This is part of the Herald of Valdemar series of books, and takes you through the life of a young thief named Skif. If you have read the Queen's Arrow series, then you will recognize who Skif is; if not, then he was a poor child raised in the slums by his very unkind relatives after his mother's death. He is able to escape that life and is taken in by a band of boy thieves with their very kind Fagin-like character. When he is on his own again, he becomes involved in crown affairs and is chosen by a Companion, those wonderful horse-like creatures who choose those who often wind up basically becoming the country's heroes. He really has a whirlwind time of things after being chosen, and his life is changed. I'm trying to set the stage without letting you know the entire story, but the entire series is wonderful to read and every one of the characters are fully developed, and you cannot help but love them all.
Mercedes Lackey has captured my imagination and interest through so many generations of the Valdemar series. You cannot go wrong with this series. I own every single book in the series - and will keep it that way until there are no other books to purchase. I do wish that the Kindle version (and some of the "standard" versions) included Larry Dixon's art. Amazing Artists!!! The both of them!
The main character in this book is Skif - how can you not love him? He is such an imp - though one with a good heart. He appears in several more Valdemar books - and I love the quirks of his character as he grows and matures.
Enjoyable fill-in-the-holes story for Valdemar fans, but not for readers new to the series -- the back-story and the appeal of this immersive world will not be apparent from this starting point. If you are new to this world, start with "Arrows of the Queen" or the "Last Herald-Mage" series. The story fills in the details of Herald Skif, and paints an interesting picture of the capital city of Haven (from Lackey's other writings, who would have thought it to be such a desparate, impoverished, and dangerous city?). It also has a little more of the gritty character I found so appealing in the first two or three series of Lackey's Valdemar books. A long-standing quibble of mine, the cover art, seems to have been addressed, the Companion pictured looks closer to what the text describes. Quibbles -- it ends too quickly after a long build-up (it felt like it could have used a few more chapters), and things still go "too well", too easily, for her main character, which has been a theme in recent Lackey books. But it definitely feels more solid than the last two or three volumes.
This is an easy read and decent addition to the Valdemar canon, however, there are a few problems. It tells the tale of Skif, an orphan and pickpocket, who in Dickens-fashion, is apprenticed to a slovenly and corrupt uncle, then a humane and kind-hearted thief, and finally Chosen and brought to the Herald Collegium to train. Needless to say, he has difficulty adjusting to a place where just about everyone is kind and unselfish.
A conflict arises when Skif's Faginish mentor's house is burned and he is killed. Skif sets out for revenge, and as the man's misdeeds extend far beyond his imagination, he eventually gets aid from the Heralds, who wish to wipe out such a scourge in their city.
I was annoyed by the page after page of indecipherable dialect, and how one character's speech was grammatically correct half the time, and transposed English the other half. It seemed random and sloppy, and detracted from the impact of the character, especially since we were never given any good reason why this should occur. Other than that though, the book was fine.
This is Skip's story and is a prequel to the Arrows series. Skip is a recurring character in many of the books and there were always hints that he had a troubled life before you meet him in "Arrows of the Queen". This book helps explain a lot of what made him the boy and man we meet in the later books.
I love the Valdemar series and have been reading and re-reading the books since they first came out. I have read the entire series many times. The story usually grabs me and I devour it -- I spent most of my life reading heavy tomes, scientific and technical writing and these books always provided a welcome diversion. Now I just read for pleasure and the Valedmar series gives me pleasure when I re-read them.
This novel assumes that the reader is familiar with the Valdemar series and the Companions. It begins somewhat like Andre Norton's "Scent of Magic" with a young orphan, Skif, being used as child labor in a tavern owned and operated by unsavory relatives. He escapes from that life to join a gang of young thieves led by an older man who teaches Skif the finer points of picking pockets and cat burglary. The setting is similar to Charles Dickens' stories set in 19th century London. A tragic change in circumstances sends Skif on a quest for vengeance (while supporting himself as a thief). Finding himself in a situation where his life may be in danger, he seeks refuge in a temple but continues his cat burglary at night. His attempt to be a horse thief finds him chosen by a Companion, somewhat to the dismay of the Heralds, and puts him in a position to exact retribution for past wrongs. Skif seems to abandon people as the story moves along. What became of the young girl he protected from bullies at the school? Does he never go back to visit anyone who befriended him? Perhaps the Heralds need to teach Skif some social skills. The novel is suitable for teenage readers.
