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Ashes of the Ancestors
In a haunted monastery at the heart of a crumbling empire, a lone priest tends the fires for the dead. A servant bound by the bones of her family, Magdalisa is her people's last link to the wisdom of the past.
But as the land around them dies, new arrivals throw the monastery into turmoil. A dead warlord demanding recognition. Her rival, seizing the scraps of power. Two priests, both claiming to serve the spirits, both with their own agendas.
As ancient shadows struggle for the soul of an empire, Magdalisa must decide how far she will go to keep tradition alive.
But as the land around them dies, new arrivals throw the monastery into turmoil. A dead warlord demanding recognition. Her rival, seizing the scraps of power. Two priests, both claiming to serve the spirits, both with their own agendas.
As ancient shadows struggle for the soul of an empire, Magdalisa must decide how far she will go to keep tradition alive.
133 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 7, 2023
About the author
Andrew Knighton
122 books42 followersAndrew Knighton is a British author, comics scribe, and freelance writer. His works include steampunk adventure story The Epiphany Club and alternate history thriller The Bear’s Claws. He lives in Yorkshire with a savage black cat and a huge heap of unread books.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 13, 2024
Ashes of the Ancestors is a slim novella that manages to immerse the reader in a vaguely European medieval fantasy world in an original way and pose telling questions about power, friendship and love.
We see this world entirely through the eyes of a humble priest named Magdalisa, sole living occupant of the Eternal Abbey. This is the resting place of the Empress Chryssania and the select group of lords who helped conquer and sustain the Talaian Empire. While their bones rest in tombs beneath the abbey, their spirits materialize in clouds of ash that cling to their human form. They appear in full armor, with their swords and daggers, though it’s all ash, and issue commands as they see fit to their single living subject.
Magdalisa wears a bracelet of bones from her family, symbol of the grief and loss which binds her to the abbey and which the spirits shake when they summon her.
......
Often Chryssania sits in her throne behind the high altar, and her court, all dead for many centuries, flank her as she offers advice to visiting nobles or presides over the funeral services of those who have been brought in solemn corteges to join them. Magdalisa preserves all the ritual details in her memory and must perform them flawlessly when called upon, as well as attend to all the caretaking needs that keep the sanctuary supplied with fuel, food and treasure. As the daughter of a stone mason, whose family lived until their deaths in the desolate village outside the sanctuary gates, she also maintains the tombs, chiseling inscriptions when necessary.
......
Into this strange smokey, ashen world, which is perched on a cliff high above the surrounding desolate plane, come a few other living people who want to change everything. First to arrive is Adrana, herself a servant dressed in priestly robes, as part of the funeral procession of Eras, the latest bloody warlord and conqueror, who is to be entombed at the abbey. An argument breaks out among the spirits about the appropriateness of interring Eras. Chryssania believes the violence Eras showed in defending and extending the empire has earned her a place among the “holies” while Serafios, another lord famous for his own bloody conquests but who now preaches peace and reconciliation, opposes allowing her to join them. Chryssania wins out, as her word cannot be overruled, and Magdalisa and Adrana both follow the ritual. Adrana, however, tries to do something (I won’t say what to avoid spoilers) to change the outcome and Magdalisa has to restrain her. Despite that difficult beginning, Adrana wants to stay at the abbey and thenceforth develops a bond with Magdalisa.
.....
I found the climax of Ashes of the Ancestors to be deeply affecting, as it provokes a felt examination of friendship and love in touching but not at all sentimental ways. This is a splendid novella that unfortunately seems to get relatively little attention. I hope that changes. Andrew Knighton is an excellent writer. There are no wasted words, and the details of this world flow naturally out of the reactions of the characters to their situation. I give this one five stars.
Read the complete review at SciFi Mind.
We see this world entirely through the eyes of a humble priest named Magdalisa, sole living occupant of the Eternal Abbey. This is the resting place of the Empress Chryssania and the select group of lords who helped conquer and sustain the Talaian Empire. While their bones rest in tombs beneath the abbey, their spirits materialize in clouds of ash that cling to their human form. They appear in full armor, with their swords and daggers, though it’s all ash, and issue commands as they see fit to their single living subject.
Magdalisa wears a bracelet of bones from her family, symbol of the grief and loss which binds her to the abbey and which the spirits shake when they summon her.
......
Often Chryssania sits in her throne behind the high altar, and her court, all dead for many centuries, flank her as she offers advice to visiting nobles or presides over the funeral services of those who have been brought in solemn corteges to join them. Magdalisa preserves all the ritual details in her memory and must perform them flawlessly when called upon, as well as attend to all the caretaking needs that keep the sanctuary supplied with fuel, food and treasure. As the daughter of a stone mason, whose family lived until their deaths in the desolate village outside the sanctuary gates, she also maintains the tombs, chiseling inscriptions when necessary.
......
Into this strange smokey, ashen world, which is perched on a cliff high above the surrounding desolate plane, come a few other living people who want to change everything. First to arrive is Adrana, herself a servant dressed in priestly robes, as part of the funeral procession of Eras, the latest bloody warlord and conqueror, who is to be entombed at the abbey. An argument breaks out among the spirits about the appropriateness of interring Eras. Chryssania believes the violence Eras showed in defending and extending the empire has earned her a place among the “holies” while Serafios, another lord famous for his own bloody conquests but who now preaches peace and reconciliation, opposes allowing her to join them. Chryssania wins out, as her word cannot be overruled, and Magdalisa and Adrana both follow the ritual. Adrana, however, tries to do something (I won’t say what to avoid spoilers) to change the outcome and Magdalisa has to restrain her. Despite that difficult beginning, Adrana wants to stay at the abbey and thenceforth develops a bond with Magdalisa.
.....
I found the climax of Ashes of the Ancestors to be deeply affecting, as it provokes a felt examination of friendship and love in touching but not at all sentimental ways. This is a splendid novella that unfortunately seems to get relatively little attention. I hope that changes. Andrew Knighton is an excellent writer. There are no wasted words, and the details of this world flow naturally out of the reactions of the characters to their situation. I give this one five stars.
Read the complete review at SciFi Mind.
July 6, 2024
An engaging little story about legacy and traditions and when to stop glorifying the past. I really enjoyed the friendship between the three priestesses, especially Magdalisa and Adrana. The worldbuilding was also very well done, especially for such a contained setting. We got just enough details about the wider world and the history to flesh it out without ever getting bogged down in it.
December 31, 2024
Last read of 2024 is a snazzy standalone novella in Luna's ongoing line of well-regarded genre shorts. Andrew Knighton builds up a world hard-used and decaying before literally burning it to ashes, giving us a good dozen rounded and desperately driven characters to both cheer for and boo, all in just 140 pages. A simple tale of power and hollow glory, and the moral at the end being: don't follow leaders. Definitely not *those* leaders.
August 30, 2023
This novella has a surprising amount of world-building for a shorter story, and the characters have a lot of depth, but neither of these things are achieved in a way that feels forced. There is no info-dumping; all of the detail is woven in naturally. The prose is very strong and I found myself able to picture the story in my head vividly as it unfolded. I really don’t have anything bad to say about this story, in all honesty. It’s an enthralling tale which also contains a lot of subtext. Five stars.
September 25, 2023
This is a very satisfying story, possessing an understated power, and a main character in Magdalisa whose strengths are her commitment, and keen sense of right and wrong. The story's premise is intriguing and very well used throughout to draw the reader forward, to immerse them in this world. It was a real pleasure to read a tale in the which the stakes are so personal, and fighting back involves inner strength rather than histrionic violence. Highly recommended for lovers of thoughtful fantasy.
February 2, 2023
I adored this story. Absolutely my sort of fantasy, unique with lovely detail and great character arcs despite being brief. I’m often frustrated by novellas for not being able to connect enough in such a short span, but the author nailed it. And some really elegant turns of phrase. Also (without giving you spoilers) beautiful symmetry in the give and take of trust between the characters. Loved it!
May 14, 2024
For a short novella, this is very readable, and quickly pulls you into the author's world. Creating plenty of intrigue and character development in a short book is quite a trick. For a fantasy book it has a lot of heart and makes some philosophical comments about loss, memory and history (especially towards the end) which really resonated.
October 17, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this novella. Sister Magdalisa, with her dedication to tradition, is a character who is easy to empathise with. She is kind and compassionate and locked in to her beliefs. I can only encourage you to join Sister Magdalisa in her journey as she decides "how far she will go to keep tradition alive".
November 25, 2025
My rating : 4.5 of 5 stars
Now this one was really good. It's a well-written story, with some very nice world-building elements and a whole host of captivating characters, all set in a crumbling abbey in the heart of a declining empire desperate to hold on to its former glory. Very good indeed.
Now this one was really good. It's a well-written story, with some very nice world-building elements and a whole host of captivating characters, all set in a crumbling abbey in the heart of a declining empire desperate to hold on to its former glory. Very good indeed.
May 24, 2023
Fantastic novella with a unique premise - a haunting exploration of the weight of tradition and the effect it has on a crumbling world.
November 18, 2023
Beautifully written, powerful moving, this novella packs a lot of story into a short read. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews