The Scorpio Races

This is the first time reading the Scorpio Races. Overall Stiefvater did an wonderful job in executing the book........So two things I loved about the book is the style of her writing which includes vivid imagery, to the point that some are gory, and the way she interweave the story between man and the mythical beast. The relationship between Sean and Puck is interesting and unique. The ending of the story was cut a little short, because I wanted more but it was an amazing story arc.

Maggie's plot was different, in a good way. Though I personally wanted more of the romance and less on the description of the races, but Maggie's vocabulary was superb and always leave me breathless. The settings were mostly on cliffs, seaside and dull places which disappoint me, because in her Shiver Trilogy, the settings were similar as in the mood of the novel, cold and dark. I wish to see a more different mood than this, more cheerful and extravagant. All in all, it's a good book for leisure and for patient readers.

On a unique island named Thisby, deadly water horses are raced annually in an event called the “Scorpio Races.” These sea creatures are meat eaters with tremendous strength and a history of killing. Kate Connolly, known as Puck, lost her parents to water horses years ago, and now feels compelled to race for the prize money to keep her brother, Gabe, on the island and save her family farm. Sean Kendrick, also an orphan, has won the race four years for the Malvern Stables. If he wins again, he has the chance to buy the water horse he loves and perhaps start his own stable of horses. The Scorpio Races is a story that starts slowly by building characters and explaining their history. When the plot finally reaches its true momentum, it takes off at a brisk, engaging pace. The island and its local dwellers are vividly painted with feelings and idiosyncrasies. Puck and Sean narrate the story and are such reliable voices that the reader becomes convinced of the existence of this world in which people fight to survive a brutal yet beautiful habitat and to coexist with fearsome water horses known as capaill uisce. Fans of Stiefvater’s Wolves of Mercy Falls series will not find the same degree of romance. Kate (Puck) and Sean have a relationship that hints at future depth but does not fully satisfy true romance readers. The Scorpio Races is recommended for grades five through nine.