Framing is always interesting, you love it or hate it, and I personally loved it. I loved the opening story, enough that I hope my suspicions for the sequels are correct. Then we fall nicely into childhood, tragedy, survival, hope, friendship and love. Each measured step having it's own pace but tying together nicely with the rest.

I can see why some people may find elements jar a little with the rest of the story, need i mention Dragon? But I think teh following passage sums things up nicely:

"My first mentor called me E'lir because I was clever and I knew it. My first real lover called me Dulator because she liked the sound of it. I have been called Shadicar, Lightfinger, and Six-String. I have been called Kvothe the Bloodless, Kvothe the Arcane, and Kvothe Kingkiller. I have earned those names. Bought and paid for them...

...I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me."

This to me is the key passage that leads us through the book. It sums up the plot nicely. We learn about E'lir, Lightfinger and Sixstring are easy enough to put a finger on. Bloodless we know, and realise the truth off, arcane is obvious as well. We know he joined Uni young, young enough to be expelled next book before most people are old enough to start. And the Dragon? Well that was put in to justify the line "I burned down the town of Trebon".

This is after all a story about stories, and the realisation of the truth, falsehood, exaggeration of this opening passage intrigues me. As does the question I do not know the answer to - what came first the Dragon or the opening line "I burned down the town of Trebon"? Did he squeeze it in to justify the line, or did it flow from the story and he squeezed Trebon in at the start?

It makes me want to know about barrows, Ferulian, who is his 1st lover will be, and of course...Kingkiller. Now there is a name, but is it as obvious as we think?