The Scorpio Races

Nov 04, 2011 Maja rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-the-right-choices, amazing-writing, books-i-can-t-wait-to-read-in-2011, favorites, my-flat-army, made-me-cry, multiple-povs, role-models, reviewed-in-2011, own-a-dtb

They came in with the tide. The moon illuminated long lines of froth as the waves gathered and gathered and gathered offshore, and when they finally broke on the sand, the capaill uisce tumbled onto the shore with them. The horses pulled their heads up with effort, trying to break free from the salt water.

I had to restrain the squealing, fangirly Maja and shove her in the closet so that the adult, critical Maja can sit and write this review. Believe me, it’s better this way.

With The Scorpio Rac...more

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May 19, 2011 Lora marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: g-ya-realistic, lib-to-read

I am seriously excited for this. As excited as this kitten, in fact.

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Nov 04, 2011 Lyndsey rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1st-person, pov-alternating, present-tense, about-animals, blog-giveaway-at-strangemore, about-horses, made-me-yawn, reviewed-2-stars, reviewed-2011

Also posted on STRANGEMORE.COM.

This is basically the paranormal version of Misty of Chincatigue with (gasp!) romance!

Like Hidalgo, on the beach instead of the desert with (gasp!) kissing! Between two riders! NOT between the horse and it's rider though. Well... sometimes between the horse and it's rider. Just a little.

When this book started, it felt like a breath of fresh sea air, not rife with the smell of YA cliche. That was mainly because I thought this book was told from the alternating persp...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Joe rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, ya-book-club, printz-honor, borrowed-library

March 2012
Pittsburgh, PA

My Dearest Maggie,

Sometimes I can be a total prick, but I'm not above apologizing for it. About a year ago, I eviscerated your novel Shiver. Then I took another jab at you when I reviewed Franny Billingsley's Chime. I will not take those statements back. Shiver is an incredibly shitty book, Maggie.

But I will apologize for saying you're a worse writer than Stephenie Meyer. She's way shittier than you. You've sorta redeemed yourself with The Scorpio Races. Sorta. I am not...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Arlene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: YA Fantasy Fans

Recommended to Arlene by: Street Corner Booker Tour - ARC Flannery

Shelves: arc, read-2011, ya-fantasy, gifted-to-me

Absolutely fantasical! More please...

First off, a huge thanks to Flannery from thereadventurer who is touring this book with the Street Corner Bookers and allowed me to experience this crazy sauce of a book! Thank you!

Wow! Just wow!! Maggie Stiefvater has definitely cemented her status in the YA genre and Scorpio Races is her full access ticket to the game. I've enjoyed her Mercy Falls trilogy for over a couple of years, but this book has definitely pulled her away from the pack and shown she ha...more Absolutely fantasical! More please...

First off, a huge thanks to Flannery from thereadventurer who is touring this book with the Street Corner Bookers and allowed me to experience this crazy sauce of a book! Thank you!

Wow! Just wow!! Maggie Stiefvater has definitely cemented her status in the YA genre and Scorpio Races is her full access ticket to the game. I've enjoyed her Mercy Falls trilogy for over a couple of years, but this book has definitely pulled her away from the pack and shown she has what it takes to deliver a novel that will have you falling for the characters, emerging yourself in the setting, and feeling the magic.

If I had to choose one thing that Steifvater excels in, I'd have to say it's her ability to make you feel a part of the setting. She has a way of bringing it to life for the reader, whether it's the cold icy woods of Mercy Falls, or the cliff-side ocean breeze of Skarmouth. She creates such vivid back-drop that you can actually imagine along with the characters having ocean mist spray your face and the sea water confuse your senses. Well done!

This story takes place on the small island of Skarmouth. A place where riders compete in a deadly race every November with capaill uisce (pronounced copple ishka) which are intense and predatory water horses that emerge from the sea. These stallions aren't your normal racing thoroughbreds. These mystical creatures feed on blood and require charms and magic to ride, and at any moment they can turn on their rider and attack. The Scorpio Races is a high stakes game that only the best men enter to compete.

That's until Puck (Kate) Connolly finds herself not only orphaned when her parents fall victim to these savage horses that crave blood, but also when her older brother Gabe decides to abandon her and Finn, the youngest of the three, to the mainland. Kate decides to enter the Scorpio Races to try and stop her brother from leaving and hopefully win the money to make ends meet.

In order for her to win though, she'll have to race against Sean Kendrick, a four time champion in the games. Sean is drawn to the games and the ocean that knows him by name. His moves are influenced by magic as he draws circles in the sand and whispers commands to his beast Corr to control its power. Sean knows what it takes to win the race and his stallion is the one to beat. Winning the game for him, though, isn't about money, but very few know his true motivation.

This story is highly character driven and legend induced. There were so many characters that I fell for especially Sean, who let me tell you is nothing like Sam from Shiver. He's fierce and commanding and probably has never read a line of poetry or plucked a guitar string in his life. ^^ Puck is a worthy main character as well. She's strong and determined and willing to do what it takes for her and Finn to survive. She's rough around the edges and probably can't make her hands clean enough to cook a chicken, but that doesn't stop her from trying to survive the game. I also loved Puck's younger bother Finn. He's ever awkward and extremely loyal to Puck. He's like a fey, you don't thank him or ever give him a compliment. There's just something about him that makes Finn so hug-worthy.

Overall, this book is so much more than racing to the finish line. It's about proving to yourself that you're stronger than others define you to be. It's about pushing yourself to that place that reveals who you really are and what you're truly capable of. Yes, this book mixes in a light romance, but the bond between these two racers is beyond the normal attraction, it's about knowing what you're willing to sacrifice to earn what you really need. Absolutely beautiful!

So if you can't tell by now, I loved this book. Scorpio Races is Triple Crown worthy blending fantasy, magic and romance for a high adventure race to the finish! A must read for fans of Stiefvater and anyone that's looking to experience a magical adventure. (less)

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Feb 24, 2012 Maggie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, 2012, a-z-book-2012, crushworthy-guys, i-ve-just-read-you-and-i-love-you

This was a book I was ready to hate. Actually, if I'm being honest, this was a book I wanted to hate. What? German foosball players aren't the only ones capable of schadenfreude.
description

Plus, this was a story about horses, those vicious, four-legged beasts that naive children are tricked into riding at summer camp before they're brutally thrown off. Hypothetically speaking, of course. Yet I found myself drawn into this story, this mythic tale of savage water horses in a barbaric race created by all too...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Lisa O. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lisa O. by: Birthday present from Maja

Shelves: ya-lit, paranormal-ya, fantasy

In the Scorpio sea, somewhere in the Atlantic, lies the island of Thisby. It's a small island mainly inhabited by fishermen but it's also popular for its capaill uisce and its Scorpio Races. Capaill uisce are fearsome water horses. They feed on meat and blood and they are predators, killers.
The Scorpio Races are held each year in November and they're a tradition in Thisby. They're also dangerous, brutal and the cause of several casualties each year; because of course riders, in these races, com...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those who enjoy twists on familiar legends (such as water horses)

Shelves: 2011-reads, writer-crush, best-endings, made-me-cry, exceeded-my-expectations, could-have-been-better, writing-to-which-i-aspire, prose-envy, reviewed

The capaill uisce plunged down the sand, skirmishing and bucking, shaking the sea form out of their manes and the Atlantic from their hooves. They screamed back to the others still in the water, high wails that raised the hair on my arms. They were swift and deadly, savage and beautiful. The horses were giants, at once the ocean and the island, and that was when I loved them.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater is a difficult novel to describe: it is one-part race novel, one-part horse appreci...more The capaill uisce plunged down the sand, skirmishing and bucking, shaking the sea form out of their manes and the Atlantic from their hooves. They screamed back to the others still in the water, high wails that raised the hair on my arms. They were swift and deadly, savage and beautiful. The horses were giants, at once the ocean and the island, and that was when I loved them.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater is a difficult novel to describe: it is one-part race novel, one-part horse appreciation tale, and one-part coming-of-age journey with dashes of horror and magic and just a tiny pinch of romance. It has all the materials to be a great and unforgettable tale...but somehow the pieces never come together quite exactly as it feels they should.

Every November, the small island of Thisby becomes a tourist trap as curious people travel to see a daring spectacle: the Scorpio Races, an event in which people ride upon capaill uisce, deadly water horses with bloodthirsty habits and madness when faced with the place of their origins, the ocean. No one is ever guaranteed to walk away from the race alive; death has become an all too common occurrence among these island folk.

It's such an intriguing, exciting concept...but honestly the horrific outcomes involving the water horses are only a small part of this novel. The true core of the story is much more simple and common yet nonetheless powerful: ties to family, home, animals, and dreams are the real driving forces of what make this story less of a letdown and more of a win. Though the story has flaws and pacing issues, it does have a lot of charm with its focus on the ties that bind.

However, that same slice-of-life focus is also one of the novel's most noticeable flaws: the story and leave long stretches of time with just build-up and development. Some readers may come away feeling a bit cheated because the title does not quite live up to its promise with the word "races". Instead of offering a war cry when it came to the main event, The Scorpio Races gives whispers and mutters. For me, the meaningful end to the tale more than made up for its beginning blunders and missteps, but I know that others may not end up feeling the same.

Overall, I found The Scorpio Races to be a novel that rather subverted its own promise. I came into the story expecting a tale of horror and gore; instead, I received a thought-provoking look into the life of a small island bound to tradition and magic. In the end, I was happy with the exchange. I can only hope that other readers will have a similar reading experience.(less)

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Nov 07, 2011 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, weird-world-building, self-inflicted-and-i-knew-better, open-ended-book, fairy-tale, disappearing-parent-syndrome, coming-of-age, better-than-i-expected

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Three stars. I know, I'm surprised too.

I expected a few things when I borrowed this book from a friend. 1. I wouldn't like it at all because I thus far have not been a fan of Maggie Stiefvater's world building. 2. It was a dystopian of some sort. 3. The race would be long, grueling, and somehow a significant portion of the book. Well, the world building was still on the half-hearted side, but I didn't find it as flimsy as the Mercy Falls (view spoiler)....more

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Aug 11, 2011 Anila rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: galleys-are-win, reviewed, not-for-the-sensitive

Edit: I feel it worth nothing that this is my 250th Goodreads review. Yay milestones!

This is the first time I've felt even a little guilty about not liking a galley. I didn't really enjoy this book, but I didn't hate it enough not to care, and so here I am stuck in limbo, not really sure what to do with it.

The idea is absolutely fabulous. A race run on killer water horses? Yes, please. And there's the element of romance between two competitors, both with a reason they need to win, which just amp...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Sparrow rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: tommie

Recommended to Sparrow by: Kay

Shelves: motherless-daughters, girls-rule, audio, monsters, reviewed, under-read-gems, favorites

This was the most gorgeous audio book I’ve listened to yet. I am wavering a little in saying that because it is up against Flo Gibson’s reading of Wuthering Heights, Mia Farrow’s reading of What Falls Away, and Stephen Fry’s reading of The Hitchhiker s Guide to the Galaxy. But, this audio was outstanding. Let’s not compare them all to each other because they are all outrageously excellent, and I don’t want them to fight. But, oh, this book. So beautiful. So, so beautiful. Listen to the audio of...more This was the most gorgeous audio book I’ve listened to yet. I am wavering a little in saying that because it is up against Flo Gibson’s reading of Wuthering Heights, Mia Farrow’s reading of What Falls Away, and Stephen Fry’s reading of The Hitchhiker s Guide to the Galaxy. But, this audio was outstanding. Let’s not compare them all to each other because they are all outrageously excellent, and I don’t want them to fight. But, oh, this book. So beautiful. So, so beautiful. Listen to the audio of this book.

I had pretty low expectations for this if we’re honest. Shiver was abysmally boring, and I listened to that on audio as well. Not even good readers could make up for how lame that was. But, you could tell Stiefvater could write a sentence from that one, so I decided to give her another chance, and, boy, am I glad I did. My only complaint is that, errrg, at the end of the audio is this recording of Stiefvater telling you her life’s story as it relates to the book, and apparently she wrote the awkward folk music that plays at the beginning and end of the story. . . . Stick to the sentences, Stiefvater! I tried to decide if those things ruined the audio at all, and even though they left a bad taste in my mouth, I decided they did not. Because this audio was absolutely beautiful.

This is one of those stories that has the Firefly curse, where you can’t describe what it’s about. Cowboys + space? No, thank you. But Firefly is the best show ever, amiright? This has similar issues. It is a retelling of traditional fairy tales about evil fairy horses from the sea. But, Stiefvater makes it her own in this painfully beautiful way.

[inarticulate noises of excitement!!!] This is the story of this wonderful orphan girl and her beautiful horse. It is the story of this wonderful orphan boy and his beautiful, evil fairy waterhorse. And both of them have to run this horrible race, the Scorpio Race, in order to earn their freedom from various entanglements. It all takes place on the island of Thisbe, which, how pretty is that? Oh, but it is about so much more. It is about grief, and what a battle life is. It is about loyalty and bloodlust. Every part of this book is beautiful (except the aforementioned awkward moments that really have nothing to do with the book.)

In the awkward author’s recording at the end, she mentioned that how there is so little making out in this book compared to the Shiver series (thank god!), and she said that because of the island she was writing, she realized this would be more of an Elizabeth Bennett/Mr. Darcy love story than a Shiver love story. And YES! That is what it is. These beautiful kids have that strength of Elizabeth Bennett and Darcy. They develop that slow, lovely understanding.

The central conflict here is whether Puck Connelly (our girl) can ride in the races traditionally reserved for men on waterhorses. And there is so much that is unstated there but painfully and articulately drawn, like it was drawn out of someone’s vein, in the association of Puck and her horse, Dove, as feminine, and the contrasting association of Sean Kendrick (our boy), and his waterhorse, Corr, as masculine. Puck and Dove live peacefully away from the sea and are somehow domestic, but not in a trapped way, in a warm way like tea and apple cake. Shawn and Corr are wild, like the ocean and magic. There is just something old-school feminine and masculine about those images, but not stuck and ugly. And Puck suffers all of the ridicule and violence of a girl running in a traditionally man’s race. And it is just beautiful. I hate even to say that, but there is something cathartic in this book about the violence of life and the way men and women experience that, and I love it.

Also, there is this rad, American character, and his last name is Holly, and holly berries are a magical tool to calm the waterhorses! Eeeep! (disclosure: Holley is my last name.)

I am appalled at how fewer people have read this than Shiver, even though I was one of them until now. I loved almost every second of this book, the sentences were so achingly beautiful, and I want you to listen to it if you are cool. (less)

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Aug 18, 2012 Keertana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-that-linger, kick-ass-heroines, rainy-day-re-reads, swoooon, teary-eyed-reads, favorites, life-changing, beautiful-prose

The Scorpio Races is one of those books that you can read as much as you want about and raise your expectations to seemingly unreachable levels, but nothing can prepare you for the story within its pages. It’s beautiful – from the writing, to the descriptions, to the characters and their relationships – everything about this novel is a beauty. Yet, what truly moved me as I read this novel was the sheer amount of passion it contained. I have never read a Maggie Stiefvater novel before, but if...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: horse-fans

Shelves: urban-fantasy, urban-fantasy-ya

Tarot card reading for this book: inverted Tower. The Tower is leaning into the sea, crumbling, with thrashing waves and stormy skies, and while it can be a card of destruction, it can also be a card of fundamental change--which describes The Scorpio Races down to the letter.

A fierce and hungry book. Even the wind is hungry here, "a live, starving thing." The tomboyish Kate, otherwise known as 'Puck,' and her brothers have been orphaned ever since the carnivorous water horses killed their parent...more Tarot card reading for this book: inverted Tower. The Tower is leaning into the sea, crumbling, with thrashing waves and stormy skies, and while it can be a card of destruction, it can also be a card of fundamental change--which describes The Scorpio Races down to the letter.

A fierce and hungry book. Even the wind is hungry here, "a live, starving thing." The tomboyish Kate, otherwise known as 'Puck,' and her brothers have been orphaned ever since the carnivorous water horses killed their parents. Loss runs through Kate's thoughts daily, ghosts of her parents and the struggle of being a family when none of the remaining children is an effective adult. One night, her oldest brother announces his decision to emigrate to the mainland, motivating Kate to enter the annual horse race that celebrates the water horses' return to land. Even as the whole island survives because of the horses and the tourists they bring, there is a deep strand of ambivalence at the prospect of their return, as they inevitably bring carnage and death.

Narrative switches between Kate and Sean, both entrants into the lethal race. Sean is a little older, more independent, more sure, but half wild himself. He too has lost a parent to the horses, and the other to the mainland, but unlike Puck, he is only respectful of them, not fearful. A multiple race-winner, he has numerous little magics that assist him in control over the water horses--twine, spit, iron. When Puck meets him, she finds he is "a dark-haired boy who is made of all corners." Sean's storyline involves a jealous and vengeful beta-male attempting to best him with capturing and training the horses, not one of my favorite plots. Beta's actions perhaps goes over the top for the justification we are given.

I appreciated the extent to which the two voices are distinct in telling their stories. It's fascinating when they meet some of the same people, each describing and interacting with them in their own style. Puck is clearly younger, both developmentally and emotionally, but she's trying hard to grow up: "I hope he doesn't, because my character's improved a lot since then. Nowadays I would've only thought the spitting part instead of saying it to his face."

One of the highlights of The Scorpio Races is the language. Deceptively simple language is used extremely well, creating atmosphere and character that stands out without cumbersome description. Even something as simple as Sean watching a man carving meat is described carefully: "I am mesmerized by the utter unawareness of the entire process, the childlike pleasure Beech takes in a job ill done." There's quite a few ugly occurrences in this book, but something about the prose makes it darkly beautiful: "Padgett is beginning to look improbable; something about him is starting to look less like a man and more like meat."

I enjoyed the uniqueness of the mystical element in the water horses and the mythology of the island. The mythology behind their return plays second fiddle, however, as the focus for Puck and Sean is on survival, and the options for emotional survival that winning will bring. I love the visual of the horses riding the crest of a wave onto the sand, but their bloodthirstiness and destruction thread through the book in a dark weave. Still, Stiefvater captures their swift beauty, "she is down the beach like an osprey diving for a fish" and creates sympathy for Sean's longing and love for his own water horse, Corr. Puck's faithful pony, ("horse!") Dove stands in sharp contrast to the barely bridled wildness of the water horses, and her willing and realistically drawn great heart is one of the soft pleasures of the story. "She is my mare and my best friend, and I keep waiting for some thing bad to happen to her, because I love her too much."

Overall, and enjoyable read that I'd recommend. It's grim but not despairing; there's a gently developed love interest that rises beyond the constraints of most YA romances, and the main characters are unique, sincere people doing what they can.(less)

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Nov 15, 2011 Chachic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Chachic by: Angie

Shelves: ebooks, best-of-2011

Originally posted here.

I enjoyed reading Maggie Stiefvater's books in the past but it wasn't until I saw glowing reviews from blogging buddies and Goodreads friends that I became really curious about The Scorpio Races. It sounds different from anything else that she's written and Maggie herself said that this is her favorite out of all of her books. How's that for encouragement? I couldn't pass up reading this one and I like that it's a standalone novel.

Sigh, what a lovely, lovely book this turn...more Originally posted here.

I enjoyed reading Maggie Stiefvater's books in the past but it wasn't until I saw glowing reviews from blogging buddies and Goodreads friends that I became really curious about The Scorpio Races. It sounds different from anything else that she's written and Maggie herself said that this is her favorite out of all of her books. How's that for encouragement? I couldn't pass up reading this one and I like that it's a standalone novel.

Sigh, what a lovely, lovely book this turned out to be. It's the best Maggie Stiefvater novel that I've read and if you haven't read any of her books, I recommend that you start with this one. The novel is narrated from alternating points of view - Puck or Kate Connolly's and Sean Kendrick's. Both are entered to compete in the deadly Scorpio Races, the annual event featuring water horses or capaill uisce. These terrifying water horses come out of the ocean only in the island of Thisby and unlike their land counterparts, they live on flesh and blood and love to hunt moving targets. A few islanders can tame them enough to ride them to the races, Sean is the most gifted when it comes to handling the water horses. Puck is the most unusual contestant in the race because she's the first girl to enter and she's riding her regular island pony, Dove, instead of a water horse. It was easy enough to like Puck - she's a prickly character but brave when she needs to be and she'd do anything for her two brothers. She joins the race to discourage her older brother, Gabe, from leaving the island. While I've always lived in the city and can't relate to the small town life in Thisby, I can understand how Puck feels about her homeland. To live in a place that's not easy to love, a crazy place with wild typhoons or storms, a place that friends and family would rather leave so they can find better opportunities somewhere else. Yeah, that sounds pretty familiar. And The Scorpio Races is just as much about Thisby as it is about the water horses. Sean shares the same fondness for their homeland. When asked why he doesn't leave, he answers with, "The sky and the sand and the sea and Corr." Remove the Corr bit (although I wouldn't say no to a magical water horse of my own) and that is exactly why I love the beaches in the Philippines.

I loved how the romance developed in this book, the pacing was perfect. It's the best kind of slow burn, filled with intense, meaningful glances and one-liners that go straight to the heart. I ate it all up and savored all the scenes between Puck and Sean. These two are so very different from each other - one is feisty while the other is a quiet sort of person - but they also have so much in common. They're tied by their love for Thisby and how they both care for their respective horses - the loyal Dove, for Puck and the blood-red, unpredictable water horse, Corr, for Sean. Both of them are orphans and because they've had to fend for themselves, they seem older than their teenage years. But I don't mean to imply that the focus of the story is the romance because it really isn't. Like I said, The Scorpio Races is about the island of Thisby, its people (viewed through the eyes of Puck and Sean) and the horses that they love. I know next to nothing about horses, I think I've only ridden a horse once in my entire life, but that didn't keep me from being fully immersed in this novel. The Scorpio Races may not be for everyone (I've seen mixed reviews) but it makes me happy that it worked out for me. Beautifully written, it sucked me in and didn't let go until I reached the end. One of my favorite books read this year, I recommend it to fans of horse stories and subtle romances.

Here's an excerpt from one of the scenes from Sean's point of view:

“As the sun shines low and red across the water, I wade into the ocean. The water is still high and brown and murky with the memory of the storm, so if there’s something below it, I won’t know it. But that’s part of this, the not knowing. The surrender to the possibilities beneath the surface. It wasn’t the ocean that killed my father, in the end. The water is so cold that my feet go numb almost at once. I stretch my arms out to either side of me and close my eyes. I listen to the sound of water hitting water. The raucous cries of the terns and the guillemots in the rocks of the shore, the piercing, hoarse questions of the gulls above me. I smell seaweed and fish and the dusky scent of the nesting birds onshore. Salt coats my lips, crusts my eyelashes. I feel the cold press against my body. The sand shifts and sucks out from under my feet in the tide. I’m perfectly still. The sun is red behind my eyelids. The ocean will not shift me and the cold will not take me.”

(less)

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Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

Guest reviewed by Sarah for Book Chick City. 7/10 on the blog.

As a big fan of Maggie Stiefvater's 'Wolves of Mercy Falls' series I was really excited about reading "The Scorpio Races". Although the books couldn't be more different in terms of the worlds Maggie has created they both have her beautifully descriptive style and you are fully pulled into the story. I did find that "The Scorpio Races" was a bit slow to get started, I struggled a little to get into the story and found the mythology of...more Guest reviewed by Sarah for Book Chick City. 7/10 on the blog.

As a big fan of Maggie Stiefvater's 'Wolves of Mercy Falls' series I was really excited about reading "The Scorpio Races". Although the books couldn't be more different in terms of the worlds Maggie has created they both have her beautifully descriptive style and you are fully pulled into the story. I did find that "The Scorpio Races" was a bit slow to get started, I struggled a little to get into the story and found the mythology of the sea horses confusing at first but once it gets going I was completely gripped.

Maggie has created something totally unique and I loved that it was so different to anything else I've ever read - flesh eating sea horses? Yes, that's something I've not come across before! These aren't seahorses in the traditional sense - no curly tails here - they look like normal land horses but live in the water, only coming out to feed. Every November the horses start to come ashore in Thisby and the islanders are at risk of death or serious injury if one of the horses find them. Although they live in fear of the Cappaill Uisce they also celebrate them and hold an annual race across the cliffs and beach. People come from all around the world to watch the races and the participants face all kinds of dangers, even trying to capture a horse to race on could cost them their lives. The chances of surviving to the finishing line are low but the rewards for the winner makes it worth the risk.

I have to admit that I found it frustrating trying to figure out the pronunciation of the Cappaill Uisce (said COPple Ooshka) / Capall Uisce (said CAPple ISHka). For the first half of the book I was confused every time I came across the words and had to flick back to the pronunciation guide at the front of the book to remind myself how they were said. I was especially confused every time the word Uisce was used on it's own - was it supposed to be Ooshka or ISHka? In the end I gave up and just mentally pronounced them they way they are spelt, after that I found reading the book much easier as I wasn't thrown out of the story every time they were used. That would be my major niggle with the story though and probably wouldn't bother most people as much as it bugged me.

The story follows two of the competitors in the race. First we have Sean Kendrick who is an expert when it comes to the Cappaill Uisce and four time winner of the races. His horse Corr is known to be the fastest one on the island and he is easily the favourite to win the race again this time. Sean has very good reason to enter the race, he is hoping to win his freedom and desperately wants Corr to belong to him. I loved Sean from the beginning and found it fascinating watching him training the water horses, he was the island's expert and someone that everyone turned to whenever there was a problem with any of the horses. Sean was the only one who seemed able to calm the horses down and he really had a magical connection with them.

The other competitor we spend time with is Puck (Kate) Connolly, orphaned when her parents were killed by water horses she has every reason to avoid the races but due to circumstances beyond her control she feels like the only way to keep whats left of her family together is to enter. Puck is such a brave and plucky character that you can't help but warm to her even though you're thinking she must be crazy to even consider racing. She is the first woman ever to enter the race and this doesn't go down well with the other riders but she stands up for herself and refuses to be pushed aside. There is a sweet and slow building romance between Puck and Sean but I loved that this didn't take over the whole story, the focus was definitely on the horses and the race.

Anyone who has ever had an interested in horses or riding will love the descriptions in the story. It really is beautifully written and I felt like I was riding along the cliffs with Puck and Sean as they were training for the race. It was easy to picture the island and although the idea of flesh eating horses is terrifying they are strangely beautiful animals in my imagination.

VERDICT:

If you're a fan of Maggie Stiefvater or have a passion for horses then I would definitely recommend reading "The Scorpio Races". It makes a refreshing change to read a stand alone novel (I seem to be starting so many different series at the moment!) but I would happily re-visit Puck and Sean's world if Maggie did decide to write a sequel.
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Oct 14, 2011 All Things Urban Fantasy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-abigail

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater is very different sort of book from her Shiver or Ballad series. It still has the same lovely writing and emotional layers, but the romance is much more like the classical definition of that word and less like the modern understanding. There are several love stories, but they aren’t just the sort where a boy falls in love with a girl (although I did particularly love that sort here). This is a thrilling and heroic...more Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater is very different sort of book from her Shiver or Ballad series. It still has the same lovely writing and emotional layers, but the romance is much more like the classical definition of that word and less like the modern understanding. There are several love stories, but they aren’t just the sort where a boy falls in love with a girl (although I did particularly love that sort here). This is a thrilling and heroic adventure, full of brave and daring characters, and soft and bittersweet feelings.

The characters are wildly different, but equally appealing. Puck is quietly strong with a fierce determination and a loyalty that borders on compulsion regarding those she loves. She has a quick temper that she’s mostly successful at keeping trapped inside, but I loved her more for the moments when it bubbled up out of her. The consequences of which were often tragic, but so real, so honest that I just became all the more invested in her as a character.

While I was surprised to connect so strongly with Puck, I had no doubt that Maggie Stiefvater would create yet another male protagonist for me to love. She excels at writing the male perspective in a way no other YA writer today does, male or female. I fell in love with Sean’s strength, his honor, his bravery, and his wisdom almost from page one. And I continued to fall further even after I’d finished reading. That’s the mark of a great character.

But I would be remiss if I failed to mention the two other main characters in THE SCORPIO RACES: Dove and Corr. The fact that they are horses takes nothing of away from their depth as characters or their development in the story. That’s due again to Maggie’s writing and also her mythology. Water horses, or cappall usice, as they are called, are truly terrifying, yet majestic in a dangerously alluring way. I both feared and loved them.

I always feel bad for whatever book I end up reading after Maggie Stiefvater because nothing else comes close to replicating her peculiar magic that fully engages not just the senses, but the heart as well. And that is true again with THE SCORPIO RACES, a quiet, almost understated story full of bright bursts of action made all the more poignant for the emotional underpinnings built so lovingly in this book about life and death and love and horses. I drank down every beautiful word.

Sexual Content:
Kissing(less)

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Apr 15, 2013 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, bea-2011, favorites, fantasy-ya, rereads, audiobooks

**This review also appears here on my blog, Tripping Over Books**

I've read all of Maggie Stiefvater's books and really enjoyed every one, but I think that The Scorpio Races might be my favorite. I love everything about it: the characters, the atmosphere, the plot, the writing. I was particularly taken with the setting, Thisby. It reminded me of one of those old sleepy New England coast towns that is full and buzzing in the summer but empty of everything except the quirky, tight-knit locals durin...more **This review also appears here on my blog, Tripping Over Books**

I've read all of Maggie Stiefvater's books and really enjoyed every one, but I think that The Scorpio Races might be my favorite. I love everything about it: the characters, the atmosphere, the plot, the writing. I was particularly taken with the setting, Thisby. It reminded me of one of those old sleepy New England coast towns that is full and buzzing in the summer but empty of everything except the quirky, tight-knit locals during the rest of the year. I want to go there. It seemed like a flawed place, but quiet and simple, aside from, obviously, the month leading up to the races of the book's title, which are Thisby's equivalent of the summer season except with killer mythical horses that burst out of the ocean. But really. I was taken with the place almost instantly. I had a very clear, complete picture of it in my mind, even of the places we didn't go; I could envision the whole place.

The characters, too, are imperfect and endearing and unique. Puck is feisty and ballsy and also uncertain and in a tough spot with her family. But she is fearless and funny, too, and I was hooked from the beginning. In fact, I was so invested in her so early in the story that when her brother, Gabe (view spoiler), I squeezed out a tear. I cried for Puck a couple of times, actually, because her life is kind of hard right now and I wanted more than anything for things to be easier for her.

Sean wants things to be easier, too, and happier, and he envisions those things as owning his beloved water horse, Corr and, in fact, owning the entire farm that he works for as the main horse trainer. I think he just wants to be around the horses. Sean is quiet and troubled (but on the inside; he's not a trouble-maker), and mysterious, and an orphan also. His life at Malvern's could be worse, I guess, but it's no great shakes, and I wanted things to be better for him, too. I rooted so hard for both of them. But what I really loved about their relationship is that it doesn't happen right away at all. In fact, you meet these two people as individuals who are working through some tough times of their own, and we spend a great deal of time getting to know them and seeing what their lives are like before things start heating up towards the end of the book. I was totally cool with this. In fact, I loved it. The tension made the relationship better and more satisfying. And I am always a big fan of allowing relationships to grow organically, which Puck and Sean's did. Thumbs up for these two characters, and all of the other characters as well, who were all flawed and wonderful (well, most of them were wonderful *looks at Mutt*)

Of course, there are non-people characters in this book and they were fantastic too. The water horses were dangerous and beautiful and thrilling and scary. I'm very glad that Maggie left out the part of the water horse lore where the horses turn into men on land. As animals on land, they were so much more menacing and threatening. Plus, we wouldn't have the race! And even though the water horse legend here was modified a little bit, I am still always drawn to stories that originate in mythologies and legends from any culture, and this book is no exception. It was a really nice relief that I didn't know I had needed to read about mythological creatures that weren't fairies or gods--things that I still love, though.

The Scorpio Races was awesome, and I wish there was going to be more!(less)

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Nov 23, 2011 Dee rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-fairytale, young-adult, printz

Oh no. I hate leaving negative reviews. I'll just be quick about it.

What I liked:

-Maggie writes pretty. Has hit the nail on the head in this regard. Not tediously overwritten like Shiver, just beautiful and evocative. Two stars for that.

What I didn't like quite so much:

-NOTHING HAPPENS. N-o-t-h-i-n-g. A third of the way through, bored to TEARS, I had to check a review or two...and that is when I found out that the Scorpio Races don't actually begin until the last 12 pages of the book. All the re...more

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Mar 19, 2013 TheBookSmugglers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review originally posted on The Book Smugglers

All cards on the table: I have always been on the fence when it comes to Maggie Stiefvater’s books. I read Lament and tried to read Shiver but didn’t like either book. I was irritated by the characters, by their lack of logical development and above all by the no-holds barred, insta-love/obsessive – type of romance story that drove those stories. However, I have always been able to appreciate this author’s beautiful prose (despite a certain tendency...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: YA

Recommended to Amanda by: Received as ARC at ALA

Shelves: arc, ya-lit, 2011, 2011-summer-bookaday, sequoyah-mg-2014, favorites

This book gave me fits, I was prepared to fall in love with it from the beginning because I follow Stiefvater's blog and enjoyed her Mercy Falls trilogy. I think she writes beautifully and creates strong characters. That being said, the first 200 pages of this book were a struggle. Like her other books, the story is told in alternating POV's between the male and female main characters. I liked the slow build for the romance but I really needed more to happen in the first half of the book than bu...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!* rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mythology, addicting-as-crack, dystopia, young-adult, fantasy, romance, i-have-met-the-author

Alrighty then. I've been terrible at doing reviews lately, and I finished this book, like, a month ago. So now I'm going to review it. Because I have like two other books that I really, really want to review. Not that I don't want to review this book, because I do. But yeah. I guess I just don't have anything very entertaining to say about it.

So, to briefly explain what The Scorpio Races is about, I made this illustration:

Uh yeah. So it's basically about an island where horses eat people. Awesom...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Sophie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: be-still-my-ya-loving-heart, badass-main-character, don-t-love-don-t-hate, fantasy-pnr-supernatural, fascinating-world-building, i-yawned, writing-gorgeous

This review also appears on The Dreaming Reader.

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

My AP U.S. History teacher used to joke that he'd given us fun projects for the final couple months of the year because they always erased the bad memories we had of the grueling tests and homework packets we had to do for the majority of the year.

And that's what the last fifty pages of The Scorpio Races have done. They were so intense, they basically obliterated the mind-numbing monotony of the other 350 pages. I would've...more This review also appears on The Dreaming Reader.

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

My AP U.S. History teacher used to joke that he'd given us fun projects for the final couple months of the year because they always erased the bad memories we had of the grueling tests and homework packets we had to do for the majority of the year.

And that's what the last fifty pages of The Scorpio Races have done. They were so intense, they basically obliterated the mind-numbing monotony of the other 350 pages. I would've given this book 5 stars for the last 30 pages alone. But nope. Stiefvater had to attach the other 300+, and so I am aggrieved that I can't give it a very high rating because of them.

When I say monotonous, I mean bored-out-of-mind monotonous. I was praying for something to happen, and I skimmed a lot of the paragraphs about Thisby or the details of the island and races because there were so many of them. Don't get me wrong, Stiefvater does have a gift with words, but it got a bit grating to keep learning about the sea and the horses over and over. Then again, if she hadn't focused on the world-building, the world of The Scorpio Races might not have come as alive as it did. That's the crux of the matter. Also, the book actually got pretty creepy and gory. I liked that.

I was practically begging for Sean and Puck to just do it in a patch of cliff grass or something. I mean, Sean and Puck don't even meet until 100 pages in, and their relationship progresses at the rate a snail takes to go uphill. Which is not bad at all, but took a lot of the excitement out of the book. And what is it with all the parents missing? That's just...weird and coincidental. I would've liked to know more about them, since Sean didn't seem to feel all that bad about his father being eaten up. Maybe I skipped more paragraphs than I should have?

I liked the characters (George Holly. What a badass. Oh, and Benjamin Halvern and his butter tea. I sort of want to try it), though, and the sweet romance once it started going. Sean was quite different from all the guys I've been reading about, with his sharp demeanor and quiet devotion. However, I'd have to say my favorite part was the relationship between Sean and Corr. It's just one of those friendships between animal and human that's stronger than you could ever expect. They're totally my OTP now. All in all, I'm satisfied with this book despite the utter boredom I went through, and I'm definitely encouraged to read Shiver now. (less)

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Oct 16, 2011 Ashley rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog, printz-honor

Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater was a book I was really excited to read. I've heard almost nothing but good things about Maggie's Shiver series, and the early talk I'd heard about this book was also quite positive. And, it was a book about hard-core, killer water horses... Sounds fascinating! But alas. I was seriously disappointed in this book, mostly because I didn't actually feel like anything really happened. I read...more Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater was a book I was really excited to read. I've heard almost nothing but good things about Maggie's Shiver series, and the early talk I'd heard about this book was also quite positive. And, it was a book about hard-core, killer water horses... Sounds fascinating! But alas. I was seriously disappointed in this book, mostly because I didn't actually feel like anything really happened. I read this book a while ago and here is my initial reaction, as recorded by Goodreads-
Meh. That's almost all that I can say about this one. I don't know what it is/was about this book, but I didn't connect with it at all. Stiefvater is a good writer, but there was no emotion, no feeling, no... anything to this story. I own Shiver, and now I'm kinda nervous to read it. If it's anything like this one, I can expect another 400 pages of Sigh... Am I done yet? :(
Honestly, I don't know that I need to say anything more about this book. I spent 400 pages of killer water horses eating people thinking- When is the action going to start? When is this book going to get good? When will something make me care?! And honestly, that never happened. Ever. I never cared about the story line, or about the characters. I mean, I can't even remember a single characters name. That never happens to me. I always remember at least one characters name (usually a lot more) but this time, I got nothing. (and honestly, I don't care enough about the book to even take the time to look it up). The main girl character was a bit whiny and clingy and I never really liked her. She was selfish and kind of stupid. I did prefer the main male character's voice, but even then, I just wanted him to get over himself.

As for their relationship, I was left totally lost there as well. I couldn't really see the draw that either of these two held for each other. We never got to see their relationship develop, at least not romantically. I can easily believe that they become mutually respectful friends with each other based on their interactions and the emotions we got to see tied into those, but really, it was strange. Not even insta-love, but more of a- let me trick you into thinking you are getting a developed relationship here when really... I got nothing.

I know I'm giving out a lot of negatives right now, but there really wasn't much that I liked about this book. The only thing this book has going for it is Maggie's writing. While the story bored me and I never believed in the characters, I did appreciate the writing. I don't really know how to explain it, because given all my complaints I shouldn't be thinking the writing is good, but there is something in the way the words flow that really shows a lot of talent from Maggie. So, I'm both hopeful and wary of the Shiver series now. Hopeful, because Maggie's writing really is lovely, but wary because I just did not enjoy this book, at all. I don't want to spend another 400 pages begging the book to just end!

So, while this book definitely wasn't for me, I do know that there are others out there who have really loved it so far and many more who will most likely appreciate this story very much (especially if you really like horses. I feel like this could be a great book for horse lovers) but me, I just couldn't do it. Link me to your reviews if you did love it, or share your thoughts in the comments! I'd really love to hear what you thought!(less)

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Oct 29, 2011 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-release, 2011-100-book-challenge, arcs-i-own, mundie-moms-reviews, books-i-own

4.5 stars

There's something magical about Maggie Stiefvater's writing. She has this ability to capture my attention with her beautiful lyrical writing, relatable characters and creative story telling. Much like her fey and wolf series, Maggie has a talent for taking a well known lore and making it her own. She does this by taking a mythology that's been around for ages and gives it a fresh, unique, engaging re-telling that's all her own.

The Scorpio Races rich mythology is based on water horses,...more 4.5 stars

There's something magical about Maggie Stiefvater's writing. She has this ability to capture my attention with her beautiful lyrical writing, relatable characters and creative story telling. Much like her fey and wolf series, Maggie has a talent for taking a well known lore and making it her own. She does this by taking a mythology that's been around for ages and gives it a fresh, unique, engaging re-telling that's all her own.

The Scorpio Races rich mythology is based on water horses, also known as the capall uisce in this story. This deadly water horse is most active in November, which the races are set around each year on the island of Thisby, a prized thing to capture, if it's captured at all. It's during this time that the men gather their best horses, some of which they've captured from the ocean and learned to control, in hopes of being crowned the winner. This race is one that not only requires great strength, but a keen understanding of your surroundings, as the stakes are high and not everyone lives to tell about it. One of the unique things about Maggie's water horses is their ability to attack and often time kill those who enter their waters.

Along with a heart pounding race is two alternating story lines from four time Scorpio Race winner Sean Kendrick and Puck, also called Kate who's the first girl to ever take part in these races. I really liked the way Maggie not only brought these two characters together, but I loved the way their relationship developed. Sean is the quiet, full of wisdom type. He's also extremely intelligent when it comes to horses and the water horses. He's not just a racer, but a horse trainer and the partnership he has with his wildly tamed horse Corr was my favorite relationship from this story. High fives to Kate! I loved this stubborn girl who didn't let others phase her in her decision to take part in what's known as a man's race. This girl can hold her own, despite the crap she takes from some of the guys and her own personal reasons for entering the race. It takes more than two great main characters to tell a story and Maggie's included some fantastic secondary characters as well.

This is s story that's truly unique, I know I keep saying that, but I can't compare it to anything else I've read. Maggie does such a suburb job with her fantasy. She brings a story to life that has this timeless feel to it. I love it when a story feels that way. I also like that she wasn't afraid to tackle the issues of gender, class structure and I loved the theme of loyalty which went for both the human friendships and the relationships they had with their horses. This story has a lot of great elements to it and it's truly a great fantasy read. There's danger, adventure, family relationships, friendships, a subtle romance, mild violence, a breath taking setting and an element of magic to it. This is a story I'd definitely recommend to readers 13 years and older. (less)

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Jul 13, 2011 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, ya, summer-reads-2011, sci-fi-fantasy, romance

Whilst I let this story percolate in the hollow cavern that is my brain-brain, I shall say five things:

a. This story is beautifully told.
b. It is NOT however what I thought it was advertised to be.
c. What I thought it would be was a swashbuckling adventure of a tale about racing and that maybe there be some scorpions involved.
d. What I got was an Irish ditty about two young love birds, an island filled with mythical creatures, and a smattering of delightfully colorful secondary characters.
e. Oh...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Minli rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Minli by: Shoshana

Shelves: young-adult, mythic, book-club

(2.5 stars) Maggie Stiefvater is just one of those authors whose writing doesn't sing to me. It's nothing personal. I've been holding a book grudge against her since the awful experience I had with Lament and all the things I've heard about the Shiver books, but after cajoling from a few different people in different places, I decided to give it a try.

Stiefvater is an excellent scene setter. Her thick description is vivid and lyrical (though reading this after Francesca Lia Block dims her light...more (2.5 stars) Maggie Stiefvater is just one of those authors whose writing doesn't sing to me. It's nothing personal. I've been holding a book grudge against her since the awful experience I had with Lament and all the things I've heard about the Shiver books, but after cajoling from a few different people in different places, I decided to give it a try.

Stiefvater is an excellent scene setter. Her thick description is vivid and lyrical (though reading this after Francesca Lia Block dims her light a little). Her novel idea here has lovely mythic roots--set in a small town off the coast of Ireland in the 1920s, Puck and Sean are just two of the riders in this year's Scorpio Races, held every November. The races are a huge cultural and sporting event for the entire island, because many entrants tame water horses who are super fast but are also frenzied and mad. They maim and kill people. It's very dangerous.

By all accounts, I should have liked everything that happened in this book. I live for these kind of atmospheric settings. But I just can't get over how lumpy some of the pacing was--the characters seem to dance around each other for the first half, and the races themselves take like, 10 pages. The middle sags--not because there weren't interesting scenes, but they just didn't seem to connect to anything. Also, I found Puck's impetus for racing kind of stupid at first. Her brother Gabe, who I've only ever seen toiling unhappily at his job or tipsy, wants to leave the island--why not just let him? I also found Puck's ignorance of the races a bit unbelievable. As a device, Stiefvater wanted readers to learn along with Puck, but it directly contradicts with her supposed fervent love for Thisby, which the races are so much a part of.

I'm glad to say that the pace picked up when Puck and Sean started meeting up, and the romance didn't make me barf. Thankfully, no insta-love, though it's still a pretty straightforward pairing--no other characters even looked their way and vice versa. But then the races were over too quickly, and I was left going "is that all?"

I'm not sure this book will change your mind if you're also holding a book grudge against Stiefvater. I found it better than I expected, but it's hard for me to ignore the defects in pacing and worldbuilding.

EDIT: I think I figured out why I don't enjoy Maggie Stiefvater's books. It's because only writes one female character, the protagonist, no female friends or anything. (less)

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Apr 09, 2013 Lexxie (un)Conventional Bookviews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, kindle, fave-2012, read-in-2012

This book was awesome! the seahorses were great, the main characters were wonderful, and I just want more.

This and other reviews can be found on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews.

I had no idea what to expect when I picked up The Scorpio Races, and I was completely blown away by it all! The characters, the vicious cappal uisce and the mystery surrounding both them and the race.

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Apr 21, 2012 Steph rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, best-of-ya, favorite-characters, love-of-prose, reviewed

The Scorpio Races is a very slow and subtle story. Maggie Stiefvater has said that she will sacrifice many things in her story to make readers feel something and it shows. Contrary to what the title may imply this is not an action packed racing story, and I feel like that may be why so many of the reviews are all over the place, because readers came into the story expecting something different. It’s not that the negative reviews citing lack of action are wrong, that’s all a matter of personal pr...more The Scorpio Races is a very slow and subtle story. Maggie Stiefvater has said that she will sacrifice many things in her story to make readers feel something and it shows. Contrary to what the title may imply this is not an action packed racing story, and I feel like that may be why so many of the reviews are all over the place, because readers came into the story expecting something different. It’s not that the negative reviews citing lack of action are wrong, that’s all a matter of personal preference and this book is not something I’d recommend to someone who prefers a lot of action, but I would hate to see people turned away from this story because they think it might be boring. It’s certainly not as action packed as the title implies, true. If a book with very little action that spends most of its time detailing every sight, smell, and minor character is not for you then definitely look elsewhere, because I can see how the pacing would not appeal to every reader. The actual race is a very small part of this book but I wasn’t at all bored by all of the rich character development and world building.

What Maggie excels at here is transporting you to this little Island town. You can feel the tension on the beach, easily picture the beautiful and dangerous water horses, and almost hear the waves as Puck and Sean sit atop the cliffs. Even the minor characters on the island easily come to life; from tough Peg to Finn and his struggles with OCD, to the three quirky Maud sisters who own a shop in town. I think that Maggie is one of the more poetic and evocative YA writers that I’ve come across. While I easily prefer this to the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, both works showcase Maggie’s obvious ability to write a lovely phrase, and pull her readers into a story headfirst. I think that The Scorpio Races rises above The Wolves of Mercy Falls due to the originality of the story and the subtlety of the romance.

Romance actually plays a very, very tiny part in this story so those who need a lot of romance in their books beware. The romance here is barely there and yet it is probably my favorite pairing in the entire YA genre. It is slow to develop and only beginning once we reach the conclusion of the story. I think a quote from Puck’s (Kate’s) perspective really explains what I love so much about the couple in this story.

"I think every now and then about Sean’s thumb pressed against my wrist and daydream about him touching me again. But mostly I think about the way he looks at me – with respect – and I think that’s probably worth more than anything."

The friendship and budding romance here is built upon a mutual love of horses and respect. That’s worth much more to me than any overly grand love story of the Romeo and Juliet variety. The main love story here was between horses and their masters. Sean and Corr and Puck and Dove were the true shining pairings of this novel.

I also enjoyed both narrators individually. Sean’s love for the monstrous horses, his fierce loyalty and protectiveness of them, and capability to tame them as much as they could be tamed, endeared me to him. I also loved that Puck was a woman entering a race for men who wasn’t trying to make a statement, but was just doing what she needed to do to survive, and didn’t see how her gender should stop her from doing that. I also liked her lack of tact and prickly personality.

"My mother always said that I was born out of a bottle of vinegar instead of born from a womb and that she and my father bathed me in sugar for three days to wash it off. I try to behave, but I always go back to the vinegar. When my Dad was in one of his rare, fanciful moods, he told guests that the pixies left me on the doorstep because I bit their fingers too often. My favorite was always when Mum said that before I was born, it rained for seven days and seven nights solid, and when she went out into the yard to ask the sky what it was weeping for, I dropped out of the clouds at her feet and the sun came out. I always liked the idea of being such a bother that I affected even the weather."

Having grown up near the ocean and as someone who has always dreamed of owning a horse this story was perfect for me. It was original, sweet and a breath of fresh salty-ocean-filled-with-monstrous-but-gorgeous-horses air and I enjoyed it cover to cover.
(less)

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Jun 28, 2011 Parajunkee.com rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, arc

Maggie Stiefvater’s writing is like music. Her words flow from the pages and land softly on your tongue…you can almost taste and feel and breath in the story as if you had the neurological condition called Synesthesia. Stiefvater’s writing is larger-than-life, interesting, original and profound. In the end it is just a story of a girl, a boy and two horses but the writing in-between makes it resonate.

On an island called Thisby water horses rise from the sea hungry and confused at the onset of wi...more Maggie Stiefvater’s writing is like music. Her words flow from the pages and land softly on your tongue…you can almost taste and feel and breath in the story as if you had the neurological condition called Synesthesia. Stiefvater’s writing is larger-than-life, interesting, original and profound. In the end it is just a story of a girl, a boy and two horses but the writing in-between makes it resonate.

On an island called Thisby water horses rise from the sea hungry and confused at the onset of winter. While their arrival is cause for terror as the horses feed on flesh, the islanders balance the fear of the horses with a race that they hold every year, called the Scorpio Race. The men of the island capture water horses and try to tame them, then they ride upon the shore in a bloody race that leaves a lot of people dead or seriously injured. This is the story of a girl named Kate and a boy named Sean. Both lost their parents to the horses and both are riding for very different reasons but in the end it breaks down to the same thing, they are chasing their dreams and trying to hold on to the unsteady life that is their island life.

Sean is the powerhouse, winner of four races, his horse Corr is a beast to be reckoned with. He is the races favorite, the horse whisperer that people call for whenever the horses act up. Yet, even though he has won four races he is still indebted to his boss, who favors him, but not enough to give him the freedom he so desperately wants. To win this last race means freedom.

Kate Connelly is an orphan, her and her two brothers were left to fend for themselves on an unforgiving island. Her older brother has had enough and he is leaving her and her younger brother Finn. Without Gabe they will lose the house and be forced to work in the Mill or some other odd job that will mean overly hard work and bad living conditions. Kate signs up for the races to delay her brother’s departure and maybe save their house. She will be the first woman to ever enter the races and the other islanders are not taking kindly to her entry, especially when she decides to ride her own horse, an island pony, instead of a deadly water horse.

This is the story of a deadly race. People die, but in the midst of it all a boy and a girl find that they have more things to race for than just things like freedom and family. Just once they discover what they are truly racing for, will they survive?

Breathless, enchanting and horrific, Steifvater did not hold back anything. Stiefvater’s tales aren’t pretty little pieces; with candy and high schools and kisses… they are emotional and real. They sit in the pit of your stomach, sometimes hard to digest; yet the prose and lyrical writing makes it go down so easy. I would find myself fascinated with a description of a facial expression. I had never heard it described that way – but it made so much sense. Stiefvater sees the world in a different way and then expresses it in her writing, by the end of the story you’ll realize that you so desperately want to see the world how Maggie Stiefvater sees it…it would make life so much more interesting.

To be specific about this novel, the characters almost come to life. Kate (Puck) Connelly and Sean Kendrick are epic, they both have their little Idiosyncrasy which are so token Stiefvater. Their flaws and odd habits make them seem more real and relatable as opposed to some of the perfectly formed, über hotties with super powers that you see in other young adult novels. The there is the setting of the novel…the cliffs of Thisby would jump off the page with the wonderful descriptions, I could almost smell the sea as I turned the page. Then there was the story of the water horses, these great beasts that as the winter closed in on Thisby, would rise from the water and kill. They feasted on flesh, attacking humans, sheep and other domestic animals, even other horses. They are huge, menacing and fast, demons from the water that terrorized the island during a certain time each year. It seems so odd, but it was a wonderful story and definitely another PJV favorite. If you haven’t read any of Maggie Stiefvater’s writing you are really missing out. Why not start with The Scropio Races?

Recommended for mature teens, there is violence and a bit of language. Nothing inappropriate. If you enjoyed her Wolves of Mercy Fall you will like this one. But, note there is more focus on the plot then there is on romance.
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Nov 07, 2011 oliviasbooks rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, zombies-monsters, read-2011, love-story-romance, laugh-a-little, stays-with-me, beautiful-writing, favorites-of-2011, historical-fantasy, multiple-povs-letters

4.5 stars. I had a lovely time reading it. Maybe more later.

3 likes · like · see review

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David Estes Fans ...: The Scorpio Races	49	74	17 hours, 15 min ago
Join this group if you liked the book!	2	10	Jun 13, 2013 12:16am
Crazy for Young A...: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater → Start Date: June 20, 2013	15	20	Jun 03, 2013 09:55pm
The YA Book Club: The Scorpio Races- May 2013	11	53	Jun 01, 2013 06:29am
In case you didn't know...	14	88	May 08, 2013 01:01pm
YA e dintorni: Gruppo di lettura di aprile: The scorpio races	46	31	Apr 24, 2013 06:19am
Does Puck and Sean end up together? Did you like the ending?	45	379	Apr 21, 2013 09:07pm

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