false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167955510m/28733.jpg 28733 5 Young Skif is the very personification of a hard-knock life. Since Skif is an orphan, his uncle, Galko Londer, is his guardian. Far from being a concerned and tender relative, Master Londer regards Skif as little better than a slave. Skif is required to work in his uncle's tavern, which is managed by Londer's equally unpleasant son Kalchan, for the chance to sleep under the tavern stairs. Fortunately for Skif, one of Queen Selenay's laws is that all children under a certain age must be provided with an education, which Skif cares little for, and breakfast, which he looks forward to eagerly since his cousin is not inclined to feed him. The youngster supplements his temple breakfast by sneaking into rich men's houses and stealing food. One day, after filling his pockets with food from Lord Orthallen's dining room, he runs into another young thief who consents to take Skif with him and teach him how best to break into houses and pick pockets. The boy leads him to Bazie, a crippled ex-soldier who makes his living, Fagin-like, by running a small ring of boy thieves in the poor sections of Haven. In Bazie's home, Skif finds the friendship and acceptance he has craved all his life, until tragedy strikes and his new family is taken from him. Once more alone, Skif vows vengeance and, despite his young age, sets about to get it. And he is well on his way to achieving it when he steals a pretty white horse left unattended in a city park and finds himself, after a wild ride through Haven and the surrounding countryside, the newest Herald-trainee. The above Dickens reference is not an accident. This novel, in spots, has a very Dickensian atmosphere, especially with Bazie and his boys, though Bazie's motivations are not entirely the same as Fagin's (having been in my high school's production of Oliver some years ago, I'm familiar with that story). The story takes place almost entirely within the bounds of Valdemar's court city, Haven, and not the nicer parts, either. Lackey brings the poorer quarters of Haven to vivid life, and makes it a place you definitely don't want to visit without several friends and a good, stout walking stick. Skif's background has never been a secret, and this tale of how he became a thief and then a Herald is a welcome addition to the Valdemar series. 2603 2001 Take a Thief (Heralds of Valdemar, #5) total:1745|5:518|4:611|3:488|2:113|1:15| 1745 6739 2055 29 3 0 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Dec 29 16:07:28 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 29 16:08:01 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat May 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat May 30 15:43:10 -0700 2009 Sat May 30 15:50:35 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 0 false false Fri Sep 21 20:39:49 -0700 2007 Mon Sep 24 15:22:45 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Aug 27 00:28:26 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 27 00:44:26 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jun 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 17:39:30 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 11 12:46:44 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Apr 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 06 12:32:58 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 06 12:40:06 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Mon Jan 28 13:01:03 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 28 13:02:49 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Nov 20 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 24 17:46:09 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 24 17:47:03 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sun Oct 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 04 06:43:11 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 04 06:44:30 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Jul 07 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 14:28:44 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 14:29:33 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Jan 15 16:03:16 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 15 16:04:09 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Apr 13 21:21:14 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 13 21:22:16 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 23 14:23:25 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 26 06:17:57 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Jun 06 06:31:31 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 06 06:33:45 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2004 Fri Apr 13 16:26:55 -0700 2007 Sat Apr 14 12:27:27 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Jun 17 18:33:49 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 13 10:08:34 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 17 18:33:49 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Thu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2003 Tue Jun 12 13:14:50 -0700 2007 Tue Jun 12 13:16:49 -0700 2007
I always like Skif in the Arrows of the Queen books, and so ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Apr 09 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Jan 24 23:42:25 -0800 2008 Wed Apr 09 21:40:10 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Sep 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 23 11:00:26 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 09 15:29:30 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sat Dec 29 07:01:30 -0800 2007 Sat Dec 29 07:03:01 -0800 2007 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=28733