Top Ten Tuesday: Best Character Names

Hey, I decided to try some of these topics. Today, I'm doing the Top Ten Tuesday topic for May 22nd - Best Character Names. Above is my TTT cover(God, I love making edits, I've made for the other articles I'll be doing as well) and I find it cute, it's purple because... purple blog! Yeah, I wanted everything to go well with everything. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, I like it to be pretty and well-done.

So, that was kind of an introduction but now to the post. I saw on the original website the author says to make it as narrow/broad as you wish. Therefore, I've no idea how many names I might say but let's see. Personally, I'm a writer myself so choosing a name is something I'm slightly familiar with. Maybe I'll add some of the names I've used because I don't remember if I've seen any of them in a book or not.

      Best Character Names

1. Sebastian

Bulgarian edition of the first book,
I absolutely love it!

Okay, I like that name - I like it in any language and versions: Sébastien(French), Sebastiano(Spanish I think?) etc. Originally, I saw it in the Die magische Gondel, aka The Gondola of Time (I'm really glad I could read this trilogy translated into Bulgarian, I speak no German at all!). The main character is called Sebastiano but as I said, I don't mind at all the form. 

2. Louis

A very popular name I think - most of the French kings are called Louis. I like its Italian version as well - Luigi, it sounds cool to me. I think there was a character in The Count of Monte Cristo Luigi Vampa and I liked the name so much I can't take it out of my mind.

3. Scarlett

Scarlett because... scarlet red, its a passionate, vivid colour. It reminds me of anger, power, blood... Yeah, did I mention I have strange preferences? Scarlet was actually the title of the second book of the Lunar Chronicles. I like the heroine as well, she has curly red hair - very appropriate.

4. Chris

I like anything with Chris in it, no joke. I like that name and no, NOT because of the super famous Christian Gray (I hate these books, I do not wish to degrade as the author herself has). 

5. Rafael

I remember seeing Rafael in The Mortal Instruments series, he was the leader of the New York vampires. But it sounds cool, I like the name, Rafael. Well, I am a fan of Rafael Nadal and maaybe that has something to do with it.

6. Calypso

I've used this name in a book of mine. I like its untypical sounding. I think I first saw it in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series. Anyway, Calypso is a perfect name for some adventure books(like mine, it was about pirates as well, oops but nothing to do with Pirates of the Caribbean, it was the story of a prince who had become a pirate, Calypso was the name of the female character who was a Spanish aristocrate, I really wanted her to stand out from the crowd xd).

7. Alexander

Like Alexander the Great? Yep. I've seen other version in different languages such as Alejandro(Spanish), Alessandro(Italian) and they all seem beautiful to me. The nickname Alex is also cool.

   -I don't know how much related to the topic it is but I really like surnames which are a combination of some words, I'll show you.

8. Blackthorn

We all can see the name's origins but that's not what matters. I like this kind of surnames with hidden meaning. Blackthorn is a surname of a family in the Shadowhunters world again. But I've seen it in another series called The Blackthorn Key.

9. Lannister

House Lannister in the Song of Ice and Fire series. Okay, Lannister reminds of Lancaster and I always mistake them. I like the sound of Lancaster, I know it's a city in England, maybe I should visit it sometime since I'm reminded so much of it.

Well, looks like I can't think of another name. I'm so bad at thinking of something on purpose. I'm sure when I don't have to I'll think of a bunch more names but... never mind, these nine will work. So, what are your favourite character names?

The Iron Trial by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

     BOOK ONE OF "MAGISTERIUM"

  The Iron Trial is the first book of a series of five books called the Magisterium. First of all, I will say that I had absolutely no intention of buying it. I did not even know about it before seeing Egmont's bookish deal, and then I said, "Well, so I'm going to get The Storybook of Legends, why don't get another book as a gift as soon as they give it? It's a book, and I love books, I'm not paying for it so I see no reason not to go to the bookshop and get it." I also feel obliged to mention that for the first time I read a collaborative work among authors in this case two. I just can't understand how two people can write a book and no matter how much I try to understand it doesn't work out. Maybe because I am always a solo and teamwork is definitely not for me, this is the main reason I can't explain how this collaboration works.

  I think the book is wrongly defined as '7+'. Just because the cover is animated and the heroes are twelve-years-old doesn't mean it has to be a little bit childish. This is about the magic of the elements, and those children who have the potential, go to study in the Magisterium so they can learn to control their abilities and not hurt those around them. I love things related to the four elements (there are five because there is one more).

  I'm not adding this picture just because. The left part is the combination of these five elements which is their merging, a sign that also exists at the entrance of the building of the Magisterium. The right part is all individual elements and above the line, the five symbols are used in the book as a transition instead of "***", for example. The extra element, obviously, is chaos.

  The very story of the book is very exciting, and it's just so funny to me. I started reading it in the evenings, I did not have enough time to finish it, and I was really impatient to know the ending of the book. Obviously, I was totally captivated by The Iron Trial.

  The story is as follows - Calum did not even foresee that he would ever enter this place and do his best to fail in this so-called admission exam - The Iron Trial, as the book title. That is exactly the biggest contrast - despite all his attempts to fail, he is still accepted by one of the best Masters, no actually, he is the best.

Sorry, I have the Bulgarian edition but they're
all the same except for the language.

  Another thing that impressed me in the book itself is that there is a picture above each chapter (as shown in the picture). I love the illustrations and I like all the books that have such things. Its size, otherwise, is quite decent - just over 300 pages. I personally think it's worth reading. The three main characters on the cover are Calum, Aaron and Tamara. And the chief antagonist, the Enemy of Death, we'll learn a lot about him in the process, and perhaps he's the most intriguing character in the whole first book. And definitely has something to surprise you.

  I think the whole series is very intriguing and I'm already determined to read them all. I can't wait to continue with the second book, The Copper Gauntlet. For fans of fantasy it's a great opportunity to read something so intriguing and different. I'll be looking forward to the next books of the Magisterium series.

I really want to share my favourite quote of the series with you. Actually, it's the kind of poem about the elements, it just sounds cool.

“Fire wants to burn. 

Water wants to flow. 

Air wants to rise. 

Earth wants to bind.

Chaos wants to devour.” 

***

By the way, I love the UK covers, they're awesome!

The Heir by Kiera Cass

   BOOK  FOUR OF "THE SELECTION"

  The fourth book of one of my most favourite series... I didn't expect to have a fourth and a fifth one, I admit. It was so strange at first to think about this series not as a trilogy but as a short series of five novels. The first three were better, however. The last two tell the story of America’s daughter Eadlyn.

 I'm a little disappointed with the cover. Yes, it's nice, but not like the previous ones. It's not my piece of cake, and I don’t like it. Grey is too impersonal and monotonous colour, which I do not like. And the dress doesn't look as sumptuous and gorgeous as the others, but it's more like simple. This reminds me of the Italian TV series Elisa di Rivombrosa and how in the third season with Elisa’s daughter she wore some dresses that were completely different from those of her mother’s and that ruined everything.

  I think I've paid too much attention to the cover. Let's switch to the content. Princess Eadlyn really is a little arrogant and slightly pretentious. Her history differs light years from that of her mother’s and maybe it’s a little frustrating. I expect something else actually… Her Selection is well... quite different, first of all, because it’s the first one made for a princess and not a prince and she has to choose among boys, not girls. All these contrasts turned out to have an influence, and in the beginning, it was difficult to accept the situation, I admit. And for Eadlyn… There's nothing to talk about at all. She had never wanted anything like this and was convinced that eventually, she would complete this circus as she set describes it, without getting married, but I think she's mistaken. I bet she's going to fall in love if she's not already in Kyle. They're just like made for each other. And no, it's not a spoiler, it's a pure assumption that I'm not going to be mistaken for.

  Twenty years later, although the caste system has been removed it still has its invisible shackles over the people and it is a huge obstacle. Before as if with those rebels, it was better because it was clear who were the enemies of the crown, but now… They're not. It's better to be clear than to wonder and worry who they might be.

  Overall, I liked the book and the end... I just don't have words for it. It just made me look forward to reading the last fifth book and I sincerely hope the author doesn't make us sad with some nasty development, but really!

  Maybe I’ll repeat myself, but I definitely recommend the series The Selection and I don't know if and how much negative criticism there is, but I like it and it's worth reading.