Staff Pick
If we had the option for audio-clip blurbs, this one would be me squealing at a pitch only dogs can hear. I immediately fell madly in love with Owen’s 2021 masterpiece Little Thieves, a smart, snarky, thoughtful retelling of “The Goose Girl” fairy tale grounded in female agency. (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when the payoff of the literal “Find the Lady” game happened, I lost my mind.) That book stands wonderfully on its own, but I am excited beyond belief to see more of my favorite horrible goose girl Vanya, who has now started an accidental cult. Given how things tend to go for her, it’s unsurprising that this leads to her suitor and friend Emeric being chosen as a virgin sacrifice. Don’t worry; Vanya has naturally concocted a complex scheme to get them out of this. I adore her. Recommended By Madeline S., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
After accidentally starting a cult and invoking the wrath of the gods, a scam artist must fight to save everyone she has ever loved in this sequel to Margaret Owen’s YA fantasy Little Thieves.
When misfortune strikes, the “reformed” jewel thief Vanja manipulates a remote village for help and in turn, accidentally starts a cult around a Low God, the Scarlet Maiden. Soon after, her nemesis-turned-suitor Emeric and a supervising prefect arrive to investigate the claim of godhood, and she realizes how in over her head she must be. But the Scarlet Maiden does reveal herself... only to claim Emeric as her virgin sacrifice. Desperate to save the only man she’s ever cared for, Vanja decides to seek an alternative: bring the Scarlet Maiden a drop of blood from each of seven brothers for the midsummer feast.
While the thief and prefect-in-training still have feelings for one another, Emeric must determine whether Vanja has committed fraud as his final test for prefect-hood. And as they travel the Haarzlands, a harsh land far from the rules of the city, the past that Vanja barely remembers comes into full view and she fears a future that does not require her to keep running.
With vengeful apparitions, supernatural fraud, and ravenous hellhounds, readers will not be able to put down this Bavarian-themed YA fantasy, the thrilling sequel to Little Thieves.
Review
"[M]asterful storytelling....Another winding tale of intrigue and adventures that leans heavily on the heart." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
"Owen writes [Vanja's] story with the compassion and wit that will leave readers holding her close." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"Owen delivers another fresh, high-stakes adventure about the power of stories — particularly the ones we tell ourselves....Owen writes at the top of her game….This series is a must-have for -library collections." School Library Journal (Starred Review)
About the Author
Margaret Owen was born and raised at the end of the Oregon Trail and has worked in everything from thrift stores to presidential campaigns. She is the author of the instant Indie Bestseller Little Thieves, which received five starred reviews and was a Kids' Indie next pick and YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection. Her debut, The Merciful Crow duology, was an NPR Best Book of the Year, a Tor.com Best of the Year, and a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection.
In her free time, she enjoys exploring ill-advised travel destinations, raising money for social justics nonprofits through her illustrated work, and negotiating a hostage situation with her monstrous cats. She lives in Seattle, Washington. You can find her across social media @what_eats_owls.