You know what they say: Behind every great male magician is an even more skilled and accomplished female magician. And we’re not just talking about Sadie Kane. Although Zia Rashid has never lived in Carter’s shadow, we think it’s high time to give The Kane Chronicles‘ Scribe of the First Nome the spotlight she deserves.

Tragic Backstory

Zia’s journey to magicianship (that’s a real word, we swear) began when she was only eight years old. After her father accidentally unleashed a monster from an ancient artifact (there seems to be a lot of that going around these days . . . ), Zia was her village’s sole survivor. Chief Lector Iskandar, the most formidable magician of his time, found her and offered her the chance to study under him. Goes to show that when life unleashes a destructive demon, it also opens a window to opportunity.

Meet the Kanes

Zia’s introduction to the Kane family involved a serious cleanup after Julius inadvertently released Set and the other children of the Demon Days (see what we mean?). Naturally, her first instinct was to kill the Kanes for their incompetence, but over time they became her trusted allies. She helped Carter and Sadie understand the extent of their magic abilities, and in turn, the siblings taught her how to loosen up and have fun. You’ll never guess which was harder to accomplish.

Hostess with the Mostess

Throughout her adventures, Zia has served as the host body for both Nephthys and Ra himself. Few magicians can lay claim to elevating to the status of godling on more than one occasion. Doubly impressive, considering Ra is one of the most powerful gods in existence. With Ra’s power, Zia was able to defeat the Apis Bull and Bloodstained Blade with ease; she even went toe-to-toe with Set himself. Zia and Ra eventually separated, but we bet she still boasts about the time they were together.

The Stage is Set

These days, Zia is content to reside at Brooklyn House with the Kanes and live life as a normal teenager. Battling giant apocalyptic snake gods tends to drive magicians into early retirement. But if the forces of Chaos ever rear their heads again, we can rest assured that Zia will be at the forefront of the next battle, with or without Ra’s help.

And it’s only a matter of time before BSB, that weird talking ax demon, returns for a proper rematch.