Painted Devils by Margaret Owen

Blurb:

A scrappy former maid and jewel thief must outwit gods, injustice, and her own past in this sequel to the Indie Next Pick, Little Thieves 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 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 if 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 also 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?

From the indie bestselling author Margaret Owen comes the thrilling next installment in the Little Thieves trilogy with all new interior illustrations from the author.

Review:

In the sequel to the phenomenal series-starter Little Thieves, Vanja Schmidt never intended to start a cult. But when she finds herself stuck in a remote village, trying to make up her mind about who she wants to be and what life she wants to create for herself—fearing Emeric might abandon her if she stays true to herself—things don’t turn out as she’s intended. A ploy to survive after losing her savings results in her becoming a patron saint to a made-up god she never intended to create. She certainly didn’t expect that god to become real, and threaten her very existence. With Emeric tasked with discovering the origins of the god she created, the Scarlet Maiden, she’s horrified to discover he’s been chosen as the god’s sacrifice to make up for a life she lost.

Desperate to complete his Finding, Emeric must determine whether Vanja created the Scarlet Maiden with ill intent or if the god’s claim to him is genuine. Overwatched by a conniving mentor that Emeric respects and Vanja loathes, they set out to discover an alternative sacrifice for Emeric in case it turns out to be a veritable threat. The chase for answers and salvation, however, soon results in Vanja stumbling upon the dregs of the past she’s been working to ignore her entire life. 

When they discover together that there’s a simple solution to saving Emeric that will make or break their relationship, they have to decide how far they’re willing to go to save themselves and each other.

Every time I dive into a novel by Margaret Owen, I absolutely devour it. I listened to the audiobook for Little Thieves before buying a physical copy, and I still remember that that was the first time I ever read an audiobook, and (a) learned I enjoyed listening to them, as well as (b) fell in love with her storytelling.

With prolific, lush prose and imaginative worlds based on non-Western cultures, Painted Devils is an incredible addition to the Little Thieves universe. Returning to this story was like returning to a favorite blanket or drinking a preferred flavor of hot cocoa. 

I absolutely love how Emeric and Vanja are written, how they’re both not seen as conventionally attractive individuals yet are obsessed with each other. I especially enjoy how their relationship develops in this sequel and how the questions of sexuality and readiness and consent are addressed with a careful but not “in your face” kind of hand. Their banter had me giggling and kicking my feet. The challenges they faced, both intrinsic and external, were authentic and validating, and it was easy to see how the characters become the people they become in this addition to the story.

Painted Devils almost feels like a side quest attached to Little Thieves how a videogame might have extra sequences for any avid players, and it was all the more enjoyable and entertaining for it. While the setting is much smaller and the conflict is much more personal than in the first book of the trilogy, it is no less important or essential to move the overall storyline forward.

Gripping and engaging, Painted Devils is the sequel every author wants to write and publish when they’re writing a series. It’s cunning, clever, and intelligent, with characters who are both skilled and smart doing what they do best to accomplish their goals and protect the ones they love.

I devoured this sequel in less than 24 hours, and enjoyed every second spent perusing its pages!