The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The Blurb On The Back:
Every year, the Scorpio Races are run on the beaches of Skarmouth. Every year, the sea washes blood from the sand. To race the savage water horses can mean death, but the danger is irresistible.
When Puck enters the races to save her family, she is drawn to the mysterious Sean, the only person on the island capable of taming the beasts.
Even if they stay together, can they stay alive?
16-year-old Kate ‘Puck’ Connolly has lived her whole life on the island of Skarmouth with her brothers Gabe and Finn ever since their parents were killed by a capall (a fierce, carnivorous water horse indigenous to the island). When Gabe announces that he’s leaving the island to seek work on the mainland, Puck discovers that they’re behind on the rent for their house and it’s up to her to find a way to pay it. The only option is to enter the Scorpio Races held on 1st November each year where riders race their capalls along the Skarmouth beaches and the winner takes a fat purse and the promise of fame. But Puck doesn’t have a capall of her own and even if she did, she isn’t sure she can control one.
Her only hope is Sean Kendrick, a boy not much older than her who’s won the Scorpio Races numerous times and works as a horse and capall trainer for the crafty Benjamin Malvern. But Sean has his own reasons for wanting to win the Scorpio Races and although Puck finds herself drawn to him, there’s no way that each can get what they want … is there?
Maggie Stiefvater’s critically acclaimed standalone YA fantasy is a well-crafted, exciting read that really conveys the magic of horses (both real and fantastical) while also establishing a credible romance between the two main characters. The story is a little predictable and I found Skarmouth veered at times towards being distinctly Oirish in flavour while Kendrick’s main antagonist Mutt (the cruel and vicious son of Benjamin Malvern) is two dimensional, but Stiefvater’s skill as a writer means there are still some surprises in the plot together with some beautifully observed and touching scenes. What really sets this book apart though is the fact that the romance is so well written - you see Puck and Sean grow towards each other and the love they share for horses. In lesser hands this could be clichéd but Stiefvater gives it life and a sweet intensity (and I say that as someone who doesn’t like a lot of romance). Also good is the relationship Puck has with her brothers, especially the sweet and fearful Finn who isn’t quite able to deal with the real world. Ultimately this was an interesting and entertaining read and I really look forward to seeing what Stiefvater does next.
The Verdict:
Maggie Stiefvater’s critically acclaimed standalone YA fantasy is a well-crafted, exciting read that really conveys the magic of horses (both real and fantastical) while also establishing a credible romance between the two main characters. The story is a little predictable and I found Skarmouth veered at times towards being distinctly Oirish in flavour while Kendrick’s main antagonist Mutt (the cruel and vicious son of Benjamin Malvern) is two dimensional, but Stiefvater’s skill as a writer means there are still some surprises in the plot together with some beautifully observed and touching scenes. What really sets this book apart though is the fact that the romance is so well written - you see Puck and Sean grow towards each other and the love they share for horses. In lesser hands this could be clichéd but Stiefvater gives it life and a sweet intensity (and I say that as someone who doesn’t like a lot of romance). Also good is the relationship Puck has with her brothers, especially the sweet and fearful Finn who isn’t quite able to deal with the real world. Ultimately this was an interesting and entertaining read and I really look forward to seeing what Stiefvater does next.
Every year, the Scorpio Races are run on the beaches of Skarmouth. Every year, the sea washes blood from the sand. To race the savage water horses can mean death, but the danger is irresistible.
When Puck enters the races to save her family, she is drawn to the mysterious Sean, the only person on the island capable of taming the beasts.
Even if they stay together, can they stay alive?
16-year-old Kate ‘Puck’ Connolly has lived her whole life on the island of Skarmouth with her brothers Gabe and Finn ever since their parents were killed by a capall (a fierce, carnivorous water horse indigenous to the island). When Gabe announces that he’s leaving the island to seek work on the mainland, Puck discovers that they’re behind on the rent for their house and it’s up to her to find a way to pay it. The only option is to enter the Scorpio Races held on 1st November each year where riders race their capalls along the Skarmouth beaches and the winner takes a fat purse and the promise of fame. But Puck doesn’t have a capall of her own and even if she did, she isn’t sure she can control one.
Her only hope is Sean Kendrick, a boy not much older than her who’s won the Scorpio Races numerous times and works as a horse and capall trainer for the crafty Benjamin Malvern. But Sean has his own reasons for wanting to win the Scorpio Races and although Puck finds herself drawn to him, there’s no way that each can get what they want … is there?
Maggie Stiefvater’s critically acclaimed standalone YA fantasy is a well-crafted, exciting read that really conveys the magic of horses (both real and fantastical) while also establishing a credible romance between the two main characters. The story is a little predictable and I found Skarmouth veered at times towards being distinctly Oirish in flavour while Kendrick’s main antagonist Mutt (the cruel and vicious son of Benjamin Malvern) is two dimensional, but Stiefvater’s skill as a writer means there are still some surprises in the plot together with some beautifully observed and touching scenes. What really sets this book apart though is the fact that the romance is so well written - you see Puck and Sean grow towards each other and the love they share for horses. In lesser hands this could be clichéd but Stiefvater gives it life and a sweet intensity (and I say that as someone who doesn’t like a lot of romance). Also good is the relationship Puck has with her brothers, especially the sweet and fearful Finn who isn’t quite able to deal with the real world. Ultimately this was an interesting and entertaining read and I really look forward to seeing what Stiefvater does next.
The Verdict:
Maggie Stiefvater’s critically acclaimed standalone YA fantasy is a well-crafted, exciting read that really conveys the magic of horses (both real and fantastical) while also establishing a credible romance between the two main characters. The story is a little predictable and I found Skarmouth veered at times towards being distinctly Oirish in flavour while Kendrick’s main antagonist Mutt (the cruel and vicious son of Benjamin Malvern) is two dimensional, but Stiefvater’s skill as a writer means there are still some surprises in the plot together with some beautifully observed and touching scenes. What really sets this book apart though is the fact that the romance is so well written - you see Puck and Sean grow towards each other and the love they share for horses. In lesser hands this could be clichéd but Stiefvater gives it life and a sweet intensity (and I say that as someone who doesn’t like a lot of romance). Also good is the relationship Puck has with her brothers, especially the sweet and fearful Finn who isn’t quite able to deal with the real world. Ultimately this was an interesting and entertaining read and I really look forward to seeing what Stiefvater does next.