Holy TerrorsReview posted April 18, 2025.
Macmillan Audio, 2025. 16 hours, 15 minutes.
Review written April 11, 2025, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review
I've said how much I like the recent trend of duologies - but this trilogy conclusion to the story begun in Little Thieves reminds me just how grand and wonderful a trilogy can be. Yes, you definitely need to read these books in order. If you haven't started yet, do it! You are in for a treat! I want to reread them to freshly appreciate all the nuances built into the story, and if I read the print version (I've purchased my own copies.), I know I'll hear Saskia Maarleveld's voice in my head - she's become the voice of these characters I love.
This book opens more than a year after what I thought was a terrible choice Vanya made at the end of the last book. But something fun about this book is that each section begins with a story of what would have happened if Vanya had made a different choice - and the first story told is about that one. Things don't exactly turn out better.
But in her actual life, Vanya has been living as the Pfennigeist - robbing the rich to help the poor, or at least helping people get justice who are otherwise overlooked and oppressed. She's dated some men, but is single right now.
And then someone starts murdering powerful people - and leaving Vanya's calling card behind - a red penny. So of course the prefects come after her. And wouldn't you know it, Emerick Conrad is the prefect in charge of the investigation - and he's engaged to be married, to someone Vanya can't help but like, much to her chagrin.
That's the beginning. When more deaths happen, it's obvious Vanya didn't do them, but she's starting to gain powers because of what the people believe about the Pfennigeist. And when the actual assassin begins stopping time to carry out their murders, it doesn't work on Vanya because of her time as a child with her godmothers, Fortune and Death. So Vanya becomes an important part of the investigation as Electors gather to choose a new Emperor - but more and more keep dying.
The book continues to explore past choices Vanya has made - so you really do need to have read the earlier books (You'll be glad you did!). And those books also laid the groundwork for how low gods gain power from what people believe about them.
The final crisis is a bit confusing, because besides magic, gods, and time manipulation, alternate universes are involved (and the different lives Vanya would have had with different choices). I'll be honest - Normally that would have been a dealbreaker for me, but I'm too crazy about this series to let that stop me here - I just want to read it again. And it turns out, that all helped to explore questions about identity and how that's affected by our choices, and what it takes to make a great relationship, too.
I was also delighted with characters coming back that I loved, and not as delighted about several coming back whom I'd hated - but that history added all the more power to the story.
And it all reminds me how truly great a trilogy can be.