Little Thieves

Starred review from September 20, 2021
In this epic fantasy rooted in Germanic myth and culture, Owen (The Faithless Hawk) reimagines “The Goose Girl” as a magic-infused caper—part heist, part adventure, with a slow-burning romance at its heart. Desperate to escape the competing claims of her godmothers, the Low Gods of Death and Fortune, 16-year-old Vanja uses an enchanted pearl necklace to rob the Almandy Empire’s nobility as the Penny Phantom. But when her thefts offend the wrong god, Vanja is cursed to perish by her own greed unless she makes amends for it. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on her imminent marriage to the warmongering Margrave Adalbrecht von Reigenbach—even as insightful Junior Prefect Emeric Conrad arrives to investigate and arrest the Penny Phantom. With nowhere to turn, Vanja must choose her plans and allies carefully, including a feral shape-shifter and the real Princess Gisele, who’s been living in squalor ever since Vanja stole her identity a year ago. Vanja and Emeric prove worthy adversaries who develop a deep connection, while Vanja’s history, which includes trauma, abandonment, and exploitation, makes her a layered heroine in any of her identities. Centering a cued-white cast and variously inclusive secondary characters, Owen’s engaging narrative is at times overloaded with complications, but she nevertheless pulls it together, creating a story to savor that builds toward an emotionally satisfying resolution. Ages 14–up.