As a four-year-old, Vanja—the thirteenth daughter of a thirteenth daughter—is abandoned by her mother to the Low Gods Death and Fortune. Vanja is happy enough with her godmothers until age six when they bring her to Castle Falburg. Here, she toils as a soot-covered scullery maid until she can orchestrate her own promotion to lady’s maid and companion to the princess Gisele.
Seventeen now, Vanja has stolen Gisele’s magic pearl necklace, and with it her place as Prinzessin-wahl of the Blessed Empire of Almandy. Unfortunately, she's also fiancee to the extremely nasty Adalbrecht von Reigenbach. Vanja orchestrates a series of robberies, stealing gold and gems from the aristocracy she now mixes with, trying to put together enough money to finance a decent life for herself far away. But two new troubles arrive, in the form of the junior prefect sent to investigate her “Penny Phantom” robberies, and in the curse Vanja picks up from the goddess of the forest: Eiswald decrees that Vanja will become the very gems she covets, unless she makes up for what she has stolen by the next full moon.
Clever plotting, a feisty heroine, great supporting cast, court intrigue, magic, gods with their own agendas, and, yes, romance all combine to make LITTLE THIEVES one fabulous tale.
--Lynn
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