Best title: "Sentinels of Miith" vs. "Bane of Miith" vs. "Miith's Bane"?

[Spectrum]

Hello.

I am working on a title for my series of books. The genre is dark epic fantasy with elements of Cthulhu horror. I have three titles under consideration at the moment:

- Sentinels of Miith
- (The) Bane of Miith
- Miith's Bane

I would like some opinions on which title you like best, and why. Currently I am leaning towards Miith's Bane, but I am not certain.

Explanation: "Miith" (rhymes with "heath") is the planet where my story takes place. The "Bane" refers to an alien race, originally named so because the one who summoned them hoped they would be the "bane" of his enemies. Now others fear the alien creatures may be the "bane" of the entire world. The "Sentinels of Miith" are a Miithian organization that oppose the Banes and see themselves as the planet's protectors.

Any opinions on the title? Which one would grab your interest best?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Lacedaemonian]

I prefer Sentinels of Miith. I do not like the use of the word 'bane' in a book title. Sentinels of Miith also sounds better.

 

[The Judge]

I also prefer 'Sentinels' - 'Bane' sounds a bit hackneyed and the rythmn of 'Sentinels' is better. I have to confess though that 'Miith' doesn't grab me. Being extremely short-sighted I read it in your thread title as 'Mirth' so assumed it was going to be something comic.

Sorry...

J

 

[Lacedaemonian]

I honestly read it as Milf. God help me.

 

[Spectrum]

Thanks for the replies.

The name "Miith" is not set in stone. I would still like to find a better name, but I have not found any yet.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

In this case I like Sentinels better than Bane, but it might just be the way the words sound together. Another name combined with "Bane" might sound completely different. (And I'd stay away from any plurals or possessives involving names ending in th. The effect, when spoken aloud, is not altogether fortunate.)

 

[HareBrain]

I honestly read it as Milf. God help me.

I think even God would have to admit defeat there ...

To be honest, I'm not grabbed by any of those titles, though if it came to having to make a choice, I'd prefer sentinels. Maybe the trouble for me is that "sentinels" sounds static and passive. From what I remember of your story (assuming you haven't changed it out of all recognition) it deserves a more dynamic title. However, I have more than enough trouble thinking up titles for my own stuff, so that's all the "help" I can give you.

 

[Spectrum]

I think even God would have to admit defeat there ...

To be honest, I'm not grabbed by any of those titles, though if it came to having to make a choice, I'd prefer sentinels. Maybe the trouble for me is that "sentinels" sounds static and passive. From what I remember of your story (assuming you haven't changed it out of all recognition) it deserves a more dynamic title. However, I have more than enough trouble thinking up titles for my own stuff, so that's all the "help" I can give you.

Thanks for the comments. I will keep searching.

I have a few more ideas for in-story concepts that might make titles. What do you guys think of these?

- The Unspoken Covenant
- The Lie Sublime
- Tearing the Shroud

 

[Ursa major]

I don't kow why, but I too prefer Sentinels to Bane. (Is it because "Sentinel" promises more action, whereas Bane sounds more like a malignancy? Maybe, maybe not.)


As for your new three: It's probably just me, but the last two (The Lie Sublime and Tearing the Shroud) sound a bit too much like euphemisms to me, the second pleasant, the third a lot less so; but the latter thought was probably initiated by seeing the second title and the third one would probably not have stood out on its own.

(Note that a part of my brain is always on the lookout for double meanings; these may pass other readers by.)

 

[Spectrum]

As for your new three: It's probably just me, but the last two (The Lie Sublime and Tearing the Shroud) sound a bit too much like euphemisms to me, although in a more leasnat way for the first of these. (Note, though, that a part of my brain is always on the lookout for double meanings which may pass other readers by.)

I'm sorry, I didn't understand this. Can you explain it again?

 

[Ursa major]

Sorry: I've reworded the post (it wasn't making much sense to me either ); but you probably still need to be informed that a "Lie Sublime" may not only refer to an untruth, but to something more ... well ... personal.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Some people --or bears -- have gutter minds. (I foresee endless puns on the previous sentence.)

To someone as pure-minded as myself, however, until I read Ursa's post no such meanings were likely to occur to me. In fact, I like both those titles.

 

[Interference]

The Sublime Lie works best for me so far.

Multiple interpretations of course:

Those who are sublime are lying, in either sense.
The (an) untruth is in itself a sublime thing
There is a sublime quality to the position or placement of an object or thing.

and so on ....

 

[Pyar]

Out of the 6 ideas that you posted I liked The Unspoken Covenant the best, but even that one seems pretty bland. But titles of books are a double-edged sword, you could throw it away and basically have no real meaning behind them or you could come up with a title that is very insightful and get someone thinking about what the book could be about. I definitely prefer the titles that make you think. Some of my favourite titles are The Word For World is Forest, Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. All of these make you think and imagine and they may or may not give away exactly what the story is about.

 

[Spectrum]

Sorry: I've reworded the post (it wasn't making much sense to me either ); but you probably still need to be informed that a "Lie Sublime" may not only refer to an untruth, but to something more ... well ... personal.

I still don't get it...

 

[HareBrain]

As for your new three: It's probably just me, but the last two (The Lie Sublime and Tearing the Shroud) sound a bit too much like euphemisms to me, the second pleasant, the third a lot less so; but the latter thought was probably initiated by seeing the second title and the third one would probably not have stood out on its own.

I estimate the probability at 0.9999999999999999999999999999999, and thank heavens for that.

 

[Threddy]

I prefer The Bane of Miith out of the first 3.

The Unspoken Covenant sounds quite cool, altho those 3 all sound a bit too philosphical to me.

 

[Threddy]

Thinking about this some more, I'd be tempted to drop the Miith bit, and just have:

The Bane

or

The Sentinels

That would be more curiosity-mongering to me.

 

[Aes]

I'm going to have to agree with the first couple people who posted. Anything with "bane" in the title sounds (looks?) tacky, and makes me think the contents of whatever that word adorns will involve a boy hero, a magic sword, a princess, a dark lord, and all sorts of other delightful cliche elements.

 

[JDP]

Out of the original options, I prefer 'The Sentinels of Miith' , though I must admit that 'Miith' threw me because it wasn't immediately clear how this should be pronounced, which irritates me.

Out of the later options, I'd avoid the title with Covenant in it as that smacks of Donaldson, and the 'Tearing the Shroud' one sounds like a euphemism. I prefer 'The Lie Sublime' from those later options.