I swore after the ending of book two that I wouldn't be returning for book three, but I'll love Margaret Owen until I die. For writing fierce and sometimes unlovable heroines, and for writing books like this one. Absolutely loved it.

This is the third book in this series and Margate Owen is still just as strong in her writings and plot building. I think I had just as much fun reading this one as I did with the first two, which ( to me) points at a strong writer well worth the time to read the books. I will also say that I do believe you need to read the other books in this series to fully understand Vanja and Emeric's relationship, her relationship with her god mothers, and Vanja's past since they all come into play within this story.

In this story, Vanja has taken a path in her life which has lead her away from Emeric. Without talking t him, she makes the decision for both of them to move on from the relationship so they don't have to "change" to be in each other's lives. So a few years have passed since the end of the second book and we do not have a happily ever after, we have some fairly miserable people who are still haunted by their past choices. However, Giselle is possibly on the list to be the next emperor but she doesn't want it as would affect her ability to remain married to her wife.

There is a lot of magic, treachery and discussions of feelings at various points. It is such a good book and we are still left with the feeling we could potentially get more if she decides she wants to continue some various aspects. I know the summary says "final chapter", but I see potential. Though the characters have grown, I don't think they've matured much with respect to the way they keep secrets, lock away their feelings, and just in general don't talk to each other about the hard stuff.

Wow. Just wow. What a stunning conclusion to one of my favourite YA Fantasy series! It’s rare for me to feel like every book in a series is a five star read, and this truly is a trilogy of absolute bangers.

There’s such clear intention here in terms of the story’s internal and external conflicts, so SO MUCH deep character work being done, and an incredible action plot that keeps everything rolling. I am astonished at how effectively the stakes were escalated, and how vital elements from previous books were incorporated to make this feel like a reckoning we’ve been building to from the start. Pacing was solid, LOVED the way the interludes drew it all in together

Owen’s humorous prose is some of the best in the YA business. She’s just genuinely funny and it makes the novel absolutely shine. Vanja’s POV is always a delight, and this book is no different, despite the amount of serious business happening! There’s such a good balance struck.

Of course I’d still go to war for this motley assortment of idiots and tricksters. The old gang learns and grows, and the new gang settles into their ranks. The bad guys are awful, the gods are PHENOMENAL, I just. It’s all so good.

The Little Thieves series is easily one of my favorite YA fantasy series. The world is rich and features gods/demigods and a unique magic system. The plot of each book is equally heart-wrenching and heartwarming, but also funny. The characters are extremely well written. Our protagonist, Vanja, struggles with finding her self-worth and her place in this world while navigating the ups and downs of her first relationship which I think every person can relate to. It’s really a perfect blend of everything you could want from a YA series.

Holy Terrors is the final book in the Little Thieves series, and it did not disappoint. It has murder, magic, a bit of heartbreak, and an adorable kitten who can do no wrong. What else could you possibly want? I can’t go into much detail about the book without spoiling the other books in the series, but if you enjoyed the first two, you’ll love Holy Terrors.

It was bittersweet for me to read the last book in this trilogy, but I think it wrapped up perfectly, and I will never stop recommending this series.

Thank you Henry Holt and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Holy Terrors delivers a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to Margaret Owen’s Little Thieves trilogy, bringing Vanja’s journey full circle in a story packed with intrigue, magic, and razor-sharp wit. Nearly two years after dismantling the cult she created, Vanja has carved out a new life for herself as the Pfennigeist—an outlaw who operates in the shadows, haunting the corrupt and aiding the desperate. But when a string of murders implicates her by leaving behind her signature red pennies, Vanja is forced out of the shadows and into the deadly world of imperial politics. With the Blessed Empress assassinated and the empire on the brink of collapse, she must navigate a web of treachery and ambition, all while confronting the ghosts of her past.

One of the standout elements of Holy Terrors is Vanja’s character growth. She remains her sharp-tongued, chaotic self, but the weight of her past decisions forces her to reckon with her legacy in ways that feel deeply earned. Her dynamic with Journeyman Prefect Emeric Conrad—now hardened and resolute—adds another layer of tension to the narrative, especially as the two must work together despite their fractured past. The romance is slow-burning yet heartfelt, balancing emotional stakes with the ever-present danger surrounding them.

Margaret Owen’s writing is as witty and immersive as ever, blending humor with poignant moments of vulnerability. The pacing is tight, the stakes are high, and the mystery at the heart of the story is compelling from start to finish. As the final installment in this dark fairytale-inspired series, Holy Terrors delivers action, emotion, and a satisfying resolution that cements Little Thieves as one of the best YA fantasy trilogies in recent years.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

A perfect, heartwarming (after the pages and pages of heartache) ending to this trilogy, I think this might be one of the best YA series out there. With a wide range of likeable characters, legitimate issues and fantastic character interactions, if you were looking for a fantastic YA trilogy to sink your teeth into then look no further. Margaret Owen is a phenomenal writer and once I entered back into her world I was hooked until the last page - I HAD to know how everything ended.

I won’t provide spoilers - if you read the first two books you have an idea of what you’re getting into here. And I’m here to tell you, it’s a perfect rollercoaster of a last book. Nothing was left feeling unfinished and - despite the pain throughout all three books in this trilogy - by the end I was happy and glad to have gone on the journey.

One thing I will say, that really surprised me, was how Margaret Owen has two people who feel perfect for one another - and yet, when those people enter in other relationships neither party is resentful or unjustly hates the other person. I loved how both Emeric and Vanja had other relationships while they were separated, and yet both of those other characters were full-fledged characters in their own right and we never see the typical unnecessary hate or bitterness towards them, and instead allow them to grow into their own characters within this story. I personally loved that, especially since that isn’t something you see very often.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing this e-ARC.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! so much better than I expected, I was a bit worried the final book would not live up to my hype, but the story and characters blew me away, I admit my eyes glazed over a bit when there was a lot of political jargon but that has always been a problem for me, anyway super recommenden book!

So while I liked and appreciated this final book in the trilogy, I do think that I am going to go back and reread the first two books and the short story collection that I just found out about, called The Fallow Year, and then reread this one. There were many times while I was reading this that I just felt confused and wondering who some people were and how they fit into the whole story as I remembered it, especially at the start of the book. I also struggled with all of the political intrigue in the middle of the book and really struggled to remember all of the people involved and what their motives and secrets were. The ending was also very complex and at times confusing although I was happy with how it ended. Hopefully rereading the first two books and the short story collection will give me the perspective to reread and understand this one better. I will write a longer and hopefully better review later.

Margaret Owen never fails to give me brainrot (positive) with this series and I love her for it. Little Thieves is definitely one of my favorite series of all time, it feels like a warm hug right after being pepper sprayed.

Overall, the book was great. I read it in two days because I had chores to do that got in the way, otherwise it would have been even faster. I was completely obsessed — the plot was well thought out, the characters were terribly endearing and the comedy was on point (kobolds of the world, unite!)

I was conflicted about how I wanted this book to go in terms of the romance between Vanja and Emeric. A significant portion of the series and the character development involved the relationship between them and, having read the first two books and the short stories, I didn't know if I wanted them to end up together. As a romantic, I hoped they would find their way back to each other, but as a skeptical adult I also liked the message that "your first love might not be the love of your life, and that's completely fine". Ultimately, I was satisfied with how Margaret developed their relationship in this book without flinching away from making me want to bang my head against the wall for half the book (again, positive) and actually made the characters face their complicated and sometimes-not-very-pretty feelings.

I am happy to report that Margaret Owen sticks the landing; Holy Terrors is the best book in the trilogy. Your favorite characters are back and bring friends! There is angst, longing, reconciliation, personal and professional growth! Childhood traumas are explored, evaluated, absolved!

The plot itself has a lot of political elements and gets very convoluted as time goes on, pretty par for the course at this point, but everything else made up for it.

It's a great way to finish out what has been a wild, delightful ride in a series with a lot of heart and a healthy dose of humor.

Holy Terrors is a fitting conclusion to the Little Thieves trilogy; as with the previous two volumes, it is fun, fast-paced, and full of twists. From Little Thieves through Painted Devils and into Holy Terrors, readers can see Vanje grow up over the course the three books, as well as watching her on-again, off-again relationship with Emeric grow and change, from young and untried teens to still young but fully realized adults, in control of their lives, their choices, and their destinies.

It's rare that an author can maintain the same quality and excitement throughout an entire trilogy; there was no drop-off with Painted Devils, and Holy Terrors maintains the same level of both. This is one of those rare young adult series that is appropriate for a wide range of readers, from middle school to adult, and which will appeal strongly across the entire range; if the novels started with the characters experiencing mid-life crises instead of young adult crises, very little would need to be changed.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Initial Reaction: I’ve been screaming for the past hour

As some of you might recall, the end of Painted Devils had me WRECKED. The Fallow Year (short story on AO3, takes place before this book, PLEASE READ BEFORE THIS BOOK) had me in tears!! Opening Holy Terrors, I fully expected this book to break me. And reader, it almost did

Margaret is such a good writer, she writes some of my favorite characters in YA Fantasy overall!! Vanja and Emeric have my heart and man do they go through it in this book!! But witnessing their growth and the changing dynamic between them is so so rewarding and I honestly can’t think of a better ending for both of them than what happened in this book! Despite my screaming and memes in Margaret’s DMs (she deserves it ok), this was truly such a fantastic end to an iconic series and please please PLEASE PREORDER!!

Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for this e-ARC!

Y'all. I DEVOURED this book. I haven't been this enthralled by a book in MONTHS. I finished it in just over 48 hours, and whenever I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it, or DREAMING about it. It was THAT GOOD.

I really enjoyed reading The Fallow Year on AO3 before jumping into Holy Terrors. It probably wasn't necessary, but it gave me a good introduction to some new characters like Dorholtz, Benno, and Lilje. Additionally, it was nice to know what Vanja and Emeric were talking about when they referenced their adventures during their separate 18 months.

We open on a good old murder mystery. Someone is killing royals, and doing it in the Penny Phantom's name. Of course, it's not Vanja, but other characters are having a harder time believing it. When the empress is killed and there's no way the Pfennigeist could have done it, Vanja and friends saddle up to elect a new leader. At least, they're trying to, but people still keep dying?

The plot is super engaging, with many threads of a web ( ;) ) tangled together. As soon as one is unravelled, we find something else to be worried about! I never found the pace too slow. It was very compelling and kept me turning the pages well past my bedtime.

Of course, the juiciest part of the book was Vanja and Emeric. After the end of Painted Devils, there's so, so much pain between them, but still they can't help but be drawn together. Every interaction they had was fantastic, as they each had their motives and desires to keep away but they Kept. Coming. Back. To. Each. Other.

I loved the return of My Ragne and all her misadventures, of course! I can't wait to get my hands on the physical copy in April so I can reread >:). I hope Owen gives us at least a few more breadcrumbs of these gremlins in the future, as the ending was happy but left room for more stories!

I fear as an AVID lover of these characters and an early supporter of Little Thieves since before its literal release date...this review may be controversial.

The tl;dr is this: Little Thieves should have been a standalone. I love these characters with my whole, entire heart and I always will. Book two was difficult, but I could tolerate it. This book was absurd, and not in a good way.

The sheer amount of names I had to keep track of here was insane. And then I have to keep track of poorly-written magical rules and TIMELINES? Remember how book one was a Goose Girl adaptation... Where the hell are we? I just wanted Vanja and Emeric to be happy, however that looked, and anyone who knows me knows I hate a reused villain (see my review of King of Scars for that), so this superfluous book that was drowning in its unnessariness...drained me.

Ask yourselves why this took me two and a half weeks to read when Vanja is one of my favorite characters of all time. More authors should consider (and be allowed to consider by their publishers) novellas for the characters they love whose stories are complete.

“Maybe what makes us human is the way we call to each other, and the way we choose to answer.” 🥀

To put it simply, the Little Thieves trilogy by Margaret Owen is one of the best trilogies I have ever read, and Holy Terrors was the perfect final book. It’s been a few days since I finished it, and 1) I haven’t stopped thinking about it and 2) I’m still struggling with finding the right words to wrap up all of my feelings. And trust me, there’s a lot of them.

Margaret Owen is a master of her art, and her writing style remains unmatched and beautiful. As an English nerd, I annotated so much of this book and for so many different reasons. Whether it was a sentence with amazing structure and word choice or whether I was audibly laughing at the dry humor and wit, I probably annotated it. Margaret Owen’s writing is clever, and her vocabulary is unreal. It will never seize to amaze me. I would read her grocery lists.

And the tension—oh man, the tension! With this being the third book of the series, there’s obviously some tension already engrained between the characters because of their histories. But it’s a tension that you can almost feel physically. In the interactions between characters, you can feel their histories in their actions, and that's really really special and hard to find. And speaking of, since we have spent time with these characters over three books, it allows you to understand them on a deep level and it lets you see how they’ve grown over time. They’re the same people, but they’re not. Spoilers aside, Vanja’s character development in particular was really beautiful to witness and it’ll be something that I think about for a while.

Also, I don’t think I will ever get over Margaret Owen’s talent in writing some of the most deepest and densest, all-consuming plots while maintaining a very realistic and developed fantastical world. I can’t even imagine all of the juggling that has to take place to keep it all straight.

I think what’s really special about Holy Terrors in particular though is all of the themes it touches and how well it gets into all of them. From the importance of choices and the different paths you can go down, to forgiving all of the versions of your past self and fighting your inner demons, to wanting something so badly but feeling like you don’t deserve it—it’s all there. And do not even get me started on the beautiful representation of female friendships in this book. Otherwise, I fear I may start sobbing.

Holy Terrors is book about so many things—if I haven’t made that obvious enough—but it’s also about the people in power and the people that force their way into power and what they choose to do with it. And what a beacon of hope this book can serve as in the world’s current climate.

Like I said, I have a lot of feelings about this book and these characters, and I am going to need everyone under the sun to read this series just I have an excuse to gab even more about it.

Holy Terrors hits shelves on April 1!

wow thank you net galley for the arc. this was a fun read kinda silly, a mix of character driven and plot driven, with some hunted dolls.i really enjoyed the story.

Owen has rather firmly solidified her spot as one of my top favorite authors.

Every single Little Thieves book has made me sob my eyes out. Vanja is such a beautifully flawed main character, and I thought this final book in the trilogy did such a wonderful job of completing her character arch. Emeric has my whole heart, and their romance is equal parts beautiful and devastating. But even as I cried, I found myself cackling over the little nuggets of humor sprinkled throughout. I literally had to stop reading because I was wheezing over the "LESPians" section.

Owen also is continuously adding more representation to the books, with nonbinary princeps, a hint of a developing polyamorous couple, and a new bi/pan character who deserves all the love.

The one thing I would say; reading the Fallow Year is absolutely essential to understanding the book. While Owen sprinkles in explanations for anyone who might not have read the novella (which, I don't know if it will get an official publication or not). Two of the important side characters were first introduced in the novella and I think their characterization could have fallen a little short if I hadn't read the novella first.

**4.5 STARS**

Content Warning: mention of sexual assault, death, murder, violence

+ Holy Terrors brings us back to the world of Little Thieves and I went into this one not doing a re-read…all I remembered was Vanja and Emeric breaking my heart in book two and I needed to know what happens to them. I didn’t need to do a re-read, it picked up where it left off and everything was coming back to me because this story is so unique.

+ My favorite girl, Vanja is back. Her life as the Pfennigeist is full of adventure – she’s a thief, always running from one con to another. She’s helping people along the way and trying to forget Emeric and the choice she made in book two. I love her personality and attitude – she’s someone who is broken, trying to find desperately who and what she is and what she wants in this life. She’s always running but this is the time she has to face the music. There is so much growth in her – I was proud of her!

+ My favorite gods Death and Fortune are back and funny as ever. I love how they mother Vanja as much as they can. Another character that grew on me is Benno, love him! There were some interesting characters in this book and all of them are needed to solve this case of royals dying.

+ The romance – this is the first book this year that made me cry. Vanja and Emeric, my loves. They have both moved on after Vanja left him at the end of book two. He’s engaged. She’s had other lovers. But it’s undeniable when they come together again that they are just messy and meant to be. But Vanja has to learn to stop running, and Emeric has to realize why she ran. I loved all her self reflections because Vanja did some hard work looking inwards and facing her demons. I love them so much. My favorite part of this story was them.

+ Outside the romance there is a major event happening and Vanja is the number one suspect, until they realize it’s not. The whole crew is led on a merry chase trying to figure out what is happening and catch the main killer. There are a lot of twists and turns. It also showcases how amazing Vanja and Emeric are, like Sherlock Homes haha! I did enjoy the mystery but there is a lot of names – names that are long and hard to pronounce, so at times I found that to be too much. At least everything happens in one place, at conclave.

~ There are also some events at the climax of the story where something happens, and it has to do with time and a different timeline, gets very fantastical but it was a little confusing but maybe because I was rushing to the end with everything that is happening. I might have to read that ending again just to make sure I understood what happened.

Final Thoughts:

My favorite part of this conclusion is Vanja and Emeric making their way back to one another. I never knew this story would be so emotional. Their story made me cry. I was so proud to see Vanja grow, she came such a long way from book one and she deserved to have happiness. This world of Little Thieves is so unique with the world-building, the mystery, magic and characters. I love all of it. This book had lots of twists and turns and even some parts that confused me at the end but overall this is a fantastic conclusion to a really amazing trilogy.

“Holy Terrors” by Margaret Owen is the last book the “Little Thieves” YA fantasy trilogy.

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the advance reader copy of the book. Opinions from this review are completely my own.

This is one of the few fantasy series I read where all the books are 5 ⭐️. I read “Little Thieves” and “Painted Devils” last year and I fell in love with the story and with Vanja and Emeric.

The story is told from Vanja ‘s PoV in 1st person. I liked that she is a morally gray character but has a great character development through the series.
From the beginning of the book I empathized with Vanja and her feelings. She is such a relatable character and I wanted her to get a happily ever after like in the fairytales.
Even of the book has funny parts, there are also emotional scenes that made me cry.

The writing is very good and the story kept me engaged and entertained. The romance get a bigger part in this book and the relationship between Vanja and Emeric develops and heals slowly as they work together again.
The fantasy and mystery part of the story was good too, even if it is a bit hard to keep up with some many characters.

Overall I enjoyed this book and the entire series a lot and I recommend it.

Little Thieves is probably the best YA series I've ever read, and this book was the most perfect conclusion a reader could ask for. In Holy Terrors, a series of murders framing the Pfennigist (Vanja) throws her back into the courts of nobles and royalty, into a web of old friends, lovers, and enemies. I'm going to be honest, Painted Devils left me a little nervous for this series. I loved it, but it was a tad repetitive, and the ending put Vanja in a scary position. But this book fixed all of that and more.

First, the plot. The first half of this story is a murder mystery rife with political intrigue. It's all really well done, and I loved seeing characters from Book 1 pop up in either very sweet or very evil ways. And then the second half takes a wild turn into some kind of magical multiverse story that I only slightly understood but also loved. The way everything twisted together was really interesting, and it was packed with all the drama and humor of the first two books.

More important than the plot, however, was Vanja's character development. She is one of the realest and messiest YA protagonists I've seen. She can be childish and petty, but also funny and brave and kind, and seeing her reflect and grow in this book was absolutely incredible. Her relationship with Emeric is especially close to my heart. They fell in love in book 1, (slight spoilers ahead!) had angst about sex in book 2, and in book 3, they reunite after new romantic experiences and months apart, finally facing the reality of their relationship. They've hurt each other, but they also love each other, and watching them grapple with these ideas was so brilliant. I was rooting for them the entire time. (It's also just so important to show relationships like this in YA books, that emphasize the importance of communication and caring and AGH I just loved it.)

There's also the amazing cast of side characters. Featuring some of my old favorites (Giselle and Ragne, finally!) as well as some new stars (a rambunctious kitten named Junior, a bastard prince, and Lilje, who actually became one of my favorites). And of course many characters that I hate with a passion. Each one is well-developed, with a striking personality and interesting relationships and lives outside of Vanja's story, making the characters feel more real and the world and story feel much bigger.

I wish I could better put into words how much I loved this book. It tied up all the loose ends perfectly into an ending that both broke and healed my heart (what is it with Margaret Owen and endings that make me want to cry?) and it wrapped up Vanja's character development perfectly. All of these characters hold such a special place in my heart, and I can't wait to reread this series again and again. If you enjoyed Little Thieves, you'll love this final book in the trilogy.