Painted Devils (Little Thieves, 2)

It made me laugh. It made me sob. This is just as good as the first book! I actually highlighted several of the funny lines and had to send screenshots of them to my friends.

PAINTED DEVILS is the thrilling and consuming sequel to LITTLE THIEVES. While it follows from the first book and it would be helpful to understand the characters, this sequel could almost be read as a stand-alone, as things are explained quite well and the scenario has changed. After leaving Emeric, Vanja is reconsidering her choices as a thief and trying to make her own way in the world when she accidentally starts a cult. Intended only to help herself out of a hard time, the cult began to take on a life of its own with Vanja as a prophet - which led to the prefects, particularly Emeric, coming to investigate. Emeric has one final step to becoming a full prefect, and the one responsible for this has decided that this case will be it, to test his impartiality. However, judging Vanja becomes even more complicated when he is marked by the god Vanja accidentally awoke as a sacrifice. The other alternative will require them to travel to collect blood from seven brothers, a task Vanja is willing to complete alongside Emeric, while they investigate the origins of this god that does not seem bound by the laws that had been put into effect so long ago. Their journey will take them through myths and danger and the difficult elements of Vanja's personal history. What I loved: While there was certainly much going on in terms of questing and investigations, much of this sequel was focused on Vanja's personal growth. She has been shaped by her trauma, which has led her to feel impossible to love and therefore reject those who care for her most. She is beginning to come to terms with who she is and the past that has shaped her, but her journey will really take her deeper into what she wants and what she feels she can deserve. Her growth during this book is immense, but it is not immediate, much like therapy. It will take time to heal from her past trauma and all the truths she holds as self-evident about her very nature - even as other characters can easily point out all the ways these are not true. There is much happening in this story as far as world-building with the reader learning more about mythology and religions as well as the form of the country. In her quest to save Emeric by finding an alternative sacrifice, Vanja will find herself attempting to resolve wage fraud, unseat a cruel boss, racing a goddess, bargaining with her life, and entertaining ghosts, among other things. The world certainly fleshes out more through her journey, as does Vanja herself, who begins to learn more about her own past along the way. The book has some really interesting themes around what binds us to others and to the world around us, religion and the flaws of thoughtless devotion, wage theft and cruelty in business practices, the limitations of the law and their inexpediency, what gives someone power, and how you define a physical relationship. E...

It's gonna be five stars for me. Vanja Schmidt is back and letting old habits die hard as she finds a teensy lie about serving a Red Maiden growing wildly out of her control and accidently starts a feverish cult in a small town. When the Prefects of the Godly Courts hear about a potential new Low God emerging they send one of their best and brightest to investigate, none other than Vanja's boyfriend himself, Prefect Aspirant Emeric Conrad. When the Red Maiden actually shows herself (much to Vanja and Emeric's chagrin) she claims Emeric as her servant --and next human sacrifice. Painted Devils was nothing short of amazing --an absolute thrill of a read I simply couldn't put down. Much darker and more harrowing than its predecessor, Painted Devils is a marvel. Rich with action and adventure, romance and fear, and all emotions in between it is not a book to be forgotten easily. Intelligent and funny, Owen's writing style creates a place in which readers can find themselves immersed in a world where you don't see what's coming next. Like Little Thieves I thought that this novel handled sensitive subjects with grace, while not glossing over tough subjects. This is a story about many things, but especially, love. there are discussion of physical intimacy, abusive environments, and the road to loving yourself when you have spent so long walking a path of thorns. I can't say if this will bring comfort, only that it is brought with care. In the end, this is a story of love --so above all, care for yourself. In reflecting on finishing this novel, I wasn't sure where to begin. I saw so much of myself in Vanja that it was like looking in a mirror at times. The idea of love and acceptance permeates every facet of this novel --romantic, familial, physical, and self. A friend just recently quoted to me Perks of Being a Wallflower, and I couldn't help but immediately think of this novel. "We accept the love we think we deserve." Painted Devils really drives home that we are more than what the world around us gives us credit for, and while we can look for love and validation from other people, we won't be able to experience the fullness therein until we learn our own value. It was a message I needed when I was a teenager, and certainly a good reminder now. Now, even though the main through point of this novel is love --it is a far cry from a fluffly novel. Poltergeists, human sacrifice, animal sacrifice, cults, murder, abandonment, and more are nestled between the pages. (Definitely reminiscent of a Brothers Grimm fairytale). I loved both Little Thieves and Painted Devils desperately, and recommend them to anyone who reads fantasy, anyone who loves fairytales, and anyone who could use that little reminder that we are more than the circumstances of our birth.