4/5 stars

This is going to be one of my favorite series ever, isn’t it.

Little Thieves was one of my favorite books of 2021, and I was cautiously excited for a sequel. Honestly, I thought the book worked perfectly as a standalone, so I was nervous that a sequel would ruin the world.

Thankfully, it did not. Painted Devils nicely follows Vanja in a brand new adventure where she accidentally creates a cult. The Scarlet Maiden has claimed Emeric as a sacrifice, and Vanja must find a way to defeat her before Emeric has to die.

Vanja might just be the most relatable protagonist I’ve ever read. It’s like Owen went into my brain and created a heroine. I love her.

Vanja has come a long way from how she was at the beginning of Little Thieves, but she still has a long way to go. Her struggles with insecurity and feeling wanted are so authentic and I love how Emeric handles it. While she leaves Emeric in the beginning of the book because of her intrinsic insecurity and fear, she leaves Emeric at the end of the book not because she doesn’t think he loves her, but because she thinks she cannot force him to choose her over and over. There’s a fine line that is so real to me, and I’m excited to read the third installment to see Vanja grow from that.

The plot is well-paced and I was at the edge of my seat throughout the twists. My only gripe is how focused the novel was on sex. Vanja grapples with her choice on “claiming” Emeric so he cannot be used as a sacrifice throughout the book, and they definitely do more than they did in the first book, but way more emphasis was placed on it than needed. I suppose it was another way to demonstrate Vanja’s growth, but it didn’t quite work.

I can’t wait until everyone can read this book.

A very good follow up book to the first. It was highly enjoyable! I would recommend if you like the first book.

Margaret Owen is a fantastic writer. Her books have wonderful pacing and are so much fun to read. I loved seeing what happened next with Vanja and Emeric and loved the character growth that happened within the novel. It was a beautiful read and so much fun. The cliffhanger ending definitely got me wanting the next one.

Painted Devils follows Vanja's adventures after Minkja, in which she starts a cult by making up a low god, the Scarlet Maiden. After Emeric is marked as a sacrifice for the Scarlet Maiden, Vanja goes on a journey to save him.

Margaret Owen's writing style and prose is as beautiful as it was in Little Thieves, and I will never tire of the "Once upon a time" openers. Her artistry is featured once again in the illustrations, which I love. There's something so cohesive about scenes illustrated just as the author intended.

I loved Vanja's wit and humor, and her personality shone through. Even though she continually doubts herself and her worth, she always makes decisions that help other people, and I love her character as a champion of justice.

There was a lot more focus on Vanja and Emeric's relationship, and while I love the two, I wasn't as much of a fan of the romantic conflict. I would've loved even more attention on Vanja's real family and some of the other characters from Little Thieves. Gisele didn't make any appearance in this book, and Ragne (my favorite character) only appeared after the 75% mark. But based on the cliffhanger, it looks like another character will make a reappearance in the next book!

Overall, Painted Devils was an entertaining read and took me on an emotional rollercoaster, especially the ending. It was very satisfying to learn more about Vanja's real family, and I can't wait to read the next book!

This was absolutely insanely good, so funny and real and a great follow-up to Little Thieves (which was my favorite book of 2021). I enjoyed the author's note on the story and really loved the character exploration and building. I laughed and cried at multiple points throughout.

However, the ending got under my skin - I felt like Vanja's motivation was reaching and completely derailed everything the rest of the book built up - coming from someone who believes loving yourself and effectively communicating with yourself and your partner go hand in hand. I'll be reading the third book, obviously, but this is the first series in a while where I'm pretty nervous to see how it's going to end, because I feel like Vanja's burning bridges will be seen for miles, and I'm not sure she's going to be able to believably mend them in time.

That said, I trust Margaret Owen, she's one of my favorite authors and an auto-buy for me. I know that book three is gonna be amazing, and clearly a YA book hasn't affected me like this since I was a YA myself. I'll definitely be recommending to library patrons - and then hypothesizing with them - until the final installment. Wonderful book with a sucker punch ending.

I loved that this story continues with Vanja (arguably my favorite narrator of all time) and her hijinks. All the sexiness was a little weird for me and this book was maybe 100 pages too long.

Thank you to Netgalley, Margaret Owen, and Henry Holt and Co for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The first book was amazing to me and I loved to watch Vanja grow. Owens always has a way of making every reader feel seen and represented in her books especially in the LGBTQIA+ community. Vanja is wicked but yet has the heart to want to help those who have walked the same life as hers. She is always willing to play the villain if it is to protect her loved ones. I admire her in every respect.
The overarching theme of the second installment of this novel was finding the ability to love yourself even through your trauma and the things you find ugly about yourself. Vanja runs from her desire and never feels good enough, she is always reaching to find a way to make herself feel worthy of the love that she received from those in her life. Through this journey she finds herself creating a cult accidentally, finding love through family, accepting the love she deserves, and most importantly learning self sacrifice for love. This book had me hooked and I was already halfway through before I knew it. I could not stop reading and it was such an easy read, it took no effort to get absorbed into the story. I was overjoyed to have the honor to read about Vanja’s bravery to be vulnerable over and over again and seeing her character growth. I loved watching the little half god succeed in all her ventures and cannot wait to learn more about her in the next book. Granted I’m sad about where the story was left but couldn’t be happier it gives me another book. But I swear if Vanja and Emeric do not end up together I am coming for you Owens.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I absolutely adore everything Margaret Owen has ever written and this book is no exception to that. I was wary when she announced the trilogy, because I loved Little Thieves so much, but Painted Devils is the perfect complement to it.

It takes our beloved characters from Little Thieves and stretches them. We learn more about their capacity for love, both for self and others, their driving forces, and more.

I spend 99% of this book going "VANJA, NO!" and enjoying every single second of it. 10/5 stars.

This book has rocketed up to my list of all-time favorites. Vanja is a delight and terror to watch as she stumbles through her newfound conscience and relationship with Emeric into a relationship with [SPOILERS!!] her long lost family. All of Vanja's siblings were well-crafted and interesting to read, while Vanja and Emeric remain the same, but grown, characters that I fell in love with from book 1. I cannot stop raving about this book. A perfectly-done sequel and I can't wait for book 3!

This is the best book I’ve read this year! It made me laugh and cry and how it deals with difficult situations is simply astounding. Owen never fails to amaze me and her character always take on a life of their own. I simply can not wait to buy this book and have it in my hands and I NEED the next one! Thank you so much for approving this book - it is perfect and would make the perfect gift for Book lovers

tl;dr
The plot takes some dizzying turns from the first book, but Vanja and Emeric remain at the center of a very satisfying story. YMMV with the teen drama.

Thoughts
Little Thieves effortlessly snagged my top spot in 2021, so I have been waiting for the sequel with rapt anticipation. I have since devoured the sequel in one day, and I feel like the best way to review this is in relation to the first book so that readers of the first can know if they want to jump into this one too. (I do not recommend reading this without context of the first, and I heartily recommend reading the first.)

First and foremost: Vanja. She was a gremlin in the first book, she remains a gremlin in this one, and I love everything about that. Her jokes, her attitude, and her ability to plan a very good heist are all here in spades, and I loved seeing her work her way through some sticky problems (albeit some that she created herself). I also loved seeing her grow as a person and work through a lot of her history.

Conrad remains excellent. His kindness, dedication to justice, and fondness for all things analytical are all in here. I'm a little disappointed we don't get nearly as much of his disarming clumsiness as the first book, but ugh, he's so good.

Vanja x Conrad: This will be divisive. I appreciated how real their teenage awkwardness came through. Their attempts to figure out how to get -ahem- physical are a painfully authentic mix of vulnerability, confusion, and excitement. Their mutual respect and dedication to communication are also big pluses. But truth be told, the awkward nights happened more than I personally needed. I would have been fine pushing most of it aside to a few summary sentences. Physical scenes in this book end in a fade to black style, so it's a safe read for anyone who prefers low spice.

Plot: Probably the biggest change. The stakes are higher, and the world is much more expansive. About halfway through, I started to wonder where the plot was going, as it felt like there were too many disparate pieces. But the ending snaps everything together into incredible clarity in a way that I think was more satisfying that the first book.

Overall: Vanja continues to be Vanja in all the ways I love, with a story bigger than the first book. The teenage drama was honest, but there was quite a lot of it.

This was such a satisfying sequel! I have some Thoughts:

I wasn’t a fan of making virginity such a huge part of the plot. I get it, sex for young people is important but it felt very religion shamey to the extent it was made into such a plot point.

Also, Vanja, I hate you and I love you.

More misadventures for the newly liberated daughter of Death and Fortune... and the center of a mystery she must uncover whether she likes it or not

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint! I was delighted to be thrown back into this Slavic inspired world of magic and mischief. I did not foresee Margaret Owen weaving in elements and themes of family into this book, and I also did not expect to like the family element, but I was pleasantly surprised. This book is ALL about Vanya's family, and I definitely clued into that later rather than sooner. This is an incredible story with plenty of twists and turns that constantly kept me guessing what Vanya would do next. I loved the progression of Vanya and Emeric's relationship in this book, and cannot wait for them to return in book three!

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for granting my request for an advanced reader copy of Painted Devils

I had been desperately waiting for the second part of Little Thieves so that I could dive into my favorite character's life and world. And the anticipation and waiting were worth it. Vanja and Emeric have another life threatening situation on their hands and they need the help and support of the people they meet along the way.

I forgot how much I missed Vanja's smartass comments, how Emeric and Vanja are complete different sides of a coin, and how they complete each other. I loved the path to self-love and self-discovery Vanja went through and how she started accepting who she was. No spoilers but I must add that I was weeping as Vanja saw how people who cared about her despite all her not-so-moral decisions loved her BECAUSE of them. And Vanja and Emeric figuring out what love is and being vulnerable with each other????? ROLL OUT THE TISSUES.

The plot was amazing, but some parts got confusing, and I wished the author would have detailed those parts or elaborated on certain scenes. But OMG the plot twist, the reveal?? Absolutely mind-numbing. I loved returning back to vanjameric. They truly are my comfort place.

But the ending !! GRRR I hate Kirkling and I hated how all of the lessons that Vanja learned seemed to be for naught at the end :(
Margaret, I have my eyes on you -.- My babies better have the most spectacular happy ending in the last book. Thanks <3

this is the sequel to little thieves.

in vanja’s search for an honest trade, she kinda accidentally invented a god and started a cult. oops. the lie grows even more out of control when emeric arrives to investigate and the “god,” known as the scarlet maiden, claims him as a virgin sacrifice. the clock is ticking for them to prove vanja’s innocence and release emeric from the hold the scarlet maiden has over him.

when i found out about a little thieves sequel, i was so excited to read it and i’m very grateful i was granted an early digital copy because waiting till may was going to be HARD. anyway, i can’t really say this book lived up to my expectations since i had no idea what to expect and was still shocked at every point. a lot of people are saying they thought little thieves worked well as a standalone, but let me tell you, this sequel was 100% needed and you’ll love it. i loved reading about the shenanigans vanja and emeric got up to and vanja’s journey to try to find where she comes from. i’m still in shock because of how the book ended and i need book three asap!!!

Painted Devils, the sequel to Little Thieves, was even better than I anticipated. Which, in my opinion, is no small feat.

Margaret Owen just has this way with words. Her writing style is truly lyrical, enchanting, and holds your attention. I was sucked in from the moment I started, and I can't believe all of the twists and turns that happened along the way! Just when I thought I knew what was happening plot-wise, how Vanja and Emeric would could come out on top, all of the ins and outs of the curse - Owen has this unique way of pulling the rug out from under you and changing the game. I felt like I couldn't keep up with the twists, but in a good way? The plotline and curveballs kept me on my toes and desperate to find out what happened next.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Owen's Painted Devils and can't wait to see where this story leads us next.

RAPID-FIRE HIGHLIGHTS
-incredibly strong character development
-intricate plotline with subtle foreshadowing and important details
-fantastic new characters
-lovable returning cast members
-wrenching emotional gut-punches
-gorgeous artwork and stylistic approach
-beautiful & mesmerizing writing style
-addictive storytelling style

FAVORITE QUOTES (spoiler-free)
-You deserve so much more than the least terrible of your choices.
-And not for the first time, I wondered: What would I have to be, to be worth what followed?
-I wonder if roses, too, fear the moment the petals break through the bud.
-Blood and family are not the same.
-Is this what it's like, to see a road before you and want it? To want the impossible and find... - it's actually within reach?

A huge thank-you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co. for granting my Ebook Wish on NetGalley! Reading this was truly a treat. All opinions and review are my own.

This book was an incredible follow up of Owen’s “Little Thieves.” It was hilarious, charming, heartwarming, and sad. Vanja’s struggle to accept herself after all she’s gone through is so realistic and handled with such love. She’s focused on figuring out who she wants to be and which pieces of her past she can let go and move on from. Her relationship with Emeric is just as lovely as it was in the first book, but we get to see even more depth here. Their ups and downs are certainly relatable to anyone struggling with self love and a relationship. I love their banter and how well they know each other. Their slow burn nearly killed me and then it definitely did.
I also appreciated, once again, the realities this book discusses with grace. We meet a transgender character and the introduction is flawless and natural. Again, Vanja’s demisexuality is refreshing to see in a lit world full of insta love and sex. It was nice to see her journey to come to terms with her feelings. She’s also forced to come to terms with her childhood abandonment and all of the pain that came with that, which really changes her and allows her to grow.
In all, anyone who reads this with laugh and cry and enjoy every moment.

“Years of pain had smelted her down to a knife, and only now was she relearning to touch others without drawing blood.”

Your favorite chaotic neutral is back in action, people. And this time, it’s personal. The story picks up immediately after the ending of Small Thieves, and Vanja’s happily ever after didn’t last very long. She got cold feet, noped out on Emeric, and accidentally started a cult dedicated to the Scarlet Maiden AKA Maid Painted Red. Emeric and Vanja have to determine who exactly the Scarlet Maiden is and how to stop her, with Emeric’s painful dedication to The Law and Vanja’s distrust of it pulling them apart at the seams even more than they already were.

“The prefects are an axe. Their justice falls absolute and irrevocable, and so they must take the time to be sure of every strike. But there is more to justice than an axe; sometimes it calls for leaving no trace but a mending. Sometimes justice must be a needle.”

Painted Devils is definitively YA and it’s ah, youthfulness cannot be overlooked or overstated. This novel is one big, sweaty ball of hormones. Vanja and Emeric are Doing Not Quite It or Maybe Some of It But Not THAT, and Reader, it is an actual plot point and contentious one at that. These kids are capital H Horny.

Vanja also spends significant time immersed in her inner self contemplating her worth, lack thereof, family, etc. and while it all feels authentic to the character, eventually I wanted her to get over it already. Margaret Owens has a way with words though, and the flashbacks and storytelling passages shine with her characteristic fairy tale-esque charm.

“The three lived in a little cottage that was somehow always clean and big enough, in the heart of a yew thicket, and the world beyond the thicket changed every morning. Some days, a great empty seashore stretched and roared beyond the trees and the little girl could play in the waves. Others, they were planted atop a snowy mountain, or nestled deep in a forest of oak and ash, or rooted in a courtyard in a strange city, one empty of people but full of voices. Where yews grew straight from the stone.”

If you loved Small Thieves and don’t mind heavy amounts of…heavy petting, teenage angst, and family drama, you will adore Painted Devils.

My thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for the free copy! All opinions expressed are my own.

Days after finishing this book, I remain emotionally compromised.

If you enjoyed Little Thieves, you won’t be disappointed by Painted Devils. The characters remain as compelling as ever, with satisfyingly realistic relationships. Vanja’s ability to dig herself into messes (and maneuver out of them) feels an awful lot like the inability to look away from a train wreck, in the best way possible.

I’d give this one a solid 4.75 stars. My only minor issues were an episodic feel in the second act that felt a bit like a series of side quests in a video game and made the first half of the book read slower for me. But when it all comes together, it’s worth it, and by the end I was devouring the pages. The second issue (and this is entirely a personal-taste thing) is that modern pop-culture easter eggs can jolt me out of a story, so whenever I came across one, I had to take a moment to re-center myself in the book. There weren’t many that I caught, but enough to mention it.

Overall, these are very small quibbles. This was another immensely enjoyable rollercoaster of Vanya’s disasters and way too many feels. I have been personally attacked by this book and I love it. Now I’m dying for book three!