A review by tjwallace04
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.”
Wooh! 5 stars to this tautly written, human (and horsey), harsh and heartening standalone fantasy. (Actually, first can we just have a round of applause for the fact that it is a strong standalone fantasy? They're so few and far between. No cliffhangers; no manipulative twists. Just a complete story, well told in 400 pages.) (Although, after saying that, hey Maggie Stiefvater, I wouldn't mind a sequel.)
Y'all! I have been waiting to read "The Scorpio Races" for almost a year, after it didn't make it onto my November 2022 reads. At times, that decision felt silly, but I am glad I waited. This is such a perfect book to read in November. It doesn't have the cozy October fall flavor or even the creepy October fall flavor, but it is dark and cold and totally autumnal in its own grey-skied, wind-whipping way. It's not scary per say, but it has teeth. (Demon horse teeth.)
Premise: Each November 1, on the small island of Thisby, the Scorpio Races are run. The capaill uisce, fairy water horse demons (?), rise out of the waves of Thisby in the fall. The brave and the foolish will catch them and train them for the race, but it is a dangerous event that attracts crowds of tourists from the mainland. Quiet, self-contained Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. Puck Connelly is the first girl to ever sign up, believing it is the only way to save her home and family. Neither can foresee how their unlikely alliance will end...
So yeah, I loved this. The writing is wonderful. The characters are believable. The setting is fantastically atmospheric. The romance is so slight and yet so lovely. (The scene where Sean tucks Puck's blowing ponytail down into her collar? Shivers.) And there's not just love between boy and girl here but between boy and horse and girl and horse, which I possibly found even more lovely.
I recommend "The Scorpio Races" to readers who like well-crafted fantasy, misty beaches and small town vibes, realistic sibling relationships, a heroine with a ponytail and also a pony tail, and a hero who doesn't say much but looks with his whole soul.
Wooh! 5 stars to this tautly written, human (and horsey), harsh and heartening standalone fantasy. (Actually, first can we just have a round of applause for the fact that it is a strong standalone fantasy? They're so few and far between. No cliffhangers; no manipulative twists. Just a complete story, well told in 400 pages.) (Although, after saying that, hey Maggie Stiefvater, I wouldn't mind a sequel.)
Y'all! I have been waiting to read "The Scorpio Races" for almost a year, after it didn't make it onto my November 2022 reads. At times, that decision felt silly, but I am glad I waited. This is such a perfect book to read in November. It doesn't have the cozy October fall flavor or even the creepy October fall flavor, but it is dark and cold and totally autumnal in its own grey-skied, wind-whipping way. It's not scary per say, but it has teeth. (Demon horse teeth.)
Premise: Each November 1, on the small island of Thisby, the Scorpio Races are run. The capaill uisce, fairy water horse demons (?), rise out of the waves of Thisby in the fall. The brave and the foolish will catch them and train them for the race, but it is a dangerous event that attracts crowds of tourists from the mainland. Quiet, self-contained Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. Puck Connelly is the first girl to ever sign up, believing it is the only way to save her home and family. Neither can foresee how their unlikely alliance will end...
So yeah, I loved this. The writing is wonderful. The characters are believable. The setting is fantastically atmospheric. The romance is so slight and yet so lovely. (The scene where Sean tucks Puck's blowing ponytail down into her collar? Shivers.) And there's not just love between boy and girl here but between boy and horse and girl and horse, which I possibly found even more lovely.
I recommend "The Scorpio Races" to readers who like well-crafted fantasy, misty beaches and small town vibes, realistic sibling relationships, a heroine with a ponytail and also a pony tail, and a hero who doesn't say much but looks with his whole soul.