Shannon (Media Shadow Reads) asked Sebastien de Castell:

Hi, hello... just wanted to say, just read 'Spellslinger' in one sitting and really really enjoyed it. Amazing writing, so so easy to follow! But anyway, my questions are... 1) How did you come up with the original character names? 2) How did you ever manage to come up with the 'squirrel-cat' concept for Reichis? (who may I add is the most awesome character ever) 3) And will said Reichis be in the 2nd book?

Sebastien de Castell Hi Shannon,

So happy to hear you enjoyed Spellslinger – thanks for writing! To your questions:

1. I usually develop a naming pattern for each cultural group and then work towards names that 'feel' right for each character. So the Jan'Tep naming schema has a few common syllables with ancient Egyptian while the Daroman names derive from a mixture of Latin with some old French. Kellen's name comes in part from his family root ("House of Ke") and then I tried out a variety of names until one worked. With Ferius Parfax, I wanted something that felt a little mischievous and even a bit aggressive with the last name having a hint of mystery and magic (almost like an old time magician's stage name).

2. The tale of the creation of squirrel cats is a long and winding one indeed, and alas, far too long to answer here. A short version involves a debate between my publisher and myself that went sometime like, "We really like the idea of a wildcat or a lynx" and me saying, "But a flying squirrel who thinks he's the apex predator of the animal kingdom is more fun", then after several more discussions, "Hey . . . how about a squirrel cat?"

3. Reichis will indeed be in book 2. He's far too greedy to leave the stage until he gets properly paid for all his work.

Best,

Sebastien

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