Blurb:
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 learned to wear her collar well — speaking her mind just enough to feel like herself, defying her empress mother just enough to survive the guilt of submission. But she's hiding a secret that would see her sawn in half: a forbidden elemental power tied to the world's mythic past. If discovered, her mother would execute her own daughter without hesitation. And Tori knows it.
When discovery becomes inevitable, she flees into Peach Blossom Grove — a mythic realm of ghost-flowers, sentient forests, and immortals who remember a world before empires. In this ancient realm where immortal masters train magic-wielders and sentient weapons choose their owners, magic is neither blessing nor curse but a reflection of who you truly are. Here, Tori finds what the palace never gave her: belonging. But the trials are brutal, designed to break her before they remake her. And as her mother's ambition threatens war, Tori must choose — suppress the power that could doom her, or embrace it and become the one thing her mother fears most.
Herself.
Whispers of the Elixir begins the Order of the Ember series — a slow-burn, character-driven epic fantasy of legacy, sacrifice, and the strength of a princess destined to rise from the shadows and claim her place in legend.
Here you will find the political intrigue of Andrea Stewart, the immersive worldbuilding of Patrick Rothfuss, and the emotional weight of M.L. Wang.
Purchase Whispers of the Elixir on Amazon, All Other Retailers
Read an Excerpt
“Is it itching, Princess?” Lady Elnora said, watching her.
“Like all insanity, but no point fiddling with it.”
Her gentlewoman adjusted the feathered ruff anyway, providing no relief whatsoever. It didn’t matter. Collared or not, today she would prove she was not her mother’s lapdog.
She struggled to see above the red filigree rail of the Imperial Observation Pavilion—where the royal family sat, far above the masses—the weight of her ceremonial robes resisting her every effort. Imperial decorum, it seemed, had not been designed with mobility in mind. It was times like these that she regretted her small stature; her mother, no doubt, could see perfectly.
Once she finally shifted forward, however, her three-story vantage point allowed her a perfect view of the float parade winding through the city of Silver Fox Springs in a ribbon of color and sound.
“I still don’t see them,” Tori said, craning her neck forward.
Elnora’s smooth brown finger pointed the way. Blending seamlessly with the sculptures of giant mythical creatures adorning the streets, Tori’s pantomimists balanced on their stilts, waist pouches packed so tight with skades that the little stones stretched the seams. Pantomimists had never been seen before at the Tailu Spring Festival—and would remain hidden, until her plan required it.
Interview with C.P. Silver
Could you tell us about any research trips you took for this story? Which places did you visit, and what made them essential to your writing?
As much as I would have loved to travel for research, I couldn’t spare the time away from my family. We did, however, take vacations to the Caribbean and France to visit relatives, as well as to various places in Italy.
But although those trips weren’t specifically for research, there’s something about changing one’s state of being that helps the creative flow, and traveling is an obvious way to change one’s state. So, during our family travels, I was often surprised by how the little things—snippets of conversation, people’s quirky mannerisms, fragmented sections of architecture—helped inspire the dialogue, characterization, and world-building in my story.
What's the strangest thing you've ever had to research online for your book?
There were so many! But I would say my research on ancient and medieval torture methods was the weirdest. Not because the question itself is strange for a fantasy writer, but rather the questions that sprang from it. Like:
“What size saw do you need to saw through someone’s midsection?”
“How long would it take to kill someone with 1,000 tiny cuts?”
And although these gruesome methods never featured on-page in my finished story, such research might certainly make an inquisitive stranger standing nearby scoot away several steps.
What research (history, mythology, science) goes into your world-building?
In terms of science, it was mostly to do with natural phenomena, like the phases of the moon, or the odd botanical fact. For mythology, there was much more, especially Chinese and Japanese mythology, along with a fair amount of Greek and Scandinavian, and snippets from other places. Then there was culinary research, like the flavor of osmanthus wine.
But history took up the lion’s share of research. I was especially fascinated by the lives of ancient queens such as Catherine the Great of Russia, Cleopatra of Egypt, Wu Zetian of China, Ranavalona I of Madagascar, and Queen Athaliah of Judah, to name a few. They’re known for being brutal and ruthless—which of course they were—but they were no more so than the male monarchs of their time. Nor were they less accomplished in terms of political cunning, leadership, or intellect. These women had a great deal of influence on the mindset and behavior of the queens in my story world.
Have any of the people you've known, past or present, left a lasting impression on your writing journey? If so, we'd love to hear about a memorable experience that stands out to you.
There have been a few. But what comes back to me right now is my fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. McLaughlin. She gave us writing assignments, which I loved, and was always encouraging, but at eight years old, I can’t say that made much of an impact. What left a lasting impression on my writing journey came years later.
I was looking through my mother’s old filing cabinet, and found my fourth-grade report card. I was practicing law by this time, and just writing for fun whenever I could spare a moment—a kind of guilty pleasure, since I should have been doing more serious things, I thought. But when I flipped open this old report card out of curiosity, what was written inside made me stop and stare. I don’t remember the exact words now, but it was roughly,
“Your daughter has a considerable gift for writing. This should be watched closely for her future.” Something along those lines.
It made me rethink things for a few minutes. Then, over the years, the memory kept returning. And although it took me more than a decade to finally decide to write full time, the feeling of having been “seen” stayed with me, and has since then many times served as an encouragement to keep going.
Do you write in the same genre all the time?
Yes. Whether I’m writing short stories, novellas, a full-length novel, or even just a writing prompt for practice, I always find myself turning to fantasy. It was my first love, and it’s still the genre that inspires me most. I love the feeling it gives me, like anything is possible.
If so, have you ever consider writing in another one?
During my law practice days, I used to write a lot of contemporary fiction. Mostly stories about young females navigating life as new lawyers. In retrospect, I suppose it was a form of therapy!
Later on, I dabbled in millionaire romance, then paranormal shifter romance, both of which were great fun. But it was only when I started writing fantasy that I finally felt like I had come home.
Which character, supernatural or human, do you enjoy writing the most and why?
This is a tough one, since I have such fun writing all of my characters. But if forced to choose, perhaps it would be the crotchety old alchemy mentor, Master Kwai’le.
He makes my main character Tori’s life such a misery with his irritable nature and hopelessly frustrating teaching methods. Yet by the end, he has taught her everything she needs to know—not least of which is a healthy dose of humility.
He’s the kind of teacher you hate as long as you’re stuck with them, but later realize was the best thing that could have happened to you. And I loved writing him for two reasons:
First, because it allowed me to relive my own frustrating student experiences through another lens, this time controlling the outcome.
And secondly, because I just plain found him funny. He is the perfect antidote to Princess Tori’s inherited sense of self-importance, and their interactions always make me laugh.
About the Author:
C.P. Silver writes fantasy set in a world where matriarchy is absolute, with immersive worldbuilding, evocative prose, and emotionally complex characters. A former lawyer who also briefly studied Chinese medicine, her experiences shape the nuance and depth of her debut novel, Whispers of the Elixir, a slow-burn epic centered on legacy, inheritance, and the dangerous cost of power.
Raised in the Cayman Islands, she now lives in Europe. When not writing, she’s usually reading in a quiet nook or walking somewhere green, listening for the next story.
2 comments:
Thank you for hosting and featuring C.P. Silver and Whispers of the Elixir.
Thanks so much for hosting me this week!
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