I guess I didn't read the fine print and this is a series on the longer side (4 books) I'm doing my cleanup of the TBR for 2024 to 2025 when I realized that. so my confusion when starting this last year makes since with that in mind I will not be reattempting.... unfortunately, this will be a DNF for me. as a Mom I feel like I cant commit to any more than a 3 book series nowadays (preferring to keep it a duology level. ) Thats a me thing so I wont be posting any reviews

3.5 stars! After falling in love with Little Thieves but being very disappointed by Painted Devils, I wasn’t sure how this final book was gonna go. I’m happy to report that I enjoyed this finale, though it never reached the level of Little Thieves for me.

My biggest gripes with Painted Devils was the at times confusing and snail-paced plot, and the lack of the main core including Gisele and Ragne. I was much more pleased with Gisele and Ragne being included in this one, but unfortunately the plot still caused me frustration. I definitely enjoyed the first half of this more than the second. I wasn’t a big fan of the timeline plot, and there seemed to be soo many characters to try to keep track of! I honestly couldn’t tell you who got killed when or what was happening in the alternate timeline. I started to skim through the last few chapters because it just seemed to be going on forever.

It was nice to see where Vanja ended up and I do adore her as a character. Emeric actually frustrated me a bit in this book, and I didn’t really like how his whole relationship with Lilja was handled. The ending was cute, and I especially loved the final illustration!

Overall, I really think LT was the strongest of the series. The plot throughout the rest just seemed too confusing and long. I do really love this cast of characters though and wouldn’t object to some short stories or something in the future!

Holy Terrors, had me chuckling, my heart racing, and feeling melancholic, sometimes simultaneously. With deeply flawed characters who were perfectly written, Margaret Owen finds that nuance between whimsy, immersive setting, empathetic storytelling, and nostalgia that I look for in a great book.

I don’t know if this is where the series ends, but I’m so glad I went on this journey with Vanja.

I’m so sorry to have finally reached the end of this series that is so close to my heart. I reread Little Thieves and Painted Devils in preparation for this book. I also read The Fallow Year on AO3 which I believe is really necessary to understand a lot of the new characters and events mentioned in Holy Terrors. (Lilje, the lens, Benno..)

Like with the rest of the books in this series, Margaret Owen immediately snares the reader by dropping you right in the middle of one of Vanja’s schemes. I love Vanja so much and I live for all her clever antics and hilarious quips. We get a lot more involved with the Blessed Empire’s political hierarchy and uncover more about the complex world of Gods and their abilities. Every scene with Emeric had my heart in a vise - I love him so much and I wanted to scream at him and Vanja to just communicate better. We get to see a lot our friends from the previous adventures and how they’ve changed over the years, which is always wonderful. The character growth of Vanja especially is amazing and definitely one of the things about this series that will stay with me the longest.

While I love the vibes of this whole series and could not stop turning the pages of this book, I still found some issues. While I understand it was going to be more somber in tone, I was still disappointed we didn’t have as much humor as before. The kitten did provide a lot of comic relief, but I missed the banter a lot. Emeric seemed to do things so out of character, and I found myself being distracted by that (Ie: what Lilje comes to realize he did etc). But the two things I found to be the biggest issues were the length of this book and the ending. Toward the finish I started to get so confused by who was getting killed, who was taking their place, who was actually doing the killing, if we were dreaming, if we were awake, how the villain was able to do what they did, etc etc. There was so much talk of alternate worlds and timelines I was very tempted to skip ahead. I think if a lot of that plot and the final battle scene had been edited better to be easier to understand it would solve the length issue as well. I love the narrator of this series and I’m going to ‘read’ it again when that comes out, so hopefully I can grasp it a little better then.

I still 1000% recommend this series and would love if Owen continued to write short stories about Vanja and Emeric forever. I will buy anything they're a part of.

Thank you to MacMillan Children's, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I picked up this book and instantly sank back into this awesome world. VANJA I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. I loved the themes and character development. With each installment of this series, Vanja's journey deepened and became even more meaningful. I was thrilled to see favorite characters reenter the story (Ragne!!!) and kept laughing my head off. Things got kind of complicated after the midpoint and stuff was happening so fast that I got a little disoriented, but ultimately everything landed and made sense and I am so absolutely satisfied with the ending. I still maintain that Painted Devils is my favorite of the trilogy, but I loved this final installment.

While I enjoyed myself for the most part reading this book I will say one thing and that is that it was too long. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't have read the whole thing, but especially the end just felt tacked on and unnecessary. I adored the first book in the series and I think it would have stayed perfect as a standalone, I feel like with each book I enjoyed myself a little bit less.

That being said, here are my positives:

The humor was still there (though not as much as the previous two)
The way the relationship drama was handled was well-done in my opinion
The writing was still solidly enjoyable to read

I was genuinely terrified that this might not live up to my love of other Margaret Owens books. But I shouldnt have been worried. As always she delivers. This is the perfect culmination of this trilogy with heists and funny off the cuff moments and Vanyas character growth throughout has been tremendous. This is so descriptive and builds on everything laid out in previous books. And I LOVE that this series has queer characters and isn’t a coming out story. And the enemies to lovers plot line has been one of my favorites. I hope someday there will be more in this world because I am truly bereft to see these characters go.

This series is everything. It’s hilarious, laugh out loud funny, it’s crazy at times, off the wall outrageous, raw and real, emotional, silly and just plain perfect.

If you’ve not read Little Thieves yet, I need you to stop slacking and go have some fun (aka read it). It is hands down the funniest book I’ve ever read with the most lovable morally grey FMC ever. imho

Then you need to move on to Painted Devils, where our lovable and morally gray FMC accidentally starts a cult…

OK, all caught up?

Now that you’ve thoroughly immersed yourself in this world and you’re clearly in love with Vanja and Emeric it’s time to move on the final book.

Holy Terrors is everything you’ve ever wanted in a series finale.

The absolute epic growth that we see in both Vanja and Emeric will have you questioning if this is a YA book.

and on that note, this is actually the perfect YA series

It starts off silly and fun with a small lesson about learning to care for others more than yourself.

and then Vanja does what every young adult should do, she makes a mistake, albeit a big one, and from it she grows - she grows so much she learns it’s important to let go of things no matter how much you love them.

and to top it all off we get a series finale that feels grown up enough that if ages were adjusted it could certainly be a book for middle-aged adults, but as it stands its a phenomenal journey of self-discovery and learning how to accept and be loved as you are.

…. I’m not crying writing this review I swear…

Look - stop reading this review and go read the book - nothing I have to say is as important and amazing as this book is.

I absolutely loved the ending to this trilogy. Little Thieves is one of the best YA books I have read in recent years and Owen's character work is unmatched. The second book kind of ended on a heart breaking cliff hanger so I was excited to see how the story played out. While the second book was a bit convoluted and even bordered on confusing at times when it came to plot, I thought Holy Terrors did a good job refocusing the story. I was a little bit disappointed that we didn't really get to see Vanja interact with her family after finally reconnecting with them in the second one. We do get little snippets about them here and there and one family member in particular is featured, but it would have been nice to get to see them as a family all together again. Overall, I really enjoyed this trilogy and I look forward to reading future work by Owen's.

Did this book feel like three separate stories rolled into one? Absolutely. Would I have rated it lower if the characters weren’t so incredible? Probably. But none of that changes how much I adored this conclusion. It gave me everything I wanted and more, and I already know I’m going to miss Vanja and Emeric deeply.

Margaret Owen deserves so much praise for crafting such distinctive and memorable characters. Vanja and Emeric’s relationship is truly one-of-a-kind—so real, full of highs and lows, yet brimming with love, respect, and humor. It stands out as one of the best romances I’ve ever read.

This book was a masterful blend of the epic, the heartbreaking, and the heartwarming. It’s rich with complexity, magic, and emotional depth. I can’t wait for the official release so I can add it to the library—it’s a story worth displaying proudly.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy!

I’ve decided to make this a combined review for both the short stories between books two and three as well as book three, because I don’t think you can jump straight into book three without reading the short stories. At the time I’m writing this 7/10 short stories have been released on the author’s ao3, and there’s a big part of me that wishes I’d been able to read all of them before book three.

Unfortunately, I got an advanced ebook copy of book three, and those have time limits before they expire. Whoever in publishing that made the decision to release the arcs before the short stories were completed really needs a stern DON’T DO THAT. EVER. That was so stupid, because the short stories are extremely plot relevant. I basically had to spoil myself for the short stories because of this. I am grateful I was able to read it early, but at this point, I almost wish I hadn’t read it early. You should not want your arc readers to feel like they wish they’d read the book after it was published instead of the arc. That should never be the goal.

So now that I’ve finished the series (aside from short stories 8-10), I can officially say that this is definitely one of my favorite YA series of all time. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel after book two had a bit of middle book syndrome, but now I can confirm that it’s worth it to stick the series out to the end, no matter how you felt about book two. Book two is sort of like a side quest that introduces new characters and really hones in on character development.

When book two first came out, many people who read it wished they’d just treated Little Thieves like a stand alone, because they thought it was totally unnecessary. After reading book three, I do think book two was absolutely necessary for the trilogy as a whole. I do think you can still look at book one as a stand alone if you want, but I do think it’s worth it to continue, because the main themes of the series as a whole don’t get introduced until book two.

This is really a series about what happens after you’ve been through a traumatic event, how you push people away, how you find healing, all that kind of stuff. If you just read book one, you get the fun story and it wraps up neatly, but you don’t get the entirety of the author’s vision. She uses books two and three to have some really great conversations about the themes, which I think is going to be really important for many teens reading this. I got the feeling that’s where the author was going with this in book two, but I couldn’t say for sure until I actually finished the trilogy.

As for the plot of the third book, there are a bunch of royal people dying, and our main character gets blamed for it. And then after the Empress is killed, all the royal families get called back to the capital to figure out who is going to be in charge next. It turns into a locked house murder mystery really quick. If I was only partially certain that the author had read Gideon the Ninth when I read book two, I’m absolutely certain of it now. She has clearly taken a lot of inspiration from my favorite series of all time, which of course made me love this so much more.

My favorite part of this series is that it’s so funny. Often in fantasy we get these really epic stories where it’s super dark and political, but this series manages to mix the seriousness of what’s happening with lighthearted moments in a way that’s so hard to do. I love how much this series really leans into humor when it can, because you’re also dealing with how these characters are healing from the stuff they’ve experienced and sometimes done to each other.

My other favorite part of this series is the main character, Vanja. She’s not a good character most of the time. She commits crimes. She does horrible things to people. But somehow you still want to root for her, because you love her when she’s doing good for herself. And even when she’s being evil, it’s really funny, so who cares if it’s evil? Certainly not me.

It’s really hard to find YA books where the characters’ morals aren’t held up to these extremely high standards. Do people think teens need perfectly moral main characters or else they’ll turn out like that themselves? How does that even work, exactly? Kids need to see characters who make mistakes and then later make up for it and find forgiveness, because that’s a universal experience we all go through at some point in our lives. And we have to learn to forgive ourselves as well. Being told that all these characters are perfect isn’t going to teach teens anything about how to move on from mistakes. It’s just going to teach them to be ashamed of the things they’ve done, and then they’ll hide it from adults and get themselves into even trickier situations because they don’t feel like they can talk to anyone.

This is what I love so much about this series. If I had read these as a teen, I would have eaten them up the same way I do now, and I’d likely have learned lessons from them I didn’t already know at the time. I just know these books are going to make teens feel incredibly seen, and for that I love them.

I’ve so far read every single book that Margaret Owen has written, and I loved all of them. She has such a unique mind for world building. This world has a rule where if enough people believe in a god, then that god becomes real somehow. Her other series has a magic system based on birds which has to do with the plague. It’s so fascinating to see her craft these worlds, because they’re unlike anything I’ve read before. Usually, fantasy authors like to keep their world building and magic systems totally separated, or they blend them completely into one concept. Margaret Owen has found a way to stand in between those two extremes without it feeling like soft magic or world building.

At some point after I’ve given this enough time to forget most of the little details, I want to go back and reread this trilogy all at once. There are so many details to remember from book to book. I think it would be really fun to binge it at some point, because then I’ll remember all the details from one book to the next.

If anything I’ve said in this review or my others for this series sound interesting to you, I would definitely recommend giving it a try. I cannot wait to see what else Margaret Owen will come up with next. I’d love to get a new series from her.

I had high hopes heading into Holy Terrors based on my reading experience with the first two books in the series and, as usual, Margaret Owens does not disappoint. It was a great return to the world and the characters and gives them a much more satisfying ending than book 2 did.

Vanya and Ragne remain some of my favorite characters, and we get plenty of the Vanya and Emeric banter. We also get to see many old characters and get to love some new ones. As usual with Margaret Owens, don't get too attached to any of them though. I did start getting a little confused with the story because we see some of the characters 'roads not taken', but everything came together in the end.

It's hard to give details without any spoilers so I'll keep it short - if you read and enjoyed the first two, this is a finale you will not be disappointed by. So don't skip this one, 4.5 stars!

First off, massive thank you to the publisher for this ARC copy! My heart is yours, forevermore.

Secondly, incredible amount of praise for Margaret Owen, who not only listened to me SCREAM in her DMs while reading this, but also shattered my heart and repaired it between the pages of this book.

If you're new here, hi, I'm obsessed with Margaret Owen's writing. If you've been here a while, then you should know I would walk over hot coals for Vanja & this book changed nothing for me. Incredible, iconic, she's that girl.

This book took me to hell & back with the emotions and the whiplash, and the PLOT. Dear God the plot. There was never a moment where I felt the characters were ever safe from the next looming dread, and I loved it. The arc, the growth, the feels felt, and the FIOSEHFIAEBSIUN;FO's screamed. I cannot wait for y'all to have and love this as much as I did

The audacious and complicated end to an audacious and complicated trilogy! I love the way Owen was not afraid of backstepping character growth and showing how learning often involves relearning. the dialogue was consistently funny and the characters are a joy to be with. I did feel a little unmoored or even utterly lost at times between shifting realities, but this was overall a satisfying ending to a series I would happily recommend!

I loved this book. It's a great ending to the trilogy and a really interesting murder mystery plot. I will miss these characters so much but I can't wait to see what Owen writes next!

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for an ARC.

Two years after taking down a cult, Vanja continues as the Pfennigeist, righting wrongs for people who can’t expect societal systems to be just. But someone starts murdering nobles and leaving the Pfennigeist’s signature penny on the bodies…

The Little Thieves books have become some of my absolute favorite fairytale retellings, taking the original story and doing something really interesting and entertaining with them. If I had to describe them in one word, that word would be ‘madcap’. Holy Terrors is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, and I think you’ll enjoy this one if you liked the first two.

In a departure from the other volumes, Holy Terrors is a sort of locked room mystery where these murders happen in a way that seems impossible, there’s a limited cast of characters, and some hints are dropped throughout that the savvy reader (savvier than me, at least) could conceivably figure out who the murderer is. It can be fun at times, but the mystery plot took an obvious backseat to the relationship between Vanja and Conrad, of course. The heartache, the bitterness, and the banter ring so true.

While I think I may have enjoyed the mystery more if I had reread the earlier books beforehand or had an excellent memory for side characters, this is still a five-star read for me. I’m looking forward to going through the entire trilogy again (along with the Fallow Year stories, which I haven’t read yet but are available on AO3) so I can appreciate it even more.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I was sucked in immediately and could not stop until the book was over. The plot was interesting and kept a good pace which is something I really look for in a book. Also the characters were unique and there journey kept me enticed the entire time. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

Vanya is back after running from Emeric nearly two years ago, returning to her role as the Pfennigeist, bringing justice to those that fall through the Prefects and Justice's cracks. Now murders of nobles with the Pfennigeist's signature making Vanya look guilty of murder bring them back together abruptly. Can they work together to find the killer before it's too late?

I loved this third book so much, what a way to cap off this trilogy! Margaret gives you multiple outcomes to consider that are quickly discarded because they aren't the decisions Vanya ultimately makes and they do not fit the story well, even if you thought you wanted them. The banter between these characters is excellent and a lot of fun. The ending certainly packs a punch that had me tearing up

Thank you to Macmillian Children's Publishing Group for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book is due to be published 4/1/25. I'll be posting to Instagram in the coming weeks.

I have absolutely adored the Little Thieves series from the moment I picked up the first book, and so I nearly fell out of my chair when I was lucky enough to be approved for an eARC of Holy Terrors. And firstly let me say: THIS is how you finish a series.

Vanja is easily in my pantheon of favorite characters I've ever had the pleasure to read about. She's complex, spirited, a little mean, and compulsively flawed. She's also so easy to root for. So much of Holy Terrors is about reckoning with your past and the way your decisions have impacted your present (and will impact your future) and her character sticks the landing in tremendous fashion. Margaret Owen continues to handle her demisexuality (as someone on the ace spectrum, it's so so special to me to see two characters at the forefront of a book and in a relationship/being desired by others and each other who are ace-spec) and relationship with Emeric with the utmost care and nuance, and the friendships we've watched bloom over the previous two books all continue to take root here. The plot is quickly paced with all the twists and turns you'd expect from Owen and the art, of course, is spectacular. I can't wait to do a re-read of all three books when I get my hands on a physical copy, but this might just be my favorite of the trilogy.

Firstly, read the acknowledgments. You ALWAYS should anyway but don't skip.

Secondly, thank you so much to NetGalley, Henry Holt and Co, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Margaret Owen for the eARC. (Had a complete freakout at Disney World when I saw the approval)

Now, to the review. Honestly I'm sad that this series has ended. I adore all of the characters and did not want to say goodbye to them (how am I to go on without reading about my favorite grumpy filing cabinet??).
HOWEVER, this BOOK. Margaret Owen really did that. Why do we love when authors put us through the ringer so much?? Despite being sad that it's over, Holy Terrors an amazing ending to this trilogy. In true Margaret Owen fashion this book puts you through all the feels. One minute your'e distraught and the next you're cracking up. Owen also did a wonderful job of tackling the heavy themes and making them feel real rather than preachy. Oh and I loved the murder mystery vibe! I will forever been insisting to everyone I know to read this trilogy.