Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races
by Maggie Stiefvater
Release Date: October 18, 2011
by Scholastic Press

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 as 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 to ever do so.  She is no on way prepared for what is going to happen. 

My Review:


Maggie Stiefvater you have done it again. You haven't failed to amaze me yet. First your Wolves of Mercy Falls books, then The Raven Boys, and now this beauty. Well let's just put it this way: you are amazing.

I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK. AHHHHHHhhhh!!!! I didn't write this review until now because I was still gathering all my thoughts about this amazing book!

So first off I have always loved horses even though I've never took riding lessons. Something about them was always beautiful to me, and I love horse books. So imagine my excitement when I figured out that this book was a) by Maggie Stiefvater, b) about horses, and c) about killer horses. Now that is some real excitement. And it didn't fail me! I LOVED IT.

So the characters were probably my favorite part but I seriously loved everything. I loved Puck, mostly because she was fierce and seriously kick-butt. Even though she underwent some huge obstacles, she kept her mind focused on what she really wanted to do-- win the Scorpio Races, despite having a mere island horse while the others had beastly capaill uisce . I also loved the horses. Each one had a different personality. Some were vicious and savage, and others were quiet and calculating. And Dove was probably my favorite horse of all of them. Talk about a kick-ass horse! :p

I also loved Corr even though he was a capall uisce and he'd killed Sean's father. You could tell that Sean and him had a really deep connection. Some people say that animals and people can't communicate, but these two shared a special bond that I'm almost jealous of. I'd love to have that kind of connection with an animal. And Sean, of course I loved Sean. He was so mysterious for the first part of the book. I loved that part about him! When he became less mysterious I still loved his whole "man of few words" persona.

I LOVED the idea of the Scorpio Races, even though it is taking a myth and twisting it into another myth. I guess Maggie Stiefvater enjoys doing this since her Wolves of Mercy Falls books were about werewolves, but a different kind of werewolves. I would suggest reading the Author's Note BEFORE reading the book instead of after.

So anyway, this book was amazing and definitely the best Maggie Stiefvater book I have read so far. There were mixed reviews so I wasn't too sure if I was going to like it but I did! So definitely 5 stars for this one, definitely be putting this on your book repertoire soon!

5/5 stars