Little Thieves. Owen, Margaret. New York, NY : Henry Holt and Company, 2021.
Painted Devils. Owen, Margaret. New York : Henry Holt and Company, 2023.
Content warnings: physical and emotional child abuse and abandonment, rape (off page), manipulation, bloody violence, the death of a horse (off-page).
Sometimes a random choice of reading/listening material can catch you by surprise!
A couple of weeks ago, I went to a conference several hours away, so I decided to download some audiobooks through Libby and Hoopla (did you know you could do that, and play them through your car stereo, if you have Android Auto or Apple Car Play?). I chose quickly, hoping my choice would entertain me. Little Thieves by Margaret Owen did that, and more, and I immediately requested the sequel, Painted Devils, when I got back home!
Vanja is a thief. She is a thief of the birthright of her former mistress, Gisele, as well as many priceless trinkets from the estates and palaces she visits, pretending to be Gisele. Gisele’s mother had purchased an enchanted pearl necklace that transformed her daughter into a blazing beauty, and when Vanja stole it, she was able to steal Gisele’s entire life. But Vanja steals for a reason. She is trying to raise enough money to move away and escape her adopted mothers, the gods of Death and Fortune. The gods have told her she has to pick one of them to serve for the rest of her life, and she doesn’t want to serve either of them. She wants them to love her as a daughter. Poor Vanja has been abandoned a few times in her short life – first, her mother left her with Death and Fortune because she was the thirteenth daughter of a thirteenth daughter. Then the gods left her with the von Falbirgs (the parents of Gisele), who abused her. For once, Vanja wants to control her own life.
But of course, things go wrong in her last robbery, and a god curses her. If she doesn’t learn her lesson, she’ll turn into what she covets – a mass of gemstones. The god’s adopted daughter, Ragne, who can change into any animal, decides to accompany Vanja on her quest as well, adding some well-needed comic relief at times! As gemstones erupt on her body, she has to figure out how to atone for her sins, all while fending off Gisele’s murderous fiancé, Gisele herself, and an officious junior prefect of the Godly Courts named Emeric who gets under Vanja’s skin.
This book is a very loose retelling of the not-well-known fairy tale, The Goose Girl, but you don’t have to know the fairy tale to enjoy the book. I recommend listening to the audiobook if you enjoy audiobooks, because the story is just begging to be read aloud beside a warm crackling fire during a cold German night. (Alamance County isn’t Germany, but this book is immersive enough to make you believe it is!)
I’m reading the sequel now, and will share nothing of the plot as to not spoil anything in your reading of the first book (knowing how the second book begins would ruin parts of the first!). However, I will say that so far, the sequel is just as well-written, fantastical, and immersive as the first book.
If you like to escape in fantasy worlds with gods and greed and curses, you’re going to love these books! They are in our Young Adult section, because of some of the content might be upsetting for younger readers. The content warnings at the top are included in many of our reviews so no one is caught by surprise.
These are absolutely wonderful novels that don’t shy away from dark side of life, much like the Grimm fairy tale they’re based upon.
Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at 336-570-6981 or madams@alamancelibraries.org.