From Powells.com
Our favorite books of 2020-2021.
Staff Pick
This is my favorite read of 2021. I fell in love with Margaret Owen’s uniquely smart, emotionally resonant, surprisingly funny writing with her Merciful Crow duology. (I say “surprisingly” because I didn’t expect to do any laughing reading about a fantasy plague.) These traits are at their best in Little Thieves, a standalone fairy tale retelling that has been hijacked off the beaten path by protagonist Vanya, who would like to know the going rate for said retelling and where she can hock it. I’m incredibly picky about first person, but it’s such a delight to be in Vanya’s mischievous, terrible, wonderful head that I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Full of complex, fascinating characters (Ragne is the gremlin of my heart), supported-but-surprising twists and turns, an impeccably told demisexual romance that made me feel very seen, and a running game of find-the-lady with the best payoff imaginable, this fabulous fantasy mystery/con/adventure is not to be missed. A perfect gift for fans of Six of Crows, fairy tales, and rollicking good reads. Recommended By Madeline S., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
A scrappy maid must outsmart both palace nobles and Low Gods in a new YA fantasy by Margaret Owen, author of the Merciful Crow series.
Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl...
Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother's love — and she's on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele's dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja's otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back... by stealing Gisele's life for herself.
The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.
Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele's sinister fiancé, and an overeager junior detective on Vanja's tail, she'll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.
Margaret Owen, author of The Merciful Crow series, crafts a delightfully irreverent retelling of The Goose Girl about stolen lives, thorny truths, and the wicked girls at the heart of both.
Review
"A lush and lively adventure replete with romance, revenge, and robbery." Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Review
"Packed with heists, gods, and monsters....readers will love rooting for Owen's clever antiheroine with ambition....Highly recommended and not to be missed." School Library Journal (Starred Review)
Review
"Part heist, part adventure, with a slow-burning romance at its heart...a story to savor." Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)
Synopsis
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection
Kids' Indie Next Pick
Amazon Best Book of October 2021
A scrappy maid must outsmart both palace nobles and Low Gods in a new YA fantasy by Margaret Owen, author of the Merciful Crow series.
Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl...
Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother's love--and she's on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele's dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja's otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back... by stealing Gisele's life for herself.
The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.
Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele's sinister fianc , and an overeager junior detective on Vanja's tail, she'll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.
Margaret Owen, author of The Merciful Crow series, crafts a delightfully irreverent retelling of "The Goose Girl" about stolen lives, thorny truths, and the wicked girls at the heart of both.
Synopsis
"Gorgeous prose, delicious magic." - V.E. Schwab
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection
Kids' Indie Next Pick
Amazon Best Book
A scrappy maid must outsmart both palace nobles and Low Gods in a new YA fantasy by Margaret Owen, author of the Merciful Crow series.
Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl...
Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother's love--and she's on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele's dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja's otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back... by stealing Gisele's life for herself.
The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.
Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele's sinister fianc , and an overeager junior detective on Vanja's tail, she'll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.
Margaret Owen, author of The Merciful Crow series, crafts a delightfully irreverent retelling of "The Goose Girl" about stolen lives, thorny truths, and the wicked girls at the heart of both.
About the Author
Margaret Owen was born and raised at the end of the Oregon Trail and has worked in everything from thrift stores to presidential campaigns. The common thread between every job can be summed up as: lessons were learned. She now spends her days writing and negotiating a long-term hostage situation with her two monstrous cats. She is the author of the Merciful Crow series. In her free time, she enjoys exploring ill-advised travel destinations and raising money for social justice nonprofits through her illustrations. She resides in Seattle, Washington. You can find her on Twitter!