ELMINSTER: THE MAKING OF A MAGE (Forgotten Realms)

As a fan of the Dragonlance realm, I was hesitant about starting a new "world". However I was recommended books by R.A.Salvatore, and my interest in the Realms was piqued. I figured I had better start with this novel to get really familiar with the Realms and Elminster, and I was surprised at the page turning ability this novel created.
From his start as a prince, to a thief, to a woman priestess, to a man again and an apprentice, this novel had it all.
All I will say is enjoy!

One would expect the creator of an entire fantasy world to be at least a decent storyteller. Not so.

Greenwood takes the ubiquitous Elminster and finally, or rather mistakenly, gives him a history. The character progresses from shepherd boy to unwitting bandit to mediocre theif to unwilling priest(ess) and then WHAM! He's an unstoppable, earth-rending powerhouse within a few scant pages. Shortly after discovering magic, Elminster not only confronts three beasts that would individually annihilate the typical low level character within seconds, he defeats them nearly simultaneously and single-handedly - and he's not even a mage by that point.

Personally, I prefer characters who EARN their hero status. As they say, work builds CHARACTER. Some of us like to see even the toughest warrior get his ass handed to him once in a while. Not Elminster. He's special, or rather, chosen. Whenever confronted with a truly dire situation, rather than think his way out of it (as you would expect a hyperintelligent soon-to-be archmage to do), he tucks tail and whimpers to his sugar momma goddess to save him. Give me a break.

Perhaps to counterbalance the poor class development, Elminster's actual character has redeeming qualities, right? His intelligence, wit and wierdness must provide for some interesting dialogue, right? Nope. He's a big snooze. At no point was I ever concerned for his well-being. At no point did I ever wonder "How will he react to this situation?" Truly, I didn't care. I'd say he's easily forgettable, except that his presence is thrown in your face throughout the forgotten realms literature.

If you like Elminster, or the IDEA of Elminster, spare yourself from trudging through this book. He's more interesting as a mystery than a misdeveloped, thundering yet somehow lackluster bore.

If you want a prime example of how the Forgetten Realms setting is over-magicked, read this book and its sequel.

This book, simply put, is boring. I would have thought that the creator of the entire Forgotten Realms universe could come up with great stories, it seems I was wrong. Overall, Greenwood's writing is dull, and rarely kept me interested in any aspect of the story.

Let's start with the characters. Firt off, you have Elminster, who, being the main character, you'd hope to be interesting or remarkable in some way. Sadly, he doesn't live up to any of these expectations, he is boring, the only remarkable aspect being his godly and unrealistic power, which he gains with little effort. Now that he's out of the way, you have every other minor character, which Greenwood fails to flesh out, as well. I must say, there's nothing more annoying than having to flip back 100 or so pages because the author expects you to remember a minor character, yet he/she wasn't interesting enough to care about in the first place. Unfortunately, this happens multiple times in the book.

The story, while hackneyed, is what gives this book 2 stars instead of 1. I believe that the story was boring, sadly, but had the potential to be better. We, as readers, could have done without the unbearable amount of clichés and points where it feels like chapters upon chapters of the book were torn out. On top of that, many scenes were dragged out, as if the author were frantically trying to think of what to wirter next, and letting whatever popped into his head flow from his fingers. I guess the main positive thing about the story was that it had some decent twists and turns, nothing, save for the overall fate of our main character, was all that predicatable.

I just don't know what to say... reading this book was not a fun experience, every chapter just seemed like another mountain to climb, yet there was no satisfaction when reaching the top. I just could not bring myself to like this book, and finishing it seemed like a chore, rather than a pleasure.

All in all, I would not recommend this book, and while it is not exactly *terrible*, it's just not worth your time to read.

Ed Greenwood has brought his knowledge of the realms and his overwhelming creativity together in writing this book. Greenwoods mastery in writing will make you feel like you're there. You'll be brought into the world of Elminster, and dragged through the triumph and tragedy that turned a lost prince into something much greater than a king. You've heard that fact is greater than fiction, well this fantasy adventure is hard to beat

If you are into Fantasy this is a wonderful introduction to Elminster. The author is well versed in "Forgotten Relms" history and georgraphy. I found it a well written and fascinating story. For me it is important that the characters in a fantasy novel follow the "rules" that the story sets up and this and subsequent books in this series definitely does that. Hope someone else reads this story as a result of this review because I would love to be able to introduce a reader to this story.

I'll make this short and sweet. Elminster is just as I had hoped. All too often charactes become mages because they are too weak to become fighters. El is the exact opposite, he became a mage to become a better fighter. Don't let other people tell you what Elminster is supposed to be like for who whould know better than Ed Greenwood, the real Elminster. If you want to read about a bad arse dude read this book.

Wondefully crafted story of Elminister. We were always give the hints of Elminister's past, now finally we are given the chance to peer into his past and his intimate relationship with Mystra.
Hopefully Ed will give us a look into his later years that helped shape him into the most powerful mage in the Realms as well as his travels to the outer planes.

In the first of the Elminster series, Ed Greenwood has done a great job with "The Making of a Mage". I found myself captivated and finished the book quickly. I am a first-time reader of Forgotten Realms. In picking out this book, I was afraid that I would be lost in the setting because I didn't know much about it, but that was not the case. I didn't feel the need for more background, so I believe the book can stand alone. If you're looking for a good start into the Forgotten Realms novels, I would definitely recommend starting here. I really enjoyed it, and will buy the next in the series.

I had rejected this book previously when my son first read it because I thought it would be like many of Dragonlance books which sometimes have poor plots and much bloodshed. Heathens read one of the books in the series I found myself immersed in the story and the ideology. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Ed Greenwood did a great job with Elminster: The Making of a Mage. If you've read other books with the masterful Elminster in it, you will be pleasantly surprised when reading how his stupendous mage powers came about. The book is full of magic and intrigue, so you're kept interested throughout the book and even wanting more. For those of you who haven't read any of the Forgotten Realms series, you will still find a great read from this book. Elminster is a commanding mage who is centuries old. He is well respected by all in the Realm, including those that oppose him. Finding out why and how he became the mage that he is now will leave you enlightened and full of awe at the wisdom and character of Elminster.

Elminster: The Making of a Mage is a wonderful book! It focuses on the early life of one of the most famous wizards - if not THE most famous - in all the colorfully decorated realms, Elminster. He goes from nobility to thieving to flicking spells around and much more fun! My favorite quote:
"The chamber pot! Never somewhere nice!"
Want to find out why...? Elminster is a good book, but one of the downsides is that if you haven't read some other books, you won't enjoy it quite as much. Knowing how he turns out is part of the fun. So, for all puposes of reading without previous knowledge, this is a 4-star. If, however, you've read some others...priceless. Have a go!

This story is perfect with all the right elements of action, drama, suspense and romance. I would have to say one of the best books I have read in a long time. Don't pass this one up, you will be sorry.....The beginning to a Great Mage....

This is the first time I encountered the character of Elminster. So far, I'm really enjoying reading it. I find the reading not too heavy. And having not read anything about this magic-user, this is a good start - from the begining. Hope to enjoy reading more. Oh, one thing I find a little too much was Elminster being turned into Elmara. This twist should have been saved and devoted to another story where it could be explored more dramatically

While Ed Greenwoods style can be a touch confusing at times, this book is a must read for lovers of all things magical. It's a nice touch to see the roots of one of the greatest fictional wizards of all time.
The book has a nice cadence to it, as it flows from chapter to chapter.

once again, Ed Greenwood whips up a tale that spins furiously out of control into a titanic clash of over the top spells and magic. What became of characters finding that they are sometimes actually overmatched and have to survive on their wits? Elminster becomes so powerful so fast that it is impossible to enjoy his growth and relish in his increasing power. To see a carefully crafted magic user see the struggles of Raistlin. Ed Greenwood may be good at creating game supplements but he should leave storytelling To Margaret Weis, tracy Hickman, R.A. Salvatore, Elaine Cunningham, James Lowder et al.

Follow Elminster, the most powerful mage in all of Faerun. See how he began as a simple farmboy, and then turned into a legend. This is a truly exciting and fun book to read and I would recommend this to anyone. Filled with battle, Gods, and Magic, this book will quickly become a favorite for anyone who reads it!

There was a time when fantasy literature was filled with colorful characters and epic heroism. Sadly, Greenwood's book leaves Elminster looking like another twelve year old hack-n-slash power AD&D character. Perhaps one day someone with a modicum of writing talent will be able to bestow more than one dimension Elminster.

This has got to be the most boring forgotten realms book I ever read. Ed Greenwood seems to put me to sleep. Do yourself a favor and get some other book.
If you are having insomnia, pick this up. Its a good cure.

Greenwood had fullfilled many rpg's gamers with this book... After all, which player of Forgotten Realms woulnd't love to know Elmnister's past? And that's what the books is about, in this case, his very early days, a "must" to any FR's fan!