

I got very upset by some of the sad scenes, which just shows how emotionally invested I was in the characters. That's why it took me so long to read; I was scared to pick it up and read more for fear of being upset again! I just kept crying and crying!

Kvothe's character really confused me. One minute he's a good kid, then he's horribly violent without remorse, then he's suddenly too honorable to take charity. One minute he insists that he must keep his promises, then he runs away without leaving a note to anyone. What is his problem? Who is this guy?! The contrasts of dark and light in his character are so extreme, and that is reflected in the overall writing too. The dark is very dark, and the light is brilliantly bright.

But I loved every single character! I loved Kvothe really, and I loved the old teachers, the madmen, the old women, the girls, the students, and even the villains! Even if they were terrible people, they were certainly never boring or one-dimensional. Every single person was beautifully and circumspectly written. They are real people to me now.

This is my new favorite book, but I think I need a break before I read the next one. I just get so involved in the story, that I forget the real world!