Title: Painted Devils (Little Thieves #2)
Author: Margaret Owen
Genre: Young adult, young adult fantasy
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: May 16, 2023
Format: Audiobook
Length: 15 hours

Read if you like: anti-heroes, folklore style magic, fairy tales, political intrigue, first loves, grand scams, vengeful gods 

Rating: 

The Little Thieves series is such a fantastic young adult fantasy that I don’t think gets enough hype. The world is wonderfully unique, the characters are witty and original, and Owen’s storytelling is top-notch in every respect. I devoured the first book and namesake of this series a couple of months ago and felt like this second instalment was a great addition to the story. It felt a little longer and a little slower-paced than the first, but had all the same enjoyable aspects I’ve come to love. This is such a solid series, it’s one you’ll find me recommending repeatedly.

The Book Synopsis: Painted Devils by Margaret Owen

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?

The Review

What a wonderfully original story!

When I first came to Painted Devils, I honestly had no idea what to expect. At the end of Little Thieves, it felt like things had come to a pretty encompassing conclusion, so what Vanja was supposed to do in a second instalment was a mystery to me. That turned out to be one of the things I loved the most about this book though; that it was almost wholly contained from the first. There were certainly plot overlaps, particularly with Vanja and Emeric, but it felt like something completely new as well, including an almost entirely unique cast. 

Speaking of which, I was initially disappointed that some of my favourite characters didn’t seem to be making a reappearance, but I quickly got over this as well because Owen is just such a master storyteller. She quickly weaved new characters and a new plot that was equally as enticing as the first book, and I found myself immersed in their stories and interactions in the same way that I’d originally been. 

One of the things that I love the most about this series is the world that Owen has masterfully crafted. It’s such an interesting society with a very folklore style of magic that feels familiar in some ways while still being largely unique. I felt like shaping an entirely new story for this second novel allowed her to expand on the development of this world and add more depth and context to the society that had been more nuanced in the first book. 

This book felt a little more teenage than its predecessor, largely because Vanja and Emeric spend much of it navigating their very first romantic relationship together, but even in a very fantasy realm, Owen weaves a lot of authenticity and familiarity into their interactions that evoke the same sort of emotions that are universal to any young, first love. At times it’s cringy, but in the way that it felt cringy to you when it was happening in your own teenage experience. I felt like she handled their relationship with care and it shows.

The only challenge I had with this book was that it felt a little long. It wasn’t necessarily that the pace wasn’t moving at a decent clip, more that there was simply a lot of plot to get through. That said, I listened to this book on audio, so the format may be what lent to that feeling.

Overall, I felt like this was a strong addition to the Painted Devils series. I’ll be picking up the next book when it eventually releases, particularly given that the ending left me VERY curious to see what happens next.