Little Thieves is the first book in the Little Thieves series by Margaret Owen. A young adult fantasy that is exactly what a fairytale retelling should be. The characters are well-written with an unrepentantly wicked, deeply likable, abrasive antiheroine who slowly softens over the course of the story. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I am so grateful to NetGalley, Henry Holt, and the author for this copy in exchange for an honest review! This was such a crazy retelling from a story that I had never read, but has become one of my favorites! Margaret Owens has a way with telling a fantastic story and introducing us to female characters that are what I wish I had been introduced to when I was younger.

This was such a fun and unique fantasy and because it was a standalone, it was just what the doctor ordered. A lot of fantasies are series which I do love, but sometimes it is nice to read a one and done fantasy to get a little taste, but not feel overwhelmed by all the world building, the magic, and the constant stream of characters.

I went into this book completely blind and I’m glad I did. I chose this book because of the cover, I’m not going to lie and although that has done me a disservice in the past, it did do that to me this time! This fantasy was captivating, but I was not completely hooked at first, it took me a minute to get into the swing of things.

Each part of the book, the author tells a story about the main character, Vanja, past in a way that reminds me of reading a Grimms fairytale. I really loved this because this book is based on a retelling of the classic fairytale, “The Goose Girl.” I had never heard of this story, but I’m so curious to read it now that I’ve read the retelling. I felt like this choice was such a unique and captivating idea to relate back story in a way that’s fresh, but doesn’t seem like the author is driving too much detail into her audience.

The book world is surrounded with magic, ritual, magical creatures, and gods all named coming from Eastern European culture. I loved this element, but there were a LOT of things to remember so a glossary would very much be appreciated to keep everything on track. I ended up writing some things down so that I would keep it all straight. However, my confusion only led to further curiosity which then led me to truly devour the book and have an overwhelming need about what will happen next.

There were also so many layers to the plot that I LOVED. None of the characters were completely perfect and all of them could be QUITE unpredictable. I loved that component because it kept the plot very thrilling and suspenseful. All the characters were just so good and I loved them all, but of course Vanja stole my heart. She reminded me SO much of Aelin from Throne of Glass and I was so here for it. That sneaky little trickster stole my heart and ran away with it and I don’t even feel the hole she left when the book was over.

There was a little hint of sweet romance in this book too which was the cherry on top of the sundae and I enjoyed every single morsel.

Overall, this book was an entertaining and fun read and this author has once again stolen my heart with her amazing storytelling abilities!

I gave this story 4.5 stars

Little Thieves is retelling of the story The Goose Girl, however, until now, I had never heard of this story. The story itself felt gritty and harsh in the best way possible. The hard stuff was not always glossed over or "prettied up" with flowery words or disguised with distracting descriptions, and when it was it was told like an old fashioned fairy tale which only added to the appeal for me. The pacing of the story was nice albeit sometimes a little slower than I tend to like, however, I think it was perfect for the story that was being told. Every little detail helped pull each thread of the story closer and closer together until a fairytale retelling masterpiece was woven.

Vanja, our main character, is the antihero of antiheroes and yet you can't help but love her. She is out for herself, and makes no apologies. As the story progresses, you get to see under this hard shell of anger, mistrust, and hurt where there is a soft center just begging to be loved and accepted.

Than we have our favorite JUNIOR Prefect, Emeric. Emeric is just this loveable and seemingly prudish man who is investigating things that could lead to Vanja's downfall. The perpetual thorn in Vanja's side whom she has tried to get rid of on multiple occasions. Yet when circumstances force them to work together, Vanja sees a different side of Emeric that both frustrates and intrigues her. They must work together to stop the evil surrounding them, and has them questioning their real feelings toward each other.

I adored this story. From the main characters to the quirky side characters this book was such a well-rounded fascinating tale. It is emotional and disturbing with strange twists, crazy curses, and dark dark humor. I could not ask for more.

The setting of this lively tale is more or less that of the brothers’ Grimm’s tales of myth and magic and blood, set in a Germany that was already outdated when the Grimms went about collecting those tales: a patchwork land of titles and castles, ruled by those with absolutely power, sometimes only a few days’ horseback travel across. There is a smattering of German terms, including German-ish, never quite pure, such as nouns written with small case letters.

The tale at the heart of the story is “The Goose Girl,” which has been redone a number of times, each with a different take. So it is here.

This version begins with the “evil” maid who dares to abandon her princess in order to have a life of her own. The horror!

Written in an engaging first person, the story is divided into parts, with further divisions within each part. All begin with a different opening of the same tale, before Vanja, our heroine, explains why she is pretending to be Princess Gisele, a mask only possible through a magical pearl necklace. She is slated to marry the handsome but cruel Margrave, who makes Gaston in the Disney Beauty and the Beast look like a sweet, timid charmer by comparison.

Vanja, sold to Death and Fortune as a child, raised by them, then put as a maid in a castle, is a thief, determined to swipe enough gold to get away from both her intended, who she knows is a creep, and also from her godmothers.

But things do not go as planned. She ends up cursed—with a month to solve the curse or die. Meanwhile she runs into enemies as well as possible . . . allies.

The style is funny, wry, colorful, and I loved the side characters . As disaster after disaster overtakes Vanja, and her allies, it was sheer fun to see the inventive ways she would deal, especially as the stakes kept rising.

I would have read this book to pieces as a teen. I look forward to seeing where this storyline goes.

'Little Thieves' is a loose retelling of 'The Goose Girl'. I had to do some research behind this fairy tale, and now that I know more about it I’m amazed by how well Margaret Owen executed her own version of this tale!

Once upon a time, there was a thirteenth child born from a mother who was also the thirteenth child in her family. This child’s mother was convinced that this made her unlucky, and she decided to venture out into the forest to seek out answers. That is how this child, named Vanja, became the goddaughter of the gods Fortune and Death.

Vanja has lived a tough life that has shaped her into a person willing to risk everything in order to survive. She’s a conniving person and at times it’s even hard to root for her. I found that her flaws made me actually enjoy her character and the story more, though.

She wishes to run far away from her godmothers, Fortune and Death, and in order to do that she needs money. So, Vanja steals from the rich. She easily gets away with all of her heists until one day she steals from the wrong person and gets caught.

There is so much that happens throughout this story. As I said, Margaret Owen did such a wonderful job retelling a known fairy tale while still keeping it unique. This is the first book that I’ve read by her and I love how detailed her writing is.

The world she builds isn’t anything particularly new to the fantasy genre, but somehow it felt fresh. I think the characters helped bring everything to life. Besides Vanja, there are a lot of other flawed characters and each one plays a role in the story. I really enjoyed how everyone got their own development along with Vanja.

There were moments in the book that I found a bit predictable, but I didn’t mind it.

Vanja goes through a lot of struggles with who she is as a person as she tries to break her curse. This part of the story made for a great coming-of-age tale. I think underneath that there was more, such as seeing where life can take you if you continue to tell lies, or what can become of you if you hurt people that love you. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and reading about how these characters found their true selves in the end.

Overall, 'Little Thieves' is a fantastic book. It was a fun story with great characters! There’s action, a dash of romance, and a heartwarming story all wrapped inside a fantasy world. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings or fantasy then you’ll definitely enjoy 'Little Thieves'!

LITTLE THIEVES is nothing short of a brilliant masterpiece. I loved EVERY second of it. Every second. There is an unrivaled, unique quality about Margaret Owen's writing style that just makes anything she writes utterly enjoyable. LITTLE THIEVES was no exception. I found it to be an utter delight and did not stop smiling while reading this book. It made me laugh and cheer so much. I love Vanja and all her snarkiness and her narration as she tells this story. She's horrible and selfish at times but I adored her nonetheless. She is morally grey in the very best of ways. I lived for her snarky commentary, and I really liked how her relationship with Emeric developed (i.e., the sanctimonious coatrack, ie.i my new favorite insult). Also Ragne was such an adorable character and I adored her too. Truly, I can't say anything bad about this book. The world-building is impeccable, the characters are all complex yet loveable (except for Adelbracht, he can rot for all I care), and the plot challenges our characters in really fun and interesting ways. I've never been disappointed when I pick up a Margaret Owen book but man was I floored and impressed by how much fun LITTLE THIEVES was to read. LITTLE THIEVES is a story about power, survival and personal sacrifice and my review does not even give it justice. I LOVE THIS BOOK! You should absolutely read it.

I love how magical Margaret's writing always is. You can really tell wonderful her talent of writing truly is. I think it's so great and really unique to have a villain as our main focus in a novel and actually love everything that happens with that character. Even though this is a retelling of "The Goose Girl", I think it really stands out from other re-telling young adult novels. I really enjoyed this book, and honestly anything by Margaret!

Thanks to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for sending me a complimentary eARC of Little Thieves for reviewing purposes!

There’s a saying in the Blessed Empire: Little thieves steal gold, and great ones steal kingdoms, but only one goes to the gallows. I’m not sure I agree. I’ve little interest in kingdoms, but even less in dancing with the hangman. And I’ve gotten very good--great, you might even say--at stealing gold.

*4.5 stars*

Content Warnings:
- Abandonment
- Whipping
- Abuse
- Mention of past attempted sexual assault
- Panic attacks

Wow! This book amazed me in all the best ways and I loved the story. It is a very unique take on the Goose Girl. The way the story was told was awesome as well.

Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even her godmothers' love - she is the adopted daughter of the Low Gods, Death and Fortune. She was once Princess Gisele's dutiful servant up until a year ago when she switched her life for Gisele's because she didn't want to be her godmothers' servant (they were forcing her to choose whom she would serve) and wanted to forge her own path (like Merida).

The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses Eiswald and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.

Vanja has just two weeks till the full moon to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with feral, half-god, and shapeshifter guardian, Ragne, Gisele's sinister fiancé, Adalbrecht, and an overeager Junior Prefect on Vanja's tail, she'll have to pull the biggest heist yet to save her own life.

First of all, I LOVED Vanja. She was very much an antihero at first and I LOVED it. She was like the female version of Kaz Brekker from the Six of Crows duology, and what could be better than that?! All of the other characters, Gisele, Emeric, Joniza, and Ragne, had developed personalities perfect for the story. Ragne being a shapeshifter and Gisele being LGBTQ+ were some interesting touches that added to the story. Also, did I mention enemies to lovers romance?

Secondly, the worldbuilding was fascinating. Think of a medieval fairytale in Germany mixed with modern language. I wish there was a better developed religious system because the Low Gods were so crucial to the plot. I wish we had gotten to learn more about them, kind of how the Percy Jackson books described their symbols and the myths they were involved in. Speaking of the Low Gods, I think the one turn-off I had with this book was the inciting incident, aka when Vanja was cursed. I didn't like how she was cursed by one of the Low Gods and wished she had befriended Ragne differently. The magic system was pretty well-developed too.

Plot-wise, the story started out very slow. All the pacing was spot-on, there was hardly any action. I also think that most of the story was just Vanja thinking, which was a bit annoying. The scenes were well described and each scene I could actually SEE. It was a great experience. The plot was majorly driven by the characters versus the actual action - I feel like this difference could have been more balanced and made Little Thieves even more of an enjoyable read. There were also some twists that I did NOT see coming.

The ending was VERY cruel considering I'm pretty sure this is a standalone (I PRAY it isn't, but since there isn't another confirmed book yet, I'm assuming it is). The cruel ending is quite similar to what Margaret Rogerson did to us in Sorcery of Thorns. If there is a sequel, I need it ASAP! Overall, Little Thieves is a great book! I will be picking up Margaret Owen's other books soon!

If you're looking for a good heist like Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo or an underrated retelling like Thorn by Intisar Khanani, this is the book for you.

Vanja Schmidt’s mother abandons her at the age of four, pleading with Death and Fortune to adopt her. As the thirteenth child of a thirteenth child, bad luck seems to be a part of Vanja’s entire existence. At 13, she had the choice to decide which god to serve for the rest of her life. She’s not crazy about that, so she comes up with a plan to gather enough money to get as far away from them as possible. Little Thieves by Margaret Owen is a retelling of the Brothers’ Grimm tale “The Goose Girl”, in which 16-year-old Vanja steals the identity of a princess and mingles with nobles to steal enough funds to be free – but not without some roadblocks.

Vanja used to be the real Princess Giselle’s maid/childhood friend, stuck with serving cruel royalty and enduring the misfortune that comes with it. Lord Aldabrecht, a fellow noble and war hero, requested Giselle’s hand in marriage – to which her parents happily agreed. But on their journey to her new home, Vanja takes matters into her own hands, tricks the princess, and steals her enchanted pearl necklace that makes Vanja physically appear as Giselle.

Now impersonating the princess and her maid (her persona when not wearing the magic pearls), Vanja plays the part of betrothed princess rather well. So well, in fact, that no one suspects her to be the Penny Phantom who robs nobles and leaves behind a single red penny.

Her cache is almost complete until she steals the wrong item from the wrong family. Vanja/Giselle is caught by a goddess, who then curses her to turn into rubies and pearls until she returns what she stole. She has two weeks to do so – or else she dies. The goddess’s daughter, a half-human shapeshifter named Ragne, is in charge of keeping an eye on Vanja until she breaks the curse. No pressure.

Margaret Owen, author of The Merciful Crow Duology, once again displays her creativity and talent to create likable yet damaged characters in Little Thieves. Vanja is a smartass and looks out for herself, yet as an abandoned child is quite justified in her actions. Ragne is a hoot and has a childlike innocence about her that readers can’t help but love. And as much of a scrawny nervous wreck Junior Prefect (Detective) Emeric seems to be, there’s more to him than meets the eye.

Owen paces the story well and includes enough suspense and mystery to keep the reader engaged and curious as to what is up certain sleeves. Even so, the magic system didn’t seem well-established or explained. Additionally, some scenes toward the end would have been appropriate for a movie, but didn’t quite work in literature form. Nevertheless, Little Thieves is a mostly light-hearted and fun read – and those familiar with “The Goose Girl” will undoubtedly enjoy this retelling.

An e-ARC of this title was provided to me by the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

5/5 - this book came out today and I would definitely recommend sprinting to your local bookstore to buy yourself a copy.

Little Thieves is a unique, imaginative retelling of "The Goose Girl". I've read quite a few takes on this fairytale, but this one has to be my favorite. The book is written from the perspective of the villain... which is probably all I need to say to get you to read it, but I'll keep going.

Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of the low gods Death and Fortune, was a loyal maid to Princess Gisele, until she stole her enchanted string of pearls and took over her life. For the past year, Vanja has been pretending to be the Prinzessin while real Gisele was left with nothing on the side of the road. Trying to secure enough money to outrun her godparents (and the eternal servitude that comes with them), Vanja lives a double life as a jewel thief and completes a series of heists. She has just one heist left until she has enough money to flee, but she accidentally steals an item protected by another low god who curses her for her greed. Unless Vanja can give back what she stole (it isn't as straightforward as it sounds), she will sprout jewels from her body until she is completely covered and, well, dead.

Obviously, Vanja is the villain. She is snarky, greedy, and selfish. She refuses to ask anyone for help and would rather fall to the curse than seek assistance from Death and Fortune (which would lead to a lifetime of serving one of them). Despite, all of this, I loved her. I hated that I loved her. You will be reading this book and wondering why you're rooting for the villain to persevere. Honestly, she is the best kind of villain. Her character development and arc is impeccable.

The side characters are the best, so let me tell you about my favorites. Ragne is a half-god, daughter of the god that cursed Vanja, and is basically tasked to be her sidekick/protector. She can shape shift (which comes in handy) and her overall misunderstanding of humans and the human world is a great source of comic relief throughout the book. Emeric, our hero, is a *junior* prefect (basically a detective). He is a real stick-in-the-mud, but you'll love him for it.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot because I think it is best to go in knowing as little as possible. This review is really just a rant about why I loved the book so much, but whatever.

I loved the dark fairytale vibes of this book. The magic system is super unique and interesting. Vanja is such an intriguing character and I really loved all of her internal monologue and humor (even when she was being a negative nancy). This book is also structured SO well. The way it was organized made my brain happy, and I was reading it as an e-ARC so that's really saying something (they can be a mess sometimes). On top of that, the pacing was great and I really didn't feel like any aspects of the books were rushed or dragged on too long. I've been in a massive reading slump this month but I was able to get through this book really quickly (and I think it got me out of my slump?!?). I also loved how the world normalized lgbt relationships and queerness in general. Our MC and another side character is demisexual and we have multiple non-binary, gay, and lesbian side characters.

Ok, I think you guys understand how much I loved this book now (and why). You really have to go pick up this book yourself (did I mention it has gorgeous illustrations done by the AUTHOR?!) and experience the world.

Rep: demisexual main & side character, lesbian side characters (F/F relationship), non-binary side characters, gay side characters (M/M marriage).
CW: gaslighting, emotional and physical abuse, attempted rape (off-page), whipping, poisoning

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Typically, I'm a skeptic when it comes to standalone fantasy books. I always find that I'm left wanting more. This book, DELIVERED. Worldbuilding that's intricate, linguistically interesting, and immersive? Check! A heroine who is flawed and relatable and strong as hell? Check! A nerdy boy detective with BIG Milo Thatch energy and a certain tenderness about him??? CHECK CHECK! Magic! Gods! The power of friendship! This book has it all! Little Thieves is easily on my top ten list for this year, read it now!

CW: physical & emotional abuse, mentions of sexual violence, mild body horror, violence, descriptions of panic responses to trauma

"Once upon a time, there was a girl as cunning as the fox in winter, as hungry as the wolf at first frost, and cold as the icy wind that kept them at each other's throats."

I was so excited to jump into Little Thieves after reading Owen's previous duology, The Merciful Crow.

The story is a loose retelling of The Goose Girl and is the story of 17 year old antiheroine, Vanja. She is the adopted daughter of the little gods Death and Fortune and grows up a servant in the royal palace. The story is full of old gods, magic, intrigue, and lots of action!

I love the complexity of Owen's characters. Vanja is somehow intensely likable in her rottenness and has layers upon layers uncovered throughout the story. I also adored the side characters and the shy love interest.

This was a fast and intensely readable book even at 500+ pages; I never wanted to put it down and I can not wait for the next in the series. The story has a dark fairytale vibe that I personally love in a fantasy book.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves YA fantasy, especially books like Six Crimson Cranes or For the Wolf.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

"Nothing stolen is ever mine. But there's another truth on the other side of that coin: What is mine can always be stolen."

4/4.5 Stars - dark fairytale fantasy with a morally grey heroine who isn't afraid to use her knife.

It is hard to explain how much I loved this book because it really crept up on me. One minute I'm reading it and the next I'm crying because of how much I feel for Vanja, our MC.

Vanja is greedy, cunning, sarcastic, selfish, and stubborn - but at the end of the day she has serious trust issues and is just looking for that one person who will love her without asking for anything in return, someone who will believe what she says and not think that she is trying to play and angle. I loved how unapologetic she was and how she embraced her choices and refused to let people belittle her because of them.

Vanja is also hilarious as all heck and I love how she made the characters around her uncomfortable with the things she said and did. The number of times I tabbed the book because I was laughing at something she said or did is in the double-digits. There are moments when she breaks the fourth wall, which were really amusing and unique for a fantasy novel. Additionally, we get 7 mini tales about the Goose Girl story of these characters and it was really well executed and felt like I was reading a Grimm tale.

The romance was sweet and slowburn, a subplot to the overall novel. Emeric is a literal bean and I love how flustered he got over Gisele. It wasn't the strongest romance I have read, but I can overlook it because I think it is going to be explored more in the sequel. I also loved the conversation surrounding Gisele being gay and the pressures she felt from having to hide it because she is a princess.

Honestly, the female friendship that was repaired between Gisele and Vanja was one of my favourite aspects of this novel. They grew up together, but never fully understood one another. It took a series of tragic events for these girls to take a step back and see the world through the other's eyes. I hope we get to see more of it in the sequel (fingers crossed).

There is also some really amazing commentary about beauty and ideals - Gisele is made to wear her pearls because she is "bigger" and "taller" than a princess should be. Her mother tells her "men will be cruel, but they will be less cruel when you are beautiful."

I want to take a second to mention Ragne. She stole my heart and I love how pure and honest her emotions were. She is a shapeshifter who doesn't really understand how humans work, but she tries and it is so funny and adorable.

The reason why it isn't a full 5-stars is because the pacing was a little off at times. There were moments when the plot dragged and there was a lot of set up in the beginning before anything felt like it was really moving. This was a very intricate and delicately crafted world, and that means that the pacing of the book is altered. I was fully invested in the story until the 40% mark, but after that it was full-steam ahead.

The novels ends with a happy-for-now, very similar to her prior duology. I am so intrigued to see what is in store for our characters next!!

I would like to start this review off by saying thank you to NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Her name was not Gisele, nor was it Greta, nor even Pfennigeist. My name was—is—Vanja. And this is the story of how I got caught.”

The MC is a wicked thief who is spoken for by no one, she was given up by her mother only to adopted by the gods: Fortune and Death. At a young age she was given to a wealthy noble family only to be treated poorly as a servant, then at 13 she was asked to choose which godmother she wants to choose to serve. This moment was when her ideas of treachery began. Vanja’s image of self-worth is some of the lowest of any character I have ever read and there were moments where I cried for her. She lived an extremely lonely life where being noticed would lead to pain and so she did what was best for her and survived at all costs. Her survival further alienated her and although she thought she was strong she was just a lonely little girl looking to be seen and to be loved.
Owen’s writing is beautiful and her descriptions paint the book in beautiful color. The side characters were written perfectly as well and I was pleasantly happy with the ending of this adventure. My only complaints were how slow it was to lead to the finale, I felt that a couple of chapters could have been cut out of this book as I felt it dragged on, I want action or at least something worthwhile to happen. The first 50% of the book dragged and once I got over the 50% mark everything happened so fast and truthfully I had no idea where the real mystery was going, it was great I was truly taken by surprise.
Owen’s broke up the book with little tiny tales and also almost made it seem like the MC was telling the reader the tale, which was a unique experience. Vanja is an extremely relatable character and feels things inside that most readers have felt or currently feel. Her mental struggles are something I found I resonated with and in the end she was able to fight that battle that she was not alone and no longer needed to block herself off from loyalty and love because of survival. Her journey was truly magnificent and I am happy she was happy in the end because that was all I wanted for her.
This book was a rough read for me and took me a long time to get through, I don’t know if it was the lack of action or mercury/Saturn retrograde. I rated this book four starts for the writing and that for a good half of it was I was entertained and I do enjoy a great morally grey character. I am interested to see what happens in the next book but this would not be a story I would reread but I will definitely be picking up the second book in it eventual release.

"Little Thieves" is rife with moral greyness, gods, thieves, and the message that you must be the master of your own fate. Every character is layered and fascinating to read.

Heists? Morally-gray heroines? Enemies-to-lovers? Mystery? Crime-solving sleuths? AESTHETIC? YES PLEASE.

This book was a five-star read on so many levels. It was long, like really long. In hindsight, I really enjoyed that because it gave the author plenty of time to world build her complex fantasy world with complicated political relationships and more. It did not feel rushed at all. Not only was there a fair amount of political intrigue, but there was also a healthy dose of magic and gods that fueled the story. However, magic did not take over the entire story, despite most of the plot being originally fueled by Vanja's curse.
The heists and schemes pulled off in this book were Six of Crows level worthy without a doubt. The author did an amazing job of unveiling some right away, and others waiting a period of time before the grand unveiling. The amount of mystery and unknown added to the page-turning ability of this book.
The romance as well! It did not fuel the entire plot, as in to say there was still a huge amount of plot if the romance was taken out. I think this is key because it fills the story with more sustenance. Not to mention the diversity throughout this book was absolutely flawless. None of it felt forced or just put in there to add diversity, it all added to the story in one way or another.
I'll say it again but I have not read a book this good in a while. I would highly, highly, highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of YA fantasy.

Little Thieves
by Margaret Owen
⚡️ I was provided an e-ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
🌟: 5 / 5
📚: To pay off her debts, Vanja Schmidt steals the life of the princess that she spent her whole life serving.
💭: I am fully and wholeheartedly obsessed with this book. This year has really turned into a year of Goose Girl retellings for me, and Little Thieves is the dark twist on the story that I didn’t know that I wanted.

The book follows Vanja, goddaughter of Death and Fortune, who has spent her entire life stealing everything— money, gems, power, the life of a princess— to escape the debts that her godmothers put upon her. But when what would have been her last heist goes wrong, Vanja is cursed to become her greed, by turning into the jewels that she stole until she dies. Saddled with a upcoming royal wedding, a deadly curse, the obnoxious and ever-present shape-shifting daughter of the god who cursed her, and a boy detective (!!) hot on the trail of the jewel thief, Vanja must make her most daring escape before she runs out of time.

When I say that this book has everything, I really mean it: a unique narrative voice, boy detectives, creepy cursed magic, heists, describing people as “human civics books,” a perfect angel boy detective that I fully adopted as my son from the moment he was introduced, antiheroes, found family, redemption arcs, completely normalized queer relationships, demisexual and lesbian main characters, a sweet child detective, and so much more.

It’s always harder for me to write reviews of books that I loved because I just want to say “please read this book and be obsessed with it with me,” but that doesn’t exactly fly. I think the only real complaint that I had about Little Thieves is that there was a decent chunk in it that I would not have picked up on if I didn’t study German and fairy tales at one point. There is a lot of germanic vocabulary sprinkled into the story, and it’s helpful to know (but somewhat easy to figure out based on context clues). Elements of the original fairy tale are sprinkled throughout the story that felt like nice Easter Eggs, and it was never too too predictable, despite it being a retelling, which I really, really appreciated.

As a whole, like most fantasy books, it took me a second to get into the story, but once I did, I was HOOKED. I would die for any of the main characters, I love those perfect, terrible noodles so much. I highly recommend this one if you want a fun, dark, standalone fantasy book.

**Thank you so much for Henry Holt & Company and Macmillan for gifting me an early ARC of this title for honest review**

Once again, Margaret Owen has outdone herself in this beautifully twisted retelling of “The Goose Girl”.

Little Thieves throws us into the heart of a revenge and redemption story with 17-year-old Vanja Schmidt as our imperfectly messy anti-hero to run the helm. Hungry for pay-back against not only the princess who betrayed her, but the system that broke her, Vanja uses her sharp wit and clever mind as her blade, and her scars as kindling to keep her spite ever burning. From stealing the identity of Princess Gisele to terrorizing the aristocrats of Boern under the mask of the Pfennigeist, Vanja is finally on her way to getting everything she has ever wanted.

Until one mistake leads her to snatching the gift of protection a Low God known as Eiswald bestowed upon a family to shield them from theft, and has thrown Vanja headlong into a race against time to break a curse with deadly consequences. Throw in a terribly persistent bundle of vainglorious uncooked pasta wearing an oversized trench coat known as Junior Prefect Emeric Conrad who will stop at nothing to see justice prevail, and Vanja may be just a bit over her head.

From phenomenal character arcs to vivid world-building and magic with a price, Margaret Owen has crafted a coming-of-age story that is not only gripping, but starkly relatable.

I loved this book! I have discovered with my last several reads that I really tend to prefer the “villain” characters, so I don’t know what that says about me 😁
This book is pretty much nonstop fun! Between all the scheming and the heists and escaping and so on, there are not a lot of dull moments here. The author does a really good job with the setting – it’s very atmospheric. Think medieval Germanic state in the winter. Lots of descriptions of the cold and the snow and town squares, that sort of thing. I really appreciated that quite a few of the characters were not that black-and-white as far as “good or bad“. People in real life have a lot of gray areas and so do these characters (oh and several characters are LGBTQ+). And when you find out Vanja’s motivation for her “crimes“, I mean, wouldn’t a lot of us take the same action? This book is going into my top 10 reads for the year for sure—super entertaining!

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Pros
Death & Fortune: I love the interplay between these two characters. Margaret Owen's personification of these gods is spot-on. Their deity compared to Vanja's mortality creates tension and a witty sort of humor. The duality of Death and Fortune, two concepts usually not paired with each other, creates a good counterbalance--and even better stakes for Vanja, who is meant to choose between the two. Both Death and Fortune can be deadly, as Vanja well knows: which will she choose to serve?

Mixed Tales: Fairy tale fans beware. This book is full of mixed tales, and they are all so faithfully woven together. This book is, largely, a retelling of the story of the Goose Girl (though here from the traditional villain's perspective), but other tales make their way in. Cinderella and Red Riding Hood, magic and goodness, storytelling and blood, shifting roles of good and bad: this is exactly the correct way to bring fairy tales to life again.

Forbidden Romance: This story features an ever-popular enemies-to-lovers romance, full of the requisite chemistry and tension. This book doesn't, however, dive into all-consuming passion (or lust) as is often the case. These love interests start as real enemies (not at all attracted to each other) to begin with, and that initial relationship slowly builds into an antagonistic rivalry. With the rivalry comes a slow-building attraction to the forbidden, which is perfectly paced and perfectly balanced throughout the tale.


Cons
Slow Digestion: Margaret Owen's prose is intricate and vivid. Characters are brushed across the pages in broad strokes that develop over time in beautiful detail. But that being said, it does take time to fully appreciate the complexity of this piece of writing. It isn't a fast read. It isn't a light read. It's a slow read, and as excellent as it is, some might have trouble pushing through to the end.

Meandering Plot: It makes sense here that the plot meanders a bit. Vanja herself doesn't know what to do. She has a goal, certainly--multiple goals, in fact--but she isn't quite sure how to get there. That makes the intermediate steps toward her goal meandering, both from her perspective and from the perspective of the reader. It is easy to lose focus because the plot just sort of wanders. The goals are known but not so pointedly pursued.

Gradual Pieces: Detective work is a major piece of this story, and as readers, we really are encouraged to investigate along with the characters. That being said, however, the pieces are particularly slow to fall into place. At about seventy-five percent through the book, I as a reader had little more than a few dangling leads. No solid evidence was presented to me. For someone following along for the detective part of the plot, this could be particularly frustrating. Without the leads--without enough information--the mystery aspect underlying this work becomes less intriguing and more irritating.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
9/10

Anyone who loves Shannon Hale's The Goose Girl will love this new rendition of the tale. Those who appreciate a found-family, ensemble cast like the one found in Leigh Barugo's Six of Crows will love this new cast of characters as well.