The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater – Book Review (Reread)

Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Spice: Mild

Summary:

Every fall on the island of Thisbe, there’s a competition held to see who has the fastest water horse. Born of the sea, the water horses are fast, unpredictable, and dangerous. Every year riders die in the race. Sean Kendrick has grown up riding in the races after his father was killed racing. Respected for his quiet way with the water horses, Sean is looking to win the race once more with his favorite water horse, Corr, so that he can finally accumulate enough winnings to buy Corr from his employer and get out from under his thumb.

Puck Connely, also a local resident of Thisbe, wants nothing to do with the water horses who killed her parents. Her life is exactly what she wants taking care of the house and her younger brother and riding her horse, Dove. But when her older brother announces he’s leaving Thisbe, and Puck finds out they will lose their house if they can’t come up with enough money, her only option is to enter the Scorpio Races and win the prize. But she has an uphill battle training Dove to race the faster water horses, and a girl has never participated in the races before.

One a favorite to win and the other a novelty long-shot, Sean and Puck both need the win. But the Scorpio Races, like the water horses, are as unpredictable and uncontrollable as the sea surrounding Thisbe.

Reaction:

The Scorpio Races was the first of Maggie Steifvater’s books that I read, and it was the one that made me fall in love with her writing. I love getting drawn in by the contrasting characters and the mystical atmosphere of Thisbe. And the tension that builds up to the race always seems to leave me breathless and amazed at how the story got there. An amazingly clever tale featuring an unusual fantasy creature.

I love the way this book’s plot builds slowly at the beginning. I enjoyed immersing myself in the beautiful, lyrical descriptions and characterizations. The story was like a rock rolling down a hill; it started slow and before I knew it, it picked up speed. And by the end, it was moving so fast with moments of high tension and bursts of action. It left me with these amazing feelings of both joy and sorrow. Then, Maggie ripped my heart out right at the end. No matter how many times I’ve read this book, the ending always leaves me balling.

There are themes of feminism and gender inequality throughout Puck’s POV that I really appreciate because it’s profound in the delivery but understated because it doesn’t seem to be the focus of the book. If anything, the message is that Puck must ignore the inequality to overcome it because it doesn’t change her financial circumstances at all, which is actually such a grounded and relatable message.

Thisbe is this beautifully imperfect mix of practical and mystical. I found the dichotomy was emphasized by the two POVs: Puck is firmly practical in her thoughts about the island, while Sean is deeply entrenched in the mystical occurrences of the island and it’s featured fantastical creatures, the Capaill uisce. These water horses are both beautiful and terrible in the old European fantasy tradition, but the way Sean interacts with Corr made me believe if you just respected them instead of trying to conquer them, there could be a friendship made. There’s also a consistent interplay between mysticism and religion, those wanting to leave and those firmly rooted in Thisbe. There are all these perfect contradictions about the island that immerse the reader and lets them believe this could be a real place.

Puck is a spunky, headstrong girl that can be a bit naive at times but is overall a straightforward character with deep emotions. She’s an easy character to follow because she doesn’t hide her emotions, and seeing the world through her POV helps provide a beginner’s lesson on Thisbe and the Scorpio Races to the reader. Puck has such growth in the book as she is challenged to overcome adversity and take on greater responsibilities, which was satisfying to read. I absolutely love Sean Kendrick. He’s presented as reserved and a bit cynical, but the way he treats Corr and the horses he’s training reveals his heart of gold. It’s amazing the way Maggie writes the setup so that every time someone just says “Sean Kendrick”, you can tell how respected he is by those around him. And perhaps even more so than Puck, Sean goes through a big transformation as his wants and priorities shift away from himself. I love the two main POVs, but the supporting cast of characters is just as colorful and helps create the unique but realistic feeling of Thisbe.

More than the two MCs by themselves, I love the way they contrast each other’s viewpoints and interact. This is how you do slow-burn romantic sub-plot. At the beginning, Puck and Sean’s interactions were so brief, but so charged I was salivating over the smallest look. They started off so unsure of what the other is about, but there’s a rhythm to the way they interact that shows the spark. And in just a few touches and gestures as they are pitted against each other, the whole perspective changes. Just like the plot, it’s slow and unforced and beautiful.

I absolutely love this book! I could read it over and over again, it makes me feel so many emotions each time I read it. It’s so different from its contemporaries in the genre in its pacing and presentation. I appreciate that instead of having a broad fantasy world, it focuses on a single magical place with a singular unique fantasy creature. It allows the story and characters to really shine. And because of that, I think this is a good starting point for anyone dipping their toes in fantasy, or fantasy lovers who are looking for a palette cleanser from epic worlds. I’d also recommend it for anyone who loves books that feature a special connection between riders and their mounts.

What I enjoyed:

·       When a financial motivation could come between Puck and Sean, it doesn’t. This is a refreshingly human take on competition as they would be happy for the other’s success rather than resentful.

·       When Sean and Puck ride Corr together. Slow-burn shivers!

·       Both Sean and Puck’s relationships with their horses. They are both their best friends, which is so cute and wholesome to contrast the savagery of the capaill uisce.

What I didn't enjoy:

·       Nothing!