THE SCORPIO RACES / Maggie Stiefvater / Scholastic Press / 18 October 2011 / 416 pages / $17.99
‘The Scorpio Races,' by Maggie Stiefvater, is an utterly compelling book that pulls the reader into its own world and refuses to release one's imagination until every word of the book has been read. RT Book Reviews Magazine says, "In her most addictive story yet, Stiefvater revives the strong, silent type in sexy, brooding monster tamer, Sean Kendrick. His co-narrator, Puck, is heartbreakingly adorable as a stubborn little sister growing into a brave, self-assured woman. Stiefvater is a master of magical realism, and her prose leaves the reader cold, damp and anxious as November closes in on the isolated island setting." ‘The Scorpio Races' is a book that has not ceased to amaze its audience since it was first mentioned in Stiefvater's tweets and video blog, which can be found on Youtube.
In ‘The Scorpio Races,' on a small Irish island, there is a special race every November. Many men and boys ride the capaill uisce (pronounced "copple ooshka") – the swift, beautiful, bloodthirsty water horses that want to either drown their riders or eat their flesh and who more often than not kill their riders.
Puck Connolly is the first girl to ever enter the race, but terrible memories make her reluctant to accept a capall uisce, so she decides to ride her land mare, Dove. If she doesn't win, she and her brothers will lose their home. Sean Kendrick is a boy with a special knack with the capaill uisce. He catches, trains and sometimes kills the water horses, and no one knows their ways better than he does.
But as the race approaches, both the young riders are confronted with problems – the entire village is opposed to Puck racing and Sean clashes with his cold, cruel employer over a prized stallion. And even as Sean and Puck grow closer, they begin to fall in love but only one of them can possibly win the race.
‘The Scorpio Races' is rife with Irish atmosphere and, unlike most fantasy novels, geared toward teenage and young adult readers. The supernatural creatures do not take the form of sexy boys; the capaill uisce are violent, wild beasts who crave blood and the sea, evoking both terror and awe. The romance in this book is handled delicately with little focus given to the budding romance and more attention given to the competition between the love birds who are set to race against each other.
‘The Scorpio Races' definitely stands out as Stiefvater's most well-written book she has yet published. However, the prose does take a while to pick up in pace. Even so, it is well worth the wait. Stiefvater writes exquisite prose detailing how each capall usice look along with the smells and sights of the small island of her creation. She pulls readers into a world completely her own, and readers are reluctant to leave when the book is over.
Stiefvater has previous publishing credits for her ‘Wolves of Mercy Falls' trilogy, ‘Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception,' and ‘Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie.' She can be found online on Facebook, on Twitter (@mstiefvater) and on Youtube (MaggieStiefvater), where she also shares videos from her book tour.
