Review: Painted Devils by Margaret Owen

I received an advanced review copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Series: Little Thieves #2
Publisher: Hodderscape
Published: May 2023
Pages: 512

Synopsis

Let’s get one thing straight – Vanja Schmidt wasn’t trying to start a cult.

A scrappy former maid and jewel thief must outwit gods, injustice, and her own past in this sequel to Little Thieves by Margaret Owen.

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: her long-lost birth family . . . and whether 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 whether Vanja is guilty of serious fraud or if the Scarlet Maiden – and her claim to him – is genuine. Meanwhile, Vanja is chasing an alternative sacrifice that could 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?

My Thoughts…

I read Little Thieves last year and absolutely adored it, so it was safe to say that Painted Devils was one of my most anticipated reads this year. Going back to this world to spend time with Vanja and Emeric was everything and I loved every moment!

The author has a way of just fully drawing me in, and I was so engrossed in the story I barely noticed time passing and completely lost myself in the book, something I’ve found hard to do recently. As with the first one, this book is full of humour and heart and it made me tear up several times – both from laughter and how touched I was by certain scenes. I loved that in this book we had the chance to find out more about Vanja’s past and her family: seeing her talk about – but also confront – her fears and feelings of abandonment was truly emotional and made me feel all the more connected to her.

The way that the various relationships were developed in this book was fantastic. I particularly appreciated how Vanja and Emeric grew together, and the demisexual rep was a breath of fresh air. Intimacy and sex were approached in an extremely respectful and dignified way, which I found to be really well done, particularly considering this is a YA book that managed to speak so meaningfully to a young-at-heart adult like me.

This book managed to have everything I loved in the first one (heists! gods! curses!) while building on it in new and exciting ways. The worldbuilding and lore are also expanded on and enriched, known characters make a comeback and there are plenty of new ones to get to know. There’s also a fair bit of battling social injustice, which is never amiss.

My only negative comment on this book is that after having enjoyed these characters’ company for so long, and with that bombshell of an ending, I honestly don’t know how I will wait for the next one to come out!