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abby_ace_of_books 's review for:
Little Thieves
by Margaret Owen
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This feels like the start to one of those series where the first book is a silly heist turned serious and by the third book, we're fighting god.
I put Little Thieves on hold on an impulse. It had been on my TBR for a while, and I forget exactly what I saw (probably some post on Instagram) that made me choose to put it on hold, but I loved it so much I'm half tempted to forget about the other books on my immediate TBR just so I can finish this trilogy. Little Thieves has most of my favorite tropes/concepts: unique worldbuilding, heists, found family, detective work, slowburn romance, etc. It's no wonder I enjoyed it so much (and the next book has a cult?!).
Based loosely on the story of The Goose Girl, this book follows Vanja, a maid who has stolen her princess's identity. Vanja is supposed to be marrying Gisele's fiancé, but things aren't as they seem, and Vanja ends up cursed by a Low God to slowly dissolve into the jewels she craves. The plot is a mix of political intrigue and fantastical mystery, and while I don't typically enjoy political intrigue in fantasy, I didn't mind it here. I've seen some other reviews say that the plot can drag at times, and I definitely do think it takes a solid 1/3 of the book to truly become engrossed in the story, but I was intrigued very early on. The pacing can be a bit slow, but Vanja's narrative voice is humorous, and I liked the character dynamics enough to make up for the sections lacking in action. The mystery balanced well with the action and the fantasy aspects of the plot, and there was a sprinkling of romance that also rounded everything out. The ending is satisfying enough that this could act as a standalone, but I'm excited to see how different the vibes are in book two.
And, like with most found family heists, I loved the cast of characters. Vanja was a great protagonist; I enjoyed seeing her grow and adapt, and her narration is also just super fun and humorous. She has an interesting backstory, and I just love cunning characters like her. I also adored Emeric. I almost always love detective-type characters, and he's also a bit of a nerd, so that's a bonus. Vanja and Emeric are both implied to be demisexual, so their relationship was cool to see developed, and I just love their dynamics with each other. Ragne was also super fun, and I liked seeing her adapt to living in human society. She reminded me a bit of Sisu from Raya and the Last Dragon. At first, I wasn't super fond of Gisele, but I quickly warmed up to her, and I liked the complexity of her friendship with Vanja. Also, this book has a lot of queer rep (aspec, sapphic, queernorm world), which is really nice to see as well.
Little Thieves is a YA fantasy novel that reminds readers that while little thieves go to the gallows, bigger thieves often go unpunished for their greed, perfect for fans of Six of Crows and The Gilded Wolves.
4.5/5
I put Little Thieves on hold on an impulse. It had been on my TBR for a while, and I forget exactly what I saw (probably some post on Instagram) that made me choose to put it on hold, but I loved it so much I'm half tempted to forget about the other books on my immediate TBR just so I can finish this trilogy. Little Thieves has most of my favorite tropes/concepts: unique worldbuilding, heists, found family, detective work, slowburn romance, etc. It's no wonder I enjoyed it so much (and the next book has a cult?!).
Based loosely on the story of The Goose Girl, this book follows Vanja, a maid who has stolen her princess's identity. Vanja is supposed to be marrying Gisele's fiancé, but things aren't as they seem, and Vanja ends up cursed by a Low God to slowly dissolve into the jewels she craves. The plot is a mix of political intrigue and fantastical mystery, and while I don't typically enjoy political intrigue in fantasy, I didn't mind it here. I've seen some other reviews say that the plot can drag at times, and I definitely do think it takes a solid 1/3 of the book to truly become engrossed in the story, but I was intrigued very early on. The pacing can be a bit slow, but Vanja's narrative voice is humorous, and I liked the character dynamics enough to make up for the sections lacking in action. The mystery balanced well with the action and the fantasy aspects of the plot, and there was a sprinkling of romance that also rounded everything out. The ending is satisfying enough that this could act as a standalone, but I'm excited to see how different the vibes are in book two.
And, like with most found family heists, I loved the cast of characters. Vanja was a great protagonist; I enjoyed seeing her grow and adapt, and her narration is also just super fun and humorous. She has an interesting backstory, and I just love cunning characters like her. I also adored Emeric. I almost always love detective-type characters, and he's also a bit of a nerd, so that's a bonus. Vanja and Emeric are both implied to be demisexual, so their relationship was cool to see developed, and I just love their dynamics with each other. Ragne was also super fun, and I liked seeing her adapt to living in human society. She reminded me a bit of Sisu from Raya and the Last Dragon. At first, I wasn't super fond of Gisele, but I quickly warmed up to her, and I liked the complexity of her friendship with Vanja. Also, this book has a lot of queer rep (aspec, sapphic, queernorm world), which is really nice to see as well.
Little Thieves is a YA fantasy novel that reminds readers that while little thieves go to the gallows, bigger thieves often go unpunished for their greed, perfect for fans of Six of Crows and The Gilded Wolves.
4.5/5