Painted Devils [Hardcover]

An InstantNew York TimesBestseller!
An Instant Indies Bestseller!

A scrappy former maid and jewel thief must outwit gods, injustice, and her own past in this sequel to the Indie Next Pick,Little Thievesby Margaret Owen.

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 whether 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 controlespecially 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 Maidenand her claim to himis genuine. Meanwhile, Vanja is chasing an alternative sacrifice that
could be their way out. The hunt leads her not only into the lairs of monsters and the paths of gods, but also 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?

From the indie bestselling author Margaret Owen comes the thrilling next installment in the Little Thieves trilogy with all new interior illustrations from the author.

An InstantNew York TimesBestseller!
An Instant Indies Bestseller!

THREE STARRED REVIEWS FORPAINTED DEVILS!

[M]asterful storytelling. . .Another winding tale of intrigue and adventures that leans heavily on the heart. Kirkus Reviews,Starred Review

Owen writes [Vanja's] story with the compassion and wit that will leave readlÓV