Behind the Names: the Eyes of E’veria series
by Serena Chase
Across genres, there are often interesting stories about
how authors choose the names for the characters in their books, but in
speculative fiction (fantasy, sci fi, dystopian, steam punk, etc.) those
behind-the-scenes naming stories extend to places, objects, processes,
abilities, and terminology—sometimes entire languages are created. In this
series of posts, which will be spread over time, as well as several blogs, my
Facebook page, my newsletter—and eventually videos in which I will share
pronunciations, as well—I will attempt to unveil the stories behind the names
populating the epic fantasy novels The
Ryn, The Remedy, The Seahorse Legacy, and The Sunken Realm, a few at a time.
For this post, I am focusing on names from Eyes of E’veria,
book 4: The Sunken Realm
Eachan Isle: the name Eachan means “little horse.” It is
the home of the Seahorse Pirates. ‘Nuf said.
Cazien: In one of the very early versions of The Ryn, Cazien was a villain—a “bad” pirate. I made his name from
the real name “Caz,” which I found in my favorite of all name-research books, The First Name Reverse Dictionary by Yvonne Navarro. According to that
book, “Caz” means “vain”—which is still a little bit perfect, even though he
became one of the good guys over the course of rewriting that first draft.
Bowen: A friend and former co-worker has given her little boys the
most charming names (and the boys are super adorable, too!) I asked Nikki if I
could borrow one of her sons’ names for a sweet little boy in The Seahorse Legacy, and little Bowen
made it into the next book, as well.
Pollis and Kasta are
names taken from classical mythology, but I made mythological male characters Castor
and Pollux female for my purposes.
Captain Ledo and Lady
Signe were named along the same vein. Since I was gender-bending the Castor
and Pollux thing anyway, I thought I’d go ahead and gender-bend the whole myth.
If you don’t know the story, you can easily Google it, but when you do, you
should note that Ledo is my masculinization of “Leda” from the myth and that
the name Signe means “swan”—which delighted me. You see, my great-grandmother’s
name was Signe! It seemed perfect to share my (great) grandmother’s name with
Cazien’s grandma—and it was that connection inspired the name Meirma for “grandmother” in Seyharzien,
the language of Eachan Isle. The Swedish word for maternal grandmother is
“mormor.” Add in a Swedish accent to that—and a little creative license—and
Meirma isn’t too far a stretch.
...and speaking of Seyharzien... in your best pirate
accent, say “Seyharz”—Did it sound like “seahorse” to you? *winks* It does to
me!
Princess Zohara: I know, I know, it sounds very Branjolina-daughter.
But beyond that, I think it sounds very royal, in an exotic sort of way.
Prenzio: Cazien’s father was originally named
Prinz—since he served as the “Prince John” type character to Cazien’s
young-Robin-Hood-on-the-seas persona in an as-of-yet-unpublished (and
unfinished!) prequel novel that takes place when Cazien is fifteen. An early
editor said the name made her think too much of the 80s singer Prince (aka: The
Artist Formerly Known as Prince), and although the ruffled shirts Prenzio (and
Roeg!) prefer may be a little reminiscent of the “Purple Rain” video, I didn’t
really want to make that comparison in my books. I changed it. As it turns out,
I like the name Prenzio much better. It suits him, I think.
Destria: A destrier is a war horse, this is my
feminization of this name, which seems appropriate for a Seahorse Pirate, don’t
you think? I liked this name for this character and she’s been in my head for
years and years. (And she will likely be in my head for many, many more!)
Briggan Roo: Clear back in the early drafts of The Ryn, there existed a scene (which
was deleted years and years ago) in which Kinley taught Rose a difficult dance
that went along with a song called “The Ballad of Briggan Roo.” Together, the
melody and the dance told the tale of an ancient sea serpent. Ack, but those Veetrish, am I right? *winks*
But... Briggan Roo was not entirely lost with that scene, only put off a few
more books—until he could play a dramatic role!
What names and words of E’veria are you curious about? Tell
me in the comments, and make sure to watch my
Facebook page and follow me on Twitter for news of when and where the next “Names of E’veria”
post will appear!
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SERENA CHASE lives in Iowa with her husband Dave, teen daughters Delaney and Ellerie, and a big white dog named Albus (yes, he was named after that Albus.) A frequent contributor to USA Today's Happy Ever After blog, Serena is an avid reader of young adult fiction and inspirational romance and has become a respected influencer within those communities. When not engaged in her varied roles within the publishing industry, Serena can be found watching action movies and dreaming about someday living in a cottage by the sea. Connect with Serena Chase on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter (@Serena_Chase) and visit www.serenachase.com to subscribe to her newsletter and gain access to exclusive, subscriber-only content
Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog, Liz! <3 ~Serena
ReplyDeleteIt's my pleasure!!
DeleteI'd love to learn more about the names for the creatures you imagined!
ReplyDeleteWhat made you pick the name E'verie?
ReplyDeleteAll your characters are very fascinating!
Great series!
It's not a character per se, but I'd love to hear about how you designed the places and people groups (the forest, as opposed to the trees... er, people)
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit curious about Erielle. The name makes me think of Ariel, little mermaid.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had the chance to read these books, but I very much would like to! Is there a specific story behind the name 'E'verie'?
ReplyDeleteI think you need to give away a second set to give away I would soooo love to have these I can only afford the sample books...OK they are free I think you are awesome!!!!
ReplyDelete