** spoiler alert ** I just now came across this on the 'recent reviews' page - the strange thing is that I literally pulled this book, at random, from the shelves of the public library as I was walking through this morning. I must be destined to read it.

Later:
I finished this today. I'm just going to jot down a few rough thoughts now, and complete my review once I've had a chance to process. So for now, these are just ideas I'd like to think about more:

It was interesting to me how some of the steps in processing lights were similar to diode fabrication steps - doping, use of fume hoods, acid - the juxtaposition of materials fabrication terminology and the world of this story is mind-boggling in a sense. If they'd made such progress in the fabrication of lights, why not in other areas? The hidden university underground plus the war could make this world seem to be slightly post-apocalyptic, but the descriptions of the countryside and the people don't seem to support this.

Seems to be similarities to Ender's Game - boy genius put in a position without adults to trust, required to develop skills quickly.

Kvothe is so impulsive as to be almost annoying sometimes - every time his life is back on track and he has enough money to stop focusing so intently on money, he does something reckless to once again put his future in jeopardy. Maybe this is just the teenage boy in him...

His university friends seem like props, there in a supporting role. Why do they support Kvothe? What is he providing in the friendship? Or is it just not part of the story, since it's Kvothe's story?

I'm also not too fond of Denna. The lack of options for women is used as an excuse for her constant search for a 'sugar daddy' - maybe I'm just reacting as I'm supposed to. She was described as a woman women disliked. I keep waiting for Denna to expose some hidden depth of character - so far, I'm disappointed. Auri and Fela are both more likable - hopefully they'll get a bigger role in the later books.