Screaming goats. Cult…ish. Virgin human sacrifices. Mama drama. Backstreet Boys poetry, possessed librarian dolls.

<b>“Once again, I find myself ruing the day I gave this smart ass tentpole the power to twitter-pate me.” </b>

Same, Vanja, same. Yet one could say this ALSO applies to Margaret Owen because SAINTS AND LOW GODS. This was just…a full emotional onslaught and gut punch. Also, I highly encourage you do the audiobook when you read or in tandem with another format. Trust me, you NEED to hear those goat screams.

<I>“Years of pain had smelted her down to a knife, and only now was she relearning to touch others without drawing blood.” </I>

Somehow Owen manages to perfectly juggle so many elements:
- Clever humor and banter that will have you cackling, or rather, goat screaming
- Tight pacing and plotting that will have you on the edge of your seat to see how this grand scheme ends
- Beautifully deep and flawed characters who despite struggling through their own traumas and mess, are communicating and being brave in their vulnerability
- Honest vulnerability and examination of trauma, abuse, and pain and how those can create and feed our inner demons and saboteurs
- An achingly tender romance that highlights all the beats and hallmarks of real partnership and intimacy
- Spellbinding magic featuring low gods, wild hunts, ghost elk, and hauntings that bring that enchanting and fairytale retelling quality that if so often elusive

Oh and that’s not all, this also more tightly zeros in on the very idea of Justice, the laws prefects like Emeric help make and enforce, but also what happens justice is too slow to hold those guilty to account.

There’s so many incredible facets explored that it’s hard to pick just one to highlight, as it’s all a wonderful tapestry of threads that Owen ties together. It’s a feat being able to pack so much into the story and not have one feel like it’s overshadowing the others or like any of it is filler. Everything is purposeful.

The writing is evocative and lyrical where it needs to be, and tight when it should be. The dramatic moments feel like a powerful drumbeat that make you hold your breath, while the moments in between and rich in laughter and character development, storytelling, to weave and draw you in. Badass and yet sweet, clever and cunning, while also being grounded and honest, Owen’s ability to deliver across the spectrum is masterful.

<b>“I say, cold as the crossroads that made me, ‘You were warned.’” </b>

All these elements combine to sharpen our understanding, and ultimately, our love for Vanja. All her flaws and setbacks, all her well intentioned efforts and schemes that sometimes go awry. Her cleverness and tenacity, and yes, sometimes even her spite and pettiness. In many ways we see her triumph, but also flail, and what each costs her. It’s a journey that, like in Little Thieves, is so captivating because while there’s a whole cast of plot elements and characters happening, at its very core, and weaving across al of them, it’s a character story about Vanja. Vanja is entertaining, yes, but she’s also so very real and raw and a mosaic of the best and worst parts of many of us.

<b><I>“Some part of me has always held back, clinging to the fear that I cannot be both known and wanted, that I will always have to surrender to one. But he—he has found beauty, somehow, in the worst of me. This isn’t a surrender; it’s a release.” </I></b>

While this is certainly centered on Vanja and her journey to figuring out who she is, both within the context of how she views herself personally and in who her family is, and what she wants, not just romantically but as her life’s purpose beyond a thief and liar, the cast of characters Owen weaves, both new and old was also rich and outstanding. I won’t touch on the new ones because I wouldn’t want to spoil anything for future readers and truly, they’re best enjoyed on your own. But just know, I’m kind of okay with creepy dolls now.

<b> “I want you to remember that, as long as you’ll have me, I will choose you every time.” </b>

You know where this is going. Emeric. My beloved bespectacled Prefect.

<I>“This overgrown love child of beanpole and a dictionary.”</I>

Pleased to say that Emeric continues his reign as supreme cinnamon roll and overall precious nerd that makes my heart pitter patter. He remains too good for this world, yet it is too late now Margaret, YOU CANT TAKE HIM BACK.

He’s so much more than just a love interest for the sake of having one. He’s integral to the story in how his ability to cut to the quick of things, especially with Vanja, helps break open Vanja’s thoughts and emotions, so it feels less like everything is contained or constrained to Vanja’s internal thoughts and only what she shares with the reader. But more than that, he’s also his own character that especially within this book, is much more fleshed out and has his own growth and struggles.

Not only do we see more of how Emeric views his relationship with Vanja, but the careful thread about the effectiveness, purpose, and power of the Prefects and Justice that was first introduced in Little Thieves is pulled even more here. Emeric is shown again and again how the laws, often created or shaped by the rich and wealthy, leave loopholes for the exploitation and abuse of the poor and desperate. How even when Justice is brought, the wheels of change are slow to turn, leaving many girls like Vanja behind when then can’t wait for things to go right.

Emeric has always been so grounded in his purpose as a Prefect, his ideology and belief in the notion of Justice, yet time and again the story challenges the efficacy of his work and the value of Justice for those in the real world. I suspect this is a thread that will be explored more fully in the last book and I can’t wait to see how he grapples with it as he considers where his future really lies.

<b> “There’s a thoracic little death-rattle behind me. I’m pretty sure it’s the sound of Emeric’s world crumbling at the fact that he’s pissed off the saint of libraries.” </b>

I feel like I could keep rambling on forever about this and it would never do it Justice. Suffice to say, this was an absolute favorite and if you loved Little Thieves (which, you should) you will absolutely enjoy this. Be warned, the ending will leave you STRESSED, my poor nerves, yet it’s so worth it fellow gremlins.

Huge thanks to Henry Holt for my galley and Macmillan for my ALC!

LITTLE THIEVES was one of my favorite reads last year (I was a little late to the party), so naturally I couldn’t wait for the sequel. When I received an ARC for this blog tour, I dropped everything to read it! I loved returning to this beloved world with a new tricky plot in PAINTED DEVILS.

I knew this book was going to be a wild ride when the author marketed this book with the line “Get in losers, we’re starting a cult.” At the beginning of the book, Vanja accidentally starts a cult around the Scarlet Maiden – although she really does try to stop it! Strange miracles keep occurring whenever she plans an out, to the point that Emeric arrives to investigate.

If you loved the romance and dynamic between Vanja and Emeric in the first book, you’ll love them in the sequel. They have a few misunderstandings to get out of the way at first. It was nice to see them figure out their relationship and their feelings about each other and then to see them working together as a team.

The plot was also very interesting; there’s a lot of trickery at play, both with the mysterious Scarlet Maiden and Vanja’s own plots. I enjoyed seeing Vanja in her element, scamming bad people out of their money and helping those whom the law won’t aid. We also get to learn more about Vanja’s backstory.

PAINTED DEVILS was a fun fantasy that also explores the scars we can let heal and the love that helps us along the way. I don’t think I was previously aware that this was a trilogy until I reached the end of this book. That ending…I can’t wait to read the next book and see where these characters end up!

Oh she a trilogy? Me likey.

Margaret Owen delivers yet again with an epic YA fantasy that will confound and astonish. I had previously thought that these were standalone novels, just with the same characters and universe, but I was happily mistaken. Between Vanja accidentally creating a cult and being thrust on a quest for a 7 part macguffin, there's no shortage of action and adventure. I enjoyed the dialog on cycles of abuse, sacrifice, and family. At the beginning I was a bit confused, as things seemed to lose continuity from the first book, but it all made sense in the end. Ultimately a lovely chonk of a book that I'll be recommending for ages.

*Thank you to Henry Holt & Co Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

When I read Little Thieves, it felt like a complete story, so when I was definitely surprised when I learned it was part of a trilogy. But I loved Vanja and Emeric and was curious to see where their adventures took them.

AND THEN. And then I read the pitch for Painted Devils and that curiosity turned into full blown excitement. And then I got the notification from NetGalley that Henry Holt and Co. had approved my request for an ARC.

Over the freaking moon. I say all this because I need you to know just how high my hopes were for this book. It was on a pedestal taller than Vanja’s audacity.

Somehow, even all those hopes paled in comparison to the emotionally devastating masterpiece that is Painted Devils.

Vanja is up to her usual shenanigans, only this time instead of pretending to be a princess, she’s invented a god and made herself its prophet. And then Emeric shows up in town to investigate this new religion. And now he has to somehow prove that Vanja isn’t committing fraud and also not get sacrificed?! Sign me up!

This book is for everyone who feels pressured by society to have sex on society’s timeline. It’s for everyone who was raised by a narcissist, for everyone who believes they’re not good enough. This book opened wounds I didn’t realize were lurking beneath the surface and then covered them in bandaids and kisses. It’s about family and acceptance and learning how to put yourself first. It’s about really seeing the people around you and loving them for who they are, not in spite of something. And it’s about math puns. (Okay, it’s not about-about them, but they were still great and made me laugh).

And yes. There is only one bed.

Painted Devils is cathartic and healing and definitely cheaper than therapy. If I could give it 5000 stars, I would.

I received an ARC of Painted Devils from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

After reading the absolute masterpiece that Little Thieves was, I had high hopes for this story. And I was not disappointed. Painted Devils was a fantastic follow-up in a sea of mediocre second books. The writing, humor, and gravity were sustained throughout the book.

I think my favorite part about this entire story was the plot itself. As much as I love Vanja, the plot made me giggle almost more than she did. There was the main idea, of course, which was searching for a different sacrifice than Emeric, but the side plots that happened were gold. If you've ever played a video game with side quests, that's what Vanja's adventure felt like in this story. She was on one side quest after the other, which was amusing to read. She'd resolve one only to get dragged into another. Honestly, the book would have been much shorter had it not been for those quests, but it would have suffered. The quests were what made the book, and I loved them.

Vanja and the rest of the characters were also great. They all had the depth and motivation we saw in the previous book, but it was expounded on. Vanja and Emeric grew as people even more so than in the last book, but I was sad that we didn't get to see much of the previous ragtag group. While all of the new characters were great additions, I missed the camaraderie from before. And I also feel like I need to point out that the characters ended up being very convenient, which was unfortunate. They were still great characters, don't get me wrong, it all just felt too easy.

And then the ending? Not going to lie. I was not a fan of the end. It felt like Vanja hadn't learned anything, even though she had seen so much growth and progress. Her choice rubbed me the wrong way, and I'm thrilled we're getting a third book because that can't be the end.

All-in-all, though, this was a great story, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

One of my most anticipated books! I'm so happy to review it. It picks up right after book one and have the same level of mystery, suspense, and overall amazingness of book one. I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC of this title!

Painted Devils is a book about Vanja accidentally starting a cult. In the process of solving that minor little issue, she discovers a major plot in a nearby city, meets a huge cast of new and loveable characters, and learns some deep and insightful truths about herself. If you liked Little Thieves, you will love Painted Devils. It is full of the same large scale heists and scheming, the same characters that we loved in the first book, and a spectacular amount of wit and charm that Owen is so good at. This book does have a much bigger focus on intimacy than the first, and it paints an extremely accurate picture of two inexperienced 17 year olds learning what that means.

My only criticism is that there were times where problems were presented only to be solved immediately, but this was mostly relegated to the first 30% of the book or so, and was never a big enough issue that I didn't want to pick the book back up again.

Overall, it was a fantastic read, and I'm dying to read the next book.

Do I even need to say Margaret Owen has done it again? Little Thieves was amazing, and Painted Devils is no different. Owen perfectly executes fantasy comedy romance in the best way possible, and I'll be following this trilogy to the very end. I adore Vanja and Emeric so much...
On that note, first, characters! There are a LOT, which made it hard to keep track of some, but I still loved it. Our new main or main side characters are Helga, Kirkling, Jakob, Vikram, and more, and they're all great, but especially Helga. Don't be fooled, though, we have cameos from a couple iconic Little Thieves side characters. I very clearly don't have any gripes with Owen in this category. She did an amazing job developing Emeric and Vanja too, and I loved them even more if that's possible.
Next, relationships and romance! No spoilers, but Vanja definitely had some complex relationships in this one with her romance with Emeric and the other things she has to deal with. Owen continuously surpassed expectations, and I loved seeing Vanja and Emeric's relationship develop in spite of the pressure they were under. Additionally, Vanja's own personal journey had a lot to do with other people this time around, and again, the execution was great. In other words, Margaret Owen cannot do wrong with these characters. I was laughing and dying inside the whole time.
Lastly, plot and world-building! There was definitely a lot going on in this book, especially since Little Thieves & Co. are like heist novels where small things get repeatedly stolen but everything is insane and piled up. However, it was actually pretty easy to sit back and enjoy the genius, and most of the time I got exactly what everyone was doing. I did get a twist early on, but it wasn't really one where I wasn't SUPPOSED to get it. The ending twist sort of caught me off guard, but I definitely got the reasoning (and I could've been talking about either twist there). Some of the world-building was a bit confusing, but just in a "we didn't get a ton of other magic information in book one so now it's here" way, not in a bad one.
Overall, I really loved and enjoyed this book. I've been looking forward to it since Margaret Owen posted her insane AITA version of the plot summary on Twitter for a trend, and it did not disappoint. I NEED that third Vanja book.

I think I somehow liked this one more than the first. What an amazing follow up!!!

I loved the teenage pining, family drama and set up for the next book. I feel like it was mostly
Setting up for book 3, but done in an entertaining way which I can respect.

Love this series!

I am very excited for this new release, but I will be waiting for the physical copy because my ereader is dead and I can’t find the charger

This is a wonderful follow up to Little Thieves, which I also loved. If you want more Vanja and Emeric, this is definitely the book for you! I'm super excited that there is going to be a third book.

Really loved this one— can not wait for the third!!! My favorite thing is how each section starts like a fairytale and then slowly shifts from fable to reality. It’s seamless and wonderfully woven!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

I’ve been looking forward to this novel, especially since Little Thieves was one of my top reads for 2022. We start the book with Vanja being Vanja: she starts a cult while denying and questioning her feelings for Emeric. Some of the old gang, along with some wonderful new characters, go on an epic road trip to save both Vanja’s and Emeric’s lives.

This book delivered and built on what I loved about book one while providing new enjoyable adventures. 5/5 stars.

Look for a Books Are Magical podcast episode featuring this novel to drop on publication day.

Painted Devils is literally everything I wanted it to be and more! I adored this book, and the fact that I now have to wait for book three is going to mess me up quite a bit.

We get our girl Vanja back, and she’s just as hilarious in this book as she was in Little Thieves. Her past experiences have obviously shaped her, but she doesn’t let that kill her vibe. I would do unspeakable things to protect Vanja, but she’d probably do worse things to avenge herself.

And of course, everyone’s favorite protractor (who literally has seggsy dreams about tax law), Emeric Conrad 🥹 this boy is SO ADORABLE! He’s so good at what he does, and such a caring partner, and he deserves the entire world.

We also get to meet a bunch of new characters, we run into old friends, and the characters in the book are honestly incredible, 10 out of 10, no complaints.

The story is such a wild ride! You’ve got a cult, you’ve got a road trip, there’s only one bed, theres magic, I could go on. But the two things that really stood out to me were the demisexual representation, and the theme of choosing your family.

I wish I had seen a love story like this when I was growing up. I felt so seen by the pace that Vanja and Emeric’s relationship progresses, and their thoughts on intimacy and love. This is such good demi representation, I love it so much, and there needs to be more of it!

This book also takes found family to a whole new level. I don’t want to spoil anything, but WOW did Margaret Owen write a master class in trope flipping. It’s amazing.

Please read Little Thieves so that you can read Painted Devils. This book blew me away. 5 stars.

I will post my review on Instagram one week before publication, and on Amazon on publication day.

2.5 rounded up to 3? There might me some spoilers so please read with caution!

Look, this is a painful review to write because Little Thieves was one of my top reads of 2022, and Painted Devils was incredible. Why, you might ask, are you giving it such a low rating if you thought it was great?

Because of that damn ending.

Painted Devils starts with Vanja being, well, Vanja. She has found herself involved in another scam and I love her for that. Go off, girlboss girly. This time she basically started a cult sort of unknowingly which is hilarious and very on brand for her character. We get introduced to new characters and get to see faves from the previous book. The plot is amazing, the action is incredible, Emeric is still a morally righteous cinnamon roll who respects that others (particularly his girlfriend) might not have the same values as him, who understands that things aren't always black or white and that some situations fall under shades of gray.

Vanja and Emeric's romance was also such a joy to read. It was adorable, awkward and incredibly realistic. It's an integral part of the story without taking away the focus of the plot. I honestly enjoyed this book so much that I wanted to cry. Then we got to the ending, and it was like getting punched in the face with a wet piece of lettuce. That ending felt entirely too similar to the one in Little Thieves, and I feel like it made no sense when taking the entirety of Painted Devils into consideration. After everything Emeric and Vanja went through, after we witnessed Vanja's growth and development, she makes the same mistake again?

Now, I'm not saying Vanja can't be flawed or hurt or traumatized. Her imperfection is what makes her one of my favorite characters. I do think, however, that the ending of Painted Devils basically retconned everything that happened in the book. The ending of Little Thieves made sense considering the story, and Vanja's explanation at the start of Painted Devils is absolutely valid but yeah, that ending was not it.

I know I'm in the minority here and I get it. But I'm also wary about the third book and I really hope the author has a logical explanation for what happened.

Painted Devils is my most anticipated release of 2023, and it certainly did not disappoint. Margaret Owen is a wonderful author I am always eager to suggest to my students.

The thing that stands out to me most in this series is how perfectly character and plot blend together. This is becoming rarer and rarer in YA fantasy these days, when books seem to focus more on tropes and formulas, and are so fast-paced and plot driven that I can barely recall a single character detail a week later. Vanja, Emeric, and the rest of the cast are all fully fleshed, three dimensional characters who the story interacts with, not the other way around. My favorite kind of book.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for granting my request for an advanced reader copy of Painted Devils.

What an emotional and exciting sequel! I wanted to simultaneously devour and savor every second of this book. I was so happy to receive an ARC for this and grateful for the opportunity to read this without spoilers, so I will attempt to keep my review as spoiler free as I can.

Vanja makes starting a cult look easy. After staggering drunkenly over a bridge where she spills her bag of rubies into the river, she only has help retrieving them because she invoked the local's legend. Her little white lie blooms into chaos and she once again needs the assistance of Prefect Emeric Conrad to worm her way out of trouble.

This series contains some of my all time favorite characters, so I was elated when this sequel was announced. Vanja and Emeric's hilarious snark and unyielding loyalty to one another makes them feel like two halves of a perfect whole. Their budding romance encapsulates the tentative excitement of every first great love. And I was delighted to see other characters from the first book make appearances too.

Vanja’s entire journey to finally accepting herself is hard fought but so tender and heartwarming. The answers she always wanted about herself are revealed in such a clever way that I didn't see coming. The emotional payoff is magnificent. I will admit, I cried more than once.

I’m a big fan of plot twists, especially when there are enough breadcrumbs to put it together right before the big reveal. I was kicking my feet throughout the last pages! That is, right up until I reached the very end. And all I have is... WHY?!

I will anxiously be waiting for the third book because I NEED them to have a happy ending.

I've been dying to read Painted Devils ever since I finished Little Thief and I was not disappointed. Vanya's character growth in this book was wonderful, and I really enjoyed reading this.

I adored Little Thieves and was so happy to see there was an ARC for Painted Devils. I did a re-read of the first book and dove right into the second installment. We have a new mystery to uncover and the stakes are a lot higher. Vanja starts a cult, Emeric is the chosen sacrifice and their everyday lives mixed into this new problem makes for a nice read. I loved the new lore we're introduced too and actually seeing Vanja be a morally gray character that really had no choice in her lot in life. Emeric is still our sweet nerd who plays by the rules though.

I hate to say it but I'm rating this one 3.5 stars. I LOVED the first one. I was obsessed from page one and devoured it but this one fell a little short to me. I hated the ending and it dismantled all of the emotional development we saw Vanja make through the first and second book. Was it used as a plot device for the next book? Maybe. This series could've easily been a duology and not a series.

I adored this sequel to Little Thieves, by Margaret Owen—if you loved the first in this duology, you will not be disappointed.
Perfect for fans of romantic fantasy, the small gods and recurrent enemies to lovers romance that continues this time around are sure to satisfy.
4/5 ⭐️
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.