Young adult academy fantasy tips the hat to Arizona sports
The main heroine in this young adult academy fantasy is named after Arizona sports teams. A bold legacy forged in desert grit and relentless spirit.
When I first drafted The Arcane Prophecy (coming September 2026), I knew my main character needed a name that hit hard and carried weight. Something memorable, sharp, and bold. Not just because may be destined for something massive in the story, but because I’m not the type to phone in details like character names.
So I named her Yote Diamondback. Yeah, you read that right. Yote. Diamondback. Let’s break it down.
The “Yote” part is a nod to a lost NHL franchise
Right before I started writing, the Arizona Coyotes moved to Utah and became the Utah Hockey Club (now the Utah Mammoth). It stung. I’ve been a die-hard Arizona sports fan for as long as I can remember, even if I kept the Coyotes at an arm’s length since I knew for years the inevitable would happen.
And even though I understood why they bolted for Salt Lake City, it still felt like watching a piece of my past get packed up and shipped off. Oh, and they also happened to boast the best uniforms in the game.
So I gave that piece a permanent place in fiction.
“Yote” is short for Coyotes—the name fans shouted, chanted, and wore on jerseys even during the worst seasons. It’s the kind of name that only a real fan – to a degree – would give a character. It’s a send-off, a salute, and a middle finger to the idea that legacy dies just because a franchise moves zip codes.
Yote, the character, has that same grit. She’s a little wild, a little scrappy, and constantly underestimated. But she’s always pushing forward. If that doesn’t scream ‘Yote,’ I don’t know what does.
The “Diamondback” part is a nod to the serpent
Then there’s her last name: Diamondback. You better believe that’s a nod to the Arizona Diamondbacks, my favorite MLB team and one of the few pro franchises that’s delivered real postseason memories worth holding onto. 2001 World Series, anyone? Against the New York Yankees, of all teams?
Diamondbacks don’t just play ball—they grind, claw, and strike when it matters. The name carries venom and elegance. And in The Arcane Prophecy, Yote’s journey is full of that same coiled tension. She grows into a force—quiet at first, then dangerous when provoked. The last name fits. Period.
And then there’s Jett Diamondback
I didn’t stop with Yote.
Her sister’s name is Jett. Not because I liked the sound of it (though I do), but because it completes the arc. For those keeping score, the original Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix in the ’90s and became the Coyotes.
So Jett represents the past—the original identity—while Yote represents the future and what rises from the ashes of the move.
It’s subtle, but for anyone who knows NHL history or Arizona fandom, it hits differently. That said, I doubt I’ll have anyone named Mammoth in this series…
Fiction with roots
Some authors give their characters names that just sound cool. I’m not that guy, even if this series has a lot of cool names – Cassara Darkwood, Rayne Grimbane, Rass Vexx, Storm Sharpe, Loki Kahne, you get the point.
Every name in my books means something—especially the lead. Yote Diamondback isn’t just a girl with elemental powers. She’s a nod to everything I loved about Arizona sports, immortalized in a fantasy series that’s going to outlive the NHL relocation drama, the tanking seasons, and the fair-weather fans who jumped ship.
This series is personal. So is the name.
And yeah, this is just the warm-up. I’ll get political soon enough. Hell, I already am political. But before we burn institutions to the ground, let’s appreciate the little things—like how a scrappy desert hockey team and a venomous ballclub helped name one of the fiercest characters I’ve ever written.
Want a taste of what Yote Diamondback’s all about? Go snag my prequel to The Arcane Prophecy, Arcane Awakenings.
