Holy Terrors

Starred review from March 1, 2025
An erstwhile thief takes justice into her own hands in this riotous conclusion to the Little Thieves trilogy. Vanja Ros, who reads white, has lived much of her life according to one clear principle. "When I was younger," she says, "I believed in what I called the trinity of want: pleasure, profit, and power." If Vanja's first adventure hinged on her greed and her second unpacked her relationship with intimacy and her demisexuality, then this final installment deals, unquestionably, with power. In the almost 16 months since Vanja abandoned the love of her life, Emeric Conrad, for his own good, she's fully embraced the mantle of the Pfennigeist. As the Penny Phantom, she can reach the people that the law--including Emeric and his fellow prefects--cannot. But as her reputation grows, Vanja begins to develop strange, unpredictable powers. Even more worryingly, royals across the empire have begun dropping dead with Vanja's signature red penny in their mouths. With Emeric on the case, Vanja's forced to confront the boy she left behind--and the choices she made at the crossroads of her life that led her here. Throughout, Owen unfurls a narrative that grapples with the limitations and obligations of power. Incisive social commentary, lush worldbuilding, some truly gorgeous turns of phrase, and evocative spot art from the author help bring this work to vivid life, but as with the earlier installments, its true beating heart lies in its characters. Deeply affecting and satisfying. (author's note, glossary)(Fantasy. 14-18)

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Starred review from April 1, 2025

Gr 9 Up-Left at a crossroads by the Wild Hunt, Vanja must decide to return West to Helligbr�ke and Emeric or run East where she might once again take on the mantle of the Pfennigeist and haunt those who consider themselves above the law. Vanja and her ever-present commitment issues go East into a 16-month time skip, where readers find her robbing the corpse of the Prince-Elector. In the process, Vanja discovers the prince was murdered and that the Pfennigeist, her alter ego, has grown into a force of its own. Infiltrating the election for a new empress, friends and foes reunite as Owen puts Vanja to the test, tracing every major decision in the "Little Thieves" trilogy into branching realities that may threaten everything Vanja holds dear. Owen's writing will make readers laugh and cry within a single sentence, painting heartfelt nuance onto an intricate plot three books in the making. The worldbuilding cleverly integrates the Low Gods with the legal repercussions magic would bring to bear on a society, creating a delightful sandbox for the characters to sow justice with a side of chaos. Major characters are white, with a range of diversity in orientation and gender, and additional racial diversity in the supporting cast. VERDICT A tour de force trilogy for all collections. This final installment of the "Little Thieves" trilogy makes every page count as Vanja's character arc comes to a close, grappling with forgiveness and restitution.-Emmy Neal

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