5.0 ⭐️

This was a beautiful and nuanced ending to an exceptional trilogy. The character growth was strong, the magic and gods interesting, and the antagonists powerful and frightening. I loved the new characters that were introduced and was glad to see old friends returned. The book is targeted at a YA audience, but the character and plot are sophisticated enough to satisfy adult readers as well, while explicit violent and sexual scenes remain age appropriate. The fantasy and romantic elements remain well balanced. This is an engaging and enjoyable series and gets a strong recommendation from me for anyone who enjoys fantasy romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for an eARC for this book.

Holy Terrors is the final book in the Little Thieves trilogy, and boy does it go out with a bang. Owen wrote a canon story called The Fallow Year that's up on AO3, and I do think Holy Terrors works better if you've read that story.

This book takes place a year after the end of Painted Devils. Vanya has been working as the Penny Phantom doing her Robin Hood vigilante brand of justice, and Emeric is a full prefect. When important people start turning up dead, Vanja is taken into custody by Emeric, and eventually the two work together to solve the murders.

Spoilers: if the first two books were more heavily based in fairy tales and mythology, this book is about the multiverse. It's wild. There's a lot to say about fate vs free will, how our choices define us, and what the "right" path is.

The book wasn't what I was expecting, but overall I liked it. I could read hundreds more stories about Vanja and Emeric getting into trouble.

Holy Terrors marks my first three-for-three perfect five star series. This books, and the entire series, is a masterpiece of not just YA fantasy, but of genre fiction as a whole. I bawled my eyes out (which is rare for me), and I will SO be rereading this for years to come.

It’s hard to talk about the third book in a trilogy without spoiling the previous books, but let me try.

The plot is incredible, the tension is fantastic, the relationships between old characters and new are so well formed and believable. The demi representation is everything I wish I had as a teenager trying to figure out why I was different from the people around me. The twists and turns are well executed and always left me guessing, but feeling like I was about to figure out how they happened.

Margaret Owen, you have ruined my life in the best way.

The third installment of Margaret Owen's Little Thieves series delivers a spectacular ending to a story that has consumed me over the last couple of years! This retelling of The Goose Girl fairytale has expanded in ways I never expected as the series progressed!

Once again, we’re treated to a slew of new Vanja shenanigans, this time on a much grander scale, as she now gets to carry out all her schemes and heists at the seat of the empire's power, during the royal families' attempts to elect a new ruler from among the seven royal houses.

Holy Terrors brings back many of my favorite characters from the previous books, along with some of my not-so-favorite villains. There are also plenty of new characters introduced in this story who really grew on me. Owen, as always, has crafted well-developed characters who are constantly arguing, learning, and growing as the story unfolds. One particular favorite of mine is an emotional support kitten that brings Vanja comfort (and brought me an unreasonable amount of joy).

The story is both hilarious and heartbreaking, a tender fairytale that embodies the kind of found family that makes your heart happy, while still exploring the gross excesses and hypocrisy of nobles and royalty, even as their subjects continue to suffer.

I really, really hope Owen isn't done with this world she's created in this series. It’s one that brings me a lot of comfort, even amidst the tumult of emotions that are inevitable when reading her work.

Is it really over? The Little Thieves trilogy is one of the most enjoyable things I have ever read, and I read a lot. Holy Terrors lived up to my very high expectations and I'll say even exceeded them, due to the inclusion of one hilarious kitten. Vanja and Emeric remain the fictional couple I root for the most and while they will drive you mad in this book, you'll still have your fingers crossed for them on the last page. This book was action-packed, a little crazy, and I loved it. I preordered this months ago and can't wait to add it to my classroom shelves!

It is so rare that I like all three books in a trilogy but this is one for me. I was absolutely aghast at the ending to Painted Devils (even though I loved it) and so I was so excited to see where this book went. It definitely kept me guessing throughout it's many twists and turns, and I was actually quite pleased with how many times I came up with my own theories and was proven wrong. Did the characters drive me nuts at times, yes, but it all felt very real and human in nature and I think that's a great skill for Margaret Owen to write. Safe to say I'll definitely be checking out her other series now.

This riveting and layered horror novel unleashes supernatural terror in a world where truth can be manipulated, and nothing is as it seems. Beautiful and horrifying, with an unforgettable cast of characters, The October Film Haunt will shock and delight readers all the way to its breathless final page. I absolutely loved the third in the Little Thieves series. I was a bit worried it wouldn't live up to the hype, or to the rest of the series, but I was pleasantly wrong. This book broke me and healed me in ways I did not expect. I will yell it from the rooftops to read this series!

Holy Terrors easily makes it into my 6-star book club, joining Little Thieves there! I love this series so much and this ending was perfect!!

It is hard to summarize without spoilers for the previous books, but Vanja and Emeric are at it again, this time in a kind of locked room murder mystery, where the locked room is the large palatial estate of the empress. If you love excellent banter, laugh out loud humor with deep emotional turmoil mixed in, add some magic and gods, this book has it all.

I highly recommend downloading The Fallow Year from AO3. Please do yourself a favor and read it before jumping into Holy Terrors. It isn't necessary to follow the story, but it adds so much emotional context and Margaret Owen provided it for free, so why wouldn't you?!? It fills in the 2 year gap after Painted Devils.

As an elder millennial, I sometimes find it hard to connect with YA characters, but this is one of those series that can be enjoyed by all!

Thank you, NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co., for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of this year and I am so happy with it. This feels very similar in tone to Little Thieves in the best way possible. I would read the short story available on Ao3 to get all of the context, but you can do without. I laughed, I cried, I was extremely confused about the politics…. It was perfect. This story could not have been wrapped up any better. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review which has already been posted to Goodreads.

My favorite thing about this series is that the second I start to think I know where the story is going and that things are getting wrapped up, I check how much is left in the book and realize that no, we aren’t even halfway in. And then I get scared.

Vanja and Emeric are, as expected, complete idiots about their relationship. Fortunately for them, I had a bag of popcorn and was happy to watch it all unfold. Ragne remains perfect, though.

This was an amazing conclusion to the series and as much as I could live in this universe forever, I am glad it got the finale it deserved.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

Owen does not hold back with this final book in the Little Thieves trilogy. Check your content warnings, a lot of heavy topics are covered.

I didn't realize how much I've missed the banter between Vanja and Emeric until I started reading HOLY TERRORS. It was so good to be back within their company. Throughout most of this book I just wanted to hug Vanja and tell her that she was enough... just as she is and despite the things she's done to survive. Junior was a delightful addition to the cast for this book and brought needed levity. I think Owen did a great job of linking everything together from the previous books and giving readers a satisfying ending. I was on the edge of my seat for at least half of it wondering if Vanja and her group of friends/found family would really be able to accomplish what they needed to before it was too late. This is a trilogy I'll definitely return to and reread at some point.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook ARC!

Before anything, I highly recommend reading "The Fallow Year" that Owen wrote. It fills in the time between this book and Painted Devils, and was referenced more heavily than I expected. There is enough explanation in Holy Terrors to understand the plot related beats, but most of it is reduced to quick passing lines so the character development (especially in terms of certain relationships) feels much more fleshed out with that context.

It's an ending worth waiting for: hearts break, people grow and forgive, or maybe occasionally they don't. My only minor gripe is the third act starts to feel a little long with a few scenes feeling unnecessarily repetitive in nature But overall, the magnificent conclusion lands gracefully and brings my favorite series to a fulfilling end.

Margaret Owen has such a gift for humor, even when her characters are fighting their toughest battles. As usual I laughed, I had my heart torn to pieces, and enjoyed every moment of it all. The interior illustrations are beautiful, and always bring such a unique richness to these books. Owen also has a very visual storytelling style, where I can easily imagine everything happening like a comic book. So much is focused around action, whether it's Looney Tunes comedy or the usual Little Thieves heists, things are always in motion, especially Vanja. It makes for an easy read flow other than a few words I had to look up. The plethora of new characters was also sometimes hard to keep up with, but I had it much more sorted out by the end. (Another reason to read the Fallow Year, it helps introduce a few important supporting characters earlier).

I adore the Little Thieves series and look forward to reading everything Owen writes in the future!

Two years after the events of Painted Devils, Vanja has embraced her alter ego, the Pfennigeist, and is using it to help those with nowhere else to go. But when royals turn up murdered, with the Penny Phantoms signature red penny on the bodies, Vanja becomes entangled with the investigation. This includes the Order of the Prefect’s brightest mind, Journeyman Prefect Emeric Conrad, Vanja’s first love, who’s heart she broke. Even as they nurse their old wounds, and fight the love that still lingers, the two have to work together to solve the deadly plot before it's too late.

Little Thieves is the most underrated series. More people need to be reading it! All the characters are so richly drawn. Vanja and Emeric are written with so much tenderness that you feel their pain and cheer for their successes. The side characters are written with the same depth, adding to the vibrant world. The prose is rich and descriptive, but never slow with the suspenseful plot and biting banter to keep the story moving. I found myself torn between not wanting to put the book down and wanting it to go slower so I could savor it.

This book feels a bit more mature than the previous installations, with more deaths and references to sex. I’d still consider it a young adult book, but on the older, more mature end.

Overall, this whole series is a masterpiece.

It's bittersweet to see this trilogy come to a close {cue my dramatic sobs, haha}. Vanja is such a fascinating character—she's a thief, a princess, and the daughter of both Fortune and Death, not to mention she’s becoming quite the folk hero!
This book really wrapped up all the political intrigue and backstabbing beautifully. It’s amazing to see how far some characters will go to secure their place at the top, while others discover their own inner strength.
I absolutely adored all the revelations, twists, and turns that made this final book (and the whole series) so captivating!

GOD DAMN DO I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH!!!!!

First of all massive thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and whatever blessed being decided to approve my request: getting to read this book I preordered months ago was such a treat!

This book is such a nice tying together of the full series. All the characters you could ever want to see again plus some fun new extras. And Owens continues to love to just ROAR through plot in a way I love. And frankly the description of anxious attachment/ptsd/all the brain gremlins just feels so real and vivid and somehow also sympathetically written.

I love this series, I love this book, if anyone disagrees with me on the above I will physically fight them

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.