LOVED it.

This is one of the most beautifully realised, atmospheric and tense stories I’ve ever read. Seriously, this novel is a master class in creating a sense of place, and populating it with perfectly drawn characters facing impossible choices.

It’s a love story, and not just one between a boy and girl, but between a girl and her horse, a girl and the wild island she lives on, and a boy and his man-eating water horse.

It's a bittersweet story (just like Maggie’s other works), so, yes, there are heartbreaking moments. But they serve to make the moments of triumph all the more moving and rewarding – and make the emotional journeys real.

I really loved this book. It was one that I didn’t want to put down, and equally didn’t want to end. Favourite read of the year, and favourite Stiefvater book.