Amber and Ashes

Overview

Amber and Ashes picks up after the events of The War of Souls and explores the power vacuum left behind by the death of the gods, especially Takhisis, the Dark Queen. At the center of the story is Mina, once the chosen of the One God, now a fallen champion seeking meaning, vengeance, and truth in a world that no longer follows divine order.

Set in a time of spiritual chaos and societal fragmentation, this novel follows Mina as she begins a new path—one that will lead her into the heart of darkness, and into the service of a forgotten god of death.

Main Character: Mina

• Formerly a golden-skinned, silver-eyed prophet who led armies during the War of Souls in the name of the One God (Takhisis).
• Now abandoned and confused, Mina is immortal but not divine, wandering a world that either fears or worships her.
• Her journey in this book is a descent into the underworld—both literal and psychological—as she searches for purpose in the wake of betrayal.

Key Supporting Characters

• Galdar – A loyal ogre bodyguard who remains by Mina’s side despite her increasing darkness. His loyalty is tested as Mina’s path grows more twisted.
• Rhys Mason – A monk of Majere who is investigating a series of dark spiritual disturbances. His storyline intersects Mina’s in powerful and tragic ways.
• Neraka’s Priesthood – Followers of the now-dead Takhisis, who are either trying to reclaim their former glory or replace it with a new religion of death.
• Chemosh – The god of death and undeath. As gods return to Krynn, Chemosh sees Mina as the key to growing his influence—and perhaps something more.

Setting

• The story is set primarily in Neraka, once the seat of Takhisis’s dark power, now a shattered, desperate city full of cults, heresies, and scavengers.
• A dark, crumbling world where faith is fractured, and mortals scramble to define their new roles in a godless or god-returning Krynn.
• The tone is grim, mysterious, and heavily symbolic, with frequent visits to graveyards, ruined temples, and visions of undeath.

Plot Summary

Fall from Grace

Mina, once the mortal champion of a god, is now alone—immortal, lost, and emotionally shattered. Her powers remain, but her purpose does not. She wanders into Neraka, where the faithful of Takhisis are directionless following their goddess’s death in Dragons of Summer Flame.

There, Mina becomes entangled in the remnants of the old faith, but rather than rebuild it, she begins to uncover a new calling: death itself.

The Rise of Chemosh

The god Chemosh, sensing an opportunity, reaches out to Mina. He offers her a new purpose—not as a prophet of life and glory, but as a high priestess of death. He wants her to lead a new cult, one that turns death into a seductive promise rather than a fear.

Mina, at first resistant, slowly begins to fall into his influence, her grief, pride, and confusion making her vulnerable to his promises.

Rhys and the Moral Counterweight

Meanwhile, Rhys, a devout and compassionate monk of Majere, is sent to investigate the strange surge of undead and disappearances. His quest brings him to Neraka, where he must face both Mina and his own temptations.

Rhys represents the light in opposition to Mina’s growing darkness, but their connection is more complicated than a simple good-vs-evil dynamic.

A City of Corpses

As Mina’s power grows, she draws the people of Neraka to her with a message of purpose through death—not annihilation, but a comforting afterlife, the illusion of control, and freedom from fear. She begins to raise the dead not as abominations, but as “willing servants.”

She establishes a new temple, claiming to offer peace—but it is built on twisted theology and Chemosh’s manipulation.

Climax: Acceptance of the Dark Mantle

In the end, Mina fully embraces her role, becoming Chemosh’s dark disciple, the first priestess of a god long without true followers. The tragedy is that Mina doesn’t do this out of hatred or ambition—but because she believes it will give people what she could never find herself: purpose.

Themes

• Faith and Betrayal – Mina’s journey is about losing everything she believed in and trying to replace it with something that makes sense in a broken world.
• Death as Salvation – A provocative theme where the traditional fear of death is flipped into a desirable escape or transition.
• Free Will vs. Divine Control – What happens when mortals are no longer pawns of the gods, but also no longer protected by them?
• Moral Ambiguity – Neither Mina nor Chemosh are purely evil; their arguments are compelling, even as their methods are horrifying.
• Grief, Identity, and Power – Mina’s internal struggle mirrors anyone dealing with loss, abandonment, and the question of who they are without guidance.

Tone & Style

• Dark, gothic, and theological, with emotional and symbolic language.
• Contains unsettling and sensual undertones, especially in Chemosh’s influence and Mina’s inner conflicts.
• Much of the story feels like a religious or psychological drama, more about belief, power, and identity than physical battles.

Reception

Amber and Ashes is praised for:

• Offering a bold and original direction in the Dragonlance saga, dealing with spiritual decay, necromancy, and theology
• A nuanced portrayal of Mina, one of the most divisive and fascinating characters in the series
• Introducing Chemosh not just as a villain, but as a charismatic and cunning god, with a terrifyingly attractive doctrine
• Continuing the legacy of The War of Souls while shifting into a more intimate, character-driven narrative

Some critiques:

• The pace is slower and more introspective than action-focused readers might expect
• Heavy religious and moral themes may not appeal to all fantasy fans
• The romance/horror elements may feel unsettling or ambiguous by design

Final Thoughts

Amber and Ashes is a haunting and cerebral entry in the Dragonlance universe, focused on one woman’s descent from light into shadow, and the birth of a new dark religion. It’s not a story of sword and sorcery, but of ideological seduction, spiritual ruin, and moral evolution.

Recommended for:

• Readers who enjoy dark fantasy with theological depth
• Fans of Mina’s character arc from War of Souls
• Anyone interested in mythic explorations of death, faith, and immortality

“She was once the voice of a god. Now, she speaks for death. And people are still listening.”