“Balancing
politics and personal awakening, the fantasy novel Whispers of the Elixir
is an engaging entry into a broader saga.” – Foreword Clarion Reviews
“Unlike many
fantasy stories, the book is full of strong female characters and nuanced
magical properties that go beyond the standard fare of wizards and mages. This
is a fresh spin on the genre and a promising launch of a new universe.” – BlueInk
Review
A matriarchal
empire. A princess with forbidden magic. A mother who would kill to protect her
own legacy.
As heir to the Min empire, Tori has spent her life under the iron will of her
mother, Empress Zinchen—a sovereign determined to shape the world in her own
image. But Tori has been hiding a dangerous secret: a forbidden elemental power
tied to the world’s mythic past. If Zinchen discovers the truth, it will cost
Tori her life.
Haunted by this threat, Tori flees into the hidden lands—an ancient realm of
ghost-flowers, sentient forests, and immortals from a half-remembered age. But
magic here is neither blessing nor curse—it is a reflection, a test, a force
that shapes as much as it destroys. And as her trials progress, Tori is
stripped of certainty and pride. To survive her mother’s ambition, she must use
what she learns to suppress the power that could doom her—but in doing so, she
risks losing the very future she was born to inherit.
Whispers of the Elixir begins the Order of the Ember series—a
character-driven epic of legacy, sacrifice, and the strength of a princess
destined to rise from the shadows and claim her place in legend.
In Whispers of the Elixir, you’ll
find the political intrigue of The Bone Shard Daughter, the lush,
mythic worldbuilding of The Bear and the Nightingale, and the
emotional resonance of The Sword of Kaigen.
Review :
"Balancing politics and personal awakening, the fantasy novel Whispers of the Elixir is an engaging entry into a broader saga. In C. P. Silver's vivid fantasy novel Whispers of the Elixir, a princess struggles to reconcile her inheritance with her need for independence. Her passage from compliant heir to self-defined heroine complements the struggles of a land torn between suppression and survival. The prose is direct and measured, but also marked by standout imagery. There are gritty and precise descriptions of combat. The worldbuilding is thorough throughout, covering rituals, hierarchies, and the moral architecture of power against the backdrop of landscapes that transform acts of magic and defiance into metaphors for self-determination. Teasing greater conflicts ahead, the resonant series-opening fantasy novel Whispers of the Elixir is about power and restraint, blending magic and royal intrigue into its story of duty, transformation, and quiet rebellion." -Foreword Clarion Reviews
"Detailed world-building characterizes C.P. Silver's Whispers of the Elixir, the first installment of the ambitious Order of the Ember series. Tori comes of age in a place of Shakespearean political intrigue and court machinations, and the shadow of her mother's ambition looms large. Tori flees her mother's court and embarks on a journey of self-discovery that takes her to mystical realms and environments like the Peach Blossom Grove, a place where beings thousands of years old still hold court and wield ancient magical powers. Unlike many fantasy stories, the book is full of strong female characters and nuanced magical properties that go beyond the standard fare of wizards and mages. This is a fresh spin on the genre and a promising launch of a new universe." -BlueInk Review
