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Author Mercedes Lackey booklist (click here)

Book Review By Kelly Steed
Take A Thief by Mercedes Lackey

Take a Thief focuses on the early life of Herald Skif, the only thief to be chosen by a companion. Orphaned at an early age, forced to work for an abusive uncle and cousin in a disreputable tavern, Skif was forced to steal just to feed himself. While hiding out in the attic of a highborn's mansion, another thief stumbles upon Skif. Deek takes the boy to his manager Bazie and Skif becomes a part of an adopted family of thieves the only family he's ever known. While Skif's out on a job, the owner of their building has the place torched and his family perishes. Skif vows vengeance and locates the arsonist but before he can discover who hired him, the man is murdered and Skif is whisked off to the Collegium.

Lackey is an adept-class storyteller. Take a Thief examines the brutal reality of the stark separation between the poor and the highborn. Skif is a wonderful character and exploring his life is well worth the time. My advice is to invest it.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - depressing/sad
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - an adult (general)
Spying & Investigations Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 50 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10 %
If enemy is a group... -

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - a teen
If magical mental powers: - can talk to animals - mind reading

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status:
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Genius (really!)

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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