Little Thieves is a new novel by bestselling author Margaret Owen. It is a young adult fantasy novel first published in 2021.
In this article, you will find some frequently asked questions about this book. I have tried to answer them as best and honestly as possible.
I hope you enjoy reading these, and I hope this post answers some of the questions you may have about this book!
Since I will be answering questions about the book, this article will contain spoilers.
Is Little Thieves spicy?
I don’t think this book is really spicy. There is some hinting toward lust and similar things. But the actual spice isn’t there. I would still consider this book within the Young Adult norms.
Ya or NA?
The definition of young adult books states that these are books written for readers from 12 to 21 years of age. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate with the age and experience of the protagonist. Most themes in YA books are friendship, (first) love, relationships, and identity.
Having said this, we can conclude that Little Thieves is a young adult fantasy novel. All the main characters are teenagers, which fits the general description of YA. Also, the subjects described in the book fit in with the criteria for a young adult book.
Is there a love triangle?
There is no love triangle in this book. Nor are there hints of a possible love triangle. Al the romantic interests in the book are singular.
Does it contain romance?
There are a few relationships and love interest in Little Thieves. This leads to some amount of romance. Even though the book isn’t a romance story, it is still an important part of the story.
Does Little Thieves contain LGBTQ content?
There is a love interest between Gisele and Ragne who are both women. They start out as friends, but Ragne soon admits she has feelings for Giselle. The storyline is well-told and this relationship fits into the context of the larger story.
Standalone, duology, or series?
For the time being it looks like it will be a duology. Little Thieves is the first book. Painted Devils is set to be released in May of 2023. But nothing has been officially confirmed.
Retelling
Little Thieves is a retelling of the Goose Girl but only in the broadest sense. Only those who know the original very well will notice the minor similarities between these stories.
In the original story, there is a princess who has to marry a prince. So she and her maid travel there. On the way to the prince, the maid forces the princess and her to switch places. The maid becomes the princess and the princess is turned into a goose girl.
In Little Thieves, Vanja is the maid of Giselle. And although Vanja takes Giselle’s place, that’s where the similarities stop.
Who are the main characters?
Vanja
Vanja Schmidt is the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune. She becomes the maid of Princess Giselle. When Giselle has to marry a man she does not want, Vanja takes her place even though this is not what Giselle wants. And wearing a magical necklace that turns her into Giselle, she misuses the necklace to sneak into houses of the rich and steal from them.
Vanja goes through very significant character development. She starts being not very likable and ultimately becomes a thief. But she learns to care for people other than herself. And eventually risks everything to help her friends.
Giselle
Princess Giselle is betrayed by her maid and friend. Robbed of her name and title. She has to live on the streets without a penny to her name.
Understandably, she hates Vanja for doing this to her. She does not understand why Vanja did this.
At first, after teaming up with Vanja she does not wish to help. But she knows there is more at stake. Also, she wants to spend more time with Ragne.
Ragne
Ragne is the daughter of a mortal man and the Lady of the forest. She can shapeshift into almost anything. But, not living among normal humans makes her a bit strange. She does not know the normal ways to act. In fact, she’s not even familiar with sitting in a chair. Her heart is on her tongue which makes for very funny conversations.
Ragne soon because friends with Vanja and falls in love with Giselle.
Emeric
Emeric Conrad is a junior prefect. He is sent to find out who has been robbing all the wealthy people in town. Soon he discovers is it Vanja, or rather Giselle as he believes.
Emeric is a character who likes to follow the rules. With a small exception for the use of magic, he is a true detective. His interactions with Vanja are enjoyable. And he also goes through significant character development in the book.
Enemies to lovers
This book has a true enemies-to-lovers storyline. Vanja and Emeric start out as enemies. She is a thief and he is in charge of capturing him.
Even when they get to know each other better, they still do not trust one another. Only when Emeric finds out the truth about everything do they grow to love each other. And these enemies slowly turn into lovers.
How does Little Thieves end?
Little Thieves has a happy ending. It becomes clear to Vanja that she is in love with Emeric. And he loves her as well.
Once they’ve won the battle, all is settled. The world is again at peace and the friends survived the whole ordeal.
The story could work as a standalone. But the ending still gives each character an opening to go on another adventure.
When and where does the story take place?
It takes place in a different world than ours. There are some low fantasy elements in the story, which give you the feel of it being in our world. But the magical elements make it so that you know it takes place somewhere else.
That being said, it is hard to say when it takes place. Because it is in a world like ours, you could try and put a time frame on it. But that wouldn’t do the story any justice.
Is it worth reading?
Little thieve is absolutely worth reading. I enjoyed every part of the story. It is funny, intense at times, and well-written.
If you enjoy a fast-paced fantasy novel, this book is definitely for you. This book also features great character development.
And even though it is a YA novel, it doesn’t feel like a typical YA novel in part because of the banter between characters. But the main character also is not like most of the characters seen in YA novels. She has her flaws and isn’t nice at all. But because of her growth and development, she becomes likable.
Books like Little Thieves
- Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson – There is similar banter in this book. It features great world-building and is very easy to read.
- Gilded by Marissa Meyer – This book feels a little bit darker than Little thieves. But it still has a similar feel to it. It is also a retelling, but of Rumpelstiltskin
- A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer – This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. With marvelous world building and strong characters, I absolutely recommend you read it if you liked Little Thieves.
Conclusion
Little Thieves is a fun and fast-paced young adult fantasy book. It will leave you wanting to know more about these characters. And some will end up staying in your heart.
I hope I have answered some of the questions you may have had about this book. And if you have more questions that I didn’t answer, feel free to let me know of them below!
