Leigh revealed during a 2021 interview with Refinery29 that giving Kaz a cane in the Grishaverse actually helped her cope with her own osteonecrosis, and that she realized that she was projecting a bit of herself into Kaz as a character.

The author said, "Oh God, I've written a cane-wielding anti-hero. I guess I was writing myself into this book. I will candidly say a lot of Kaz's swagger has helped me on the days when I'm feeling self-conscious or when, quite honestly, my own internalized ableism gets the better of me."

Leigh recognized immediately why fans of her novels would tell her that they envisioned Kaz as an elderly man when reading the Shadow and Bone books. She noted in the interview that, "It's because you've never seen anyone in media with a mobility aid that isn't an ancient crone. I'm keenly aware of this because that was part of my hang-up. And I didn't really recognize it until I was in it."

You can check out every book Leigh has penned so far on her official website (she's got more Grishaverse books and unrelated novels for anyone eager for more!).

You can catch Kaz and the rest of the characters in the Grishaverse with Shadow and Bone Season 2, now available to stream on Netflix.