A spellbinding novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie
Stiefvater. Some race to win. Others race to survive. It happens at the
start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold
of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some
riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning
champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he
keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is
different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate
hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the
first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to
happen. As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie
Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet
their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The
Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience.
On the surface, The Scorpio Races looks purely like a fantasy
novel, but take away the capaill uisce (pronounced CAP-ul ISH-kuh), and
it’s much more like contemporary fiction. This is why I enjoyed it so
much. It’s not really a story about racing magical horses – although the
race is an important element that holds everything together – it’s more
about the island of Thisby, the people who live there, and their
relationship with the capaill uisce. The book takes place in the few
weeks leading up to the race on these powerful, beautiful – and deadly –
animals.
The Scorpio Races is a slow-paced story, but this is its
strength. Thisby isn’t bustling like the mainland – there’s no need to
rush when there’s nothing to rush for. It’s a poor, quiet island where
everybody knows each other. It’s home to Puck, and she never wishes to
leave. The Scorpio Races is a humbling tale, imaginative and
alive. I could picture it all and I was captivated by its characters,
whom I followed right up until the perfect, cinematic ending. It also
lacks action, which suits me just fine, but when there is, it’s
thrilling. Although I was rooting for Puck – it’s hard not to – Sean was
my favourite character to listen to. They’re contrasting characters,
but perfectly suited. There’s the inevitable romance, subtle and real.
You won’t find instaromance here. Even though Sean and Puck look out for
each other, they never take their eyes off the goal – to win.
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