I have a soft spot for reimagined fairy tales, and Little Thieves is a perfect example. Taking apart The Goose Girl fable, Little Thieves brings the fable to life through our most favourite protagonist ever, the aggressively sarcastic Vanja. I love me a heroine who is abrasive and imperfect and at times unlikeable - but always understandable.

The truly astounding thing about this book is how Owen's has been able to weave so many narrative strands into a standalone book. The plot and character arcs are extensive and complex, there's a lot to pick apart here, but I was hooked in from the start. Vanja is perhaps one of the best established YA fantasy heroines I've ever read, Owen's knows so clearly who she is and how she reacts, that her narrative really bounced off the page.

The world building here is complex and multi-faceted, Minkja is portrayed as a world quite unlike any other I've read about. Despite that, Owen's hits us with the world's highlights, giving us just enough information for us to follow along without being overwhelmed, but safe in the knowledge that the world is fully fleshed out.


This book weaves political intrigue with magic, gods and monsters, romance and friendship impeccably. It contains thoughtful and natural LGBTQ+ rep, and the character building is phenomenal.

Despite the complex plot lines, the structuring of this novel is perfect. There's no confusion, just the constant feeling that you're pulling at a thread, slowly chasing the answers. It includes some of our favourite YA tropes, nods to folklore and fairy tale genre conventions, and you know I love me an enemy to lovers plotline.

Also, a moment's appreciation for the Ragne. We love the Ragne.

I stayed up til the early hours to finish this book, a runaway train read I couldn't put down!

It definitely took me quite a while to get into Little Thieves, however, when that moment finally came I was hooked. The pacing at the beginning felt very slow and I found it hard to concentrate on what was actually happening. Although I did really enjoy the chapters at the start where Vanja was stealing from a party of rich people.

I had never heard of ‘The Goose Girl’ before reading this book, but it is a fairytale that I would like to read now. After doing research on the original work I can see all of the times that Little Thieves took inspiration from it. I especially liked that the princess’s horse had the same name in tales. It’s the little things like that, that make me adore retellings.

The cover is what first drew me into this book. Just look at it and tell me it wouldn’t do the same for you. I’m disgustingly shallow when it comes to covers and this is one of the prettiest I have ever seen. Luckily the insides match the outside. This is not just a pretty cover, but also a great read.

The complexity of this story and its characters were so intricate that you just could not predict what was going to happen. Just when I thought the story was coming to its end another twist would appear and you’d find yourself in the middle of even more action.

I loved how casual the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters was. Even though this seemed to be set way back (I can’t place an exact time) there was no issue with the characters being in same-sex relationships, as there obviously shouldn’t be, and how their partners were mentioned in passing with no song or dance about it. This book showed great LGBTQ+ representation, something of which you don’t come across often in YA fantasy.

The worldbuilding of this novel was brilliant and with each tiny detail, the world became more and more interesting. I loved the lore surrounding the lower gods and magic and how the whole story didn’t revolve around its magic system. I find that a lot of fantasy books often rely on the magic side to build the story, however, that wasn’t really the case here. The magic was definitely a large factor for the story and its progression, however, it wasn’t what defined the book. The story could have still been interesting even without some of its magical elements and I think that is very impressive.

Little Thieves was a great retelling that you could enjoy even if, like me, you have never heard of the original fairy tale. Although it was a very slow start for me, I definitely still enjoyed this book and will be giving it 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my review copy.

I went into this book blindly, having no knowledge of the lore behind it, but it was entirely fascinating. Margaret Owen has such a unique and captivating voice, creating absolute masterpieces in whatever she writes. Little Thieves was no exception. From beginning to end, I was utterly hooked and I can’t wait to see what’s next from the author!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars
Little Thieves is a retelling of The Goose Girl a story about stolen lives, thorny truths and wicked girls.

I was familiar with The Goose Girl prior to reading Little Thieves, but couldn’t really recollect what it was about. While reading Little Thieves I started to recognize the premise of this story but it was so much better than from the little I remembered from reading the original when I was younger!

From the very first sentence your attention was grabbed and oh my it didn’t let you go. The way the whole story was written was just perfect and it fit so good with the words, characters and the world build. The world was super vivid to image, while hardly anything about it was explained or giving via info-dump!

You read everything from Vanja’s POV and the little jabs, sarcastic thoughts and everything make it so much fun to read! It was almost as if Vanja was telling you her story of what happened instead of reading it as it happens. Also, the way the seven “Tales” are told throughout the story with important backstory information was really impressive how they added so much to the present timeline and plot line. By those tales being written in third-person it almost seemed detached from the main plot, and it fitted really well with how the story flowed.

The cast of characters we are introduced to in this book are vastly different form each other but they fit together like clockwork! Vanja is an anti-heroine that I loved loved loved! Her personality, everything she did was just amazing. Ragne was just the perfect best friend and side-kick to Vanja and being a shapeshifter and seeing her come to live and learning about life was delightful. Emeric seemed like a timid, shy person but he is such an amazing shapen character who will surprise you every turn of the page!

The ending did feel a little bit weaker than the rest of the story, might’ve been because it was a little rushed? I don’t know why exactly I got that feeling, because I still greatly enjoyed the ending.

Overall, I absolutely adored reading this story. It felt like such a complete book with everything you want from a fantasy in it!

Thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton to send me a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

Sadly, this book is a DNF for me.

The main issue I have isn't the story in itself but the writing. This is a very YA writing which I'm not into it anymore. Also, I'm not a fan of when the main character is talking directly to the reader using parenthesis or "let me tell you..." I was always put off by the story when I could concentrate on it as sometimes it was slow and heavy in descriptions, and then the pace was faster for no reason.

I'm sad as the cover is beautiful, the summary looks exciting, but the execution isn't for me. This book is the first ARC I'm DNFing, and I hope the only one.

Little Thieves was an intriguing new fantasy book based on Vanja the goddaughter of Fortune and Death.

I really enjoyed the way that Margaret wrote this book, the plot was intriguing with complicated relationships between the characters. I really loved following Vanja throughout her story and found her witty dialog fun to witness whilst she went through her development.

I sometimes found the language slightly hard to follow but otherwise really liked this book and would recommend!

Little Thieves is the story of a girl called Vanja. She's the thirteenth daughter of a thirteenth daughter - aka bad luck incarnate.

When Vanja was just a kid, her mother abandoned her into the care of Death and Fortune who cared for her like their own daughter, but everything comes with a price.

Years later, Vanja makes a grave error while stealing some jewels, and ends up with a curse that could cost her her life if she doesn't figure out how to brake it by the next full moon.

When I first saw the blurb for this book, the name Vanja caught my attention immediately. It's not an overly common name in my country, but I know several Vanjas, both male and female so I wanted to see if there was a special sort of Easter egg as to why Vanja is named Vanja. And no, not really. She just is, and that's okay too.

Since I started with her, let's talk about Vanja. I didn't like her. Not in the beginning, not in the middle and not in the end. She's written to be a very unlikable character and she succeeds.

I feel for her, because of what she went through and because of how all the others treated her while knowing almost everything that happened in her life, but that's it.

Gisele wasn't better. There were only a few scenes where I liked her and those had to do with Ragne. Now Ragne, I liked. She was the best and funniest character. I love her beary much. Yes, beary.

Then we have Emeric. He played a few parts, much like Vanja and I never warmed up to him. What I can say is that at least their romance didn't happen all at once. There was enough time to try and convince us that their feelings for each other are very real, it just didn't work for me.

And finally, Adalbrecht. He gets one line because he deserves nothing more, I hate him.

That's the characters done, let's talk about the rest of the book now.

While the storyline was creative, it didn't grip me until 40% in. Those first 40% were...I don't want to say dull, that's not the right word, but I couldn't get myself to care about what was happening.

Then, after that point, it gradually became better and better. By the end I was considering rounding it up to four stars, but that would mean ignoring nearly half of the book which wouldn't be fair.

However, it didn't feel long. I didn't feel like I was reading 500+ pages at all, more like 350.

The use of German in the book made the experience better for me, and most of the funniest scenes had some German words thrown in (even if a couple were a bit altered), we need more of this.

What I also like, is that this book functions well as a standalone. The story is self contained so you can just stop here, or continue reading the series when the next book comes out, whatever strikes your fancy. Yay for no cliffhangers!

As for me, I think I might stop here. Unless if Ragne is the main character in the next installment? Or perhaps we'll get a backstory book about the Gods? That would be cool.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I read Little Thieves back in June and loved it. The story is a retelling of the Goose Girl which I’ve never read so I went in not knowing anything at all. Owen’s writing was slightly similar to Leigh Bardugo probably because of the German words mixed in with the plot but this isn’t a heist story to give off the exact same vibes.
The author provides content warning at the beginning of the book, kudos to that.
If you read the synopsis, you ought to know this is the story of the maid Vanja who steals the identity of a princess and is cursed by an immortal when she does something wrong.
Vanja is perceived as the selfish anti-heroine who is greedy and steals from nobility. Still, Owen has been successful in making this character likable because she is whip-smart and also there’s an obvious backstory for why she is, the way she is which makes her actions forgivable. Vanja assures herself to not panic when she gets into situations and I liked that sort of level-headed thinking. There’s also an equally show stealing character who is gender-fluid - Ragne who helps Vanja to break her curse.
I enjoyed the writing and after a certain point it started following the fairytale format where the wrongs are righted. I’m not a fan of the rushed ending but I’m very much excited about how the next book would go.
The world is a bit complex with its politics and currencies but keeps you engrossed. Other than Ragne we have few amazing secondary characters and the awkward LI.
Also we need more books told from the villain/anti-hero POV and more of the morally-grey-MC-falling-for -the-person-who-is out-to-kill-them trope.
Overall, a 4.5 ⭐️ rating

Little Thieves is a retelling of The Goose Girl, a fairy tale I wasn’t previously familiar with, and I don’t imagine having no prior knowledge of the fable should affect anyone’s enjoyment of Little Thieves.

I really liked the main character, Vanja. She was angry in a way YA lead characters often aren’t which was refreshing. Some of the side characters don’t get quite as well fleshed out as Vanja does and a certain conflict resolution fell a little flat as a result.

The writing was very whimsical at times – and I loved the short chapters told in a fairy tale way at the start of each new part of the book.

Marked down for the pacing – a few parts of the book dragged a little. And there are a few instances in much later chapters where the writing felt too modern and self-referential (like Deadpool winking at the camera) and not in line with the writing in the rest of the book – it just threw me out of a story I was previously very engrossed in.

3.5 stars🌟
Thank you to Hodder and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review!

This one was very difficult to rate.
Margaret Owen starts this story very strong. She tells us a fairytale. How our main character Vanja's mother thought her 13th daughter was cursed and brought her into the forest to Death and Fortune.
The athmosphere and writing style in the beginning was easily a 5 star and one of the best starts to a story I have ever read. But instead of building on a childhood as the daughter of Death and Fortune and a deeper dive into the mythology and worldbuilding we jump into the story of 16 year old Vanja. Which was less interesting to me.
It turns out that she is now a thief steeling from the rich courts all around the country (some kind of medieval Germany). Taking over the identity of the princess she worked for.
After a lot of hussles she gets to steal from the wrong court in that she gets being cursed by a god for taking from her people. Not being able to ask for her godmothers' help (because OMG this chick is stubborn) she tries to figure out how to lift the curse for herself.
Which means reconnecting with the people from her past that she stole everything from.

I honestly have to say that I did not care enough for Vanja. She is misunderstood and judged most of the time by the people around her who cannot even place themselves in her shoes.
The character I absolutely adored was Ragne the daughter of the goddess that cursed her and who protects Vanja while she figures out to lift the curse. Ragne is a very snarky shapeshifter who takes on forms of a cat, wolf, squirrel, human etc and it is hilarious. Her dynamic with Vanja is what kept me entertained throughout the story.
I also loved the gods they were so cool and facinating but unfortunateoy barely present.
I think my main issue was that I did not like the other side characters in the team up. Especially the love interest did not do it for me.

The pacing of the story is very well done where the setup is fairytale esque: each new part starts with a old school fairytape version of the situation that comes ahead. I loved the writing style and mysteriousness of those pieces. For the rest of the story I missed the lush and whymsical writing that I crave for fairytale retellings. It was defenitly YA in that the style was more accessible.
I think other people might really love it, but I rather Vanja chose to be the haindmaiden of Death and Fortune rather than going down the rabbit hole of this story!

No rating as DNF at 25%.

This book had everything I thought I’d enjoy- especially the involvement of Gods and such a strong prologue. It was a haunting fairytale-esque. From there... it was not.

Once the book switched to Vanja, I found my enjoyment of the book went down. I found it hard to enjoy Vanja’s POV and be intrigued by it to continue the book.

I did love the scenes of Death and Fortune and the other gods and I’d probably really enjoy it if the book focused on this more. Sadly this isn’t the case and at 25% I had to push through to even get to that point.

Might pick this up again later but for now I’m having to put it down. Thank you to NetGalley for this E-Arc.

This was such a lovely book.

The writing is really amazing, funny and immersive. It really feels like being told a tale that was so heartwarming in a way, like you're about to go to sleep and your mother is telling you a story and discussing it with you.
The story itself was really entertaining and nice as well. It has a beautiful moral and the ending is the most perfect ending ever it was so satisfying.
The romance was chefs kiss ! Really it was so perfect, the slowburn, the moment they realize they are in love, the way they showed their affection, just perfect!
I loved the vulnerability of Vanja and how it's hard for her to trust anyone and how she learns to do so throughout the book. The characters were really well written and likeable, except for Vanja who you learn to love.
I would definitely recommend this book to a lot of friends, it was really well done.

Little Thieves has just left me stunned. I was absolutely entranced by this phenomenal book, which I can already tell will be a huge favourite for fantasy fans looking for wit, bite and an entirely new concoction.

I don’t think I can rave about Owen’s gorgeous writing enough. It’s just so lush, entrancing and magical with hints of danger. I felt completely enraptured and caught up in this evocative and awe-inspiring world. Owen’s structure is also so interesting, with tales within tales and acts titled with a new story. This makes it feel like this sprawling epic tale combining the past, present and future. The real and the supernatural intertwine in a way that feels like an undiscovered treasure in your hands and has that real fairytale magic to it.

Vanja is an endlessly complex and interesting protagonist who I absolutely loved. She’s spikey, ruthless, manipulative and determined to succeed and control her own fate. Her battle to control her own destiny is relatable and you can’t help but root for her to succeed. I liked how she wasn’t always conventionally likable, with some questionable behaviour and motivations. However, you get to see glimpses of the caring, passionate heart beneath the facade necessary for survival. You cannot pin her down into the hero-villain dichotomy and I loved that. Every character is more complex than their respective fairytale stereotypes, feeling three-dimensional and all too human.

This book single handedly reignited my love for fantasy and fairy tales. I loved the way Owen brought the feel of a new tale told through a classic style. In particular, the world building is so creative and immersive. I loved every little detail and the way they built to create this rich, intricate tapestry that captured every one of my senses. This is a world where gods and mortals interact. The mythology was endlessly fascinating and left me desperate for more stories to explore all those little threads. This mortal-deity dynamic is best explored in the relationship Death and Fortune have with Vanja. Owen really digs into this and the imbalance of power present in a way that feels so refreshing, but also brutal and surprising. Also, I loved how the tender threads of romance are also explored so well, but in a way that definitely compliments rather than overshadows the story.

Little Thieves is a gorgeous book that you’ll end up offering your heart too.

You know when a book just speaks to you? When there’s those specific moments of dialogue or the characters thoughts that just sink their hooks right into a tender spot and won’t let go? Well Little Thieves had plenty of those and while I didn’t expect to have such an emotional response to this book, it was also incredibly cathartic. I also loved the content warning / authors note at the start of the novel which detailed potential triggers. Thank you to Margaret Owen for including this and being so considerate with the wording. ‘I know my scars’ and I know other readers do too and will read that passage and feel seen and heard and will be able to go in more prepared because of it.

I loved the basis of the story and the writing style because from pretty much the first couple pages I was hooked. This is my first time reading any of Owen’s writing but I definitely want to go read her other book series The Merciful Crow now. The prose is just really pretty and I highlighted so many lines from this novel like seriously if you saw my kindle notes for this, there’s A LOT. I think the interspersing of the ‘storybook / allegory’ sections with Vanja’s narrative is done so well, I can’t wait to see the fan art from this novel because it’s so rich with potential.

I also liked that this book is a little bit of everything, like a coming of age type story set against the fantasy backdrop with a mystery at it’s core too.

Let’s start with what I loved about this book, beginning with our protagonist and resident jewel thief, Vanja. I loved Vanja. LOVED her. She was whip smart, sarcastic, full of whitty remarks, teasing and bold but also so vulnerable with a yearning to be loved buried underneath all her armour. I really enjoyed following her journey and how far she comes from the opening of the novel. While the curse from Eiswald, a forest spirit of sorts seems like a damning one, it sets Vanja on a journey of self discovery which ends up bringing so much more to her life than just an eruption of jewels across her skin.

I also appreciated how Vanja’s pain and trauma is never trivialised and is an important part of the novel without it feeling exploitative. Vanja is a character that has had to bury her softness and hone her sharp edges, because of how her life has been and how others have treated her. The only person she has been able to rely on consistently is herself and there’s something so heartbreaking about that which results in some truly powerful moments in the novel. These moments are even more striking and hopeful as she finds herself opening up gradually and learning to trust friends old and new, slowly but surely.

As well as a compelling protagonist, the novel is enriched with the well developed side characters who are also pivotal to the story. We have Gisele who Vanja has been imitating for over a year. Despite growing up together and being as close as sisters, their differing stations in life and Gisele’s own ignorance of the harsher realities of Vanja’s life causes a huge rift between the two. I didn’t expect to like Gisele but I kind of did? I liked that the characters were ‘allowed’ to be imperfect and also grow and forgive because that’s just reality and it made them more interesting for it.

I also adored Ragne, a shape shifting spirit who is fiercely loyal, funny and just an all round gem. Emeric is the opposite of 99% of Y/A love interests in that he’s more likely to recite text from a dusty old law book than waxing poetic about the protagonists beauty and is literally described as a ‘pocket calculator’ by Vanja but he’s sweet, earnest and is utterly flustered by our resident thief and it’s just so cute to read. I liked their dynamic so much, Vanja loves to run and Emeric promises to follow her wherever she goes and I don’t know about you but I always love that trope. Plus they’re both demi-sexual and I’ve personally hardly seen this rep in novels so that’s another great element.

In short, if this review wasn’t enough to convince you: Little Thieves is brilliant in all ways and I can’t recommend it enough. Go read it, buy it, support it, or Vanja might come after you in a vengeful fit.

I adored this gem of a book. I loved Vanya, her constant changing personas, the arrival of new precious stones on her body, the impending doom of her upcoming wedding, the appearance of Death and Fortune, the never ending worry that this is the one situation she can't beat.

If you haven't picked up a Margaret Owen book before I encourage you to do so. Her writing style is so lovely and easy, you are instantly drawn into the world of the book and it's always one heck of a journey!

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Genre: YA fantasy
Representation: Demisexual rep
Pub Date: 19th October 2021

[TW: Body horror, blood, violence, past attempted sexual assault, past emotional and physical abuse, animal sacrifice, death, body shaming, underage drinking, forced betrothal]

Synopsis (from publisher):
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.

My Review:
OH MY GOD THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING. I loved everything about this book. The settings, the characters, the plot, the friendships and the relationships. The pace was a bit too slow for me at first but NEVERTHELESS Little Thieves was such an amazing read. I loved Vanja throughout and Ragne was just awesome. Emric was also so cute!!

When I first saw the cover I couldn’t help but add it to my wish list and then, as time drew closer to the release date, I pre-ordered it. THEN I saw it on NetGalley and without any expectations, I requested an ARC. I got it!
Now came the nerves and excitement. Will it be good? Will the cover be the 2nd best thing about it? All those questions. And the answer is…. Oh. My. Vanja!
This book is the best High Fantasy I’ve ever read! Granted, I’ve not read many, but this is phenomenal!

What an imaginative, rich, vibrant and exciting world you walk into.
The world-building is spectacular. Beautiful visions of a medieval-esq Germany. With stunning architectural wonders. A delightful array of characters both good, evil and some a mix of the 2. And a tale that has you so gripped you will struggle to put it down. I was hooked instantly. I wanted to read every single word, absorb all the delicious detail and feel all the emotions that the author wants you to experience.

Please read the blurb/synopsis as I won’t include it in my review because I just want to gush about how much I love this book especially the MC, Vanja!

Oh my, god! If you are looking for a fierce, strong-willed, flawed, exceptionally funny and supremely snarky/sarcastic MC, Vanja is it!
I love her! Everything about her. I love that she isn’t perfect. And the whole reason we are following her tale is because she’s actually somewhat of a villain! I love the way her character develops, the relationships she forms. Seriously, I love everything.

And finally, along with the daring Vanja, we are introduced to a beautiful parade of characters that are just a complex and interesting as she is.

There’s so many tropes in here that, like me, I know you’ll love. I don’t want to say what tropes as I feel that they might give a hint of what could happen etc .. but if you love High Fantasy, you’ll adore this.
There is also fantastic LGBTQIA+ representation.

I am so glad I pre-ordered this & can’t wait for release day (Oct 19th). I will treasure my copy.

A MASSIVE thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and also NetGalley for sending me an ARC ebook in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Little Thieves follows the tale of Vanja, a jewel thief raised by the gods Death and Fortune. At the start of the book she has stolen the place of the local princess, Gisele and is acting as an imposter in her place while pulling off elaborate jewelery heists on the local nobles. Hot on her trail is junior prefect Emeric Conrad who is determined to prove she is up to no good, the real Gisele who wants her life back and her evil fiance whose rotten core goes deeper than anybody thought. When Vanja is cursed by a god to slowly turn into a jewel unless she gives back what she has stolen she must begin to evaluate her life choices and decide who she really wants to be. Teaming up with unlikely allies when things take a turn for the more sinister it is a beautiful story of found family, opening yourself up to others and taking down true evil - and not just the little thieves.

To be completely honest I didn't go into this book with the highest expections as I wasn't the biggest fan of Margaret Owens first book (the merciful crow) but I was blown away with how much I enjoyed this. I laughed out loud so many times, got incredibly attached to the characters and generally just had the best time whole reading.

I absolutely ADORED the romance in this. It is very rare for me to be invested in a heterosexual YA fantasy romance but this one completely knocked my socks off and I am now obsessed. It even had the audacity to make me tear up at one point and I literally never cry at books. Vanja and Emeric have completely stolen my heart and I could honestly read 1000 pages of fluff about them. The dynamic between the straight laced, dorky prefect (Emeric) and foul mouthed, sassy thief (Vanja) was iconic and the perfect blend of personalities. Every single scene they had left me with a massive grin on my face - towards the start when Vanja is tormenting an adorkable Emeric was hilarious and then as the relationship develops through the novel into something more tender and beautiful with some incredibly poetic and touching moments was such a great journey to read and the slow burn angst of adversaries to lovers was just everything!!!

Vanja's personal journey through the novel was also an incredibly compelling story. She starts out the book an unrepentant thief and general mischief maker but throughout the book we slowly learn all the trauma that as made her who she is and you have so much empathy for her character and why she is the way she is now. I loved the theme of how sometimes its very easy to be selfless when you have everything but when you have to carve your own path from nothing sometimes it means you have to be selfish and looking out for yourself, because no-one else will do it for you. I also thought the part of her story with regards to past sexual abuse was well handled and the repercussions it has on her now were very realistic.

I also really enjoyed the setting and atmosphere of the book. It felt very german/austrian to me (ableit a fantasy version) and I loved all the food/clothing/architecture descriptions (although occasionally I thought there was a few too many descriptions). The story is a goose girl retelling - so if you like that story then definitely have this on your TBR (not that you shouldn't anyway!!). It also felt very much like a folktale, both in terms of atmosphere and having a core moral of the story. I thought the pacing of the novel was really great, I was kept super engaged throughout and there was a great balance of emotional angst and action packed moments.

Overall an amazing new YA fantasy, perfect to read curled up on the sofa on a blustery autumn day with a romance to die for, an amazing journey of self-reflection, healing and personal growth, tender character moments and folktale vibes.

I’ve been wanting to read this book for months now and I can say all my expectations were met.
I LOVED IT, all of the characters and their interactions especially Conrad and Vanja I LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH. I really liked how the story was presented and written, with the tales throughout the book. The only reason I’m giving a 4 star review instead of 5 it’s because I had a hard time getting into the book in the beginning but nothing else.
I would love to read more about these characters in another book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to review it.

Thank you to the publisher for letting me read via Netgalley.

5*! Loved the self centered ballsy Vanja and the supporting characters are so wonderfully written (Ragne being a firm favourite! ) .