TSR Code:

'It is the time of the great elven city of Cormanthor, when the Heartlands are home to barbarians, wicked dragons rule the skies, and the elven people trust no one.  Wizards are warriors alike threaten their civilization in vain, arrogant, and ignorant quests for glory.
Thus it was that Elminster was guided to Cormanthor, the Towers of Song, where Eltargrim was Coronal.  There he dwelt for twelve summers and more, studying with many mighty mages, learning to feel magic and know how it could be bent and directed to his will...It is recorded that when the Mythal was laid, and Cormanthor became Myth Drannor, Elminster was among those who devised and spun that mighty magic. 
Antarn the Sage
The High History of Faerunian Archmages Mighty'.

Other titles in The Elminster Series:

• Elminster: The Making of a Mage
• Elminster in Myth Drannor
• The Temptation of Elminster
• Elminster in Hell
• Elminster's Daughter
• The Annotated Elminster

See also the Elminster Ascending omnibus.

Here we see the beginning of the end for good old Elminster. What happened to the young mage with the charming personality but the ugly hawk nose. All of a sudden Elminster becomes the Hugh Hephner of the elven world. Can someone say excuse to describe scantly clad women? The only redeeming part of this book is the fact that it describes the city of Cormanthor reasonably well, but that is about the end of it.

I had no idea that almost all elves are bloodthirtsy and evil, well, you learn someting new every day. Here begins the repetetive cycle of confrontation, great magical blast, dead enemies at Elminster's feet. This book seems to take pleasure in greatly reducing the population of Cormanthor. It is a sad reality that the follow up to The Making of the Mage is this train wreck. A completely linear storyline keeps the reader guessing, what will happen next, without difficulty.

Page after page of all too powerful magic followed by sparsely clothed or sometimes naked elves, each more beautiful than the last and each performing increasingly lewd acts. Where are all the female elves with self respect? Elves slaughtering elves for honour or family, ok, I can see that, but the unfounded hatred of Elminster causing the deaths of elf after elf is ridiculous. The book would be more aptly named Elminster vs. the Elves. In the end, The elves lost. Wait, scratch that, in the end who ever read the book lost.