I just finished reading this and I have to say I was really surprised by how good it was. I went in expecting an angst filled story about a downtrodden kid who became a hero but instead got a very interesting story about someone who knows what he wants and has the brains, the skill, and the arrogance to go and get it.
The main character cool (even if he is an arrogant jackass at times), the supporting cast is pretty interesting, and while the love interest annoyed me she wasn't too bad overall. The setting is also pretty neat and we get told more and more about the world through both the main character's experiences and through stories within stories told by other people.
Overall it's a very good book and I can't wait for the second one. I highly recommend it.