What is in a name?

When I first began the task of writing down what was in my head, I began by looking up meanings of names. (It was very arduous as there were thousands of similar names.) However, none seemed to fit the types of characters that I was creating.

Cut to a few days later, I was doom scrolling through social media, as one does, and saw a post of rare words. There were words like Sonder (spoiler hint hint) and Hiraeth. These rare words had emotions tied to them and did not sound like word soup for a fantasy character. 

I kept circling the idea that Hiraeth (pronounced HEER-eyeth) was what I was looking for. It had the emotion of homesickness for a place that no longer exists. That was gravely important to my entire premise of my series. Yet, I needed more than just one name for one character.

As I researched more, I began to find more strange unused words… Therefore, I delved into that rabbit hole and began to piece names together bit by bit. This is where the name Serein (Ser-IN) was born. Serein is a French word for a light, fine rain that falls from a clear sky after sunset.  This character is also a crucial key to unlocking the universe at large within my series. He is a very beloved character that I think many will enjoy for more books to come.

So, to you my dear readers, I say that the Cathedral has been built but the frescos and artwork are still being assembled. As with any good intended project, it will take time to create the world at large in The Rites of Kings, yet I have decided to bring you along this journey with me as I build it one brick at a time.

Until next time,

E.M. Campbell