My best read of 2021 -- an absolutely BRILLIANT book. The worldbuilding is exceptional, the characters are flawed, nuanced, and endearing, and the plot's twists left me hungry for more with every turn of the page. Owen is truly a masterclass writer, and I can't wait for the next thing she writes.

Oh I love it. It’s the first book that made me cry not because somebody died but because I could feel Vanyja’s emotional pain so much.
She definitely has a beautiful arc coming from it’s just me to convincing herself and the world around her that there is more to her.

Emeric Conrad is also an interesting character that takes on a antagonist roll to Vanyja. He seams to be one dimensional at first but eventually you realize that that is intentional. Their back and forth is very entertaining.

Also the world building is very beautiful and intriguing. I love the ideas of mixing many different mythologies. Form what I could identify there was the obvious German but also some Russian and Greek. I would love to explore this world some more.

All together this is a worthy read with interesting characters and a good arcs. I got this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgally.

“You know an awful lot of big boy no-no words for a man of the gods.”

This book had me so hyped it was everything and more. I haven’t read anything by this author but clearly I’ve been missing out because I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it so much I kept going back to certain chapters to reread parts that I found too good not to read over again. Even after finishing the book I skimmed the book to my favorite parts.


“You see,” I say gravely, “when two people love each other very much, or at least think the other’s passable if you squint—” “Yes I understand now thank you.” I can practically hear his blush.

The characters mainly our girl Vanja, has me cackling! Though I felt for her horrible upbringing and just the crap life she had to endure, she had a way about her that you couldn’t help but laugh at how she took on the world. I really enjoyed reading her character, even the parts where you wanted to strangle her with sense that everything would be ok. That she could trust those around her, trauma is trauma and we support a strong boss biss for her hard work and resilient! Vanja would definitely be my best friend, no doubt.

It’s the little things in life that surprise you, isn’t it? Like how you can be trapped in a burning building, and it’ll still seem easier to deal with than being accused of murder by a boy you thought you might—no.

Ok this was just infuriating but accurate with the situation. I just wanted Vanja to love but a girl had to look out for what was best for her self. And you can’t trust no one, especially the nerdy prefect that seems not all what he seems ( if that makes any sense, just read the book and you’ll understand.)

I can’t be wrong. My fear can’t be wrong. Nothing stolen is ever mine. But there’s another truth on the other side of that coin: What is mine can always be stolen. I will not be anyone’s servant, even my own; I will always be a thief. I am never going to let myself be happy. I’m always, always going to steal it from myself. I press my fists over my eyes. Panic roars through me, and I cannot keep the tide at bay, I am falling through shame and horror, I’m a fool, I can’t do anything right, I will always be haunted by myself—

The life lesson of the century, we will always be our worst enemies. Vanja learned this the hard way and as much as she wanted all the happiness in the word she was better at self sabotage. This was so hard to read through because I think we all go through this at some point In life.

This book was amazing I gave it a five star rating. I could not rave about it enough. I loved it so much I went and bought it right after I finished it. READ THIS BOOK.

That's the tagline of this book and I won't deny that this sentence alone already poked my interest. Then knowing that it's also a retelling of "The Goose Girl" made me excited even more. The Goose Girl is one of the retellings that I'm so curious to read and its retelling not easy to find either.

It's so refreshing to read a retelling of a fairytale that hasn't been told much. Whether you are a fan of The Goose Girl or you just love fairytales retelling I think you'll love this book.

This is the first book of Owen's that I've read and I'm really surprised by how she made the story feel so atmospheric. While reading this book, I feel that I was in a German village in some medieval times. Also, this book has very strong "fairytales" vibes!

The cast of characters is also quite interesting. I'm not really a big fan of unlikeable characters (they just tested my patience) but I didn't hate Vanja that much - although she definitely fall into the group lol. BUT I LOOVE Ragne! She is just the BEST! If you are a fan of an anti-hero story, this book will be your gem.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ★★★★☆ (3.75)

Ok it took me like 2 months to finish this, but I LOVED it. Definitely a me not finding time problem, not a this book put me in a slump problem. I loved the voice that this story was told in, frank and biting, yet having that air that fantasy stories always do. And the ROMANCE. Emeric Conrad is now forever one of my favorite love interests. I’m so glad the story went in that direction, because I would have been mad if it didn’t.

So good. So, so good.

“Once Upon a Time”. All great stories begin with “Once Upon a Time”. It is the mark of an author who is confident of the work, to inform the reader in advance that the author wrote a great story. Margaret Owen brought us through a pandemic world, both and literally, with the Merciful Crow. Now the latest new story begins with the famous 4 words that brings the reader to the old fashioned tried and true formula of good vs evil, heroes vs the villains, mystical creatures, animals, and gods. Full of comedy, drama, and suspense. Plainly stated, it is a must read.

Here's the elevator pitch: Oh, so you like Six of Crows? You simp for Kaz Brekker on a daily basis? You are desperate for that found family trope that everyone else in the world also wants? You want to read a enemies to lovers to enemies and then back to lovers romance? And you probably desperately need therapy? A book that is new enough that Booktok hasn't gotten it to it yet to make it 'too mainstream' even though it should me? This is def the book for you.

Little Thieves is an adventure from cover to cover with never a dull moment. I personally prefer a character driven book than a plot driven book but this book is giving them both. You've got the fantasy, the queer representation, the rag tag troop charged with saving the word. An absolutely fantastic read fit for anyone who needs a little more adventure in their lives.

I absolutely loved "Little Thieves." It felt more like a dark twist on an old fairy tale than a typical fantasy novel that you would read now.

As a girl, Vanja is given up (abandoned) and left to Death and Fortune. The two goddesses take her in but eventually tell her that one day she must choose between them. Not wanting to pick sides Vanja decides she must flee the realm and cross its border where the goddesses' powers are not the same. She hopes that in doing so she will be free to choose her own destiny. The problem is she has no money for the passage and to start a new life, so through an enchanted necklace, she transforms into a Princess and starts to steal from the wealthy people around her.

If you haven't read it, I would suggest picking it up. I'm looking forward to reading the next one in the series!

This was a wonderful book, with plot elements interwoven throughout that come to a culmination in the final few pages. Vinja is described as the 13th daughter of a 13th daughter by her mother, as she abandons her in the woods when she is 4, one child too many for her mother to feed, especially given her mother's concern about her birth order. Taken in by the Low Gods Fate and Death, Vinja is then placed as a maid in a castle... and things go downhill for her from there. Told at 13 that she must choose which of her godmothers, Fate or Death, she will serve, Vinja then searches for a way to escape the unpalatable choice between them - leading to a desperate plan that includes stealing enough to leave the country, and hopefully find a place beyond the Low Gods' reach, where she won't have to choose. I look forward to the listed sequel.

Ever hear of The Goose Girl? Well, here is a MASTERPIECE of a retelling! With this being a standalone novel of over 500 pages of multiple story lines, I was in awe with the skill Owens has with juggling all at once, while still carrying on a beautiful story. The development of each character gave the impression that you fully knew who they were by the end. The way Owens allowed you to fully immerse yourself into the novel made it feel as though you were part of the story. I would put the book down and fully believe I was living the tale. I cannot wait to pick up more by Owens!

I enjoyed the twist this retelling took. and the mystery was fantastic as well. Something I will say is that the research Owens puts towards her books make me jealous of the time she takes to learn something.

It was a solid book and I enjoyed the fairytale with gods, curses and mystery.

I loved this book so much. Vanja is a chaotic character and I loved watching her grow. At first, I found the worldbuilding a bit cumbersome but I grew to love it. I loved the characters and the romance was just right, if a little slow at first. But the found family was exquisite as were the twists and turns at the end. Highly recommended, can't wait to read more from Margaret Owen!

Let me start by saying I've never read The Goose Girl and have no idea what it's about. That being said, I really enjoyed this retelling. I'll be honest and say I really just loved the cover and that's why I wanted to read it 🤣.

It was an interesting story. I liked how Death and Fortune are characters or "godmothers" to the MC. I enjoyed the fact that the old gods were such a big part of the story, yet did not overtake the fact that the MC stole this life from a Princess and had to make good on the trouble she caused.

I think because this fairytale is not as well known, it worked so well. It was super unique (at least to me) and that made it all the more enjoyable. It was fun seeing all the characters put aside differences to come together and defeat an even bigger threat.

This book was captivating, enthralling, amazing, and dark. I loved every detail from the very first page. The romance, the characters, the plot lines were all so complex and amazing. Vanja was an amazing narrator, somebody who I didn't want to stop reading about. Emeric was so complex and I loved following him and all the layers to him. Ragne was my favorite she was absolutely hilarious and so much fun to read about. In the end everything came together beautifly and ughhhh it was so good. If you love dark, compelling fantasies with so many amazing plot lines and characters you fall head over heels for, and characters who you often want to strangle as much as you love them, you should definitely READ THIS BOOK!!!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book took a bit to draw me in because of how unlikable I thought of Vanja, the main character. But, once the plot picked up, action happened, and more conflicts occurred to challenge her, I started to empathize and be proud of the growth her character went through. There are several vital characters to this novel and they all offered something unique and interesting to the story. A princess, servant, detective, guardian, and goddesses all entwine within their tales to overcome an evil hidden in plain sight. I really enjoyed the journey of this interesting crew and hope a sequel is in the works!

Vanja has lived a complicated life for the last year, pretending to be the Princess Gisele on one hand and a (very good) thief on the other. But it appears she has stolen from the wrong person this time and receives a curse that will cost her everything within a few weeks if she can't return what she has stolen. On top of that, her (or rather Gisele's) betrothed is back and pushing marriage and the investigators are closing in on her thieving. There is a lot on Vanja's plate, but this time she may not get out unscathed.

I went into this story with no idea what it was about, just that I needed to read it since the previous duology by this author was fabulous. Well, I am not at all disappointed in what I got in this book. Right from the start, I was invested in Vanja's plight, eating up the small facts and tidbits dropped along the way to create the big picture of what was going on. I was also very happy to see that while the writing and characters were still the wonderful things I expected from this author, the fantastical world building and plot were completely unique and interesting.

This is the first in a series, but the ending was the most perfect ending I could have hoped for, with all the loose ends tied off nicely and me left completely satisfied. I have no idea how a second book will tie in but I am so here for it- as well as anything else by this author. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who likes found families, old gods and traditions, dangerous and magical creatures, curses, spunky troublemakers, a girl who is more animal than human (and overall hysterical), and a sweet odd couple romance

⭐️⭐️💫 2.5/5 Stars

I had never heard of The Goose Girl prior to this, so I was excited to read a retelling of it. The Goose Girl is a German fairytale and this book brought those heavy German vibes as well. Vanja’s character was an interesting one; she was morally complex, which made the story a bit unpredictable.

Overall, I felt like the pacing was off; the beginning was too slow and the ending felt rushed. While this was a very unique story (even for a retelling) this book could have been condensed by at least 100pgs. I just never felt drawn into the storyline or the characters.

I did appreciate the queer representation that was in the story, especially the hints at the demisexual characters.

Thank you @fiercereads & @netgalley for the gifted books. This opinion is my own.

I’ve been a huge fan of Goose Girl after first reading the story in middle school. Although I’m usually more interested in light-hearted books, the darkness of the story greatly appealed to me and I fell head over heels. That being said, when I saw this book was coming out and told from a different perspective, I was very intrigued.

Owen is an amazing author—of that, there is no doubt. The writing is exquisite and helps to paint the story as a picture engraved in the reader’s mind. She took an old story and made it very much her own complete with morally grey characters. However, I wasn’t completely in love with this book. The beginning was a slow start and it took me awhile to get into it. I also never actually loved any of the characters, but as I’ve heard from others, it’s very subjective. Finally, While the inclusion of German words really helped to add depth to the story, it was super confusing at first and made the reading slower.

I knew I wanted to read this book as soon as I read the description. I love the idea of an antiheroine, a girl who started with nothing and stole her way up to the top.

Vanja is a great character. You want to root for her even though you know, and she knows, what she is doing is wrong. The rest of main characters are eccentric and fun, which makes for a great story. I would have liked the curse to be a bit more of a main plot in the story, as it seemed to just be sort of an afterthought, but overall, this was a great read.

This is the first book I've read by this author, but if they are all this well-written and entertaining, I'll most definitely be reading more.

I loved this book so much that I had to buy it in hardcover to add to my collection. There is just something about a dark heroine that gets me every time. This story will keep you going the entire time!