Being a bit of a cover snob I thought the publishers could have done more with this book afterall the author is a gifted artist, the Audible book has the cover which is on my review below but if I bought a copy I would look for one that had a better cover.
Blurb
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.
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
I have read this via the audible book, and I think I probably would have enjoyed it better as a book, I intend to buy it ( a signed version as I LOVE Maggies books) and re-read it myself.
The book is full of the harsh realities of being raised in a poor household and when Puck Connolly realised that the only way she can keep her home is to risk her life in the Scorpio Races.
Both Puck and Sean are two characters that have endured enough in their lives, Sean is such a noble but quietly reserved soul, his devotion to the strange water horses and the other horses in the stable yard were easily understood, being a horse lover/ owner I really did understand the devastation and the joy of loving horses.
Now what I found hard, it seemed to go on forever, I listened to this book while I was driving and just before I went to bed, I do this with my audio books, but this book was hard, I would start to fall asleep at times and when driving I would loose interest.
Now don't get me wrong, the writing is beautiful, the descriptive vision of the scene are beautiful but story builds slowly, it captured some interest in my mind and thus I continued to listen, but I had a hard time keeping myself into it, hence the length it took to finish.
If you enjoy a fantasy that is also quite equally a book that shows the reality of growing up in poverty then give this book a go. But the reality of having a race where bloodthirsty creatures of myth are used as a form of entertainment seemed a bit odd to me... if these horses are so wild, dangerous... how would they continue to allow their capture and training?
I think if this had been normal horses, and 2 poverty stricken youngsters training their horses to win and thus get out of poverty, it would have made more sense to me. I did not need the supernatural nature of the horses, people are easily killed on normal horses ( I have seen this personally) so I should know.
Now that answer surprises me in hindsight, me the PNR addict, but its true, the parts of this book I preferred were the honest normal struggles of Puck and Sean to get out of their situations.
But Maggie still is a favourite author for me to read - I intend reading Blue Lily Lily Blue next.
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View all my reviews
Author Bio
Author. Artist. Maniac. I write things: the bestselling SHIVER trilogy, the Raven Cycle, THE SCORPIO RACES, More about the storyline and The Books of Faerie. Find out more at www.maggiestiefvater.com
