I really enjoy this, but it was alot slower than I thought it would be and did feel like it was just building the base for later books. However, that didn't make it any less epi or compelling. The story was so complex without being complicated and the characters so well written I could easily picture them as I watched their lives play out. At times i felt certain aspects of it were drawn out for too long, and other parts not as long as i would have liked. I really enjoyed the tension and anxiety as you never really knew what was going to happen, especially since Kvothe was truly on his own and straddling the fine line between complete poverty and barely scraping by. I can see why this book is loved by so many people.