Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co. for this eARC!

This book begins with our hilarious Vanja... accidentally starting a cult. In doing so, she (accidentally) helps bring back a Low God who wants what Vanja cares for most: Emerick. We are then brought along as Vanja and Emerick try to stop this Low God from claiming Emerick and to help put out the cult that Vanja has unwittingly created.

This book is SO MUCH FUN. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. While advertised as YA, this book is written in an enjoyable way for young adults and (not quite as young) adults alike. Vanja's narration is quirky, funny, and thoroughly interesting throughout.

This book asks so many questions that really get the reader to think. What makes something "right" or "wrong"? Who's job is it to ensure that those who are harmed get the justice they deserve? What is justice? These questions are not fully answered but instead, get the reader thinking for themselves.

This book is an absolute delight, and you will miss the characters when it comes to an end. Each character is so unique and has a fully developed personality. The relationship between Emerick and Vanja feels so real, and the way it develops along with the story is so believable and healthy. Truly an example of what a young relationship should be to young readers. The reader develops feelings of (dare I say it) love and trust alongside Vanja, and it truly brought me back to my first love.

While this book is a sequel to Little Thieves, it feels more like a continuation of relationships than a continuation of the story. I would not recommend reading this without reading Little Thieves, but you do not need to remember every detail of Little Thieves to understand (and love!) Painted Devils. This book ends in a way that very much sets Owen up for a third book, and it made me excited to see what comes next.

I highly recommend this book! It is such a fun time, and I already miss traveling with Vanja on her adventures.

This was a very enjoyable read, albeit it didn't quite have the *magic* that Little Thieves did!

Lets start with all the great parts: I love Vanja, She is a top tier YA protagonist, funny and brave, loyal and loving and also still riddled with flaws. Owen really knows how to explore the depth of a character, and there are so many facets of Vanja. I also love Emeric, I love his nerdy antics as well as his swoon ones. I loved the two of the bantering together, and all of the pining and tension. I also loved how Owen's explored the idea of intimacy in a way that is appropriate for YA audiences, and also can help them get an idea of what a healthy and happy relationship can look like when there is trust and respect for the other person getting comfortable with the idea of being physically intimate. All of this was awesome and well done.

However, I really found myself missing the cast from book 1, including Giselle and Ragne. We did get Ragne for a time, but not until quite far into the story. This, added to the fact that the plot and conflict seemed kind of forced and just not nearly as severe or high stakes as Little Thieves did, took something away for me. And while I love how Owens explored physical intimacy, I do wish it hadn't been as central to the conflict as it was (if you've read this book, you'll know what I mean.) Vanja & Emeric are facing a lot of pressure about this, and I wish it had been more of a romantic/relationship development side bar than a plot point.

All together though, I can see a person enjoying this plenty, especially if you liked Little Thieves (which I really, really did). As is very common with books, it simply did not stand up to its predecessor, which did leave very large shoes to fill. It had lots of banter and action, magic and fun and humor. Thank you to Macmillan Children's for the eArc of this title!

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I enjoyed Little Thieves, but I loved the heck outta Painted Devils. There's definitely no sophomore slump here. This story moves right along with plenty of action and adventure right from the start, but it's emotionally complex too -- and that's where it made the biggest impact on me as a reader. Vanja is out here fighting ghosts -- both literal and metaphorical -- and doing it with heartbreak and joy and savage wit and tenacity. I laughed out loud so many times (and I don't do that often when I'm reading), and I cried more than once as well.

I can't wait for book 3. It's going to completely wreck us all.

One of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and I was LOVING this for 90% of the story. The quips and banter were FANTASTIC. So many quotable moments right in the midst of a compelling hero's journey plot. Vanja and Emeric were such a delight and I LOVED seeing their characters develop and better as a result of their blooming relationship. The demisexuality representation was so well-done and both made me laugh as well as cry, sometimes within a page or two. The scheming and vigilante justice were just as good as in book one but impounded by the fact that Vanja has become less selfish and more intent on serving her version of justice for those who deserve it.

I started to get so nervous in the last third of the book. Suddenly, the plot was picking up RAPIDLY and the pacing was falling apart. Everything I loved about this book was shattered in the last seven pages for the sake of a third book. So disappointing. Why are we afraid of happy endings?

Painted Devils picks up shortly after Little Thieves, book 1 in the series. Despite seeming to have learned her lesson, Vanje finds herself sliding back into old habits. This, of course, comes back to haunt her and she finds herself in the middle of another magical mystery with the stakes even higher than before.

I thought that Painted Devils was a fantastic sequel to Little Thieves. Just like in Little Thieves, I greatly enjoyed the Grimm-esque writing style and the wit in this book. There were so many great one liners in this book that I am already looking forward to annotating my hardcover once it arrives.

In Painted Devils, Vanje continues to be her usual irreverent self, but at the same time allows Emeric to strip off some of her internal armor. I really enjoyed seeing her confront her feelings of inadequacy and begin her healing journey after the years of abuse she experienced at the hands of her mother and her former employers. Watching Vanje and Emeric navigate their budding romance was both adorable and also one of the more accurate depictions of teen romance I’ve come across so far.

Now fair warning, while the ending of Little Thieves left me surprised and had me SMH a bit at Vanje’s antics, this one LITERALLY ripped my heart out. Consider yourself warned, but still read this one, because it is an absolutely phenomenal story. I can’t wait for next book, but in the meantime will be re-reading Little Thieves.

4 stars!
I was so excited when I was approved for the ARC for this book! Before starting this book, I have read the first book. I recommend listening to the audiobook for the book 1 because for me personally, I think listening to the world building was easier to understand than reading it. The second book really took me out of my fantasy reading slump. I was debating on which fantasy book to read and this book really came to a rescue and I loved it. In the first book, Vanja was a frustrating and stubborn character hahaha and in book 2, I kind of forgot about that and now she accidentally started the cult and I was like woah WHAT HAHAHAHAHAHA. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Vanja and Emeric and how this book showed how they handled the misunderstanding and how they are always there for each other. This book was an overall enjoyable fantasy read :)

This sequel is a beautiful follow-up to Little Thieves. I wasn’t sure where the second book would take us because the first one wraps up nicely but not only does Margaret build such a beautiful story that perfectly ties into the second, she dives deeper into her characters and how past actions and decisions impact them in this book.

Owen’s writing is somehow even better in this book. I think I highlighted every single word in this book I was laughing, smiling, cursing, tearing up, I went through so many stages with this book and loved every minute.

This might be a categorized as a fantasy but is one of the most beautiful novels of love I have ever read, romantic love, familial love, friendship love- this book explores it all and truly shines a light on the beauty and hardships of each one.

I can’t recommend this book and this series enough, it is and continues to be one of the best YA fantasy series out there.

ARC and ALC were provided via Netgalley and the publisher.

I struggle with second books in a series because sometimes they just become a wandering bridge book ... a book that has the reader spending money, adding nothing really to the story, and bridging the beginning to the end without it actually having any sort of impact overall.

This is the perfect second volume in this series. Tone was spot on. This was funny and pithy throughout while at the same time carrying the emotional gravity of what Vanja is discovering both about herself and the world she inhabits. The perfect combination of discovery, magic, thievery, and hijinks.

Vanja really shines in this one because you can clearly see her character growing. She's still a chaos demon (I mean, at one point she accidentally starts a cult ...) but you get to see her doing work to be a better person for herself and also to be better for Emeric (more so because she sees him as inherently good and wants to make sure that she's not taking advantage of him but being his equal in their relationship). We also see growth in Emeric - we see him continue to be vulnerable and honest, we see him be willing to buck the rules of the prefect system that he's working within, and the reader gets to see just how wonderful he actually thinks that Vanja is. This story also happens to hurl Vanja into an unexpected personal journey that has her discovering things about herself that were unexpected - both to her and to the reader.

I really like the first volume but I think that I like the second even more. I can't wait for book 3 to see what chaos and hijinks these two get up to next and what type of impact it will have on them personally as well as the overall magical world in which they live.

(Also, as a librarian, I like how potentially challenging these books are to teen readers. The inclusion of the German words, the density of both the writing and the world building, the complex and detailed storyline that forces a reader to pay attention for any detail that may matter later ... these are the types of super interesting stories that help readers grow without the reader even realizing it.)

★★★★.5

This book was as good as the first one! I just love the way the story is told, how you really are inside Vanja’s mind. You get to laugh on her jokes, her clumsiness and to swoon on her relationship with Emeric which is one of the best i’ve ever read!! This book is so unique and special, it really feels like a treasure. The plot was amazing and unpredictable I loved it so so much.

Tropes:
• retelling
• banter
• frienemies to lovers

A funny, unique YA fantasy sequel that ends up being frustrating due to its length, repetitive plot, and lack of lasting character growth. Hoping that book 3 pulls this series back together.

Here we have Vanja being Vanja (ie self-destructive and also accidentally starting a cult because of course she does) and then in comes Emeric being Emeric (annoyed and exasperated at Vanja and said accidental cult) and then things *really* start to happen.

The writing is just as gorgeous and funny and dark as in the first book. I love it so much!

The story is so compelling, as are the characters. As the threads of story slowly wove together, I remained in awe of Margaret Owen's plotting skills and ability to misdirect. The story is SO beautiful and SO sad. I actually had to stop reading, near the end, because my eyes were so full of tears I couldn't see the words and I had to take a moment and wipe them until I could see again. That doesn't happen often.

I love Vanja and Emeric even more now, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next one.

The twist of who, exactly, the Scarlet Maiden is was brilliantly foreshadowed in a way that made it seem like it came out of nowhere with a gut punch. The identity of the various people Vanja encounters was hidden in plain sight. Everything was constructed so perfectly.

And poor Vanja and Emeric. That ending broke my heart and I did cry. I can't wait for the next book to find out how they fix things. Because they have to fix things. Right?

Margaret Owen has cemented her place as a forever auto-buy author for me and one whose arcs I will absolutely fight for.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's - Henry Holt & Co. for providing an early copy for review.

“What a beautiful trap I’ve built for myself. What a horror, what a delight, to find I’ve been caught.”

I don’t know if I really have words to describe how much I loved this book. Little Thieves was so perfect, I worried the sequel wouldn’t hold up. But by the high and low gods, did it prove me wrong.

Vanja wasn’t trying to start a cult but that’s where she ended up. When the made up low god she had a whole town worshipping actually shows up, Prefect Aspirant Emeric Conrad is assigned to figure out if she’s guilty of profane fraud. This would be perfect if she hadn’t spent the last three months running away from him, afraid she wasn’t good enough.

Plot: 5/5
I absolutely love that the books in this series each have their own complete plot. There’s enough left open for another book but that’s based on the characters. The mystery gets solved and the main plot is resolved within one book.

Characters: 5/5
It should be known that this absolute terror and protractor are two of my favorite characters ever written. I have zero critiques of them.

I truly love that this book has a sex positive perspective. It’s not explicit but it’s just enough to show that sex is an important part of a health, loving relationship.

The characters added in this book are amazing. I won’t go into detail for fear of spoilers. But if I ever see Prefect Emeritus Kirkling, I will slap her and worse.

Oh also… RAGNE!!

Writing: 5/5
Owen is a master at mixing in modern jokes and humor into a fantasy setting. It flows perfectly and never feels forced. Her writing is so engaging that you never want to put the book down. I’ve finished it and I would like to start it over already.

Overall: 5/5

Review originally posted on my blog, Chasing Chapters.

“You are an unfathomable terror.”

What the heck?!

I should have known. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN.

This book was delightful and tender and lovely and terribly, heartbreakingly ruinous. How can you do this to me, Margaret Owen?!

So Vanja started a cult but only like Vanja could… she’s still my favorite God-daughter though. Emeric, with his gentle and loving soul, I just want to hold and keep safe. Anyone would be lucky to have him as a friend slash partner in crime. I miss Ragne, who’s always such a delight to be around.

I don’t know what else to say? I don’t want to spoil anything. But it’s also 4 am and I have not had any sleep yet. I couldn’t tear myself away from Painted Devils. It was SO good. I was dreading the end but I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I was hooked from the start!

There were very few mentions of sausages (iykyk) but I think you’ll love how the author handled the romance between Vanja and Emeric. (VanEm? EmeVan?) Me, personally? I live for the sweet tender moments just as much as the fun flirty slightly-insulting-but-always-said-with-affection banter. Did I mention I LOVE them both so much?!

I’d gladly go with Vanja in all her adventures– cultish or otherwise. I’m so, so happy Little Thieves wasn’t the end. Give me more!

P.S. I’ve had some time to stare at the cover and can I just say I love all the details?! The roses, the knife, the crown wreath, the red handprint, the blood drops, the lamp… ugh, I love everything about this book!

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.

Absolutely Fantastic!

Little Thieves is among one of my favorite books of all time. I was happy it was a stand alone story, and after all Vanja has been through, she an Emeric deserved their happy ever after. When I heard there would be a second book, I had mixed feelings. The idea of returning to this world and the characters was certainly appealing, but at the same time I was nervous as to what would be messed up in the process of extending he narrative.

But I should have known better to trust Owens would deliver, and boy does she! I don't think any of the characters lose their growth from the first book, and while there is miscommunication between Vanja and Emeric, it isn't the relationship destroying kind, but the everyday figuring out how to be with someone kind. The stakes in this one are still fairly high, and Vanja has not lost her knack for getting into a bind, but I believe she is now my favorite fantasy heroine of all time. The girl who believes her whole life she will ruin everything coming to terms with believing in herself and that the people around her do indeed love her, and that she is also kindofa badd ass! Here she digs further into the mystery of the family she has never known and why she was abandoned. My heart is so full for her.

But readers should be aware going in - this is now book 2 in a trilogy- so while much of the story does get resolved, there is a pretty significant cliffhanger this time, which on the one hand is just cruel, but on the other, I am sure will pay off in the end. And thus the wait for book 3 begins. . .

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!

4.0 stars

I really enjoyed the first book of this trilogy, LITTLE THIEVES, so I was thrilled to receive this arc—and I'm happy to report it didn't disappoint. Like always, this was SUCH a fun ride, with incredibly fleshed-out characters you love to root for and a few meaningful twists I genuinely did not expect. (Is the opposite of a cheap twist an expensive twist?) This was definitely a Vanja book, and while the side characters that rotated into this particular plot line weren't quite as fun as their predecessors, our main characters really shone.

The tone and voice of this book are perhaps the most authentically YA I've ever read in a secondary fantasy. It does veer into middle grade humor territory at times, but age-appropriate topics are handled with sensitivity and realism. There is a fair amount of sex in this book, but it's refreshing to see sexual topics actually discussed in a teenage-friendly way, instead of just fading everything to black and glossing over the not-so-romantic bits. It's definitely something we need to see more of in YA books, even if it does make readers squirm a bit.

Very minor, but since I already touched on tone, the modern memes and in-jokes seemed a lot more noticeable in this book than they were in any of the other Margaret Owen books I've read, and they were definitely distracting. However, a few also did wring a chuckle out of me, so I guess you win some and you lose some?

All-in-all, I enjoyed this a lot and am looking forward to reading the conclusion to this trilogy.

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.