ARC Review: Painted Devils (Little Thieves #2) by Margaret Owen
10:00
Series: Little Thieves #2
Author: Margaret Owen
Published May 16th 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads Synopsis
Let’s get one thing straight—Vanja Schmidt wasn’t trying to start a cult.
After 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. But in her search for an honest trade, she hit trouble and invented a god, the Scarlet Maiden, to scam her 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.
For 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. Meanwhile, Vanja is chasing an alternative sacrifice that may be their way out. The hunt leads her not only into the lairs of monsters and the paths of gods, but the ties of her past. 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?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
After the action of Little Thieves, you might have thought that Vanya would be ready to settle down. Think again! After a drunken night, she somehow convinces an entire town to believe in a Low God that she may or may not have made up. And the person sent to investigate just happens to be her old flame, Junior Prefect Emeric Conrad, the very boy she ran away from all those months ago. And when the Scarlet Maiden claims Emeric for her own, to be sacrificed by midsummer, Vanya and Emeric are up against all the odds to find out the truth, and save each other.
I have been waiting for this book for so long, and knew it would be worth the wait. Painted Devils takes all of the action and intrigue of book 1, and multiplies it tenfold. There's magic, sacrifice, love, family, death, pain, and a bit of thieving and bribery to sweeten the mix. Vanya learns so much during this book, not least about her family, but also that she can allow herself to love, and be loved in return. The moments between her and Emeric were so heartfelt and real, I honestly had a soppy grin on my face reading it. That's not to say their romance was smooth, because it definitely was not! There were times when it seemed like everything was against them, and just when it looked as if they could be together, something else pulled them apart. I actually thought this was a duology, and there wasn't going to be another book, but thank god there is! That ending killed me, and I'm even more desperate than ever for Vanya and Emeric's tale to continue!
Dates Read:
May 15-18, 2023
Rating
4 Stars
0 comments