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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
Oh Maggie, you know torture better than most. I can honestly say I didn't see that ending. And I loved every step of the way getting there. (Also for Raven Boys fans, I saw Blue in Puck more than once, I love the girls Maggie creates. They are strong, capable, unique and awesome)
3.5 stars
Well, I was able to drop my feelings for that terrible book called Shiver and move on to this one. Honestly, the only reason I read this is how much I was in love with Maggie's writing.
At least this did not disappoint. Then again, I wasn't having high hopes for this one anyways, so not much of a deal.
This book was definitely better than Shiver, although in my opinion, still as boring in some ways.
Nothing really happened- even when we got to the part where the "climax" of the story was- I wasn't hysterical or anything, I was just like: "Uh. Moving on."
Which slightly disappoints me. Because honestly, I'd love to see some really great books by Maggie- her writing is fabulous, but let's face it: her plot lines are a bit dull. Shiver: No climax. The Scorpio Races: Climax, but a rahter flat one in my opinion.
The language flows beautifully throughout the whole book, but the whole problem is the rising action and climax- the rising action was OK, the climax wasn't written the way the scene should have been- the language flowed a little too slowly to match the pace of the race- shouldn't we be nervous of the outcome? This scene should be tense and fast- paced should it not?
Nope. Still the same pace. I love your way with the English lanugage Maggie, making it flow like that, but with fantasy, I generally enjoy faster paced writing. Maybe contemporary is a better fit for you.
I will keep an eye out for Maggie's future books, but I think for the moment, i'll drop them for a bit- if she writes contemporary though, definitely, I will read them- her writing is so perfect for a good contemporary.
Well, I was able to drop my feelings for that terrible book called Shiver and move on to this one. Honestly, the only reason I read this is how much I was in love with Maggie's writing.
At least this did not disappoint. Then again, I wasn't having high hopes for this one anyways, so not much of a deal.
This book was definitely better than Shiver, although in my opinion, still as boring in some ways.
Nothing really happened- even when we got to the part where the "climax" of the story was- I wasn't hysterical or anything, I was just like: "Uh. Moving on."
Which slightly disappoints me. Because honestly, I'd love to see some really great books by Maggie- her writing is fabulous, but let's face it: her plot lines are a bit dull. Shiver: No climax. The Scorpio Races: Climax, but a rahter flat one in my opinion.
The language flows beautifully throughout the whole book, but the whole problem is the rising action and climax- the rising action was OK, the climax wasn't written the way the scene should have been- the language flowed a little too slowly to match the pace of the race- shouldn't we be nervous of the outcome? This scene should be tense and fast- paced should it not?
Nope. Still the same pace. I love your way with the English lanugage Maggie, making it flow like that, but with fantasy, I generally enjoy faster paced writing. Maybe contemporary is a better fit for you.
I will keep an eye out for Maggie's future books, but I think for the moment, i'll drop them for a bit- if she writes contemporary though, definitely, I will read them- her writing is so perfect for a good contemporary.
Hey Maggie, can you pls leave some writing talent for the rest of us? For goodness sake
Actual review:
“It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.”
Content warnings: animal death
Each November, carnivorous water horses called capaill uisce rise from the sea on the island of Thisby. The islanders are used to this; they catch the horses and ride them in deadly races along the beach. This year is different though, because this year, Puck Connelly, the first girl in the Scorpio Races, is riding against Sean Kendrick, the four-time champion.
This book somehow made me feel nostalgic for a place I’ve never been. I should not be at all surprised at how perfectly Maggie is able to evoke this magical island and make me feel like I’ve walked along its cliffs and beaches even though it doesn’t even exist. I honestly felt like I was saying goodbye to a real place when I finished this book.
Even though this book is fairly slow paced and more focused on the characters than the races themselves, I found myself clinging to every word. Each sentence felt like an individual work of art. Not to mention the characters, who are beautifully crafted and complex! Maybe it’s my horse girl days returning to me, but I really want to ride a capaill uisce (even though I’d probably die). I can’t speak enough praise about this book! I just wanted to drown in it!
Actual review:
“It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.”
Content warnings: animal death
Each November, carnivorous water horses called capaill uisce rise from the sea on the island of Thisby. The islanders are used to this; they catch the horses and ride them in deadly races along the beach. This year is different though, because this year, Puck Connelly, the first girl in the Scorpio Races, is riding against Sean Kendrick, the four-time champion.
This book somehow made me feel nostalgic for a place I’ve never been. I should not be at all surprised at how perfectly Maggie is able to evoke this magical island and make me feel like I’ve walked along its cliffs and beaches even though it doesn’t even exist. I honestly felt like I was saying goodbye to a real place when I finished this book.
Even though this book is fairly slow paced and more focused on the characters than the races themselves, I found myself clinging to every word. Each sentence felt like an individual work of art. Not to mention the characters, who are beautifully crafted and complex! Maybe it’s my horse girl days returning to me, but I really want to ride a capaill uisce (even though I’d probably die). I can’t speak enough praise about this book! I just wanted to drown in it!
"What it's like is a battle. A mess of horses and men and blood. The fastest and strongest of what is left from two week of preparation on the sand. It's the surf in your face, the deadly magic of November on your skin, the Scorpio drums in the place of your heartbeat. It's speed, if you're lucky. It's life and it's death or it's both and there's nothing like it."
I have always loved [a:Maggie Stiefvater|1330292|Maggie Stiefvater|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1359424840p2/1330292.jpg]. The [b:Shiver|6068551|Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1)|Maggie Stiefvater|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328839272s/6068551.jpg|6244926] series was nothing but wonderful written magic to me. And [b:The Scorpio Races|10626594|The Scorpio Races|Maggie Stiefvater|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330964654s/10626594.jpg|15535056] is just as beautiful and wonderful, sad and lovely.
This is a story, told with few words but words that really make you feel the world. That is not to say that we have a fully flushed out world - instead we have this moment in time captured for us to read. There are no whispered answers to the "why" and "how" you may want, but if you are captivated by the fairytale quality of the story and just ride it, it's an amazing adventure.
In this we have 2 POV, 2 orphans at the hands of Water Horses. We have Puck (Kate) who is just attempting to survive with her two brothers (one older and one younger). Every year the races capture her small island and send them all in a whirlwind and the children make a small amount of money selling trinkets and try to keep food on the table and hay for her horse. This year is no different.
Sean is a horse trainer for one of the few wealthy men on the island. For all the other months of the year, Sean is just a right-hand-man great in the stables and with the horses.
But for this one chunk of time, he is the master of his trade - the ultimate handler with the water horses and the only one to beat in the race. Because he has won many times and has every reason to win again this year.
This is the tale of an island during the Scorpio Races, but it's also a story of Puck and Sean realizing who they are, what they stand for - and more importantly, where they are going. Because there's no use in pushing to the finish line when there's nothing on the other side worth wishing for.
I have always loved [a:Maggie Stiefvater|1330292|Maggie Stiefvater|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1359424840p2/1330292.jpg]. The [b:Shiver|6068551|Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1)|Maggie Stiefvater|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328839272s/6068551.jpg|6244926] series was nothing but wonderful written magic to me. And [b:The Scorpio Races|10626594|The Scorpio Races|Maggie Stiefvater|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330964654s/10626594.jpg|15535056] is just as beautiful and wonderful, sad and lovely.
This is a story, told with few words but words that really make you feel the world. That is not to say that we have a fully flushed out world - instead we have this moment in time captured for us to read. There are no whispered answers to the "why" and "how" you may want, but if you are captivated by the fairytale quality of the story and just ride it, it's an amazing adventure.
In this we have 2 POV, 2 orphans at the hands of Water Horses. We have Puck (Kate) who is just attempting to survive with her two brothers (one older and one younger). Every year the races capture her small island and send them all in a whirlwind and the children make a small amount of money selling trinkets and try to keep food on the table and hay for her horse. This year is no different.
Sean is a horse trainer for one of the few wealthy men on the island. For all the other months of the year, Sean is just a right-hand-man great in the stables and with the horses.
But for this one chunk of time, he is the master of his trade - the ultimate handler with the water horses and the only one to beat in the race. Because he has won many times and has every reason to win again this year.
This is the tale of an island during the Scorpio Races, but it's also a story of Puck and Sean realizing who they are, what they stand for - and more importantly, where they are going. Because there's no use in pushing to the finish line when there's nothing on the other side worth wishing for.
Here I was thinking Brian was gonna be a love interest
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
There is a tv channel in my country that every day of the week airs a movie in the afternoon, and growing up I've watched a lot of movies in the afternoons. It had a very peculiar feeling that probably not everybody felt or feels, but I did. Is a lazy and good feeling and it brings some quiet happiness to me. Once I met a friend who used to tell me that I had that afternoon movie feeling and it was a really nice thing to hear. And this is precisely how this book makes me feel. And it is really nice indeed.
This book has everything I wanted to make it good, and it lacks all the things that bothered me about The Raven Cycle. And while I do love that series, it is much more because of its characters than the story itself. But in this book is everything. The characters and the story and everything about this book is great. By the end of the book I was crying and it felt good, like an afternoon movie.
This book has everything I wanted to make it good, and it lacks all the things that bothered me about The Raven Cycle. And while I do love that series, it is much more because of its characters than the story itself. But in this book is everything. The characters and the story and everything about this book is great. By the end of the book I was crying and it felt good, like an afternoon movie.
“Shhhhhh, shhhhhh, says the sea, but I don't believe her.”
Hi I was a literal puddle of tears after I finished this one last night. I went in expecting it to be good (because Stiefvater is bae) but I didn't realize HOW good until I actually started it. I listened to this as an audiobook, ps. and I do recommend you do that. The narration was really good and I didn't think it took away from the story at all. The narrators didn't try to really mimic other voices, but made them different enough that you knew who was talking. Anyway, this is a story about people who love horses and the horses that love them back.
This one just had so much goodness to it. If you like Stiefvater's writing style in [b:The Raven Boys|17675462|The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)|Maggie Stiefvater|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415182016s/17675462.jpg|18970934], then you will enjoy her writing in this one as well. I find her writing to be very unique to her character's voices and I think that Puck and Sean were just beautifully constructed. They were two halves of the same whole while still being their own individual selves. I think I really liked that neither of them wanted to leave the island because I don't like stories where someone gives up what they want for the other person. They both had end goals that were complimentary, which is nice (and rare in real life, but shhhh).
I loved the world building in this. It had enough fantasy elements to keep me interested, but also grounded enough in reality that I could picture it all very easily. I liked that everyone was aware of the "magic" surrounding the island and came all over to see it, but didn't necessarily try to take it away from the island. I also liked that it felt like the sea itself was a character in this story because I think too often people forget that you have to treat the elements with respect or they will come back to haunt you for the rest of your days.
"You leave nothing to assumption," Dory Maud says. "You swallow her with your eyes. I'm surprised there's any of her left for the rest of us to see.”
THE CHARACTERS WERE JUST SO GOOD. Even the side characters served a purpose in this and weren't just sounding boards for Puck and Sean. I also liked that Puck and Sean had some overlapping story arcs but that they also had their own direction and path to take. I think what I liked most is that Puck wasn't doing this just to say she could do it and it didn't become an "issue" book even though other characters tried to make it that way. She was just trying to do the best she could under the circumstances to keep her way of life. As I said in my status updates: Puck is bae. Sean is bae. They were both just GREAT characters. I hope you all get to know them soon.
“I didn't know," I start truthfully, "that it was the hard way when I started on it.”
Best Stiefvater book? Best Stiefvater book! This one has the delicacy and intrinsic nature of The Raven Cycle but with more romance and horses. And Puck. And Sean. So there's that too. PS I CRIED AT THE END. Does that surprise you? It doesn't surprise me.
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Any horse lover would enjoy this. (I am not a horse lover, but I loved the book nevertheless!)