I left this book with a deep affection for the land and for the characters and with a satisfying sense of vicarious victory. However, it is also very funny, thanks to Vanja’s snarky sense of humor and thanks to Ragne, a shapeshifter who adds a welcome note of wacky fun. The author is also the illustrator and her black and white drawings are enchanting.Īs the trigger warnings state, this book deals with painful topics including sexual harrassment, rape, child abuse, and abandonement. However, what stuck with me the most was the character growth and the thoughtful and hard-hitting examination of how people react to systemic and individual oppression. This is a book with lovely, imaginative imagery and world-building and an exciting plot. Many side characters also have romantic arcs, several of which are LGBTQIA. This book is not a romance novel in the sense that romance is not the main focus of the book, but I loved the romantic element. Emeric is investigating the string of robberies and ends up having a wonderful romance arc with Vanja. In fact, all of the characters in the book (with the exception of a one-dimensional villain) are fascinating and are given their own character arcs, most notably Vanja, of course, but also Gisele and Junior Prefect Emeric. She is clever, she is imaginative, she is funny, and she has a strong moral compass buried under many layers of self-protective armour. She is a compelling and sympathetic character largely because the book does so much work exposing the systems of power at play and the ways in which Vanja has been affected by her childhood and the abuse she endured as a servant in Gisele’s house. This book is narrated by Vanja Schmidt, adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, and so we understand her motivations, which is a good thing, because she does many horrible things in the course of trying to survive.

In this version,the story of a maid who takes over the life of a princess becomes a magical fantasy about family, class, friendship, romance, a heist, a curse, and just oodles of magic. “The Goose Girl ” is one of the more macabre of the Grimm tales, which is saying a lot.

TW: child abuse and abandonment, rape (off page), manipulation, bloody violence, the death of a horse (off-page)Īll of you readers who love feminist, progressive takes on fairy tales will love Little Thieves, a very loose retelling of “The Goose Girl,” a fairy tale made famous by Brothers Grimm.

Little thieves review