Amber and Ashes (Dragonlance: The Dark Disciple, Vol. 1) (v. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "Mina buried her queen beneath a mountain..." (more)
Key Phrases: khas piece, khas board, black palanquin, Storm's Keep, Lord of Death, Ausric Krell (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The paperback edition of the new novel from New York Times best-selling author Margaret Weis. The paperback edition of the opening title in a new trilogy from Dragonlance setting co-creator Margaret Weis takes up where the War of Souls series left off with the central character Mina. While following her story, this new trilogy also explores the chaos that is post-war Krynn. This is Weis's first solo trilogy in the Dragonlance world.

About the Author

MARGARET WEIS is the author of numerous Dragonlance novels, many of them co-written with Tracy Hickman or Don Perrin, including the New York Times best-selling War of Souls trilogy. She is also the author of The Soulforge and the Star of the Guardian novels and the designer of many Dragonlance role-playing products, including the Dragonlance Campaign Setting. Margaret's latest title is Mistress of Dragons from Tor Books.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (June 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786937424
• ISBN-13: 978-0786937424
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #121,883 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining but far from Engrossing, October 14, 2004

By	Patrick (Canberra, ACT Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amber and Ashes (Dragonlance: The Dark Disciple) (Hardcover)

To be perfectly honest, I have mixed feelings about this book and if I were able would have given it 2 ½ stars. It is by no means a bad book. Then again, it isn't exactly a good book either. I'll try to explain.

I've read all of Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance books, as well as Weis' independent Soulforge and Brothers in Arms and thoroughly enjoyed them all. I made the decision early on not to read the Dragonlance novels published by other authors and frankly my hip pocket thanks me (I believe bookstores ought to instigate a breeding program to put a stop to the uncontrolled proliferation of these books). Yet I've always been excited when Weis and Hickman collaborated on a Dragonlance novel and Krynn is a wonderful place that I've always loved to return to.

Apart from cameos by Gerard and Mina's minotaur friend, this book does not make use of any of the characters from the War of Souls trilogy except for Mina and this was initially disappointing. While I never grew attached to them as I did the Heroes of the Lance, I did become fond of the characters from the War of Souls and had hoped to see more of them (those that survived anyway) in this book. And I suppose we may yet, this being the first in a trilogy and all. But this series is a continuation of Mina's story only and it appears a number of the heroes from the War of Souls have simply retired (is Solace a registered retirement village now?).

The second thing I found jarring about this book was the nature of the monks of Majere who I'm guessing were modelled on the Shaolin monks. I'm not sure I ever grew comfortable with the introduction of this new culture into the fantasy/medieval world of Krynn. It just never seemed to fit in this well-established setting.

Thirdly I found the characters spoke very colloquially at times which dragged me out of the story, and a good deal of the humour was inappropriate in its fantasy/medieval context. I haven't noticed it before in Weis' work, but I noticed it here. It's a minor thing, but it did get to me after a while.

And finally, I'm not sure I ever really understood where the story was going. Don't get me wrong, it is fairly clear by the end of the book what the protagonists are seeking to accomplish... it's just that there isn't any real structure to the novel. Some might find this refreshing. I just found it a little distracting.

I don't mean to sound entirely negative. This is not a bad book. Certainly Weis tells a good story and it's not that I didn't enjoy the book. It's good. It's just unfortunately not great. It lacks the high drama and perilous stakes of past Dragonlance novels. While the threat to the peoples of Krynn is great and seems insurmountable by the conclusion, I never really experienced it through the principle characters. I don't believe Weis succeeds in engaging us to the depth she has in her past works. Ultimately it is clear that Weis and Hickman are greater than the sum of their parts.

Amber and Ashes is entertaining but not engrossing. Read it and enjoy returning to Krynn.

Just don't expect it to be as satisfying a visit as last time.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not one of the best DL Books, July 15, 2005

By	Feyyaz Burak Baysal "Morpheus" (Istanbul,Turkey) - See all my reviews

Firstly I must say I'm not an native English Speaker. I enjoy reading Fantasy Literature and read almost every book by MW and TH in the Dragonlance Setting (also some other books from the same setting). I enjoy the writing style of Margaret Weis because it is fluent and let you immerse yourself in the story.

I must say, I agree with the "Sex Zombies" review. This book is clearly not about the stories of heroism, valor, sacrifice and magic. It has more an Forgotten Realms feeling and the frequent interaction between characters and gods make the appereance of the gods an usual event.

Still I can recommend this a book as an nice Summer reading. You won't regret reading this book, if you don't expect much from it.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not quite a 5 but definetly a solid 4, September 7, 2004

By	Larry L. Fillian Jr. "gradkid22" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Amber and Ashes (Dragonlance: The Dark Disciple) (Hardcover)

As an avid Dragonlance fan, I was both excited and surprised to see Weis continue with the world of Krynn. She is a gifted writer, and tells the story of Mina with an expert flair. The story revolves around the displaced cleric, Mina, who mourns the loss of her now slain Goddess. For the first time ever, Weis explores the character of Mina as Mina...rather than Mina as the voice of the Dark Queen. Mina begins a journey worshipping the God of Death and bringing about his rise to power. The story itself is filled with new and exciting dark creatures (vampire-like cultists, kender who can communicate with the dead) and a glimpse into the lives of those dieties that are put to the side in the original books (e.g. Majere, Sargonnas, Zeboim, Nuitari, and Chemosh). I personally enjoyed reading about the gods' weaknesses and strengths.

That being said, this is a good read...one that I finished in a day. However, I felt rushed through the text. The developments are fast in this work, and I feel that Weis rushed through some of the rich descriptions that I'm used to whenever I read one of her books. I also think that this book lacked what I give Tracy Hickman credit for...humor. This book definetly has a certain flair for drama, but there is little to no comic relief with the exception of the Zeboim dialogue. I recommend the book thoroughly but I still think that the Dynamic Duo (Weis & Hickman)should stick together as they seem to compliment each other seamlessly. Hickman is just as guilty (Mystic Warrior for example isn't his best work). But read it...it's worth it.