Spin of Fate, page 38
Meruxars
Rotting Mountains
Combines meru (mountain) with stem of verb xaru (to rot)
A mountain range in Malin, bordering Mir Muzira; while the eastern slopes remain dry, an acid rain blows from the sea and falls on the western slopes, causing the vegetation to decay
Mir Amaratis
Sea that births honey (colloquial: Honeyed Sea)
Combines mira (sea, ocean) with amarata (honey) and -is (Amaratisian variant of place ending meaning “birthplace of” or “provenance of”)
A sea in central Mayana known for its sweet-tasting water; natural habitat of the manikai; a hydrothermal vent in the seabed pours forth holy nectar and is a popular pilgrimage destination
Mir Himamani
Sea of moon jewels (colloquial: Pearl Sea)
Combines mira (sea, ocean) with hima (moon) and mani (jewel)
A sea that spans across eastern and western Mayana; known for the nacreous sheen of its water caused by colonies of plankton; at night, their silvery bioluminescence creates the appearance of billions of tiny pearls floating under the surface
Mir Karasura
Sea of rays of sunlight (colloquial: Sunbeam Sea)
Combines mira (sea, ocean) with kara (beam or ray of light) and sura (sun)
A sea in southern Mayana known for its clear, glittering water; whirlpools and large waves are frequent occurrences and attract channelers who want to hone their skills surfing the water
Mir Muzira
Noxious Sea
Combines mira (sea, ocean) with muzira (noxious, harmful)
A sea that spans across eastern and western Malin; its corals release unusually high levels of toxins that rise to the surface and cause the water to steam and bubble; acid rains frequent the sea and its surrounding regions
Mir Renkora
Sea of broken ice (colloquial: Iceshard Sea)
Combines mira (sea, ocean) with ren (break, broken) and kora (ice)
A sea in southern Malin with a frozen surface; repeated crossings by Malini have caused the ice to break in several places
Mir Tamasa
Shadowed Sea
Combines mira (sea, ocean) with tamasa (shadow)
A sea in central Malin named for its tenebrous waters; the currents are difficult to navigate and stir up dark sand from the seabed, hampering visibility beyond a couple feet in any direction
Mirya
Son of the sea
Combines mira (sea, ocean) with -ya (Tahamuri variant of a name ending meaning “son of”)
The current prince of Tahamur, childhood friend and rival of Aranel
Muzireni
Noxious River
Combines muzira (noxious, harmful) with eni (river)
A river that cuts across western Malin; choked with toxins from Mir Muzira, its sludgy waters are guaranteed to cause debilitating disease if consumed
Nagakost
Snakebone
Combines naga (snake) with kosta (bone)
A group of islands in Malin, located in Mir Renkora; thus named for their resemblance to a snake skeleton
Nagamor
Peacock snake
Combines naga (snake) with mora (peacock)
Great beast native to Malin; has the form of a giant snake with blue scales, a beak, and a feathered tail; meeting its gaze triggers intense, hyperrealistic hallucinations that force the victim to relive their most painful memories
Namyra
Daughter of waves
Combines nami (waves) with -yra (Amaratisian variant of a name ending meaning “daughter of”)
A Balancer hailing from Amaratir
Narakh
Hell
The lowermost realm beneath Malin
Nishaki
Dream tree
Combines nisha (dream) with ki (tree)
A kingdom in eastern Mayana, located on the fringes of Nisharan; famous for its bathhouses and cloudmist springs[*6]
Nisharan
Forest of Dreams
Combines nisha (dream) with aran (forest)
A floating jungle in eastern Mayana, suspended miles aboveground; natural habitat of the gazarou
Ozoreni
Dread River
Combines ozora (dread, despair) with eni (river)
A river that cuts across eastern Malin; stained by the red soils of Ibaran, its waters give the appearance of blood
Paramos
Provenance of supremacy
Combines parama (supremacy, the highest state of being) with -os (Kirnosi variant of place ending meaning “birthplace of” or “provenance of”)
The uppermost realm above Mayana
Raitani
Lightning vale
Combines rai (lightning) with tani (vale, valley)
A valley in Malin, located within the eastern fringes of the Meruxars; so named due to the severe lack of moisture in the air that causes excessive perennial static; several clan Kanjallen villages populated this region but have since been razed by Kaldrav’s army
Rangaran
Forest of Colors
Combines ranga (color) with aran (forest)
A forest in western Mayana known for its vibrant trees; their leaves change hue depending on season, cycling through all shades of the rainbow
Raxaz(i)
Fiend, demon(ess)
A brother and sister duo, both members of clan Chiren
Razamir
Clandestine sea, of the secret sea
Combines raza (secret, clandestine) with mir (sea)
A Malini clan allied with Kaldrav; once a band of seafaring pirates, they overbred saberfin sharks for their fins—until the unnaturally large shark population attacked and destroyed all their ships
Reimi
Daughter of ambition, ambitious daughter
Combines rei (ambition) with -mi (Nisharian variant of a name ending meaning “daughter of”)
A Balancer hailing from Nisharan
Renjan
Broken human, human who breaks
Combines ren (break, broken) with jana (human)
A member of clan Kanjallen, son of the former chief
Samaras
Provenance of legend
Combines samara (legend) with -as (Samarasi variant of place ending meaning “birthplace of” or “provenance of”)
A mountainous kingdom in western Mayana, nestled deep within the Meruhirs; little is known of their culture, for they prefer to remain secluded, although several Samarasi families of note have been settled in Kirnos for centuries
Samarel
Son of legend, legendary son
Combines samara (legend) with -el (Kirnosi variant of a name ending meaning “son of”)
Older brother to Aranel
Seirem
Fortunate life, life of fortune
Combines sei (life, life force) with rema (fortune, prosperity)
A member of the Preservation
Seitarius
Life star beast (colloquial: Planetary Beast)
Combines sei (life, life force) and tara (star) with -ius (ending meaning “beast”)
Cosmic beings who created the universe from the emptiness of the Void, worshipped as gods and goddesses throughout the realms
Sherka
Queen of kindness, kind queen
Combines shera (kindness) with ka (queen)
Name given to the planetary gazarou of Mayana
Soranil
Blue sky
Combines sora (sky) with nila (blue)
A Balancer hailing from Samaras
Sorken
King of the skies, sky king
Combines sora (sky) with ken (king)
Name given to the planetary megarya of Paramos
Taezur Enduring difficulties
Combines stem of verb taeru (to endure) with zura (difficulty)
A member of clan Kanjallen
Tahamur
Island of bravery
Combines tahama (bravery) with -ur (Tahamuri variant of place ending meaning “isle of” or “island of”)
An island kingdom in southern Mayana, located in Mir Karasura; the greatest of the Mayani kingdoms, inventor of several chitronic arts,[*7] and rivalled in might only by Kirnos[*8]
Taralei
Daughter of stars
Combines tara (star) and -lei (Kirnosi variant of a name ending meaning “daughter of”)
A Balancer hailing from Kirnos
Tareinjil
Star mirror lake (colloquial: Starglass Lake)
Combines tara (star) and ein (mirror) with jila (lake)
A lake with clear, still water, located south of the Meruhirs
Tenshir
White heaven
Combines ten (heaven, heavenly) with shira (white)
A Balancer hailing from Nisharan
Torana
Knowing gateway, gateway of knowledge
Combines tora (knowledge, knowing) with ana (opening, entry, gateway)
Gateways that connect the realms and operate on the basis of Toranic Law, created during the Great Toranic Separation
Torhan
Knowing judgment, knowledgeable judgment
Combines tora (knowledge, knowing) with han (judgment)
Refers to the omniscient knowledge and perfect judgment of the universe, that is, the force of nature that determines the spin of chitrons; the original spelling and pronunciation have been all but forgotten, and it goes more commonly now by the misnomer Toranic Law
Ummi
Hope
Derived from umid (hope)
A young girl born to Malin
Vandraghor
Evil roach, roach of sin
Combines vandra (roach) with ghora (evil, sin)
Great beast native to Narakh; has the form of a giant cockroach with multitudinous protruding eyeballs and countless legs
Virator
Strength and knowledge
Combines vira (strength) with tora (knowledge, knowing)
A Malini clan, one of the last to ally with Kaldrav
Zenyra
Daughter that is everything
Combines zen (all, everything) with -yra (Amaratisian variant of a name ending meaning “daughter of”)
The founder and leader of the Balancers
Zerajil
Poison Lake
Combines zera (poison) with jila (lake)
A lake in Malin, south of the Meruxars; its shores were once a favored breeding ground for the kapizer until overhunting by Malini clans[*9] led the surviving colonies to flee northward to Martharan; however, centuries of kapizer habitation poisoned the water, rendering it uninhabitable to aquatic plants and animals
Skip Notes
*1 While the surface caves are filled with Kaldrav’s soldiers and their victims, the subterranean ones miles below—where no men dare trespass—serve as the nagamor’s favored breeding grounds.
*2 Mayani seawater is breathable for humans.
*3 Starting from a member’s first birthday, a number of new cuts are made each year, corresponding to age.
*4 While members of the assimilated clans do not possess the same level of skill as those hailing from the original bloodline, decades of mentorship have transformed even their weakest—excluding young children and the infirm—into warriors considerably stronger than Kaldrav’s.
*5 Keiza colors are unrelated to ethnicity or soul-spin.
*6 The condensation from clouds collects on branches and drips down to form pools, which are then chitronically heated.
*7 Including the art of walking across air and water and the discovery that exposure to sunlight can recharge chitrons quicker; Kirnos, however, is more advanced when it comes to chitronic healing.
*8 Kirnos and Tahamur have a long-standing rivalry in cloudsurfing and other chitronic sports; while Kirnos has grown stronger in recent years, Tahamur holds nearly twice as many records historically.
*9 The kapizer were hunted for their poisonous spines as well as their horns.
Author’s Note
For those interested, I have provided a brief note on the inspiration behind Spin of Fate’s magic system.
Toranic Law and Karma Yoga
The Toranic[*] system is very loosely inspired by my understanding of Hinduism’s karma yoga, that is, the theory of karma. This philosophy has fascinated me ever since my mother introduced me to the Bhagavad Gītā at a young age.
Often surrounded by misconception, karma yoga is an extremely nuanced spiritual way of thought—one that I am still learning more about every day. I have included some resources in the Further Reading section for anyone who would like to read up on it in more depth. However, for the purpose of this note, to provide a gross oversimplification of the concept of karma: It is a causative principle wherein a person’s actions (and more specifically the intentions behind their actions) determine their future—including future births.
The idea of reincarnation is thus crucial in the context of karma’s workings since the circumstances of one’s birth and nature of their life are often determined by the deeds of their soul in previous lives. This presents a glaring disconnect with Spin of Fate’s universe, wherein humans are immortal…so how could Toranic Law possibly work as intended? This is an issue that will be explored through the course of the series.
Removed from the creative decisions and modified portrayal in my story, the law of karma itself is a beautiful thing, complex in its workings and—when one really delves into its nuances—convincing in its effects. In some ways, I might even consider it the closest thing we have to a real-life magic system.
Other Influences from Hinduism
While Spin of Fate features a polytheistic religion, none of the imagined deities are based on any of those from Hinduism. Rather, I created them inspired in part by Naruto’s bijū, and also several legendary Pokémon. The idea of realms, however, was loosely influenced by the Hindu concept of lokas, which are planes or realms (the translation varies) of existence. You can read more on my blog at A2Vora.com.
Further Reading
The theory of karma was narrated by Lord Krishna, who explained it to the warrior Arjuna before the war of Kurukshetra. The story of the war is narrated in the epic Mahābhārata, while the scripture Bhagavad Gītā focuses on Lord Krishna’s teachings. There are several translations of these ancient texts, as well as countless interpretations of karma yoga. I have included here a few that I personally found insightful.
Theory of Karma by Hirabhai Thakkar—an English translation of the same author’s original Gujarati Karmano Siddhant—does a fantastic job of breaking down the multifaceted and complex concept of karma in a way that is very accessible.
While several versions of the Bhagavad Gītā exist, Professor Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s translation and commentary is one that I enjoyed recently.
Regarding the epic tale of Mahābhārata, I grew up reading the Amar Chitra Katha graphic novels. My most recent read, however, was by the author Kamala Subramaniam.
Skip Notes
* The name Toranic Law echoes the name of the in-universe gateways, or torana, which in turn was taken from the Sanskrit word torana used to describe ceremonial gateways in Hindu architecture, and also the Japanese word torii for similar archways in Shinto shrines.
Acknowledgments
I’d like to express my gratitude to all the people without whom the world of Spin of Fate (or SOF, as some call it) would have remained but a figment of my imagination.
My literary agent and fellow Naruto fan, Jon Cobb—the one “yes” amongst hundreds of “nos”. Thank you for giving my story a chance when no one else would. I owe so much to your tireless enthusiasm, prompt communication, and creative direction. Without you, Aranel wouldn’t have been a spy, Aina wouldn’t have been a key, and Meizan wouldn’t have…existed, really, until book 2. I simply can’t thank you enough (believe it). And a heartfelt thanks to your team at HG Literary, especially Soumeya Bendimerad Roberts and Ellen Goff, for working tirelessly to spread this book’s message far and wide.
My editor, Polo Orozco—your keen editorial instinct made SOF more accessible and engaging, shaping it into the story it needed to be (because we know if I’d had it my way, there would have been far more exposition about historical details and magic system intricacies…and far less focus on character relationships; relationships that I now realize form the true heart of this novel). Your suggestion to include epigraphs and poetry also led to some of my favorite sentences ever written. I really hope to meet you and Jon in person one day.
The incredible teams at Penguin Young Readers and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for their unflagging dedication in taking SOF to completion and getting it out into the world, and for considering my (verbose and overly detailed) input in all aspects from artwork to tagline to map. My gratitude to Jen Klonsky for championing Team Spin since submissions and for enthusiastic remote celebrations (with cake, in sweatpants—yep, I remember). Copyeditors Kellie Hultgren, Cindy Howle, Lana Barnes, and Misha Kydd for their meticulous reads and for coaching me on archaic English usage, proper comma placement, and the rules of capitalization after em dashes. I promise that book 2 will be more polished! Cover designers Tony Sahara and Jessica Jenkins, whose artistic sensibilities led to the classic high fantasy cover of my dreams. Sidharth Chaturvedi, my ridiculously talented cover artist, for interpreting my amateur drawings and bringing the terror and beauty of the nagamor to life. Interior designer Suki Boynton for the stunning pages and for finding a way to incorporate my keiza scribbles at the start of each chapter. Map artist Sveta Dorosheva for taking my all-too-long PowerPoint presentation and transforming it into a gorgeously detailed rendering of my world, better than I could have ever imagined. Natalie Vielkind, Madison Penico, and Amanda Cranney, unsung heroes who worked tirelessly on the production front. In no particular order, I’d also like to thank Jen Loja, Debra Polansky, Shanta Newlin, Elyse Marshall, Emily Romero, Christina Colangelo, Alex Garber, Felicity Vallence, Shannon Spann, James Akinaka, Carmela Iaria, Helen Boomer, and Kim Ryan.
