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Title: Elminster: The Making of a Mage by Ed Greenwood ISBN: 0786902035 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: December, 1995 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.78
Rating: 4
Summary: Confusingly Interesting
Comment: I picked up this book after being introduced to the Forgotten Realms setting by a friend who got me hooked on Baldur's Gate. I was curious about the strange old man in the hat who went by the name of Elminster and seemed to pop up at unexpected moments. I can't say this book entirely satiated my curiousity--but then, that's not the point.
Have no doubts, the story has flaws: its main characters are, as has been said, distressingly powerful; it seems to be 75% fighting action to 25% plot; the supporting characters appear and disappear so quickly that we have no time to get a good feel for them. Elminster himself seems rather unreal. There were several opportunities for plot twists that weren't taken, which I thought was a shame.
However, it does well to keep in mind that this *isn't* a fantasy epic as such, and to expect any book based on an RPG to be as mindblowing fantastic as early Wheel of Time books or even earlier works of Mercedes Lackey seems a way to doom yourself to disappointment. Very few of them are deep and thought-provoking literature. Instead, most--with this being no exception--would appear to be quick, fun romps through worlds of swords and sorcery, full of action and power, action and gods, history and action, action and more action... and what's so bad about that? (Okay, so maybe a *little* less action might be nice. Just a tad.)
_Elminster: the Making of a Mage_ is a fine example of an RPG-based novel. I was left wanting to read more about the Forgotten Realms and Elminster himself, which is probably part of the idea; I found it difficult to put down, and nothing that keeps me that interested can be all bad! It's a decent book to start the series with, although readers unused to the style of RPG books (or who prefer their protagonists to be more on the puny side) might do better to begin with something else.
Rating: 4
Summary: Take a Trip Through the Forgotten Realms!
Comment: 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!
Rating: 3
Summary: Good, but lacking something
Comment: It was a well-written story with all the expected twists and turns and plots from such an experienced writer. However, it lacked something in the telling that would make it great. It was as if the author didn't really want to reveal anything new about the world, and he was telling the story the way you would read it in a history book. It is useful if you run a campaign in the setting and need historical information on Elminster, but otherwise it isn't really a surprising story or a particularly well-told one. It's missing a certain joi de vivre to make it excellent.
On the other hand, it is necessary to read this to understand what is going on in Book 2 of the series, Elminster in Myth Drannor, which has everything that this book lacks. So, if you are interested in the sequel, definately read this. Just get it used and save yourself some money.
Harkius
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Title: The Temptation of Elminster by Ed Greenwood ISBN: 0786914270 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: November, 1999 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Elminster in Hell (Forgotten Realms: The Elminster Series, Book 4) by Ed Greenwood ISBN: 0786927461 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: May, 2002 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Thousand Orcs (Forgotten Realms: The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, Book 1) by R. A. Salvatore ISBN: 0786928042 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 15 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: The Spine of the World (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness, Book 2) by R. A. Salvatore ISBN: 0786914041 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: July, 2000 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Silent Blade (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness, Book 1) by R. A. Salvatore ISBN: 0786913886 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: June, 1999 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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