Adding this series to my list of "be gay, do crime" books.

Just like Vanja wasn't planning to start a cult, I wasn't planning to read Painted Devils so soon after Little Thieves (I have a steadily growing physical TBR). But given I haven't stopped thinking about book one for the past week, I put this book on hold a few days later, and I'm so glad I did. Everyone who said the tone of this book is extremely different from book one was correct, and, kind of unexpectedly, I really enjoyed it, but we'll get to that later.

Three months after the events of book one, Vanja has unintentionally started a cult. It began as a scam that she created while drunk, but when Emeric is called to investigate potential fraud, it turns out that Vanja's cult might be more true than she expected: the Scarlet Maiden is real, and she claims Emeric as her blood sacrifice. Desperate to save Emeric despite her conflicting feelings for him, Vanja manages to get an alternative task that involves fetching the blood of seven brothers or staking her "claim" on Emeric in the form of taking his virginity. Most of the book is spent on the "quest" of finding the blood of the seven brothers, but there are several mini-investigations throughout, as Emeric is also in the process of earning his role as full prefect. The pacing was a bit slow at times, and I don't think there was as much tension as there was in book one (despite the high stakes). Still, I barely wanted to put this book down. I love fantasy mysteries, so I liked the intertwining sideplot investigations. The balance between mystery and fantasy was great, and I know some people complained about the romance being too much of a focus, but I honestly didn't think it was that bad. I do have some unhappy feelings about the ending, and I also didn't predict the main plot twist, but in hindsight, it was kind of foreshadowed well. I'm excited for the short stories and book three, especially with that rude ending, but I think I liked book one just a tiny bit more.

I want to spend a quick moment discussing one of the main sets of themes in the novel, specifically the questions regarding sexuality and virginity. Both Vanja and Emeric are demisexual, and I really appreciated the attention the author gave to that aspect of their identities. One of the main conflicts in the book is the hesitance of both Vanja and Emeric to have sex, even though it could technically save Emeric's life. There are a lot of conversations throughout the whole book about intimacy, romance, and boundaries, and I think it was both really realistic and really healthy. The discussions between characters were humorous enough to take out some of the cringe, but I think they were also realistic in many ways (at least I think so...). I also really liked the way that the conflict progressed and was eventually resolved. I know that the prevalence of this theme might not be enjoyable for some readers, but I found it to be well-written and relatable in many aspects.

Onto the characters, you already know I love this cast. Vanja is probably one of my favorite protagonists because she's good with banter, she's very complex, and she's just enjoyable to read about. I liked the exploration of multiple facets of her identity. Emeric was his usual clever and slightly sarcastic, slightly sweet self. I'm excited for his POVs in the short stories, but specifically in this book, I enjoyed getting to see him in various settings, and I just love the relationship between him and Vanja. I missed Ragne and Giselle in this book, so hopefully they're in book 3 again. I liked the added cast of characters, though they did get a bit hard to keep track of at times. Helga was super fun (and I loved the mentor vibes she had with Vanja), and I also enjoyed meeting Helga's other siblings. Brunne was super fun, too, and I'm kind of hoping she makes a comeback at some point.

Painted Devils is the second book in a YA fantasy trilogy with major "be gay, do crimes" vibes that features a detective, an ex(sort of)-criminal, and a world full of magic and mayhem.

4.5/5