First off, I have to say I was completely blown away by The Name of the Wind. I've read lengthy fantasy books before, and I thought I knew what to expect, based on my past experience and the summary on the back. However, what I ended up getting from this book was something completely unexpected. It was fast-paced, intriguing, and steeped in magic--definitely living up to it's "Harry Potter-esque" reviews. Overall, there were three main things I loved about this book: 
 1) The writing. I am astonished that this is Patrick Rothfuss' first book; the writing is phenomenal; it has the perfect flow and timing, the tone kept me constantly engaged and I loved it. This is the type of book where you sit down to read for "just a few minutes" and end up reading for an hour. The writing style is so engaging and so much fun to read; Rothfuss perfectly builds suspense throughout the entire story. 
 2) The characters. Kvothe, it goes without saying, is amazing. Smart, witty, talented, viewing the world through his eyes is a lot of fun. He's also someone I felt instantly connected to, and I found myself getting kind of attached as the story went on. Overall, there were no characters I was impartial about; all of them had amazing characterization, even if some made my blood boil (*cough* Ambrose) 
 3) The interludes. And the format of the story in general. Arguably, you could say that the real story of the name of the wind doesn't start until about 50 pages in, when Kvothe actually starts telling his story to the Chronicler. Before that, you read a lot of exposition about Kvothe, and who he has become. As he tells his story, there are little interruptions where you are taken out of the past and back into the present. I love this format because you get to witness two stories unfold; one about young Kvothe, and how he became an innkeeper, and one about the innkeeper himself. It really speaks to Rothfuss's writing skills that even though there are some things you know that happen (ie, Kvothe being kicked out of the university), it's still fascinating to read about what happens up to that point. 
 When all is said and done, The Name of the Wind is simply amazing. The characters, tone, and story format make it an intriguing read that you can practically fall into; although I never expected it, I absolutely love this book and cannot wait for the sequel (which, of course, I have already bought).