Title: The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: October 18th 2011
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Synopsis: 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 chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
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My Thoughts
I’ve heard such fantastic reviews of this book, so when I finally picked it up, I had high hopes. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed at all. I loved Thisby, Sean, Puck, Corr, Dove, all of the characters and all of the places. In the Scorpio Races, the people in Thisby ride the capall uisce, water horses who want to go back to the sea. It’s a dangerous time, but that doesn’t deter people from racing. Including Sean Kendrick, who has already won four times at the age of nineteen. But he has more on the line for this race if he wants to make his own way in Thisby. The first female to enter the race, Puck Connolly rides to save the life she knows on this island. Both Sean and Puck are betting everything they care about for the Scorpio Races, but there can only be one winner.
I first heard of water horses after reading a story with a kelpie in it. That really sparked my interest in them. From what I’ve read, the capall uisce are a less violent than the kelpie. Which is saying something. The author did a fantastic job of portraying the capall uisce. We get a good explanation of what they are, why they come to Thisby, but I also felt that there was enough left to the imagination that they were still a mystery. The author wasn’t recounting a myth to be told again and again. The capall uisce are here on Thisby, and they’ll remain there longer than man. This was the main part of the book that really impressed me.
The characters are all great and developed. I felt a Kell and Lila vibe from Sean and Puck for some reason. One sticks to the rules and the other tends to break them. They also are undeniably drawn to each other. What I love about Puck is that she isn’t participating in the races specifically to be the first female in them or anything like that. It’s her solution for the dilemma she’s in. She does want to prove that she can race later, but in the beginning, it’s so prevent her house from being foreclosed and to keep the life she has with her brothers. She is wise, harsh, and sarcastic, but underneath it all, she is afraid. The same with Sean. He seems stoic and away from this world, but inside he’s afraid he’ll lose Corr, the only family he really has left. I like how despite their differences, at the core of it all, Puck and Sean are very similar.
Thisby is such an interesting and mystical place. I don’t think I could live there because of the small community, water horses aside. But the people and the connections Puck has make it seem cozy, despite how harsh the terrain actually is. I liked seeing their customs and traditions. Especially the November cakes! Again, the author has a talent of explaining what you need to know without providing massive paragraphs, but keeping enough of it a secret that you are intrigued. As much as I love that this is a standalone, I wish we had short stories or something in Thisby. Maybe one for Gabe, because I still think he deserves more. Or maybe a moment where Sean got one over on Mutt.
I really wish I’d read this earlier. I feel like maybe if I had, it would have been a five star read for me. This story is a lot different from The Raven Cycle, not only with the content, but the writing and the focus. I mean, the idea of family is still a constant in both of these stories, but I felt like I was reading a different Maggie Stiefvater with The Scorpio Races. Not a bad one at all. Just a different one.
If you’re looking for a magical standalone with water horses, deadly odds, and a bit of romance, I seriously recommend The Scorpio Races. Thisby is one of my favorite bookish locations. I think I’m going to go read more about water horses now! And I really recommend Maggie Stiefvater’s books! She’s an amazing author and I’ve loved all the stories she’s written.
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