The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stievater

Title: The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: October 18, 2011
Source: Library


Summary: 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.
Review: The Scorpio Races is by far the favorite off all the books I've read of Stiefvaters. It bloody, sweet, and most of all it ultimately makes you care deeply for the characters.

The Scorpio Races started out a little slow, but once it got going it had me enthralled. The book was plain addictive. I found myself having to know what happened to the characters and the horses. (The pace of the overall book is a little sluggish but not in a bad way, you just have to get over the first bump, so to speak.)

The characters...oh my. They stunned me. Absolutely stunned me. It took me awhile to warm up to both of them, as there are alternating chapters between Sean and Puck. But after awhile these characters had carved a little place in my heart. Sean was just the sweetest and Puck the sassiest and so brave. I could go on for awhile about just how much I loved them. But there are so many other amazing things The Scorpio Races.

The Scorpio Races is quite subtle in its romance. I loved it. It in no way overtook the story. I was initially expecting more but I realized that in this book I like it so much better.

The mythology Stiefvater incorporates includes something I've never seen before. Capaill Uisce. Or water horses. I would have liked to have known so much more about them and the island of Thisby but for a standalone Stiefvater manages it well. Her writing, which was beautiful as always, made the island of Thisby seem even more alive. I still want to know more!


I can't write this review with out mentioning Corr. This is Sean's water horse. I fell in love with Corr from the beginning. Corr shows such loyalty to Sean. There are really no words to describe how I felt for Corr. Or how much Sean loved Corr. Did I mention that water horses are evil? Corr is most certainly not.


The Scorpio Races is an amazing tale that tackles new mythology with flesh-eating horses and the bloody life that people live on The Scorpio Sea. I have a feeling that The Scorpio Races will stay with me a long, long time.


Rating: 4.5 stars, It was almost perfect to me.