Thank you Morgan Rath, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Little Thieves is one of my favorite series in the world and I am so, so lucky to be able to read an early copy of the final installment. Holy Terrors picks up almost two years where Painted Devils leaves off, and while Owen has published a series of short stories that covers the time skip it still makes sense without having read that prior (I think that it absolutely enriches the experience, however, and also I love these characters so more is always better). It’s great to see the ways that Vanja has changed and how she has stayed the same in that time period, and as always the extra side stories that are accompanied by illustrations provide more insight to Vanja as a character.

Owen does a great job creating and maintaining tension and keeping you on your toes, and while this book is definitely long—especially so for a young adult novel—it reads fast and it’s easy to get lost in the pages. I think if you’re not too big on large casts this might be more difficult to manage, but I thought Owen made it easy to understand who is who. The tension between Vanja and Emeric is wonderful and had me biting my own fist, but the actual plot is also incredibly engaging. Holy Terrors is a wonderful conclusion to one of my favorite series, and I will definitely keep revisiting them over and over.

Margaret Owen, you beautiful, evil soul. Each book in this trilogy drew me in from the dedication:

"To the terrible girls, maybe you weren't soft and lovely, Maybe you weren't obedient and kind, Maybe, when the wolf's teeth closed, you weren't concerned with being digestible. The good news is: There is so much more to your story."

These books and Owen's writing has a way of cutting deep into your core. There are moments, in this book and the entire trilogy, where her words hit so spot on that I had to just stop and stare into oblivion for a minute to process. The emotional aspect is always well developed, and this book is no exception. It also continues along the trend of incredible banter and wit, little hints into Owen's real-life social commentary, and an overall captivating plot. The characters continue to be incredibly loveable despite (maybe because of) their faults.

I won't elaborate too much since this is a third book in a trilogy, but I will say that it does not disappoint. If you've enjoyed the Little Thieves books so far, you will love this finale as well.

4.5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Publishing for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love Margaret Owen's books. Holy Terrors, as the third installment of the Little Thieves series, did not disappoint. Margaret keeps you on the edge of your seat hunting the assassin and following the twists and turns. She often manages to surprise me as a reader. I also love how Margaret writes these complex characters that are entirely true to themselves, and the morality struggles she portrays. This one is a dangerous one to crack open at bedtime, as likely it will capture you and make you read way too late a night.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC 🩵 I read the first two books and knew that I was absolutely going to love this one. This is such a strong conclusion that takes place 2 years after Painted Devils when Vanja is being framed for murders. And wouldn’t you know… our favorite prefect is assigned to the case. The pacing was really good, there was a murder-mystery vibe to it that I liked, and I think that it depicted the trauma experienced by the character(s) really well. I highly recommend this book if you liked One Dark Window!

The Little Thieves series will go down as one of my all time favorites, and is definitely making my top reads of 2025 list. It’s hard to review the third book in a series without spoilers so I will try and convince you to start the series if you haven’t yet. This is a german inspired folklore retelling, with death personified, a cat (sort of, most of the time) familiar, orders and secret societies, and a nerdy awkward pretentious MMC and a super sarcastic thief. Or as the main character calls them: “You’re a walking morality lecture with something to prove, and I’m a scoundrel with an unflinching sense of entitlement to other people’s property.” This author’s prose is unlike any other I’ve ever read. Hilarious and witty with a sense of humor that had me smiling ear to ear and laughing out loud. The romance was phenomenal. This couple is so relatable and had me in my feelings from start to finish. This is such an amazing end to the series and I can’t recommend it enough. Now I need to read everything else Margaret Owen has written!

This book takes place 2 years after the events of Painted Devils, and when I tell you that was the most painfully emotional journey, please believe me. But the good kind of painful.

The book begins with the Penny Phantom being accused of murdering royals, which means Emeric hunts Vanja down after 2 years of no contact between them. Trust, it is a painful reunion, made even worse because Emeric went and got engaged in the time between. The love they feel for one another is still so present, and the entire first half of the book I felt so icky about it all. Emeric's fiancee is one of the sweetest characters and I hated wanting her to go away because I needed Vanja and Emeric back together.

I am so completely enamored with this book. It made me cry a total of SEVEN times. Anything I had questions/thoughts about in the previous book, this book met those and answered my questions. I thought the character-work was done MARVELLOUSLY and even though I love Vanja and Emeric together, I just couldn't bring myself to dislike the fiancee either.

The plot was so fast-paced and twisty, I could not put this book down. The day I started it, I meant to only read 50 pages, and ended up 60% of the way through the book without realizing it. Vanja's journey through self-discovery and self-love is so SO important, and even as an adult this book was so needed for me. I'm not a big fan of using <spoiler>time travel</spoiler> in books, and while that occurred I will say my head was starting to hurt trying to wrap itself around what was going on, but I still think this book did it in a great way.

Margaret Owens is an immensely talented author, and has been an auto-buy author for me ever since I read The Merciful Crow. I cannot wait to see what else she writes.

A fantastic conclusion to a trilogy I highly recommend for older students.
Entertaining, suspenseful, and emotional with fantastic world building and wonderful relationships.
I will absolutely read more by Margaret Owen in the future.

I didn't want this to end! I love Vanja and Emeric so much. This was just as good as the other two books. I was cracking up at some points, upset at others and just trying to savor the book while devouring it as well. Also the illustrations for these books never disappoint!

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!
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My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Read if you like:
▫️snarky, sassy heroine
▫️con artist and thief
▫️minor gods, goddesses, and magic
▫️opposites attract
▫️found family
▫️court politics
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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!