Odessa Silver

@odessasilver.bsky.social

676 Followers 586 Following

📖 LGBT / Disabled UK Author - www.odessasilver.com 🌸 Writing fantasy stories: mythology, magic, and more! 📚 🔮 🌠 🌸 Check out my linktree for my books and newsletter ✦ https://linktr.ee/odessasilver

Picture is of a bengal cat who has brown and ginger fur with white patches across the whiskers and jaw. She's looking at the camera giving a look of "I'm very cool", because she is.
Text that reads: All the machines are set up for the tall guys so I kinda wish it was a girls gym. I got stuck in one of them too.
Jade coloured background with three photos, one of two people nearly kissing, and the other two of an asian man who looks soft and gentle. On top of all this there are smaller images of a flower branch, a peacock feather, ink washed mountains, and shadows of grasses and a rose
Image with a light grey background and gold lines to imitate kintsugi, with black ink encroaching from the top and bottom. Black text reads "Allegiance counted for nothing when survival meant everything" and below it is a book cover of Tales of Yamato, which has grey ink, a big vermillion sun and similar vibes to the image
Keyring with the figure of a raijuu, a wolf-like animal riding on top of clouds in a Japanese style
Text that reads: Sha-Minae perched on the end of my bed and buried her face in her hands. I was frozen in shock for a moment, never seeing such a bubbly and composed woman broken down to this. She let go of a deep breath, ending in a growl, then looked up at me. “Would you do it instead?” “What? N-No you can’t be serious, I can’t take Haruna’s place. I look nothing like her, I know nothing of all the right gracious poses and and—” “To be frank, Haruna barely knows them either because she’s never really paid any attention. But that’s besides the point. Please, Yuna. We could try hiding your face with a fan or something to make you look more mysterious.” Sha-Minae stood. “We can tell them we used a decoy to begin with for safety, as Haruna is the last unmarried child. After having our family brutally murdered before, we cannot take chances. They’d surely understand.” I sighed. “Yes… It does make sense, but it makes me uncomfortable.” “The palace will owe you a great debt if you say yes.”
Image of text that reads: “Perhaps,” I started slowly, “the Ever Storm stopping is a good thing.” Sha-Haruna frowned. I stepped closer, feeling hope starting to rise. “Think about it. If the tempest is finally over, that means your father will be busy with many more things now. He’ll need new laws, the magicians will want his attention, the general, and even fishermen. He’s not going to have time to think about what his daughter is doing and if she is getting married. It could be months or even years before he has little to plan but his daughter’s wedding.” And that means I can have more time with you. I kept that thought close to my heart and smiled at her. “There is going to be a lot of turmoil, I’m sure, but you can use it to your advantage.” “You’re right, Yuna,” she agreed and climbed down graciously from the windowsill. Her dress flowed down to her ankles unwrinkled, the peacock feather embroidery catching the light as she moved. “This could be a powerful time for not only Mokuratsu-ji, but for me as well. My sisters will be too busy with pointless gossip. I expect even now they are drinking tea, while our country is vulnerable.” “Vulnerable? How—” “Do you think the other countries stopped plotting war after they came for us? After the tempest was thrown into the ocean?” she hissed. “They’ll want revenge, just like my father does. Linnui to the north, so wretched few will even entertain their name on their lips. Jindae to the east, surrounded by many seas. They’ll have boats and armies ready to send straight to us, and we’ll be defenceless.”
White background with black text that reads: A hurried knock broke my angry reverie and brought me back to the door. I swung it open, ready to lash at the person on the other side. Sha-Minae burst in, grabbing my arm tight as she slammed the door shut behind us. “Did you tell her?” I stared at Sha-Minae in shock. “What?” “Haruna. Did you tell her somehow about what we spoke of?” “N-No… Of course not. You were with me the whole time.” She hissed. “I was careful. I had maids waiting and watching and—” “Sha-Minae,” I said, trying to calm her for a moment. “What happened?” “My dear sister is not in her room. Or in the library. Or the bathrooms, the kitchen, or even with my father. Simply put, we cannot find her.” Blood drained from my face. “And you think I helped her escape you?” Sha-Minae stared at me before quickly shaking her head. “No… No. It’s not you. My plan was foolproof and you were with me the whole time. Even the palace magicians cannot send messages to each other with thoughts or invisible spells.” I let go of a deep breath, sighing out my worries. Some of them. Where was Haruna?
Image with the cover to Tales of Yamato in the middle (a white cover with a red sun and below has a Japanese torii gate in fading black with orange-red trees around it). This image also has tropes listed; Magic realism, mythology, folklore, dark fantasy, myth retelling, multi POV, Historical mythic fantasy, supernatural beings, yokai, divine vs mortal, family, friendship, honour, loyalty, moral ambiguity
Image of a forest with a cloudy sky. In front of the trees is a blue dragon holding a kindle saying "Free books by indie authors". Below it says "fantasy and sci fi"
An image of blue butterflies on a dark background of earth, with two small mushrooms growing from it. There is white text that reads: Free Fantasy & Sci Fi ebooks by indie authors, October only.
Black image with a small lighter areas in blues. There is an open book at the bottom. There is white text that reads; I believe there is hope for us all, even amid the suffering, and maybe even inside the suffering. And that's why I write fiction, probably. It’s my attempt to keep that fragile strand of radical hope, to build a fire in the darkness. John Green
Image of a book titled Tales of Yamato, where the cover is a red sun with the title on top in a black brush font. Under the sun is a black inky torii gate and to the sides are red and orange semi faded trees. To the left of the book is a Japanese stylised plate with two women in kimono on it. One is playing the shamisen. Beneath the plate is a red lucky cat (maneki neko) with a gold coin. To the right of the book is a copy of "Japanese myths and legends" and in front of that is a gold crane figure bending over.
Image shows artwork in the Japanese ukiyo-e style, it is surrounded by text which inspired the piece; The great white wolf sped through the sky, wrapped in blue lightning. Long claws bit into the clouds and propelled it faster until all was a blur. The air around me crackled. I ran; I didn’t even stop as a sandal slipped from my foot or as stones pricked my bare sole. I needed to escape. Rain struck the dirt path like a barrage of arrows. The sky was a lit forge hammering swords of lightning. I was trapped between them, running through the never-ending forest. The raijuu wasn’t far behind; I could hear its rumbling laughter around me.
A background image of a dragon, skulls, and spaceship in purple, with a book cover for Tales of Yamato, which features a red sun on a white background with orange trees, plus a black inky torii gate. The text says it's the Indie Book Sale for Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Horror August 23-25. And that Tales of Yamato is on sale for $1.99 and it's the last day
Image with a book cover featuring a white background, red sun with the black title of Tales of Yamato, and a black torii gate fading. The cover also has greys in an ink wash to show ground, as well as red and orange trees in a watercolour style. Surrounding the cover are words to describe tropes found in the book; Magic Realism, Mythology, Folklore, Moral Ambiguity, Dark Fantasy, Myth Retelling, Multi POV, Historical Mythic Fantasy, Supernatural Beings, Yokai, Divine vs Mortal, Family, Friendship, Honour, and Loyalty
Image with the text from the book Tales of Yamato; I left the paper behind and opened the shoji doors, letting the cool air fill the house. Perhaps, like the house, I needed fresh air and maybe even a new topic to write about. It was the second month of the year and the last remnants of the winter air still clung on, though soon enough sakura would bloom and I could sit beneath the trees for inspiration. In all my years I’d always found inspiration from the trees and the flowers, how they moved in the wind, petals dancing to a silent tune before falling to the earth. And yet now, no words came to me.
Image of text reading: The following weeks were rough. Tension was high between everyone, and it felt like the whole country was going to fight itself. Fear still dominated and many had fled the city for the mountains. Those who stayed behind mostly kept locked in their houses, all waiting for the inevitable. Many prayed and begged for the Ever Storm to return, unable to adjust to the new blue skies which spread above us. Others loved not having to brace for the rain and wind, being able to walk right up to the sea in simple clothing; no thick coats and waterproof boots needed for most trips. Instead, the coat and boot-makers were frightened for their livelihood.
Image of a cat nestled in the crook of an arm, with her back legs curled around her front. Her face is nestled into her human's chest. The cat is a Bengal breed with dark brown stripes and light brown fur with some copper coloured highlights.
Image of a cat nestled in the crook of an arm, with her back legs curled around her front. The cat is a Bengal breed with dark brown stripes and light brown fur with some copper coloured highlights.
An image where the background is the sea, dark blue with crashing waves. On top of it are 6 images in a row of 3 with 3 below them. There is some text above and below them. The images are of a blue eye, a chinese woman in a light white-sage green dress, a wooden boat at sea with billowing white sails, an asian woman in a red outfit beneath a light red leafed tree, a portrait of an asian woman, and a woman's shoulder bared with blood over it. The text reads: If he couldn't see the truth, couldn't return the glory of his past self... then desperate measures must be taken.
Love of all kinds. Faith. Family. Friendship. Honour. Historical Fantasy. LGBT+. Disability. Multi POV. First Person. 14 tales full of mythology and folklore. Wrathful gods, trickster yokai, and courageous humans. A little spice, a little blood. This book will take you on a journey
Image with the text: Once, I’d spent all my time amongst the people, learning all that I could, finding each and every thing intriguing. Now, I mostly left them to it, watching from afar and noting down anything interesting. It was a conundrum. I needed more time to explore and experience what I wanted, however, the longer I lived, the harder it was to find fun. After years of wandering Yamato, I was becoming bored. Other kitsune like me found happiness with the fox god Inari, catering to her wants and whims. But not me. I owed this life to Inari, but I would never again help her. She was not to be trusted. Many gods played games with those beneath them and I wanted no part of it any longer.