I felt as though this started out a bit slow, but I think part of that might have been since I was trying to read in a hospital. The two aren't very conducive ;p.
Despite stumbling through the first few chapters, this book was quite enjoyable. I found Taran a bit annoying in the beginning, but it was good to see his character improve. One a side note, some individuals mentioned a similarity to Tolkien. I noticed this as well, but I think this book was intended for much younger audiences.
I'm looking forward to the next book. I think the fun part about these books is that they're not crazy long. Most fantasy series of this book are typically twice the size. I'm ready to delve into the next book because I know it won't take terribly long to finish. I'm determined to accomplish my reading goal for this year, but I'm getting quite close to the deadline.