Painted Devils by Margaret Owen
Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld
Publication Date: May 16, 2023
Summary from GoodReads:
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 if 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 control—especially 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 Maiden—and her claim to him—are genuine. Meanwhile, Vanja is chasing an alternative sacrifice that may be their way out. The hunt leads her not only into the lairs of monsters and the paths of gods, but 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?
Confession:
I ended up listening to about half of this book and then reading the other half. Which is fine, I actually like doing this when the book is long and I know I won’t have as much time as I would like to listen to a book. I really enjoyed this second installment in this series and am really looking forward to reading the third one sometime next year.
Vanja is such a great character, and just like in the last book she shows tremendous growth in this one. She falls back on her old ways at the start of this story, with her accidently starting a cult, really it was an accident. She is struggling with her feelings for Emeric and with her feelings of inadequacy and that she will only hinder his role as a Prefect. When Emeric shows up all of these emotions get tangled up and she doesn’t know what to do with them. I loved the development of their relationship in this story, it felt very authentic and realistic to two teens just trying to figure it all out.
Vanja also deals with a lot issues surrounding her childhood drama, her search for her family, what family really means as well as dealing with a possible god she created. The mythology that is developed in this world worked perfectly in this story and added a lot to the series as a whole.
I don’t want to talk to much about the plot as I it would be hard to do so without giving things away. Just know that all of the things I loved in the first book are back, the witty banter between characters, the twisty plot that for this one ended up as a road trip/quest and the discovery of who Vanja and Emeric are and how they relate to the world all combine to make a great story. The pacing was perfect and I continue to admire the complex world building involved in creating a world similar, but oh so different from our own.
Saskia Maarleveld does an excellent job as the narrator. I would have enjoyed listening to the whole audiobook if the timing had worked out differently. She does a great job of conveying the various emotions that Vanya goes through and her pacing throughout was solid. She also does a good job with using different voices for other characters so it is easy to tell when each of them is speaking.
This was such an enjoyable book. If you liked the first book, I think you will find this one just as good no matter which format you choose to read it. It will leave you satisfied and eager to read the next one to find out what happens to Vanya and Emeric and the rest of the characters that you have come to know and love.
Confessions of a Serial Reader 