Rating: 
Summary: For Valdemar lovers only
Review: This might have been a good novelette, or maybe even a decent novella. As a novel, however, it's remarkably weak and for the most part pretty disappointing.The first half in particular seems to consist of the author on auto-pilot, 'borrowing' (to put it kindly) outrageously from Dickens' Oliver Twist, Hugo's The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, and Heinlein's Citizen Of The Galaxy. If there was anything original in the first half of the book, it failed to make itself known through the cliched rehash that one had to plow through to get to where things finally pick up a bit. The second half is somewhat better, once Skif meets his Companion, Cymry, when he attempts to steal her. The story improves slowly from that point on, and the ending I found to be at least partially satisfying. It would have been more so if I hadn't been forced to read through 350 pages to get to it, and if the villain hadn't ended up being such a cardboard cut-out. Die-hard Valdemar fans will want to read this just for the sake of completeness, but I can't really recommend it to anyone else. At least, not to anyone that's actually read any significant amount of fantasy fiction. I think this book is a result of the publisher insisting on a novel-length piece when only a novelette or novella was needed, and of the author being either rushed or lazy. Either way, it was pretty disappointing. Not bad, mind you, but just not what one would expect from such an established and respected author.
Rating: 
Summary: Focusing on the Spear Carriers
Review: Mercedes Lackey has crafted an interesting series of books focused mostly on Valdemar, a country whose government is greatly helped by spirit horses called Companions. The Companions select and assist Heralds, who are the government's agents in the field and very nearly incorruptible. Since the first Valdemar trilogy, the "Arrows" books, the Herald Skif, a reformed thief, has popped up from time to time, sometimes in minor roles, sometimes in larger ones, as in the "Winds" trilogy. In her last two Valedmar books, Lackey has abandoned the development of Valdemar and focused instead on specific characters. In "Brightly Burning" it was an historical character, mentioned only in passing in other novels. This time it's a somewhat larger character, although still just a "spear carrier," an important but not a central character. Anne McCaffrey, whose Pern is in some ways similar to the Valdemar books, in "Masterharper of Pern," did something similar. She took a "spear carrier" who had appeared in many books and wrote his history. And she noted somewhere, perhaps in the introduction, how hard it is to bring off right. One the one hand, it's pleasant to wander through the fringes of earlier stories, recognizing bits and pieces; on the other hand, you absolutely know how it is all going to come out, and the possibilities for inconsistencies are very great. Lackey does an okay job with the inconsistencies. Reviewers who note apparent problems with the naming of Companions Haven't Been Paying Attention... A few do creep in, but they are minor. And Lackey manages to sneak in a great deal of information about Alberich, the exile from Valdemar's enemy who became a Herald, and about what really happened when Queen Selenay was attacked by her husband. But it's hard to walk through the very considerable amount Lackey has written about Valdemar and its history, develop any kind of plot suspense, and not baffle readers new to the series. While it's nice to have a new Valdemar book, I'm looking forward to a return to the larger themes of the "Winds" and "Storm" series, as opposed to the less interesting, less imaginative character studies and personal histories in the "Owl" series, in "Brightly Burning" and now in "Take a Thief." Overall this is a good yarn. It's nice to wander the fringes of earlier stories - the "Arrow" series in particular - and to see Alberich at his devious best. You can feel Ms. Lackey's wonderful powers of imagination at work, but can also see how they are bound by what she has written before. It doesn't seriously distract from the tale, but it's much less captivating than the "Arrows" and "Winds" series, and far below her peak in the "Magic" trilogy. Recommended, but not recommended as Lackey's best.
Rating: 
Summary: One of her best!
Review: I really loved this book! It was nice to return to Valdemar. This book is worth the money! The ending is better than some of her other works, this one did not feel rushed. The whole book was smooth and interesting, at no point was I bored.
Rating: 
Summary: Sadly, not up to par.
Review: I love Mercedes Lackey's books in general but this one was a disappointment. A book that could have been compelling fell far short of my expectations because of an overly simple plot and a lack of the detail that make her earlier Valdemar books so rich. As a fan of the series (and of Skif as a character) I found the book tepid and at best a brief diversion. It only took me about 1 and 1/2 hours to read because the writing seems directed at a *much* younger audience than her other books. Basically we have the "back" story of Skif, thief turned Herald, who first appears in the "Arrows" trilogy and all the Valdemar books after that (more prominently in some than others). Our Hero leads a charmed life that's never as bad as it could be in the slums of Haven the capital of Valdemar. The story is so simplistic that anything else I could say would be a "spoiler". If you're a Valdemar fan you'll enjoy this book, but don't expect another "Arrows of the Queen". I'll probably buy this in paperback (I borrowed a copy) and maybe read it again, but the emotional connection that is there in the Talia and Vanyel books is missing entirely, even though Skif has been one of my favorite characters for years.
Rating:
Summary: Skip's story
Review: i thought this book was great. i always wanted to know what had happened to skip before he got chosen, and here it is! i think misty did a good job on it.
Rating:
Summary: Lackey Lite
Review: Not her best and certainly not her worst work, "Take a Thief" reads as if it were written for the juvenile market. 'Way too many coincidences than is good for a character or a plot line. I mean, really! Skif must be the only orphaned waif/abused child in literature who stumbles into the clutches of a good version of Fagin - regular baths and three meals a day! I could almost hear the poor boy intoning "please, sir, could I have some more?" Only in "Take a Thief" the poor beggar gets more. Deus ex Machina rules! Skif always seemed to be a character with a slightly damaged soul - and an interest in revenge. This is a less serious book than Ms. Lackey could have written about this character. I hope we don't get many more "back" stories like this one.
Rating:
Summary: actually 3 and a half stars
Review: a fine read but most of the characters somewhat shallow. was disappointed to see that lackey couldn't keep her stories straight. in her previous books it hinted that skif's mother taught him how to pickpockets but in take a thief, his mother was killed at an early age before he started stealing. the book itself is an amusing read but judging from lackey's previous book, take a thief is substandard work. altho i must say it's a definite improvement over burning brightly.
Rating:
Summary: There have been better
Review: Although I am a great fan of Mercedes Lackey and have all her Valdemar books, I found this one not up to the standard of the others. Yes it did fill you in on information about Skiff's life prior to becoming a herald (and I loved the stealing food from Lord Orthallen's house)but if you read deeply into Lackey's other books, you would find most of that type of background info anyway. However, if you just want a harmless little flit back into Valdemar and a chance to meet up with old characters then this bok is for you. personally I would prefer to see more books about Valdemars future or far past, ie founding.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent idea, terrible execution
Review: It's good that Ms. Lackey finally got around to giving us some background on Skif - one of the more interesting peripheral characters in many of the other Valdemar books. And it's very nice that she's quit writing trilogies. However this book is full of inconsistencies which will annoy most fans. In "Arrows of the Queen", the Holderkin who are part of Valdemar keep their women uneducated. This is in direct conflict with "Take a Thief" when schooling is mandatory for all children. In "The Last Herald-Mage", Taver is the Companion of the King's Own. In "Brightly Burning", Rolan is the King's Own Companion. But in "Take a Thief", Skif is told that Taver was Talimir's Companion and was killed in the Tedrel Wars. Rolan was his replacement. These should have been caught and dealt with. Finally, I find the blatant egotism in writing herself a part in her own books to be a mark of unacceptable arrogance.
Rating:
Summary: Valdermar, what more do i have to say
Review: How can u not like a book about everyones favorite person skif. FInd out where he came from and why he does what he does. U will love this book, read it
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