Let’s get one thing straight—Vanja Schmidt wasn’t trying to start a cult.
After taking down a corrupt margrave, breaking a deadly curse, and finding romance with the vexingly scrupulous Junior Prefect Emeric Conrad, Vanja had one great mystery left: her long-lost birth family… and if they would welcome a thief. But in her search for an honest trade, she hit trouble and invented a god, the Scarlet Maiden, to scam her way out. Now, that lie is growing out of control—especially when Emeric arrives to investigate, and the Scarlet Maiden manifests to claim him as a virgin sacrifice.
For his final test to become a prefect, Emeric must determine if Vanja is guilty of serious fraud, or if the Scarlet Maiden—and her claim to him—are genuine. Meanwhile, Vanja is chasing an alternative sacrifice that may be their way out. The hunt leads her not only into the lairs of monsters and the paths of gods, but the ties of her past. And with what should be the simplest way to save Emeric hanging over their heads, he and Vanja must face a more dangerous question: Is there a future for a thief and a prefect, and at what price?
Painted Devils by Margaret Owen is a wild and unexpected sequel that shifts gears from clever thievery to accidental prophecy, with mixed results. The standout premise, what happens when you accidentally start a cult?, is as hilarious and compelling as it sounds, and Owen handles it with her usual blend of sharp wit and heartfelt stakes.
The mystery element was well done and kept me engaged throughout. I enjoyed trying to piece together what was real, what was manipulation, and what was divine intervention (if any). The world continues to expand in interesting ways, with stakes that are both deeply personal and quietly epic.
However, I did find this installment more repetitive than Little Thieves. There’s a pattern of ultimatums and time constraints that crops up a bit too often, making parts of the plot feel a little formulaic.
What took over the story, though, was the romance. While I appreciated the slow build in the first book, here it steps into the spotlight and stays there. For me, it crowded out some of the aspects I loved most about the original, namely Vanja’s morally grey chaos and the more layered character dynamics. As much as I like the demisexual representation, and as rare as that still is in fantasy, I wish the relationship development had kept the same careful pace instead of jumping ahead so fast.
Still, there’s a lot to enjoy here. The dynamics between the gods, the cult’s unintended growth, and Vanja’s ever-evolving relationship with power and consequence make Painted Devils a worthwhile read, even if it wasn’t quite the sequel I expected.
