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The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained

Little Thieves
By: Margaret Owen
My Rating: Three out of Five Stars
Best For: 18 and up

Little Thieves: Great World-Building, But a Rough Road to Travel

I closed this book feeling pretty disappointed, which is a bummer because I really wanted to love it. On paper, it’s exactly my speed: a clever retelling of the Goose Girl fairytale, full of fantasy elements, a strong female anti-hero, and plenty of fun mixed in. It fell short for me, but maybe not for you! Read on!

The story follows Vanja, a jewel thief who has stolen a princess’s identity and is robbing the nobility blind to buy her freedom. But after crossing a god, she’s cursed to slowly turn into a pile jewels unless she can right her wrongs.

The world-building is pretty cool—the politics, the low gods (like Fortune and Death), and atmosphere were strong. If I were rating this on atmosphere alone, it’s a 4-star book.

However, the “but” in my 3-star rating is a big one. The story is heavy—and I mean heavy—with themes of child abandonment, intense cruelty, and trauma. While the author handles these seriously, I found the actual character growth to be lacking. Vanja makes bad decision after bad decision, and the relationships didn’t feel believable to me at all.

Additionally, there’s a strong modern lens applied to this medieval fantasy world—including the idea that truth is relative to your own perspective—that constantly pulled me out of the immersion. For me, it felt like modern social commentary was being forced into a setting where it didn’t quite fit, and it made the story feel long and a bit repetitive.

Content Guide for Parents & Discerning Readers:

Age Recommendation: 18+ (Due to mature and dark themes).

Language: Moderate

Violence & Gore: Moderate. Includes bloody violence, murder, and torture.

Sexual Content: Passing, “off-screen” content, including references to past rape, attempted assault, and harassment.

Thematic Intensity: Very High. Deals heavily with physical and emotional child abuse, addiction, and the death of animals.

Note on Representation: Features same-gender relationships and characters who identify as asexual or non-binary (including a deity that uses they/them pronouns).

The Verdict:

3 Stars. It’s a “Good Effort,” but it wasn’t my cup of tea. If you love a dark, modern spin on fairytales and don’t mind a very high level of “grit” and modern social themes, you’ll likely enjoy it more than I did. For me, the magic was buried under too much social messaging and trauma.

Happy Reading!