Whispers of the Elixir

A story of rare quiet power-layered, immersive, and impossible to forget. Hailed for its precise pacing and lush worldbuilding, Whispers of the Elixir marks the emergence of a bold new talent in fantasy.
-"At the end of the wall, a copse of oak trees greeted them, their grandeur speaking of centuries, yet their bark green as a young shoot's. Tori ran her fingertips over one of the smooth trunks, and could have sworn she felt it shiver."
-"And from the vast heavens a great sphere of white fire descended with terrible majesty..."
-"I'm not destined to fail, she told herself. I can't be."
A matriarchal empire. A princess with forbidden power. A mother who would kill to protect her legacy.
As Min Daughter and heir to the empire, Tori has spent her life beneath the iron will of her mother, Empress Zinchen-a sovereign determined to shape the world in her image. But Tori carries two secrets: the weight of a tragedy no title can absolve, and a forbidden magic that threatens everything her mother has built. If Zinchen discovers the truth, it will cost Tori her life.
Haunted by this threat, Tori flees into the hidden lands-a place of ghost-flowers, sentient forests, and immortals who have stepped out of myth. But magic here is neither blessing nor curse-it is a mirror. And as her trials mount, Tori is stripped of privilege, certainty, and pride.
Each failure shapes her. Each choice tests her resolve.
To survive her mother's ambition, Tori must purge the power that could condemn her-but in doing so, she risks losing the very future she was born to claim.
Whispers of the Elixir begins the Order of the Ember series-a saga of betrayal, power, and the strength of a princess destined to rise from the shadows and claim her place in legend.
Perfect for readers of N.K. Jemisin, R.F. Kuang, and Tasha Suri.