Character Clues

Character Analysis

Type of Being

Right away, we learn that Kiriel is a demon… Just don't call him one. He tells us, "I don't like the term 'demon.' It carries quite a bit of negativity with it. It implies a pointy tail and cloven hooves. I prefer the term 'fallen angel'" (2.1). His need to be called a Fallen angel instead of a demon tells us a lot about how people think of demons—and it ain't pretty. Kiriel wants to get away from that stereotype, but he can't. Whether he wants to believe it or not, the book shows us that the type of being you are—human, demon, angel—says a lot about who you are, too.

To dig deeper into this, may we suggest you hop on over to the "Characters" page and read up on Kiriel in depth. We've got loads to say about his demonic—and non-demonic—tendencies over there.

Names

We get to know Kiriel before we know his name, but his name is a big deal. He even tells us about its significance: "I've always liked the term, because one of the many names I have been called is Kiriel. It's my favorite, from a language no longer in use, no longer remembered, and its meaning is 'mirror of souls'" (5.1). Mirroring souls is exactly what his job is—Kiriel's in charge of making sure people see how bad they've been by making sure they suffer enough in hell. Some job. We get why he wants to leave, and also why he's called Kiriel.

Importantly, while Kiriel bounces from hell to take a break from soul mirroring, once he's above ground, he kind of winds up doing so anyway, just for good. He helps Lane recognize how desirable she is, and he helps Jason tap into his self-confidence. Kiriel doesn't make them different people so much as he reflects back brighter parts of themselves than they're used to. Cool trick, eh?