Painted Devils

Starred review from May 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-Starting the cult was almost entirely an accident. After leaving Reigenbach a reluctant hero, Vanja feels she needs to accomplish something notable to be a worthy romantic partner for Emeric and sets off on her own to find her purpose. It's more difficult than expected, and Vanja leans hard on old skills-lying and con artistry-to get out of trouble and accidentally ends up a Prophet of the Scarlet Maiden in a small village. Junior Prefect Emeric is sent to investigate whether Vanja is committing religious fraud as a part of his final test to become a fully-fledged prefect, but their reunion is complicated when it turns out the folk ballad Vanja used for inspiration has real roots, and the sleeping goddess wakes up ready to be worshiped according to the old ways. The story braids new and familiar characters into families lost and found, pushing them towards self-worth and acceptance, and all the types of love people find themselves tied to. The sly inclusion of memes adds an additional layer of humor to Vanja's sarcastic and self-aware narration without breaking readers out of the unique, German-flavored worldbuilding. Owen delivers another fresh, high-stakes adventure about the power of stories-particularly the ones we tell ourselves. The main cast cues white, and Vanja is demisexual. VERDICT Owen writes at the top of her game, with this installment even stronger than Little Thieves. This series is a must-have for library collections.-Emmy Neal

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Owen returns to the Germanic, folklore-rich world of Little Thieves (2021) with another chaotic adventure that turns a shrewd eye toward the concepts of virginity and desire. Vanja Schmidt has been a maid and a princess, an orphan and a daughter, a villain and a hero. But doubt overwhelms her as she travels to meet Emeric Conrad, the surprise love of her life. One small con later, Vanja accidentally starts a cult. Worse, Emeric, who's being reviewed for elevation to full prefect status, is assessing Vanja for fraud. And the god that Vanja invented has manifested and demands Emeric as a virgin sacrifice. Vanja and Emeric have a net of uncertain truths to decipher: Is this Scarlet Maiden really a god? Could another sacrifice satisfy her, and at what cost? Most frighteningly, what if Emeric were to be ""claimed"" by another? Vanja and Emeric, both demisexual, have little experience with physical acts of love, and as they grow more comfortable and more in love, Owen eases them through conversations about sexual choice, wants, and safety (there's even a high-fantasy version of an IUD). Prickly antihero Vanja both fears her own innate nature and wants to be claimed for it, by the lover she's never had and the family she's never known; Owen writes her story with the compassion and wit that will leave readers holding her close.

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Starred review from May 1, 2023
Vanja is back in the sequel to Owen's Little Thieves (2021), and she has traded her title of thief for leader of a small-town cult. Despite saving Minkja, gaining the affection of Junior Prefect Emeric Conrad, and reassuming her own identity, Vanja still doubts she is good enough. One particularly bleak, drunken night, after Vanja appropriates a local legend to gain assistance in recovering her dropped rubies, she is named the prophet of the Scarlet Maiden. When Emeric shows up to investigate reports of a cult, he is surprised to discover Vanja at its center. And soon after he arrives, the Scarlet Maiden herself appears and claims Emeric as her servant and sacrifice. Vanja and Emeric set out to discover whether the Scarlet Maiden is a true Low God and attempt to save Emeric from her claim. Along the way, Vanja searches for her family and learns more about love as she grows closer to Emeric and faces the possibility of losing him. Struggles with identity and feelings of inadequacy are handled with an honest, thoughtful hand, while moments of humor punctuate the heavier subject matter. Owen's masterful storytelling skills are evident in the balancing of Vanja's self-doubt and vulnerability as well as the sex, romance, humor, and adventure that keep the narrative moving. The author's atmospheric black-and-white woodblock-style illustrations appear throughout. Another winding tale of intrigue and adventures that leans heavily on the heart. (content warnings) (Fantasy. 14-18)

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