Vanja, you magnificent devil, you’re at it again.

Anyone who’s read Little Thieves (which should be everyone) will know that Vanja is incorrigible, so it’s no surprise that within the first ten pages she’s started a cult. By accident! She swears! And sure, it’s very convenient to be the prophet of a local god she’s decided to call the Scarlet Maiden, but the perks aren’t really the point. Vanja is trying to cope with the events of the last book and not doing the greatest, and she needs a quiet spot to process her trauma.

Too bad more trauma is on the way.

Fortunately, Vanja has old friends and new ones to help her out of what turns out to be a very complicated situation. The Scarlet Maiden is real—or at least she better be, because creating a cult is a crime against the gods. But the Maiden’s demands are their own kind of dangerous. She has her sights on Vanja’s no-longer-junior prefect Emeric, and promises that an entire town will be destroyed if she doesn’t get a sacrifice. Vanja now has to circumvent the sacrifice, figure out what’s going on with this god run amok, and maybe also get some leads on the family she was separated from as a child.

Owen manages multiple strands of plot with confidence and ease, shifting between Vanja’s search for her family, her deepening relationship, and her quest to appease the Scarlet Maiden, which itself has multiple layers of myth and legend. I never felt like any of the sub-plots was getting short shrift, which had me nodding appreciatively while I read in public. What can I say? Owen writes the kinds of books that make you forget where you are, or not care if other people hear you chuckle aloud. They’re too good.

Maybe at times did the side quests felt a little tacked on, but I promise you, not only are they relevant to the central plot, that feeling of extraneousness is itself an important clue. Owen is just as careful and tricky as she’s always been. And not only was the payoff so, so worth it, I would read a whole book of side quests as a collection of short stories, just because Vanja is so cheeky and clever and cool.

And as Vanja chases all this down, she also has to contend with navigating her first-ever romantic relationship. Owen handles it absolutely beautifully, getting candid about anxiety, physicality, awkwardness—and the intimacy and joy that makes it all worth it. This book made me feel extremely seen.

Painted Devils is also clearly a book written in the pandemic but not about a pandemic, and I valued that so much. Among other references, it incorporates the Evergreen incident—you know, the briefly-transfixing and then promptly forgotten tale of the cargo ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal? A similar thing happens in Painted Devils, and it feels like an in-joke that everyone can share. It’s delightful.

The whole book, really, is delightful from start to finish—or, well, almost. Unfortunately, we have to talk about the ending. This is not the climax, which is spectacular, but just the falling action. As much as I want to like it, or at least that I understand the narrative choices being made, it simply doesn’t work for me. Vanja’s decisions in the last five pages undermine 500 pages of emotional growth and character work. And while there is some justification based on her newfound sense of responsibility, it feels much more like a quick and easy way to create a cliffhanger for book three. But the thing is, I would have picked up book three regardless. I’m in it for the worldbuilding, the characters, the humor, and the clever plotting—not for this kind of unnecessary twist. I felt like Vanja betrayed me, the reader, by her final series of choices, a cruel succession of unilateral decisions that undid not just Owen’s careful examination of Vanja’s psychology, but also Owen’s emphasis on mutual consent. It was a really disappointing end to an otherwise spectacular novel.

Perhaps you’ll feel differently, that the bittersweetness (with emphasis on the bitter) was proof of positive growth on Vanja’s part and a shrewd willingness to eschew the expected on Owen’s. I hope you do! I want people to like this book—I myself want to like this book! But the ending is really sticking in my craw, and if you’re reading this review, perhaps by knowing a bit more you will be better prepared to expect the unexpected.

I will be picking up the follow-up volume of Vanja’s story in spite of this ending, not because of it. I’m already not looking forward to the inevitable retread of a lot of the same emotional ground covered in Painted Devils. Or who knows, maybe Owen will surprise me! She’s certainly capable of it, and I still have faith in her ability to create a nuanced and compelling story. I still think everybody should read Painted Devils, too, even with a caveat about the ending. It’s a smart, insightful novel with beautiful themes and some first-rate heists and battles that’s definitely worth reading.

Jewel thief turned cult leader? All in a day’s work for reformed jewel thief Vanja who in an attempt to be better before meeting her nemesis-turned-suitor Emeric, finds herself accidentally starting a cult around a Low God, the Scarlet Maiden. Vanja does end up running into Emeric again after he finally finds her and then the Scarlet Maiden does reveal herself and claims Emeric as her virgin sacrifice. Vanja, wanting to save the only mane she’s ever loved decides that she’s going to do whatever it takes to break the claim. In order to find an alternative solution, Vanja goes on a quest to bring the Scarlet Maiden seven drops of blood, one from each of the seven brothers for the midsommer festival. On top of that there is also the issue that Emeric and Vanja are still trying to work out their relationship, with Emerica having to decide whether or not Vanja has committed fraud as his final test for prefect-hood arrives and Vanja must also deal with the fact that her dark family secrets are going to come out. Can Emeric and Vanja work out everything and save each other before it’s too late or will the Scarlet Maiden claim the only man Vanja’s ever loved? I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how much of an improvement this book was compared to the first one. I definitely found it more interesting and the plot was moving faster, and I grew to like Vanja more and I was happy we got to see Ragne again ( Love her so much). I am curious to see where the third book goes, I was a bit sad that we got a cliffhanger that wasn’t so happy because if I’m being real honest, the book series could have ended on this book with a happy ending instead of dragging onto a third book but oh well, I am curious to see how the story goes next and what will happen to Emeric and Vanja’s relationship.

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I didn’t love this book quite as much as I loved the first book. It had a little bit of Second Book Syndrome going on, to be honest (I’m hoping book 3 will make up for it). It started off strong – lots of action and hijinks, Vanja being her amoral incorrigible self, and the humor and sarcastic banter that I loved so much about the first book. But at the 50% mark it started dragging, and my attention waned. It was a bit slow from about 50-75% through, until it finally picked up again [spoilers removed]

I loved the introduction of new characters – namely Brunne and Ambroszia – but it was a bit overwhelming. I honestly couldn’t tell the brothers apart and they were all the same to me. I did like Helga, though!

“I want you to remember that, as long as you’ll have me, I will choose you every time.”

I thought Vanja was an idiot in this book. Look, I get why she ran away in the beginning. She has trust and abandonment issues for obvious reasons. But after everything, you’d think she’d realize that Emeric wasn’t going to abandon her and that he truly cared about her. The fact that she constantly expected him to spurn her drove me bonkers! He was never anything but caring, gentle, and understanding. And yet she STILL assumed the worst in every single situation (always a simple misunderstanding that communication could fix) and STILL didn’t trust him. She was so dead set on sabotaging her own happiness, and there were quite a few times I wanted to throttle the shit out of her! [spoilers removed]

THAT ENDING?! Umm what? I don’t know why, but I thought this series was a duology for some dumb reason, so imagine my surprise when it ended in a cliffhanger. When I clicked to the next page and there was nothing I legit yelled “WHAT!” because helloooo I’m missing the rest of my copy thank you very much.

P.S. Brownie points for the casual Backstreet Boys reference in Emeric’s poetry!

Original review posted on Novel Heartbeat.

A return to the creative and satisfying world of Little Thieves. The plot is essentially what's on the tin: Vanja accidentally starts a cult, potentially awakens a very old Low God, and she and Emeric must once again solve an increasingly complex and circular high-stakes puzzle -- but this time, starting on the same side -- while also working through their own complex emotions.

Things that really worked for me: Seeing the puzzle unfold with Vanja as she works her way through interconnected sidequests, and watching her pull off her con-artist genius with snarky running commentary, continues to be the biggest hook for me. I especially enjoyed the bits where Vanja has to think about what justice really means, and how she and Emeric approach it differently. Loved watching Vanja and Emeric grow closer and fumble their way through the early stages of their relationship. Vanja figuring out what matters to her and how to act on those things now that she's not just conning to survive was a key theme in this book, and was a solid development from where we left off after the first book. And finally, Owens has a great sense of pacing, and how to most effectively and creatively weave folktale into plot, and that really shone through.

What didn't quite work for me: There were a couple of anachronisms in the way Vanja and others talked that really took me out of the world harshly and immediately ("roasted" used as in being insulted jokingly, Vanja saying "let's take this down from a ten down to a four," and several others) -- expressions that we use in our society today, but that don't feel in line with Owens' fairytale-old-Germanic worldbuilding. I didn't really enjoy the intensity of the will-they-won't-they trope between Vanja and Emeric, and it got old, fast. Some of Vanja's issues and the way they tie into the plot were just as well-handled as in Little Thieves, but others were so repetitive, and it was so frustrating to see her not learn from her own experiences.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this book, I was completely hooked and had a hard time putting it down, and I will certainly be sticking around for the final installment in Vanja's world and continuing to recommend this series to others. Painted Devils just didn't quite live up to the Little Thieves as much as I was hoping it would.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Margaret Owen, please, I beg and plead with you. I love my cult children so much. I need to know everything that happens next to them now please.

This book was absolutely phenomenal. I found myself itching to read more every time I had to put it down.

We get to rejoin Vanja and Emeric on a new adventure, as Vanja has run away from the prospect of finding her family and accidentally started, manifesting a new deity, the Scarlet Maiden. To make things worse, the Scarlet Maiden has claimed Emeric as a virgin sacrifice unless Vanja can find an alternative before the deity's deadline.

Painted Devils has witty banter, exhilarating twists and turns, LGBTQ+ and disability representation (side characters), and more. It brings back so many of our favorite characters from Little Thieves in a new and fresh story that is suspenseful, adventurous, and emotional. I absolutely loved this!

Painted Devils is the second installment in the Little Thieves series, and the story just keeps getting better!!

This novel follows Vanja & Emeric as they navigate themselves out of yet another unnecessarily complicated situation.

This time, after some heavy drinking, Vanja accidentally starts a cult following a made-up entity called the Scarlet Maiden. When Prefect Aspirant Emeric Conrad arrives to investigate whether the Scarlet Maiden is real, three unfortunate events occur.

First of all, he discovers that Vanja is the one behind the creation of the cult. Second, an entity claiming to be the real Scarlet Maiden manifests. And third, she immediately claims Emeric as a human sacrifice.

As you can probably already tell, the story is absolutely hilarious. Vanja somehow manages to get herself in the most ridiculously convoluted situations, and I love seeing her implement her perfectly curated combination of cutting sarcasm, usually-justified insolence, and remarkable street smarts to get out of them.

Beyond this, the world-building is just incredible. This combination of Low Gods, Prefects, warlocks, ghosts, Mossfolk, and the various different levels of power & magic that they wield just ties together to create an incredible, fairytale-esque story!

And if this isn't enough, Painted Devils also has some incredible emotional depth to it. Through the story, we see Vanja grapple with the heartbreaking aftermath of her abandonment and past trauma.

I'm still emotionally distraught by the ending (it's been 24 hours since I finished), and I need the third book ASAP!

If Margaret Owen has a hundred fans, I'm one of them. If Margaret Owen has one fan, it's me. If Margaret Owen has zero fans, I'm dead. Little Thieves was one of my favorite books last year so I was so excited to read this. I've just been sitting with that ending for days, trying to gather all my thoughts and feeling like all I can do is scream! But I'll try my best to finally be coherent because it's what this book deserves lol.

In Painted Devils we find that Vanja has accidentally started a cult and Emeric must determine whether she's guilty of fraud or if this Scarlet Maiden really is the god she claims to be. Their hunt to uncover the truth is full of magic and monsters, familiar and new faces, and Owen's distinct talent for blending the heartfelt and humorous.

I've heard many people wonder why Little Thieves wasn't just a standalone. And true the plot had a clear conclusion and would've been fine on its own. But this new adventure added so much more depth to the world and characters. I loved seeing more of this fairytale inspired world come to life. Vanja and Emeric also had more opportunities to communicate and be vulnerable with each other, and I thought that their conversations were handled with such care.

In short this was a fantastic sequel and well worth reading. I would probably read ten more books about these two venturing around the world solving mysteries, but I'll have to settle for one more. And I honestly can't wait to read the next book.

Hilarious and heart-wrenching in equal turn. Margaret Owen's unique style is truly something special.

An excellent sequel about love, loss, and family. I loved it. Owen is a master at dropping hints with massive payoffs later. You'll love the twists and turns.

Margaret Owen has done it again.

In the sequel to LITTLE THIEVES, the one-and-only Vanja returns, as cunning and caring and committed to being on her own as ever. Emeric gets tangled up in her brilliant-but-bizarre schemes once again — this time thanks to Vanja’s (somewhat) unintentional forming of a cult that worships a dubious Low God, which leads to the unfortunate designation of Emeric as a human sacrifice.

Powered by a plot that moves at the speed of light, PAINTED DEVILS packs all the same wildly entertaining twists and simultaneously heartfelt moments as its predecessor. Owen preserves all her beloved character quirks while still managing to make the antics Vanja + co face feel brand-new.

In case there was any confusion, PAINTED DEVILS absolutely lives up to the hype of LITTLE THIEVES. All the stars to this sensational sequel.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for an ARC.*

This book was very instering to read. Blurb caught my eye on netgally so I gave this book a chance because it looked instering. Happy I did because it's really good. I do recommend this book. 5 star book. Kept me pulled into it. Couldn't put it down at all. Already told a few people that they need to read this book and hopefully they do

Explosive sequel to Little Thieves that will be sure to satisfy fans who are hungry for more adventures of Vanja and company.

I was finally able to attend my first "big book event", and I got to walk away with my FIRST BOUND MANUSCRIPT! And it's the sequel to one of my favorite YA books of 2021! I can't even begin to describe how excited and blessed I felt.

Did I mention that I also got the last one they had? [Queue feeling blessed.]

Anyway, Painted Devils may also be my favorite YA read of 2023. I never wanted to put it down, I thought about it constantly [when I wasn't plagued by thoughts about Yellowface], and I think it'll make the reread list - at least, when it publishes, so I can see if the last bit of polishing makes me love it any more than I already do. It'll be tough to do, though.

I INHALED this book. I had to force myself on multiple occasions to slow down and give my brain time to process it all. But I 100% didn't want to. I cannot WAIT for this to come out so I can hold a finished copy in my hands!

Like usual, I knew next to nothing about this book before reading it, but you don't have to! You can find a link to the Goodreads summary of Painted Devils here!

Recommendation: READ IT. If you read Little Thieves and enjoyed it, definitely read this. If you read Little Thieves and thought it was ok, I still say read this. In my opinion, it may be better than Little Thieves. If you haven't read Little Thieves, and you're waiting to see how the sequel goes, I'd say this is your sign to finally pick it up. I'd even venture to say that if you didn't enjoy Little Thieves to try this anyway, but that may be an exaggeration. [Only, though, if you weren't already considering it.] Basically, if you are on the fence in any way, read it!

IT'S. SO. GOOD. Like, SO good. I likely won't be quiet about this book for a while yet. If ever. Did I mention it's SO GOOD?

Vanja is back on her usual behavior, though slightly better, and I'm so here for it. Her struggles are so understandable and relatable. Even the accidental start to the cult was understandable [if maybe not relatable]. Vanja goes through so much in this book! And, through it all, she's even more loveable than she was in Little Thieves, and I couldn't get enough.

Do you know who else was even more loveable in this book? Emeric Conrad. We get more of a glimpse into his head and his thoughts in this book, and I really enjoyed it. [Please note: I do NOT mean we get his POV in this book because we DON’T. I don't feel like we're missing anything by not having it, to be clear, but I don't want people to misunderstand.] Like Vanja, he "deepens" as a character in this book. Not to say he was a shallow character in Little Thieves, because he wasn't, but we learn more about him in Painted Devils. I also felt like he and Vanja made a lot more sense as a couple in this story, too. They were cute in Little Thieves, but they definitely feel more couple-y in Painted Devils.

**BE PREPARED FOR ALL THE FANGIRLING - I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! A-HEM. ANYWAY - SPOILERS [AND FANGIRLING] AHEAD. IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS, STOP HERE - OR GO READ IT AND COME BACK, IF YOU'D LIKE! I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE ANY TIME SOON.**

What's there to NOT love about Painted Devils, honestly?

I'll admit there were likely parts where logic was a bit thin and, "Is that really possible/consistent?" might have been present, but, honestly, either they were still, in some way, reasonable stretches, or they didn't actually exist. [I just recognize that I sometimes gloss over those things post-read if I loved the book as a whole enough.] I'm not entirely sure I can remember a stretch [the closest I can come is Ragne's horse form, but she's just this being of incredible {if fluctuating} power, and I don't know her actual limitations, nor the limitations of the horse she races against, but that's the only thing I can think of?].

Granted, this isn't a book for everyone, obviously, but I absolutely loved it!  It's Little Thieves 2.0.  It's more of Vanja 2.0 and Emeric 2.0, and OMG WHAT A RIDE! [See what I did there? With the Wild Hunt? Anyway . . .]

I have a new theory that I'm not losing my touch with guessing what's going to happen in books - it's that some authors write so well [and/or in such a way] that I'm so lost in consuming it as quickly as possible [and enjoying it so, so thoroughly], that I don't have time to guess what's happening next. Because I didn't see the brothers and sister from the beginning as being Vanja's siblings until practically when it was announced. I started to get a, "Hey, wait a minute . . ." kinda thing, but, honestly, not long before. We're talking pages, at best. [So, clearly, this is a new category, and this book falls into it, and my other category, which is the Reread List. Does that praise the book high enough, or what?]

But I love that Vanja basically doesn't get the chance to "perfect" herself before meeting her family, because rarely, if ever, in life, do things go the way they "should", or, better put, the way we want them to go. And I love how Vanja handles it all - with just as much class [and curse words] as she handles basically everything else. [Yes, I know what I said there. If you haven't read Little Thieves, you'll understand that a little better once you do. Because, seriously, you should probably go read it. And then Painted Devils. Because duh!]

Also, can we just take a second to acknowledge that someone with Vanja's mother's personality would 100% be that extra and go to that length to try to sabotage her daughter's happiness [especially if you {unreasonably} blame that daughter for "ruining your life" or whatever]. I mean, she did essentially take Vanja to what she was hoping was Vanja's death when Vanja was a child. This woman has no limits to her selfishness.

I'm a firm believer that, if a large sacrifice/price is not paid by the MC, the story doesn't hit as strongly. And, with Vanja, that's exactly what we get. It starts off being something that seems harmless and easy enough [the blood drops offer, not the Emeric one, of course!], and then becomes a much, much bigger price, and then it becomes an even bigger one when she discovers it's her brothers. Like. C'mon! And then the final "trial" step and the final battle take so much from her, and then Emeric at the end?? Like??

ANYWAY - speaking of Emeric, I love how Vanja and Emeric play off each other, I love how they work together, I love all the complications they come across, and I love [and hate] how Vanja leaves us at the very end. It's so, so big of her to do that - but also, technically, it isn't her call to make, which I'm imagining is going to be a central [ish, at least] part in Book 3. [No title for it yet, but it's coming!]

Also, I love that she managed to sneak Ragne back into the story because is it really a story in this universe without Ragne?? I think NOT. I love her presence, what she adds to the group dynamic, and I just can't wait to see more of her in Book 3. [And my inevitable reread of Little Thieves and Painted Devils. Obviously.]

ALSO, WHAT WAS THAT RIBBON ENDING, OMG, I NEED BOOK 3 NOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!

Alright, I think I've fangirled enough. I still feel like this review isn't as strong as it could be, so I may come back and edit/update it, so don't be surprised if you come back for a second read and things are different!

As always, I hope you enjoyed my [fangirling] review! Be kind, stay safe, and read on!

Ahhhhhh!! And again I say, ahhhhh!!

A fun, fast-paced twisty romp, with amazing worldbuilding and tender representation of demi/greysexual attraction. I figured out one of the two “big twists” ahead of time but that took nothing away from my utter enjoyment.

And that cliffhanger/last scene is TORTURE, MARGARET HOW COULD YOU!!??

If you have been ignoring 2021's 'Little Thieves' by Margaret Owen, then you need to repent for bypassing the healing gifts of that weird, dry little thieving gem of book.

Plus, you'll need to read it to savor this meal, 'Painted Devils.'

This time around, Vanja has accidentally started a cult that spirals out of control, thus necessitating her calling on friends old and new to help calm the storm, and maybe find her birth family in the process. Some sickening sarcasm, some unfortunate bed lice, and some sweet romance brings everything to a hearty boil.

Owen's on a streak here; 'Painted Devils' is every bit as kooky, whip-smart, and heartfelt as its predecessor. Although, sometimes it gets a little too smart for its own good- some of the financial laws that Vanja helps resolve needed a little more explaining (especially for money do-do birds like me), and the laws of magic get convoluted in parts.

But, every character (especially Vanja and Emeric) is fully imagined, the world is colorful and vast, and you'll snort laughing the whole way through. And maybe shed a tear? I won't tell, and Vanja wouldn't admit to crying if she could.

(Bonus, the audio version is a delight as well!)

Painted Devils was such a delight to read and a wonderful follow up to Little Thieves! There’s never a dull moment and everything from the characters to the plot is totally engrossing!

I LOVED THIS! Of course she wasn't trying to start a cult lol!!!!! I love Vanja and I love her banter with everyone. She is the definition of "oh well I'll just go with it". I'm always so mad when I get ARC's because it means the 3rd book isn't even close to coming out and I need to know what happens!!!!!

Painted Devils
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Releasing: May 16, 2023
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This is the YA fantasy sequel to Little Thieves and I’m not sure how Margaret Owen did it, but I think it is even BETTER than the first book!
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As it is a sequel, it is difficult to say much to the plot line without giving spoilers to those who haven’t read Little Thieves. We do, however, follow the same main character of Little Thieves, Vanja.
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Both books in the series deal with gods, magic, the justice system, a greater look at what is right and wrong, and survival. We meet a great few characters in Little Thieves that do appear in Painted Devils.
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The plot for this is just so interesting to me as well as it does tie in different personal problems of the main character into the story along the way.
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I honestly just loved it so much and it felt like coming home as I missed these characters and their personalities. We love snarky main characters ☺️
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If you’ve read Little Thieves before, definitely pick this up when it releases! If you haven’t, read Little Thieves and then pick this up because you won’t regret it!!
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(Isn’t the cover so cool, too?)
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Thanks to @netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing for early access to read this amazing book! ❤️
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It was so much fun going on new adventures with these characters! I love the crew so much, I do wish we had gotten more of Ragne because she’s my absolute favorite.