I loved the format of this book! The original fairytale is one of my favorites so I was very excited for this one. I loved the new magic system, how aspects of the original tale were incorporated, and most of all the characters. They were each complex, intriguing, and drew you into the story. Great book.

“Delightfully irreverent retelling of “The Goose Girl” about stolen lives, thorny truths, and the wicked girls at the heart of both.”



Margaret Owen has created a stunning hook with the cover art of her new book Little Thieves. The gorgeous imagery coveys the dark retelling of the classic Grimm’s fairy tale The Goose Girl, about an evil lady in waiting who steals the position of a beautiful and kind princess on the way to her husband-to-be. Only in Owen’s irreverent version the story is turned on its head. Vanja Schmidt’s life was cursed from the time she was four when her mother made a deal with Death and Fate. Vanja grows up thinking she is loved by them until as a teenager these “aunts” demand she chose one or the other as payment for the debt of raising her. Instead she chooses to take her future into her own hands and no longer be the abused servant girl. She steals the looks and life of the haughty and selfish Princess Gisele with an enchanted set of pearls and creates the Pfennigeist, the Penny Thief, to reach her goal of freedom.


Vanja is definitely a morally gray heroine. Her life as the Pfennigeist and Giselle leaves little doubt to her selfish priorities. However, life is not lived out in black and whites. Owen creatively weaves through the plot of the story the multiple shades of events and circumstances that have created Vanja which allows the reader to gain a bit of understanding and even sympathy for her. Vanja’s quest to gain her freedom, set against a historical German backdrop, with its language and customs, made for a rich and fascinating read. While a number of the obstacles Vanja is confronted with appear gruesome and sinister, the story is actually a dark comedy of errors that mocks the seriousness in both subtle and blatant ways.


The first half of Little Thieves is a captivating discovery of the world and characters that Owen has created and an engaging buildup to an interesting adaptation of The Goose Girl. But, midway through the story the plot begins to bog down and the comedy of errors becomes tiresome and irritating. Through all of this, Vanja becomes less likeable and I found myself wanting her to fail just to get things over with. When I finally reached the ending it felt like a quick wrap up because the book had already reached the 500 page mark. I did not dislike Little Thieves but I think I would have really enjoyed a more streamlined and fuller ended version.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan/Henry Holt and Co, and NetGalley for this advanced e-copy!
5,000/5 stars. This book absolutely blew me out of the water. Definitely now in my all-time top 5 and will be a staple re-read!
I am absolutely in love with Vanja and her inner dialogue. The 4th wall breaks were one of my favorite parts of the writing as a whole, and there were so many one-liners throughout the book. The storyline and plot were very original compared to many other YA fantasy books that I’ve read over the last couple of years, and I’m so glad to see that Margaret is going to write more books in the world!
I loved the structure of the book being broken down into parts, and then “stories” within those parts along with the illustrations. And then to find out that the whole time Vanja is telling the story she tells the Council at the end? It was so immaculately done. I also really enjoyed the normativity of differing sexual orientations and preferences within the kingdoms, and addressing how individuals want to be referred to depending on their chosen pronouns.
The pacing was just right, and the use of Vanja’s inner dialogue and wit during “slower” parts of the novel really made the entire story flow seamlessly. The descriptions were also delightfully vivid, without being overly “wordy”. The progression of the friendships/relationships was also a favorite of mine. Vanja and Emeric’s gradual progression from enemy/hatred to friends/love was so perfect and not as predictable as most books. The recurring theme of Emeric and his hatred of horses/horses as a symbol being central to the plot was hilarious! I also really enjoyed the interactions of Vanja with her “mothers” Death and Fortune, and how they would care for her and watch over her. But hands down, my two favorite side characters of the novel were Ragne and Poldi! Ragne’s aloof and non-human interpretation of human behavior kept me smiling throughout the story, and Poldi’s protectiveness over his “Lady of the Castle” was heartwarming

This is a retelling of ‘The Goose Girl’ which I have never read, but clearly need to now. The storyline was unexpected and kept unfolding in different, but enjoyable ways, right until the very end.
I would definitely recommend this book to my fantasy reading friends. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review

Margaret Owen, would you like to own a piece of my soul please? Or did you already take it for free? Between this and her DEBUT series I am picking up everything Margaret Owen pens for the next lifetime.

That being said, I know it is a retelling of the "the Goose Girl" and I know very little about this tale so I can't attest to the faithfulness upon this readthrough, but perhaps on the next read I can.

Little Thieves is a retelling of a lesser-known fable, The Goose Girl. This beautiful fairy tale has an engagingly complex protagonist., Vanja. The world-building and lore are fantastic. Highly recommend it to any adult who still loves fairy tales.

This one was a pleasant surprise. I loved the complexity of the unraveling gambits and the little snatches of a story within a story (it reminds me a bit of The Last Namsara that way). Vanya was a richly complicated character whose decisions come first and foremost from a place of desperate survivalism - you know, please secure your own oxygen mask before helping anyone else. But to the extreme.

Also - yay canonically queer side characters and aspec-coded MC and love interest (I think they're both demi, but I can't be certain)

I will say that I think there were sections that dragged, particularly in the middle. And I had a hard time buying that all of the events of the book took place in two weeks (these two things are slightly antithetical, I know)

Will I read book two when it comes out? Absolutely.

I had such high expectations for this one. Such high expectations. I mean, it promised a villain mc, an intricate religious system, and heists. Everything about it sounded amazing. Everything about it sounded like something I would love. But sadly, that wasn't the case.

I think the main problem was the length. This book was way too long. The plot was entertaining, but slogging through 500 pages of its simplicity got old fast. By the end, I wasn't even interested in what was happening, I just wanted to be done with the book.

I was also disappointed in Vanja as a main character. When you claim your character is a villain, I expect villainous actions. Not simply theft as an escape from a bad ending. It was disappointing. She was too good of a character when I wanted evil. Maybe if I hadn't had that expectation expectation going into this one, but because I did, I was immediately underwhelmed.

I do have to say, this one was beautifully quotable. I have so many highlights and notes in my kindle for it. The writing had some super impactful moments, and I loved it for that. Even though this wasn't a book I loved, I'll continue giving the author more chances because she really does have potential.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Margaret Owen has done it again! A fantastic story, perfectly written. I love the classic fairy tale vibes Little Thieves has, it helped me get over my Gilded hangover. The Goose Girl is one of my favorite stories from when I was little and reading it from the maid's perspective was fun and entertaining. The world was well written and the characters were enchanting! I can't wait for the next one!

Little Thieves reminds me of Six of Crows and Throne of Glass. The protagonist, Vanja, is very much like Aelin, and her main quest, with all its players, has notes of the heist in Six of Crows. I could hardly put this book down! If it hadn’t been for the fact that I’ve been working overtime for weeks, I probably would have read it in one sitting, perhaps two.

The magic system can be confusing, such as who has power and who doesn’t, as well as what sort of creatures exist, but it’s all a grand mystery and the players and bits that are important to the story are explained very well. I am super intrigued to learn more about this magic system, and to understand just what Vanja can do with it.

The characters are complex and very compelling, all of them. I could easily imagine any one of them being the main character of their own story, so interesting as they are. They are not just servants or orphans or prefects. Vanja, Gisele, and Ragne are my favorites. They are all queer, as well. Vanja, as well as her love interest, Emeric, are likely demisexual. Gisele and Ragne are sapphic. There is mention of trans characters, though no main characters are known to be trans. Queer characters of all sorts are widely accepted in this universe, characters having husbands, wives, and all in between. I would love more about Vanja’s godmothers, Death and Fortune. How they raised her and how they view her as a person. They have wonderful one liners and snappy retorts, as well as a hand in the various happenings surrounding the main plot. But it does not do them justice.

The ending felt very rushed. It was a unpredictable, true, but the order in which things happened made it feel rushed. The ending occurred, and then Vanja went back to explain what had occurred, in a very quick manner. It didn’t feel right for the story, so long and wonderfully plotted, to begin to end like that.

I highly recommend Margaret Owen’s recent masterpiece, especially to fans of Leigh Bardugo or Sarah J. Maas. Fans of fae and fairytale retellings will also enjoy this novel. There is a sequel coming out in a little over a year, but Little Thieves tells a very complete story, with room for growth after the fact.

This gave me Six of Crows vibes in the best way. With the heists and romance of it all I was so intrigued. Not to mention our complex but fascinating characters. I do think the book was a little long but that being said I am dying to read book two and I don’t know how I will ever be able to wait til 2023! 5 stars all around

Honestly, I cannot really describe how much I love this book. And that is something because I am not a huge fan of the story of the Goose Girl, but Margaret Owens made it one of my favorite fairy tales.

The full and vivid world where we have our Goose Girl, Vanja, impersonating Princess Gisele so she can escape her godmother's impossible question: who would you wan to serve forever: Death or Fortune?

Um, Vanja says no thanks and begins her journey to make her own rules and win her freedom.
There's political intrigue, morally grey characters, a very intelligent boy on her trail and oh, magic.

It's so clever and creatively different, I started going back and re-reading certain parts. Vanja and Gisele are amazing. They are both terrible and vulnerable and have potential for great goodness. I love how their roles reverse, and how they pull away and pull back together, seeing each other finally as two sides of the same coin.
And I enjoyed the romance too with the boy who is involved in this epic cat and mouse game with Vanja. Will he catch her, will she let him?
And while the story is on the longer side, it doesn't feel it. It's deep world building and complicated characters make the reader want to stay and continue on this journey with them. There are so many fun twists throughout you're never bored.

I am DYING over here that there is going to be a sequel because I cannot think of a better thing to spend the next 12 months drooling over.
Little Thieves is another wonderful book written by Margaret Owen, I might say my favorite one yet. It really pushed her into an auto buy author for me. I hope you will try it. It's perfect for the winter months ahead.

The little thief steals gold, but the great one steals kingdoms; and only one goes to the gallows.
-Almanic proverb

For Vanja Schmidt, nothing has ever been free--not even the love of her godmothers Death and Fortune. After years struggling to avoid trapping herself in service to either of the godmothers who refuse to claim her as their own, Vanja has almost earned enough to buy her freedom. By earn, she means stolen.

Vanja has left an impressive trail of damage in her wake ranging from stolen jewels to, most recently, a stolen life. Being Princess Gisele's trusted maid should have kept Vanja safe. It didn't. So Vanja finds her own way to safety by stealing Gisele's enchanted pearls and using them to impersonate the princess. Gisele is left penniless and alone. But that is a small price to pay for Vanja to be safe and free--one she'd pay again twice over.

When Vanja is so close to freedom she can taste it, all of her lies threaten to bury her.

Vanja angers the wrong god and incurs a very dangerous curse on what should have been her last heist. Now Vanja will become exactly what she always wanted unless she can break the curse. It starts with a ruby on her cheek that could pay her entire way if only she could pry it lose. She can't, of course. And neither can anyone else who covets it. That isn't Vanja's biggest problem.

If Vanja is unable to make amends for her past misdeeds in two weeks, the jewels will spread and kill her. Even if she survives that, Gisele's fiance has pushed up their wedding. Meaning Vanja might find herself married to a brute of a prince who seems intent on making sure his bride never makes it past the honeymoon.

Worse, someone has finally caught onto Vanja's schemes. And he might be the one person too smart for Vanja to outwit.

After years of cons and heists, Vanja is intimately familiar with the trinity of want. She knows how dangerous it is to be loved, or wanted, or used by the wrong people. She is less certain of how to find the right people to help her--let alone convince them to trust her--to steal back her life in Little Thieves (2021) by Margaret Owen.

Little Thieves is an inventive retelling of the German fairytale "The Goose Girl." It is also the first book in a duology. The story is narrated by Vanja with section headings grouped under different fairy tales Vanja shares with readers--each tale includes an illustration done by the author. Vanja is among several characters cued as white although the world Owen conjures strays from the stereotypical Germanic setting of many fairy tales to make space for characters who are BIPOC and from span the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

Owen breathes new life into this familiar tale by reframing the story to follow the supposed villain. Flashbacks in the form of fairytales illuminate the deeds and misdeeds that led Vanja to steal Gisele's pearls. They also offer hints of how Vanja can make her way back from it and break the curse.  Young sleuth Emeric Conrad is an apt foil to Vanja's schemes and ably keeps pace with her throughout this clever tale.

After years of getting by on her wits and what she could steal with her own two hands, Vanja is slowly forced to admit that she might not be able to do everything alone. As she finds new allies--reluctant and otherwise--she slowly builds out a support system and confronts the role her own tendency for self-destruction played in her checkered past. Owen skillfully demonstrates Vanja's growth throughout the novel as she moves from a girl willing to pry a ruby off her own face (if only she could) to one who might have to sacrifice everything to save the people she's hesitantly begun to care about.

Little Thieves is a sleek page turner that seamlessly blends classic fairytale elements with a high stakes con, sardonic humor, and flawed characters you can't help but adore. Come for the imaginative world building and a truly distinct retelling, stay for the gasp-worthy twists, found family, and slow burn romance. Highly recommended.

Possible Pairings: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake, The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi, Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo, The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

Let me start this review by saying that Little Thieves has easily won a place on my list of favorite 2021 reads! I loved the plot arc, the writing style, and each and every one of the characters. Each of these elements combined to create the exact type of fantasy novel I most love to read. There are hints of fairytale magic, curses, and so many twists to follow, making Little Thieves an incredibly engaging read. I tore through the whole book in a single sitting, because I just couldn't seem to stop reading! My favorite thing about Little Thieves is the demisexual representation, which is seldom seen on-page. Getting to read a book with representation that reflects me- especially one so well written- was an absolute blessing. After finishing Little Thieves, I don't know how I will wait until next year for the sequel, Painted Devils, to be released! I desperately want to read more of Margaret Owens’ writing style from this book, and next year seems like such a long time to wait!

My Recommendation-
Whether or not you've read any of Margaret Owen's other books, you absolutely need to pick up a copy of Little Thieves! This book would be perfect for fans of This Golden Flame or A Sorcery of Thorns!
Content Warnings-
Mentions of past sexual assault attempts, panic attacks, and abuse.

After being given up by her birth mother, Death and Fortune become Vanja's godmothers, which puts her in their debt. After being told to pick between her mothers and serve Death or Fortune for the rest of time, she decides she can't and tries to make it on her own. Lying, stealing, cheating, tricking, and magic become her new best friends, until another low god finds her stealing a token of protection that belonged to her. Now cursed to slowly turn into what she steals, she must give back what she took to break the curse.

I heard so many good things about this book, and I think it was just a little too hyped up for me. It was just slow. I was expecting a lot more action, a lot more deviousness, a lot more tension. I felt like the story was just following a girl around making bad decisions and not thinking beyond herself for the first large part of it. It just wasn't for me. I did enjoy some of it for sure, but unfortunately, it was not a new favorite of mine.

(I was given an arc of this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review).
Little Thieves is a story about a thieving girl who outsmarts nobles, gods, and detectives as she works to escape from her past and the curse her greed has given her.
When I first began reading Little Thieves by Margaret Owen I expected the repetitive not-like-other-girls heroine who was adventurous and shunned other girls, instead I got Vanja, who instantly became one of my favorite characters. Now don't get me wrong, Vanja is still outspoken and brazen, but she also has other character flaws that make her feel more realistic and relatable than some characters I have read about. In fact, all of the character's actions and emotions are so realistic that it draws you into the story even more.
As for the plot I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. There were certain scenes where I gasped or laughed out loud because of the twists and my raising expectations for how the characters would react to the new turn of events. The plot felt familiar enough for me to know what was going on, but so unique that I had no clue what to anticipate next.
The romance was amazingly slow burn and there were heartfelt moments of realization for both characters that made it feel genuine and not rushed. The character arcs were satisfying, but still open ended enough for more growth in a possible sequel. Overall, I 100% recommend this book and am definitely going to reread it again in the future.

I was approved for a copy of this book, but upon starting it saw the list of trigger warnings and realized I couldn't do it. I really loved the premise, and I know many people really enjoyed reading it, but I also knew I had to be mindful of what I was capable of reading at this point. Maybe in the future I'll pick this one back up, but for now, I'll just let it wait. Thank you to Margaret Owen and NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest and constructive review.

I enjoyed little thieves well enough, I just think think maybe I wasn't the right person for this one. I cant pinpoint why exactly, but I didn't care for the main character at all. People shouldn't let this keep them from trying out this author though, I loved her first duology, so I think she has something for everyone.

This was my first Owen experience and I loved every second of it. She really leaned into the Germanic influence of the original tale, letting it provide the culture and world that this story is set in. My medieval German background is iffy at best (HA!) so I did struggle a tad bit in the beginning with all of the different terms, but I caught on once the story really got going. Which is a good thing because the plot moves pretty fast with this one, specially in the beginning when you are immediately dropped into the story. I love books that really start off with a bang and so I was happy that I can add this book to that list. 

Vanja is a little devil. And I mean that in the best way possible! She is an acerbic wit and always has a comeback locked and loaded. I liked that Owen really leaned into her independence and need to not let anyone get too close, as she has always been burned by relationships in the past. I have to say that this was one of the more realistic portrayals of someone who's been affected by a traumatic event in their life. I actually connected with that story and immediately grasped to why she felt that way and let it dictate the decisions she would make. And for me, that doesn't always happen. I also enjoyed the side characters, Gisele and Ragne. Ragne was hilarious and the perfect sidekick. And Gisele was very interesting and had much more depth than I would have expected. Then there's our sweet cinnamon bun, Emeric. He's very smart and a great "junior" detective. I thought he was the perfect love interest for Vanja, as they are complete opposites. And also, who doesn't love a good enemies-to-lovers trope?!

Like I mentioned earlier, my only real issue with this book was the heavy German influence on the terms and titles used. It took me a while to piece everything together and remember who was who or what such and such was. But luckily. things started to make sense as the story progressed.  It definitely didn't deter from my reading experience in any way.

Overall, this is definitely one of my favorite fantasy reads of the year so far. It was fun, fast-paced, and full of memorable characters. I liked the open ending, but now I'm really happy knowing that there will be a sequel so we can see where our favorites all end up. I really recommend this book to anyone, whether you're familiar with original Goose Girl story or are not. It really brings a fresh flavor to the story, while still delivering the original fairytale. I do warn that some of the flashback segments mention/describe child abuse so just be aware of that, as well as some PTSD from that situation.

Little Thieves is a joyous ride from start to finish. The main pov character, Vanja, is a delightful gremlin to follow and easily likeable. She reminded me of one of my favorite gremlin characters in fiction. Her arc resonated with me, with wanting to be love. Owen's writing made me fall in love with Vanja quickly. Vanja's development had ups and downs and felt real because of her experiences. The romance was absolutely adorable. The ending made me laugh, shocked, duped, and happy. It was full of surprises. This book is one of my new favorite books and I can't wait to get an official copy!