Heir

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child death, graphic violence, and death.



Aiz is one of Heir’s three main point-of-view characters and one of the novel’s two primary antagonists. She is an orphan in Kegar, a country on the Southern continent, and a Snipe—a member of the lowest caste. She has some ability to windsmith, or manipulate the wind, but her inability to fully control her magic led to her being passed over as a Sail pilot, which contributed to her building resentment. Her physical and emotional scars, both of which result from the burning of the orphans, serve as constant reminders of the trauma she carries and the dangerous path her anger compels her to follow.

One of the central aspects of Aiz’s character is her relationship with power, both its potential and its cost. Her downfall begins after she takes the mysterious book of children’s stories from Tiral after failing to assassinate him. Once she reads it, she opens herself up to the spirit that comes to her in the form of Mother Div, her people’s savior. At first, Aiz views Div as a guide and benefactor who empowers her to protect her people.