Review: The Scorpio Races

Title: The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Why I Read It: It was recommended to me by a friend after I mentioned wanting more books with kelpies. Haley if you're reading this, thanks. I'm a horse lover, so this is right up my alley.

A Quick Intro: Novembers in Thisby are lethal. In the weeks leading up to the first of November, the water horses come up out of the sea. The capaill uisce are carnivorous, wild and drawn to the ocean. Every year, the islanders mount the horses, and attempt to back them long enough to run in the Scorpio Races. Kate "Puck" Connolly never planned to ride in the races, but circumstances forced her into the races, the first girl ever to ride. Sean Kendrick has cheated death in the races several times. He and Puck both have a lot to lose if they don't win the races- if they even make it out alive.

Review: I really liked this one. Like I said before, I'm a horse person, so I loved that element of the book. Puck's bond with Dove was wonderful, the amount of faith she has in her horse is an amazing thing. I loved the capaill uisce (they're from the same brand of myth kelpies- magical water horses that drag their riders down and devour them). I loved the brutal, wild quality of the horses, and how much Sean connects with the water horses, and especially his horse, Corr. I liked the subtle magic of the horses. The challenges that both Sean and Puck faced were rough, and I really rooted for them. I liked both of them a lot. The ending wasn't perfect either, its bittersweet, which I really liked, because nothing really is perfect.

I adore the main characters, both of them. They're wonderful. Puck is very much an individual, and she's brave and determined, though not unafraid. Sean as more reserved, but there's a lot of depth to his character, and a lot of thoughts and desires that he never reveals to the rest of the world. They were both very much people, as well as parts of the island. I loved them both, and I loved how their relationship developed. Maggie Stiefvater also gives us a plethora of secondary characters, and, whether I liked or disliked them as people, they were very well done characters, with their own personalities and quirks.

I love the writing in this book so much. It's beautiful and almost rough, it just fits the story so well. I really felt myself in the world of Thisby. It really pulled me in. The town itself has a personality, which I found really delightful. It came alive, and almost had a life of it's own- like there's always a suggestion that more than is mentioned to the reader is going on with everyone on the island. It breathed right off the page. I think I have a crush on an island. The story is told in alternating first person between Puck and Sean, which was effective because it showed different aspects of the island.

Overall, I love this one. It just struck all of the right chords with me as a person and was overall a wonderful piece of storytelling. This is a world that I really look forward to returning to in re-reads. Which will doubtless happen frequently.