Elminster: The Making of a Mage

Forgotten Realms: Elminster, Book 1

By: Ed Greenwood

Narrated by: John Pruden

Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

In ancient days, sorcerers sought to learn the One True Spell that would give them power over all the world and understanding of all magic....

The One True Spell was a woman, and her name was Mystra - and her kisses were wonderful.

It is the time before Myth Drannor, when the Heartlands are home to barbarians, and wicked dragons rule the skies. In these ancient days, Elminster is but a shepherd boy, dreaming of adventure and heroics. When a dragon-riding magelord sweeps down upon him, though, the boy is thrust into a world of harsh realities, corrupt rulers, and evil sorcerers.

With patience and grit, Elminster sets about to change all that. The result of his labors is a world reborn and a mage made.

©2010 Wizards of the Coast LLC (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Elminster: The Making of a Mage

What aspect of John Pruden’s performance would you have changed?

I can not quite put my finger on it, but he was just... well Just. I have listened to quite a few of the books here on Audible, and a few I own on CD and his, John Pruden's, telling of this story is just well, just mhe.

Any additional comments?

I have always loved this series of books, and it was a lucky find here on Audible.The Narrator, was ok I guess, nothing special and a little bit lack luster. It is a worthwhile listen anyway, once you get over the well, I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about his reading of this story was just... just ok I don't want to give what I feel it is lacking a name because it was just the Narrator and not the book. The Book is great, the narrator was mhe, together you can enjoy it once you get over his telling of this tale, and hear the book, not the story teller.

Good start to the Legend

- slight spoilers, maybe - Book is very entertaining, though as he is studying I sometimes feel disjointed as we jump a year or so ahead. Overall pretty good though.

awesome book..

what a great story. so much detail and excitement. when it seemed. like it should end it keeps going. love it.

Slow Going

Would you try another book from Ed Greenwood and/or John Pruden?

I have and are currently finishing the series.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Less people.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

John is fine took me a while to get used to it.

Did Elminster: The Making of a Mage inspire you to do anything?

Check to see if Archmage was out yet.

High fantasy

Great book. Entertaining fantasy from a welldescribed world of Forgotten Realms. Read it as a paper book many years ago and enjoyed it again as an audio book.

great story.

great story. narrator...meh. mispronounced words and was hard to listen to. Would try again though

Worth

this book is a wonderful story. it contains every aspect a reader of fantasy novels and even of love stories could hope for. the only reason why it didn't get five stars is because the reader. while he does multiple voices for the characters very well, some of the other reading will not in character voices becomes just a tad bit monotone. that being said I would still listen to other books read by this guy. just took me a little bit longer to go through because of that fact. this book was still very much worth the purchase.

Terrible narrator

I wanted to get into the old-school Ed greenwood books and audio books work well for me at work. This book was made boring and basically unlostinable because of the narrator.

Mispronunciations abound

I fondly recalled this novel and was excited to listen to it on audible. Mispronunciations of common English words (not fantasy lore) and character names has turned me off on listening to anything by this narrator. If there were an editor or proof-listener involved, I can’t tell.

Awesome

I will continue to listen to Elminster stories. Thank you, I would enjoy to here a story including Elminster and Drizzit both sometime.