Lottie is independent.

Despite having little education, she taught herself to read properly and how to incorporate magic with household items. At nineteen years old, she lives in a tiny apartment by herself and, until recently, she paid for everything she owns - which isn’t a lot - as a factory worker.

She has a strong work ethic, as she feels motivated to prove that she is capable and doesn’t need to rely on others. Sadly, this didn’t help her from being fired after a manufacturing accident that destroyed much of her arm.

Lottie is resentful.

While she doesn’t realize this about herself, part of the reason that she’s so self-reliant is because she has little trust in other people.

She’s experienced many disappointments and injustices, from parents that were too sick and preoccupied to raise her to living in a dangerous area to a workplace mutilation resulting in her losing her only source of income. Lottie harshly judges people more privileged than her, mostly out of envy and seeing their apathy firsthand.

However, her sensitivity to injustices deeply imbedded a sense of fairness in her. She doesn’t screw over other people, even when doing so could benefit her.

Lottie is adaptable.

Growing up, her environment was limited in opportunities. She had to make the best with what she had, which included finding second-hand clothes and sometimes making her own, working around problems in her family and in society, and making decisions when no one else could.

She had to leave school as a young teenager, and even before then, she hadn’t learned very much from the shoddy system. Now though, she frequents the run-down library down the street, not just for free food, but also to read their fiction and learn from their non-fiction. What Lottie found the most interesting (so far) is the history of the city she lives in, Albrecht, and how to use magic.

Her preferred method of learning, however, is through hands-on experience.

Before she lost part of her arm, she experimented with infusing magic with physical items. Her favorites are a pair of gloves she made to be fire-resistant and a pair of goggles that can detect magic, although the latter are somewhat faulty. Even after losing one hand, she still doesn’t let that stop, even when she feels like a failure, even when she feels like giving up.

Lottie doesn’t place as much value on human relationships, as she’s used to having to adapt to people’s roles changing in her life. However, throughout the story she stars as the main character in, she learns to connect with people more and becomes more sentimental.