Are we shaped by the circumstances of our birth, or do our choices determine who we become? Throughout The Little Thieves trilogy, we’ve seen Vanja wrestle with this question, confronting her imperfect childhood, her struggles, and the weight of her past decisions. She’s never been perfect—and that has always been part of the problem.

In Holy Terrors, Vanja is forced to reckon with every choice she’s made and the countless possibilities that could have unfolded if she had chosen differently. What I loved most about this book is how much Vanja has grown since Little Thieves. She has learned, she has changed, and she has come to understand that every choice—no matter how difficult—can be a lesson. There is always a way forward; it’s never just one path or the other.

One thing I struggled with, though, was Vanja and Emeric’s relationship. After Painted Devils, we knew Vanja had left, and in The Fallow Years, we saw how both of them tried to move on. And honestly? I hated it. I didn’t like them acting like strangers, and I didn’t want them apart—it just didn’t sit right with me.

That said, this trilogy is hands down one of the best YA fantasy series I’ve ever read. A solid 5-star series from start to finish!

Vanja is back! And she's being hunted down by her beloved, no HATED, hear me, hate, hate, hate! ex (who is now engaged to be married, btw)...for a murder she did not commit.

We're off at the gallop, and this book never lets up. It's such a terrific blend of humor, snark, horror, and high-octane emotions! I don't want to say much else, except that once more I adored the inventiveness of this world drawing heavily on the tales of the Grimm Brothers. The characters so so vivid, the villains truly horrible, our protags lovely. The emotional twists and turns make a lot of sense, justaposed with the total crazy of the magical razzmatazz, a great blend. Almost perfect--the plot got mighty convoluted in the last third; the political scheming, complicated prodecures, and weird magic threatened to overshadow the character lines, but then it all drew together in a crash!

Very satisfying closure to a series I shall read again!

The much anticipated finale to the Little Thieves trilogy did NOT disappoint! This book is filled with the banter, angst, and jokes I’ve come to expect from this series.

The plot immediately took off and didn’t slow down. Once again, we’re thrown into the midst of a great politically charged murder mystery that keeps you guessing the entire time. Were there also a great number of new characters introduced? Yes. And while it may have been confusing at times, the characters I already knew and loved were there to keep me grounded.

Emeric and Vanja continue to be two of the most individualistic characters, except now they have so much history between them. Their relationship has evolved, but that growth captures the essence of young love. In fact, the whole series feels like a coming of age. Vanja learns and grows so much over the course of the trilogy, truly capturing the essence of the YA genre. This series captures so many important themes, including navigating the process of forgiving other people for their mistakes. Recognizing and shedding the poor habits of youth. Learning who you are and who you want to be. This felt like a perfect conclusion to such a beautiful series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for granting me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you didn’t already notice from me raving about the first two books, this series is one of my new favorites. It somehow manages to have the perfect balance of wit, humor, action, and emotion. I spent a solid amount of this book with a broken heart, and the rest of the time I was laughing out loud at Vanja’s antics and the absolute shenanigans she constantly pulls everyone into. Vanja is the best kind of heroine. She’s brash, snarky, fearless, a little selfish, completely morally grey, and secretly has the biggest heart. I loved watching her grow and change throughout these books, and this was the perfect ending to her story. Emeric continues to be one of my favorite fictional men ever written. He’s stalwart, loyal, pedantic, reads law books for fun, and would burn down the world for Vanja. They have the most raw, honest, and beautiful story, and it healed something in me to watch them learn to accept themselves for who they truly are and to find the love they really deserve. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced listener’s copy, and the audio is flat out amazing! Sasha Maarleveld nails the accents and fully embodies each and every character by giving them their own voices and pronunciations. I highly recommend listening, because it made me love the book even more. Please go read this series and this book immediately!
🦉
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🦉
Read if you like:
▫️snarky, sassy heroine
▫️con artist and thief
▫️minor gods, goddesses, and magic
▫️opposites attract
▫️found family
▫️court politics
🦉
Thank you to Fierce Reads, MacKids books, Macmillan Audio, and Margaret Owen for the ARC and ALC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

What can I even say!? I think Margaret Owen has done it. She’s written the perfect trilogy. All three books were flawless and Holy Terrors built on everything the characters went through in the first two books perfectly! There was never a dull moment, never anything that felt out of character for our main cast.
What I love most about these books is how Owen handles trauma and the healing of it with so much grace and sensitivity. It’s really beautifully done. She also deals with lots of other heavy topics including abuse, sexual assault and poverty in a way that is accessible and appropriate for a YA novel.

Vanja and Emeric’s relationship is one of my favourites out of any book I’ve read! The demisexual rep is top notch and all their firsts with each other are handled so well. This is the kind of series I would want my children to read once they are old enough because it deals with so many important topics in life and first relationships in such a healthy way.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the eARC!

Holy Terrors was a phenomenal conclusion Vanja's story and this series as a whole, and I loved it so much.

GO FREAKING READ THIS SERIES NOW!!!

I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of this much anticipated third installment of the adventures of the Pfennigeist (and friends!). It has been awhile since I read the first two books in this series and I was worried that because I did not recently do a re-read that I would be a little lost. One of the things that Owens did really well was to include a lot of subtle call backs to the previous books without a lot of lengthy exposition or awkward dialogue. I found I did not have any issues remembering much of the details at all. Many favorite characters (and some not so favorites) made appearances, so it was fun to see some of those again and it tied the whole series nicely together.

This was a satisfying conclusion to the series and gave me everything I was hoping for and expected in terms of humor, intrigue, and witty banter. We still get plenty of tension between Vanya and Emeric while they try to sort through their issues during various hijinks. Vanja is such a great character and I absolutely love how petty she is and quick with her insults. If I had one criticism to levy it would be that the plot got a little convoluted for me toward the end. The dense politics of the empire’s government procedures, and some of the complicated scheming went on longer than I’d prefer. I just wanted resolution and to get back to finding out how it would end between Emeric and Vanja!

All in all though, a solid 4.5 for me. Definitely a YA book I wish I’d had around when I was younger and I think a good place to leave the penny phantom. Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for sending me this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Holy Terrors is literally the perfect ending to a perfect series. This is me SHOUTING from the rooftops for everyone to read this trilogy, especially now that it’s finished!

If you’ve read the first two books then you already know what you’re getting into. Holy Terrors is filled with the same witty, morally gray characters, but make them grow and learn from their mistakes! Vanja and Emeric are each forced to address the baggage they’ve been harboring, all while having to chase down an unstoppable killer.

I cannot think of a better way to conclude a series. I don’t think I’ll ever get over these characters or this world. I am so thankful that NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group provided me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Margaret never misses and I love this book and this series more than words. I loved getting to be back in Vanya's chaos. This series is masterful in the way the conflict escalates. I loved how this resolved and that the characters are so flawed, but relatable and real. What an absolute joy. Thank you do the publisher and netgalley for this early reader copy. My thoughts are my own.

trying to understand the plot twists of this book felt like playing 3d chess as someone who doesn’t know how to play chess sometimes but that did not deter me because I am deeply in love with the world building and the characters. I admit I barely remembered what happened in the first two books and yet I felt right at home from the first page on. what started as a series inspired by one of my favourite fairytales ended as a book series that‘s so much more.

thank you to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this arc!

“Blessed be the crown
Sacred be the bearer
Righteous be the spirit
And holy be the terror”

Poor Vanja. The daughter of Death and Fortune was never going to have an easy time of it, was she? In the final book of the trilogy, we start with a bit of a time jump. Vanja and Emeric tried to make a go of things, but as is her habit, she ran. (For mostly selfless reasons, but still.) She’s been going to town to town, trying to help people in her guise as the Pfennigeist, but nobles start showing up dead with her trademark red penny on their tongues. And who better to apprehend her than the prefect she ran from?

This was a beautifully executed end to a delightful little trilogy. There’s a lot of action, murder, betrayal, court intrigue, what have you. But there’s also a lot of deeply emotional scenes and revelations. A good bit of time is spent exploring the roads not taken, and how things could have played out and who Vanja might have become, vs the person she is. Her growth arc as a character has been enormous, and it’s easy to see when you compare the choices she might have made in the past to the ones she makes now.

I wish we’d had a bit more of the lower gods just because they seem enormously fun, but the strength of the story is such that you don’t need gods popping in and out to make things move along; it stands all on its own. My only note would be the pop culture references – I get it, they’re supposed to be fun and it’s a very witty, snarky, funny book. But modern song lyrics and references in a book set in medieval Germany (or a world inspired by) pulls me out of the story every time.

Definitely a series I would recommend to anyone who likes medieval settings, rich characters, difficult relationships, or retellings of fairytales. (Book 1 is loosely based on the Goose Girl tale.) And snark? Oh, there’s so much snark. “I cannot believe I’m attracted to a human civics primer.”

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan/Henry Holt & Co for the chance to read this ARC! All opinions are my own.

“No ending would ever be good enough, but I hope this has come close enough that ironically, you do not feel scammed.” (Margaret Owens, Holy Terrors acknowledgements)

The audacity. Are you joking? This was perfect.

This series got better and better with each installment. The growth and regression and humor and action — I’ll definitely be slipping back into this world often.

Thanks to Henry Holt and Co for providing an arc through NetGalley for me to review!

This book! This series!! I will never get over it, I love it so so SO much 🤩

Margaret Owen’s writing 👏👏👏👏 She’s somehow able to deliver impactful, deep storytelling that gut punches you while also using hilarious quips and ridiculous nicknames to keep you happy and laughing through the pain 😅

I was so worried for how Vanya and Emeric’s story was going to be resolved - I shouldn’t have been because Margaret Owen has proven herself a genius time and time again - but I was so scared they weren’t going to be able to reconcile a romantic relationship and would just remain friends/acquaintances 😩 But the character growth they both went through and the new understanding they had of each other created such a beautiful ending 😭

The growth Vanya went through in particular, honestly her whole journey throughout the series, was fantastic - this should be the standard for every YA! She will always be lovably morally gray, but to think about where she started and who she became in the end, it’s incredibly heartwarming 🥹 We all deal with our own demons, speaking dark, negative, doubtful, depressing thoughts into our heads. But that doesn’t mean that we have to listen and take them as truth. Our mistakes don’t have to define us, and Vanya’s story was a great reminder of all of that. I especially loved her family’s role in this, they didn’t really appear in this book in a physical way (mostly), but Vanya being able to internally hear their support and positivity towards her was a wonderful addition.

I really don’t want to say a single negative thing about this series ever because I truly love it so fucking much!!! But…. I do think it was a bit hard to follow all of the new characters, the families they were in, and their motivations. Maybe I missed it in the e-arc but I hope there’s some type of character breakdown in the front/back of the book that gives a list of the royal names, the houses they are from etc. I just think it’d be really helpful to have when I do a reread! And lastly, I wish we got more time with Benno, even if it was as a ghost 🥲

This was a heartwrenching conclusion to Vanja & Emerick's story. I was tense the entire time reading it. But Vanja & Emerick were still on point and Vanja's character arc was immaculate. It was a lovely finish to their story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for the eARC of this book!

Splitting this review into feelings and coherent thoughts because there is A LOT.

Feelings:
Crying in the club. I have gazed into the pages of a book about a gremlin girl and I have seen myself. This book cut me to the BONE and stitched me back together again. I remember reading Painted Devils and thinking to myself "wow, I'm so glad I don't have these traumatic, complicated relationships like Vanja!". And then I started therapy, and Holy Terrors came along and said "hey how's that trauma :)". All of that to say: this book felt deeply personal! And yet, I have no doubt that most readers picking up this book will see themselves in one of these characters. Truly, the holiest terror is to be perceived, to be understood, to feel hope, to love and be loved in return.

Slightly more coherent thoughts:
On its surface, this is a book about Vanja and crew having to work together to solve a kind of locked room mystery to figure out who is framing the Penny Phantom. Just below the surface, it's a story about figuring out who the fuck you are and how to love yourself and the people around you.

On one hand this book offers memes, pop culture references, and absolutely ridiculous scenarios (Junior with the sausages...), and on the other hand we get deep emotional turmoil, themes of power and justice, and the exploration of self. Owen perfectly balances the two in a way that kept the story feeling real and also kept me from getting *too* in my feelings.

While time shenanigans isn't usually one of my favorite plot devices, I feel like it was used really well here, which is really a testament to how well Owen writes and how much I love this world and the characters.

As a series ending, I felt like this really delivered. I appreciated that things aren't 100% stable and the characters still have a lot to figure out, but we know they're in a spot where they're going to get through it. Healing isn't linear, and they might slip, but they have each other, they're together - that's all that matters.



As a personal side note, Holy Terrors is literally one of the reasons I started a NetGalley account, and for it to be my first ARC request approval was *chef's kiss*. Thank you again, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR).

4.75/5 ⭐️
I refuse to believe this is the end of the series. I want more. No. I need more of Vanja and Emeric. No matter the time that passes in between each book, I pick up the next one to once again fall head first into this world and obsessed with these characters. I was so obsessed I spent the first half of the book crying!

Even though I don’t want this end, this was a great ending to the series. For all the characters, but especially Vanja. Her journey was rough and imperfect, but if it was perfect, I would’ve doubted it. But I loved, even though it was killing me, the struggles between her and Emeric. It made sense. And yet, it showed how much they loved one another.

The only reason why I gave this a rating slightly under 5 stars was because it did feel kind of long, though I enjoyed every minute, but I still was wondering how could we still be going? There were also moments I was a tad confused. However, overall, I loved this book. I love how every time this author takes familiar tropes and twists them up until they’re something brand new.

Obviously if you’re reading this review, then you’ve already read the other books, let me tell you, don’t sleep on this finale. It was perfection. Please please please read it (see Vanya I said please so don’t tax me 😅)

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

It's been almost two years since the events of Painted Devils and Vanja and Emeric's relationship has been irrevocably broken. From Emeric's perspective, Vanja left him high and dry in the middle of the night, which, to be fair, she totally did. From Vanja's perspective, she's doing what's best for Emeric - he can't advance as a prefect with a felon for a girlfriend; she would be used against him at every turn. So, Vanja left. She totally wasn't just running from her problems or anything, or repeating the cycle of abandonment her mother started or anything.

Vanja has been....well, kind of OK. She's continued her work as the Pfennigeist, using her fortune in rubies to help those exploited by the powerful. She's formed a close relationship with her siblings, and no longer goes by Vanja Schmidt - she's Vanja Ros. Vanja has even repaired her relationship with her godmothers, Death and Fortune. Vanja has matured greatly since Little Thieves, and she's doing her best to make a good life for herself now. She's even tried to let go of Emeric, convincing herself that that is what's best for both of them.

But Vanja has tried to move on. She's had a few relationships since, none lasting very long. The only serious boyfriend she's had since Emeric, Benno, a hot, tattooed bartender (can't blame you, girl) went sour when it turned out Benno was the illegitimate-but-now-turned-legit-due-to-lack-of-other-heirs son of a Prince. Bummer.

Worse yet, Emeric, it seems, has also moved on. With a woman called Lilje who seems to be everything Vanja isn't: law-abiding, respectable, and normal.

But things aren't going great in the Blessed Empire. The felonious Prinz Ludwig, of Painted Devils fame and Benno's absent father, died suddenly. Vanja does Benno one last favor: she Pfennigeist's her way into the crypt to steal the late Prinz's signet ring so Benno can wave it around and look all legitimate despite being a bastard. Unfortunately, while nicking the ring, it becomes very very clear that Prinz Ludwig didn't just die of natural causes. I mean, to quote Evelyn from Our Flag Means Death, "murder is a natural cause." Turns out, aristocrats across the empire are being murdered. And not just any aristocrats - these are aristocrats with the power and influence to become elected Emperor.

And all of them are found with the Pfennigeist's signature red penny.

Knowing she's being set up, Vanja prepares to flee with her rubies and her adorable little rescue kitten, Junior. Only problem is her rubies are gone. Stolen out of her lodging. And before she can make a clean break for it, the long arm of the law catches her first. And not just any long arm - but the long arms of her ex-lover and sentient beanpole, Emeric Conrad.

Emeric is not best pleased to be dealing with Vanja again and he's not shy about expressing it. Worse yet, he and Lilja aren't just together. They're engaged.

Fortunately, the Prefects seem to realize pretty quickly that Vanja is being set up somehow and release her. But when the Blessed Empress herself dies, Vanja is brought into the investigation, much to Emeric's displeasure. Vanja heads to the capital along with Emeric and Lilja, meeting up with Gisele, Ragne, Joniza and Benno, as aristocrats from across the empire gather to elect a new sovereign. Someone has sinister designs on the throne, and they've involved the pfennigeist - or someone pretending to be the pfennigeist.

What follows is plenty of drama, courtly intrigue mixed with magic, doppelgängers, betrayal, and a hefty dose of Keanu-esque kitten mischief. But the question remains: what will become of Vanja and Emeric?

Damn, Holy Terrors is just...it's fantastic, all around. As a dedicated fangirl of Emeric/Vanja, seeing them fight and just be petty and awful to one another was painful, but, if you've ever had the experience of watching two people who have broken up being forced to interact, well, it comes across as all too familiar. Hey, the course of true love never did run smooth and all that. Plus, it's kind of hard when he's literally engaged to someone else. Lilje isn't even all that bad, Vanja actually likes her and ugh, that's just the worst. Especially since Vanja is stuck in the room next to Emeric and Lilje's and she has to hear them get up to - uh - some premarital fun. Not to mention Vanja and Emeric's tenuous 50/50 custody agreement with Junior the Kitten...

I especially loved how, interspersed throughout the book are stories of Vanja's possible futures - what her life could have been depending on the choices she made. For a fantasy trilogy, the emotions presented are are incredibly real. That's part of what I love so much about the Little Thieves trilogy - it's a series that's not just a delightful fantasy adventure story set in a Germanic world, it's also a beautiful tale of growing up, of developing the emotional intelligence you need to survive in a world that's harsh, and how to survive goddawful people like Irmgard von Hirsching.

In short, Holy Terrors is fantastic and a wonderful, fitting conclusion to the Little Thieves trilogy. Go read it. Seriously, please do. Get a copy from your local library before the fascists close them all down.

The finale in the trilogy featuring the daughter of the gods of Death and Fortune who has sacrificed her love for her lover in order for him to achieve his career goals all the while when they are reunited its because she is being suspected of being a serial killer and his job as a perfect for Justice, oh and he has completely moved on because he now has a fiancee, just great. Vanja left her lover Emeric after overhearing threats being made on his career goals... threats that would involve her being used against him and she just knows she can't do that to him... so she leaves. Two months later and now Vanja is living in another city... only this time she runs into Emeric again because he is there to arrest her because she is being suspected of murder as a serial killer is leaving behind Vanja's signature red penny on every victim. Vanja is determined to find out who this killer is and why they are impersonating her, but that means she has to work together with Emeric again... and deal with the fact that he is no longer the boy she left behind, he's someone colder, harder, and someone who now apparently has moved on completely from her and has a fiancee. Vanja's heart is broken and Emeric still doesn't know the real reason she left him all those months ago. But Vanja is determined not to tell him and focus on catching the killer and then disappear from his life all over again. Yet this journey will not be an easy one as Vanja and Emeric must figure out who is behind the murders and how far the conspiracy goes and who among them can they trust? All the while Vanja and Emeric are forced to deal with their unresolved feelings... and how long can Vanja keep her secrets from Emeric and just how far for her will he go when he realizes that she's never stopped loving him and left for him. Romance, secrets, cons and so much more, this was a fun last ride in a rollercoaster of a fantasy series. I loved getting to see Vanja grow from the first book and how far she goes for those she loves. I especially adored her relationship with her god parents, Death and Fortune. It was such a fun story and I had a great time reading it. The romance that is woven through the 3 books was fantastic and the ending was well worth the wait.

Release Date: April 1, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Okay, I can definitely say that I 100% recommend folks read The Fallow Year before this. A lot of what happened in those chapters didn't make it into the book, and they were so heartbreaking but so quintessential to my understanding of the newly introduced characters, both good and bad. You won't be lost without them, but they definitely enrich the experience considerably.

I love this series and the world that Margaret Owen created. Even though she chose to make all her children so sad and upset and it gave me anxiety, I still forgive her for eventually making it all better and letting them kiss about it.

Let's all be wives!
Everyone gets more wives!
Brunne's world vision come true!

3.75
I love Margaret Owen's writing and the way she manages to say something deeply profound and bittersweet about the human condition one moment and then incredibly funny the next. I also love these characters, especially Vanja. That being said, this series could've just been a duology. (Well, if the second book had ended a bit differently.)

Vanja's life is upended when a string of murders is committed and she is framed as the prime suspect. Of course, this puts her former lover Emeric Conrad on her trail. This book is full of hijinks and heartache, court intrigue, suspense, and a very cute kitten.