laurence1967's review against another edition
4.0
Good read. Mythical horses who magically come out of the water, a wonderful love story between Sean and Puck. Loved the water horses, beasts, beautiful, strong, especially Corr (Sean's horse).
sadiebydesign's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
4.25
loofyj's review
5.0
Seriously gripping stuff - you don't have to be a fan of horses or fantasy to adore Maggie Stiefvater's writing style and plotlines. Love it.
clarissep's review against another edition
4.0
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
I find it a little bizarre how long it took me to finish this. Somehow it's a little hard to pick up once I've put it down in the same way that it's difficult to put down once I begin to read it. One thing is sure: It is quite an amazing piece of work. In fact I can't find any fault in it to complain about!
The book takes the concept of horse-racing a level further by introducing us to the capaill uisce, essentially horses but more ferocious for they come out of the water and like to feed on blood and meat rather than hay. I haven't ridden on a horse since I was seven or eight, but I remember at that time I was so scared out of my wits on top of a pony that my mother had to ride it with me.
Truth be told I would like to get a second chance with horse-riding though no opportunities have presented themselves as of yet. It was quite a treat to read all those little tidbits and techniques Sean the horse-whisperer employed as he took care of the horses in the Malvern Yard. Though I'm not at all knowledgeable about horses so I can't say if any of them are done in real life or not, it was a fascinating subject to read about. Seeing Sean's relationship with his water horse Corr was a wondrous thing as well. I understood why Sean loved Corr so much and even grew to love that red stallion of his the same way-- despite the fact that it killed his father.
The name of the race is very clever too-- Scorpio Races. Not because the races are done on giant scorpions but because it is done in November.
The setting of this book on the fictional island of Thisby reminds me a bit of Margo Lannagan's Brides of Rollrock Island, only it is way less intense and the characters in The Scorpio Races are infinitely more likeable. Both of these books involve sea creatures that come up only on this one particular island in the middle of nowhere. Both have characters that dream of better lives on some sort of Mainland. Thankfully the similarities end there. Unlike Brides of Rollrock Island which does a good job of showing just how miserable their little island is, The Scorpio Races actually tries to prove that not everyone needs the promise of the Mainland to find happiness. When you read about Thisby about first, the island can pretty much be summed up in these words from the book:
(Gosh that's a beautiful line right there.)
And yet as you go on you begin to understand why both Puck and Sean would rather stay. Puck's love for Thisby can even be called contagious. The setting is part of the charm of the book and is integral to why the whole story actually works, and Stiefvater takes it and creates the most amazing atmosphere out of it.
The whole book happens in a span of approximately three weeks and yet it feels so utterly complete thanks to its pacing-- like a slow burn that carefully makes its way from head to toe, all the while searing itself into every bit of you as it goes. There is a lot of blood and death on the beach at Thisby; a lot of malice and jealousy and just downright nastiness from some characters that makes you want to strangle them and throw them off the cliff. The fact that it contemplates life and death quite a bit within the story makes it a rather serious sort of "children's literature", but it also makes it a wee bit more meaningful and moving. Gripping even.
I love how the book takes its time in developing the reader's relationship with each main character, Sean and Puck, such that you become in sync with their emotions, moods, and thoughts as the days dwindle down to the Scorpio Races. I did not find one single event in the book that I could deem unnecessary even though there are certain chapters that seem like random pieces of musings if you read them out of context. Both Sean and Puck are such deeply layered characters that I find it hard to believe they are both teenagers just at the brink of adulthood.
Their reflections about themselves and of everything else around them are so astute and observant that they are able to root out the very core of any situation or even person.The plot is simple enough: Both Puck and Sean need to win in the Scorpio Races to get the prize money for their own personal reasons. And yet something very different is taken at the end of the story. Through both their POVs they guide us through what it means to be free, to love, to choose a path and forge through it. They teach us about true loyalty, show us what spirit and heart can accomplish. I felt Puck's sadness and insecurities. I felt Sean's loneliness and helplessness, most especially his love for Corr. I even felt the natural chemistry between the two of them though the romance is admittedly just a small aspect of the big picture. I love how neither of them falter once they've made up their minds. There's no whining in here either because they understand their dire circumstance and chose to do something about it instead. They both act quite mature for their age. Others may argue otherwise, but I feel very much that Sean and Puck are the heart and soul of this book.
Of course all that we have to credit to the incredible writing of this book. Stiefvater does such an amazing job setting the mood all-throughout the story. But she does an even better job endearing Puck and Sean to the readers that by the end of it you want the people trying to harm either of them dead, or better yet trampled on and bloodied under the hooves of a capaill uisce then thrown in to the sea. (I'm looking at you Mutt Malvern!)
I never read any of Maggie Stiefvater's works before because her werewolf series never really piqued my interest, but when people said that the lady can write they absolutely knew what they were talking about. The good news is I have Raven Boys in my bookshelf already.
I find it a little bizarre how long it took me to finish this. Somehow it's a little hard to pick up once I've put it down in the same way that it's difficult to put down once I begin to read it. One thing is sure: It is quite an amazing piece of work. In fact I can't find any fault in it to complain about!
THE GOOD
The book takes the concept of horse-racing a level further by introducing us to the capaill uisce, essentially horses but more ferocious for they come out of the water and like to feed on blood and meat rather than hay. I haven't ridden on a horse since I was seven or eight, but I remember at that time I was so scared out of my wits on top of a pony that my mother had to ride it with me.
Truth be told I would like to get a second chance with horse-riding though no opportunities have presented themselves as of yet. It was quite a treat to read all those little tidbits and techniques Sean the horse-whisperer employed as he took care of the horses in the Malvern Yard. Though I'm not at all knowledgeable about horses so I can't say if any of them are done in real life or not, it was a fascinating subject to read about. Seeing Sean's relationship with his water horse Corr was a wondrous thing as well. I understood why Sean loved Corr so much and even grew to love that red stallion of his the same way-- despite the fact that it killed his father.
The name of the race is very clever too-- Scorpio Races. Not because the races are done on giant scorpions but because it is done in November.
The setting of this book on the fictional island of Thisby reminds me a bit of Margo Lannagan's Brides of Rollrock Island, only it is way less intense and the characters in The Scorpio Races are infinitely more likeable. Both of these books involve sea creatures that come up only on this one particular island in the middle of nowhere. Both have characters that dream of better lives on some sort of Mainland. Thankfully the similarities end there. Unlike Brides of Rollrock Island which does a good job of showing just how miserable their little island is, The Scorpio Races actually tries to prove that not everyone needs the promise of the Mainland to find happiness. When you read about Thisby about first, the island can pretty much be summed up in these words from the book:
Happiness isn't something this island yields easily; the ground is too rocky and the sun too sparse for it to flourish.
(Gosh that's a beautiful line right there.)
And yet as you go on you begin to understand why both Puck and Sean would rather stay. Puck's love for Thisby can even be called contagious. The setting is part of the charm of the book and is integral to why the whole story actually works, and Stiefvater takes it and creates the most amazing atmosphere out of it.
THE GREAT
The whole book happens in a span of approximately three weeks and yet it feels so utterly complete thanks to its pacing-- like a slow burn that carefully makes its way from head to toe, all the while searing itself into every bit of you as it goes. There is a lot of blood and death on the beach at Thisby; a lot of malice and jealousy and just downright nastiness from some characters that makes you want to strangle them and throw them off the cliff. The fact that it contemplates life and death quite a bit within the story makes it a rather serious sort of "children's literature", but it also makes it a wee bit more meaningful and moving. Gripping even.
I love how the book takes its time in developing the reader's relationship with each main character, Sean and Puck, such that you become in sync with their emotions, moods, and thoughts as the days dwindle down to the Scorpio Races. I did not find one single event in the book that I could deem unnecessary even though there are certain chapters that seem like random pieces of musings if you read them out of context. Both Sean and Puck are such deeply layered characters that I find it hard to believe they are both teenagers just at the brink of adulthood.
Their reflections about themselves and of everything else around them are so astute and observant that they are able to root out the very core of any situation or even person.The plot is simple enough: Both Puck and Sean need to win in the Scorpio Races to get the prize money for their own personal reasons. And yet something very different is taken at the end of the story. Through both their POVs they guide us through what it means to be free, to love, to choose a path and forge through it. They teach us about true loyalty, show us what spirit and heart can accomplish. I felt Puck's sadness and insecurities. I felt Sean's loneliness and helplessness, most especially his love for Corr. I even felt the natural chemistry between the two of them though the romance is admittedly just a small aspect of the big picture. I love how neither of them falter once they've made up their minds. There's no whining in here either because they understand their dire circumstance and chose to do something about it instead. They both act quite mature for their age. Others may argue otherwise, but I feel very much that Sean and Puck are the heart and soul of this book.
Of course all that we have to credit to the incredible writing of this book. Stiefvater does such an amazing job setting the mood all-throughout the story. But she does an even better job endearing Puck and Sean to the readers that by the end of it you want the people trying to harm either of them dead, or better yet trampled on and bloodied under the hooves of a capaill uisce then thrown in to the sea. (I'm looking at you Mutt Malvern!)
FINAL THOUGHTS
I never read any of Maggie Stiefvater's works before because her werewolf series never really piqued my interest, but when people said that the lady can write they absolutely knew what they were talking about. The good news is I have Raven Boys in my bookshelf already.
acanthocephala's review
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
beestew93's review
5.0
I'm convinced Maggie Stiefvater wove this book together with pure magic. Considering the origin of the water horse mythos, this might not be far off. The Scorpio Races contains everything a fantasy reader could ever wish for: epic world building, intense character development, tension ridden relationships, and an ultimate, beautiful, impossible to attain mythic creature that races faster than the wind.
Update: I will officially, no matter how many times I read it, never get over this book.
Update: I will officially, no matter how many times I read it, never get over this book.
gwenisnonbinary's review
2.75
I wanted to like this book. I absolutely adore The Raven Cycle series. But too many things confused me and I didn’t believe in the chemistry between Sean and Puck. I think they would be better off as friends with how they interact. Plus it took a long time to get to the actual race part in the book. I think there was a lot of filler that I could have gone without. Idk. Maybe I just didn’t get the point. It’s possible. Things go over my head.
teawiththefates's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so good, and I love it a little more every time I re-read it.