A glorious ending to a beautiful trilogy. Broke my heart and then pieced me back together. Margaret Owen is an amazing author and she did not disappoint.

Holy Terrors concludes one of my favourite YA trilogies with just as much heart and humour as the first. It is such an inventive fantasy series with a focus on introspection and character development, as well as fantastically constructed and twisty mystery plots that make you race through the pages.

This trilogy has such a fantastic protagonist at its heart. Vanja really is the driving force—you fall helplessly in love with her. The snarky, sharp and scheming protagonist from Little Thieves is still there and making disastrous decisions, but you understand her much better now. She is so caring and loyal and fiercely protective of those she loves. Her narrative voice is arresting and infused with such a quick wit that catches you by surprise. She has always had to think ten steps ahead, which shows in the spiralling narrative voice Owen gives her. It is always on the defence, always thinking about what her next move will be. Her trajectory over these books has been nothing short of transformative. She is probably one of the most memorable YA protagonists I have read about for a while and feels like she will have always stolen a sliver of my heart.

That is all a defensive mechanism built from years of trauma. The previous two books have delved into her past and battling the demons within in such interesting ways that allow for her character to develop (and regress) as the situation changes. We come to the pinnacle of that theme in this book with a bold and brilliant move from Owen. The way this book depicts grappling with your trauma and facing your past is nothing short of inspired. I will be vague here to avoid spoilers but it is a showstopper. Everything in this trilogy has been centered around Vanja’s journey and it peaks here. This feels like such an evolution of the previous books in every way.

Owen has created such a fascinating world with a magic system that is innovative and thought-provoking. I still have such a soft spot for Death and Fortune who get some brilliant moments here. Their relationship with Vanja is wonderful to witness even as it is tested and fractured. The world they inhabit is so rich and layered with all these great details. Vanja has often been entangled in these complicated mystery plots that unfold around her, with the meddling of gods and men alike. This is no exception with a tightly woven plot that keeps you glued to the pages. It is bloody and does not hold back. We get a vaster sense of scope in this book, with the various royal families coming into play. It adds geographically to the world but also in terms of the political scheming that Vanja has dabbled in throughout becoming more prominent. There are many games of chess going on here with fraught dynamics and shifts in power, as well as the murders. The stakes are sky-high and you feel that tension build around you. Owen really digs into these themes here—giving nuance and sensitivity in the handling of the overarching themes the series has been grappling with. The classism that has permeated each book is on full display as well. The actions of these elite will affect everyone, as Vanja well knows, so resolving this is vital.

Overall, Owen levels up in every aspect in this firecracker ending to the trilogy. This is such a grand book, giving Vanja’s story a fitting ending. It feels like an epic conclusion and it is well deserved.

Holy Terrors is the culmination of a spectacular YA trilogy that is constantly tricksy and thrives most in its incredible characterisation and mysteries.

This series has a way of being unputdownable no matter what is happening. I loved how high stakes this installment was, that the main character gets a cat, and the points it made about how society views people by the way they look.

Ahh I dislike a drawn out separation + miscommunication trope SO MUCH especially in the LAST BOOK. Like 75% of the book. NOO. We already did this in the second book 😭. It’s what second books are for. I wanted them to actually work through their issues in the first half so we could see them fight the villain together. Which we still get but it could’ve been so much more. Because the story shines when Vanja and Emrys are truly working together. It’s still four stars because the plot is captivating and really comes full circle from the first book. And the found family I adore. Thanks to the publisher for the eARC, thoughts are my own.

Thank you to Fierce Reads and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

What a conclusion to this series! I absolutely loved this one. I think Margaret wrapped everything up so well. I was glued to my seat trying to finish this. I adored this story, these characters, and how unapologetically queer they were. I can’t recommend this series enough!

Margaret Owen does it again! This book delivers a stunning, heart stopping finale to the Little Thieves trilogy. Like the first two books, this story has intricate worldbuilding, compelling characters, and a captivating plot. Vanja's journey is a whirlwind of emotion and she continues to be a force of nature in this book. I love the banter between Vanja and Emeric, it's so entertaining. And the themes! This book isn't just a fantasy; it's a profound exploration of humanity, justice, and the messy, glorious business of being alive. I loved this book and would highly recommend it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the digital arc.

I really enjoyed this one! Vanja is always one of my favorites. I was a little upset about the beginning of the book, but I was very happy by the conclusion. This one had a different feel than the others in the series and it got a little confusing towards the end, but I’m so glad I held out. I would absolutely recommend this!

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Henry Holt, for providing the ARC.

To begin my review, I want to state that I have loved this series in a way I had not thought possible. For so long, my favorite trilogy was The Folk of the Air, but this indie set has stolen my heart and I can't even fully articulate how. All I know is that Vanja feels too real. Her pain is my pain. Her relationship struggles are my relationship struggles (and in fact, they did call to mind memories of past hurdles I had to overcome with my partner). I have given Little Thieves and Painted Devils 5 star ratings. So why did Holy Terrors only get 4?

Holy Terrors does a good job establishing the stakes and the pace, just like the first two installments. We start the story with over a year having passed since the end of book 2, and the pain for both Vanja and the reader is tangible. It's clear that she isn't over what happened that year ago, but she tries to keep her distance anyway and continue on with her life. Except, she can't, because people are turning up dead and Vanja is the first suspect. Naturally, who ends up on the case, investigating her for murder? Emeric Conrad, who isn't very pleased to see her.

Their past and their present and their future is agonizing. It is delightful. Owen did so well drudging up all their memories, their pains, their complications, and their bickering that you expect a lengthy and satisfying resolution to their story. Why did I give this book 4 stars instead of 5? Because I didn't get what I wanted. Not completely.

Is the ending satisfying? Yes, it is. But at about 100 pages left, I had to stop and do something else for a few days because I was so frustrated with how particularly unsatisfying it was when we watch Miss Ros and Emeric take about a page to resolve what had been going on for 400+. They didn't even talk about everything the way they should have.

The plot is fast-paced, twisty, twirly, magical and a tad reality-bending too, and that still made it a fun read. The emotions in this book run high, and based on the smashing reviews from others, this is a buy if you enjoyed the first two installments in the series. But having read The Fallow Year beforehand and then Holy Terrors, my heartstrings were pulled for a full month and I came out of this story feeling less than replenished.

4/5 stars. The book is still pretty great.

4⭐️
I LOVE THIS SERIES AND I LOVE THESE CHARACTERS
was absolutely foaming at the mouth to start this after reading the end of painted devils and it delivered! vanja's battle with self worth, trauma, and just the meaning of life is so well done and i'm so glad my girl was able to find some peace
the romance plotline for this book was a bit rocky at times, and i didn't love some of the choices made-but these two will always have my heart! (emeric is just top tier)

so sad for this to be over

thank you netgalley for sending this book for my honest review

What a wonderful conclusion to this series, the growth of the characters from beginning to end is so real and organic it makes you reflect on things. The witty banter between vanja and emeric is fantastic. This is an emotional Rollercoaster of a book. There were twist and turns more world building. The coparenting of Jr is a delightful comic releaf. The reflection on the power belief has in the world is so good.

I read this book via audiobook purchased on Libro.fm, so this may have affected my ability to follow the story when it became most complicated. I was approved for the review copy before I read Books 1 and 2, so by the time I finished Little Thieves and Painted Devils, I no longer had access to the review copy. Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan/Henry Holt & Co, and the author for the review copy, nonetheless!

I have mixed feelings about this book. The first 75% had great emotional depth, and an exciting and compelling plot. Although other reviewers were daunted by the amount of new characters, I didn't find the introduction of new characters too off-putting. I mostly stuck to the "main idea" and that allowed me to enjoy the book much more. The angst and heartbreak that Vanja (protagonist) felt toward Emeric (main character & primary love interest) kept a strong tension going and it added an interesting energy throughout the book. The humor was spot on like the previous books, and I laughed aloud many times. I liked the whodunit aspect of the book and it kept me on edge, so I finished the book quickly to find out who was killing the royals.

However, in the last 25%, I felt very lost in terms of the magic system and the introduction of the new timelines concept was hard to grasp. I tried to think of it as the series' multiverse of madness, basically. It essentially ruined my original 5 star opinion of the book. While I commend the author for throwing a plot twist in there, I don't find the introduction of such new concepts appropriate for third & final book in the series. I was also confused about Oskar's characterization, motivations, and basically his whole involvement with the overall scheme.

The ending was anticlimactic but showed the emotional growth of the main character. Since the last 25% is not the majority of the book, I would rate it 4 stars all around, but in actuality, the first 75% is maybe 4.75 or a 5, while the ending 25% was more like 2 stars. I plan to reread this book and series again and I'm so happy that I was able to get a copy to review.

Obsessed. I love this series with my whole heart and this was the perfect book for the series. These characters are wonderful, the story is fast paced and I couldn’t stop reading it. It’s very unique and more people need to read this.

I looked and I know for a fact I’ve never rated every book in another YA book series five stars. There’s always one (or more) that loses a star or two. Not in the case of the Little Thieves series. This series is absolutely perfect, from start to finish.

The second book, Painted Devils, may have started with Vanja accidentally starting a cult, but Holy Terrors starts on a more low-key note, which just goes to show you should never believe the beginning of a book will set the tone for the rest of the book because this book will turn you inside-out and sideways with an absolutely devilish plot that will keep you guessing (and then becoming delightfully vexed when you are wrong) who the real villain is, frustrating but intriguing court politics, yearning/pining/longing/wanting/ohmygodjustkiss dynamics between Vanja and Emeric, interesting and complicated issues with Vanja’s Pfennigeist powers, and and incredibly complex and long-range game of Find the Queen.

Vanja has had so many questions, worries, and doubts on her journey (not to mention pain), and the central question that this book seems to want to answer is: Would she do it all over again?

There is a huge cast of characters in this book, but the plot definitely calls for it. A lot of them are colorful and some of them will endear themselves to you more than others. There is worldbuilding in new locations for the series and new magic to see. Even through all of that, it’s the dynamic between Vanja and Emeric that shines, blazing like fire. 5⭐️



I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Action-Adventure/Book Series/Fantasy/Romantasy/Fantasy Series/YA Book Series/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy/YA Fiction

Giving 4 stars because ultimately I really enjoyed the book….but that’s mostly for the Vanja/Emeric storyline (come on yearning!) and the strength of the side characters. For me, in terms of actual plot, this is ALL over the place. I truly understood what was happening about 20% of them time and basically none of the last third. It’s so confusing and mystical and all that but in a way that I could not follow. It made it a little hard to understand the stakes at any point.
Ultimately, the first book of the series is the best by far. But I am glad this third book brought us back to the story and to the characters and finished some of the character arcs.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

wow. wow wow wow wow wow.

I love this trilogy so much. I love all the characters and the banter and the representation and the magicalness. I love love love that this book got a little bit of complexity when it comes to our main character romance situation in terms of internal complexity. we all know that both of them have hoards of complicatedness happening outside of themselves individually.

I will say that this one of the three, was a little harder to follow for me. A lot of that comes down to how many characters there are and how many people there are to remember. I have a feeling that there's some sort of map situation or character chart in the physical books or at least I hope there is but for the audios that's not an option. A lot of the names also sound very similar and so I did struggle a little bit to kind of keep everybody straight (hehe) and organized.

That being said, My mind is blown by the ending of this and I absolutely finished this with a giddy little smile on my face. I cannot recommend this enough.

It's quite the dichotomy through this trilogy—the more main character Vanja respects herself and begins to believe she deserves kindness and pleasure, the darker these books get! The body count and the stakes all get seemingly exponentially higher with each novel. It's certainly exciting and hard to put down, but it's a very long way from the original Goose Girl fairy tale retold. I had the same issue with this book as with the previous one, in that I found the motivation and focus of the primary antagonist absolutely impossible to comprehend. I think to a big extent though that is the point, that it's not about why some people do terrible, cruel things, but about how the protagonists deal with these situations and with the fact that they too will never really understand why. At its heart this series is a love story, and a wonderful one because you really care about the characters involved, even beyond caring whether they end up together. I really enjoyed the AO3-published short story collection (The Fallow Year) bridging the previous book and this one, which really highlighted both main characters' growth over the intervening period and also had some cool detective stories.

I'm obsessed, OBSESSED with this series. The voice/style is so unique and so fitting to the character. The interludes with alternate choices had my heart in my throat. The kitten! The multi-murder mystery! The worldbuilding is woven into everything from the clothes and coins to the names and architecture. It feels like it absolutely could have happened in quasi-medieval Germany.

And also, I think Vanja would be thrilled that her third book came out on April 1.

Such a great book loved the series I love it so much! 5/5 great ending. Would recommend and continue reading her work

A fitting end to an excellent YA series, though some of the different genre elements used in the final 120ish pages may put some readers off, Owen finishes her series triumphantly.

Wow. I absolutely ADORED the ending of this trilogy. Margaret Owen really knows how to not only keep you engaged as a reader but to really play with your emotions!!! I gasped and giggled along with the book, and loved every second of it. I am hoping we get some more AO3 additions to Emeric and Vanja's story, but I think that this may truly be the end. I cannot wait to pick this series up again and again. And I love a happily ever after.

Thanks to NetGalley, Margaret Owen, and Henry Holt and Co for the eARC of Holy Terrors in exchange for an honest review.