This book is either a massive therapy session or the prelude to one. I got more than my necessary dose of Vanja, I may be in danger of too much Vanja.Īnd, actually, this book is even more Vanja-centric than the first one, and that's because you get to see far more of Vanja than you even knew was there for the majority of Little Thieves.

Margaret Owen managed to make so many meme references so flawlessly that I wasn't even bothered. Now, this book was kind of a mixed bag for me, and not the instant obsession I had expected- but that is 99% for one very specific reason, so for now let's ignore it.

There's a reason I preordered this book as soon as it hit the market- and it's because Margaret Owen lives in my brain and can rarely, if ever, let me down. TW: verbal & physical abuse, abandonment & bad family dynamics, mentioned animal death, cult, body image issuesĪh, Margaret Owen. And with what should be the simplest way to save Emeric hanging over their heads, he and Vanja must face a more dangerous question: Is there a future for a thief and a prefect, and at what price? The hunt leads her not only into the lairs of monsters and the paths of gods, but the ties of her past. Meanwhile, Vanja is chasing an alternative sacrifice that may be their way out. Now, that lie is growing out of control-especially when Emeric arrives to investigate, and the Scarlet Maiden manifests to claim him as a virgin sacrifice.įor his final test to become a prefect, Emeric must determine if Vanja is guilty of serious fraud, or if the Scarlet Maiden-and her claim to him-are genuine. But in her search for an honest trade, she hit trouble and invented a god, the Scarlet Maiden, to scam her way out. Let’s get one thing straight-Vanja Schmidt wasn’t trying to start a cult.Īfter taking down a corrupt margrave, breaking a deadly curse, and finding romance with the vexingly scrupulous Junior Prefect Emeric Conrad, Vanja had one great mystery left: her long-lost birth family… and if they would welcome a thief.

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen