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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
My first thought after finishing The Scorpio Races is that the title is misleading. The Scorpio Races themselves only take up about 10 pages of the entire book. I got a little bored with the exposition despite the fact that Sean and Kate are intriguing characters (in all honesty, they're the only reason I kept reading). I felt distanced from most of the characters due to Stiefvater's interesting choice to always use everyone's full names. All in all though, this is a decent read!
Dödsritten är en otrolig bok, som gör att jag gillar Maggie Stiefvater ännu mer. Det jag läst av henne innan är kretsen (the raven boys) och hennes trilogi om Mercy Falls. Det verkar vara hennes grej att skriva från flera personers perspektiv, och det är något jag gillar.
Så, för att samla mina tankar om boken. Vad tycker jag? Jag älskade denna boken. Vattenhästarna, Sean Kendrick, Puck Conolly. Maggie har ett fantastiskt språk, som lyser igenom översättningen.
Vattenhästarna, Capaill Uisce, vad ska man säga om dem? De är vackra och farliga. Jag älskar bilden som Maggie målar upp. Sean är frälst i hästarna, och jag förstår honom.
Alla karaktärer är också underbara, hela boken är bra. Den kommer igång direkt och har inga långa transportsträckor. Dessutom står den för sig själv, den behöver ingen uppföljare. Jag hade inte velat ha en uppföljare till denna, inte efter det slutet. Boken är bra, men det räcker med en.
Så, för att samla mina tankar om boken. Vad tycker jag? Jag älskade denna boken. Vattenhästarna, Sean Kendrick, Puck Conolly. Maggie har ett fantastiskt språk, som lyser igenom översättningen.
Vattenhästarna, Capaill Uisce, vad ska man säga om dem? De är vackra och farliga. Jag älskar bilden som Maggie målar upp. Sean är frälst i hästarna, och jag förstår honom.
Alla karaktärer är också underbara, hela boken är bra. Den kommer igång direkt och har inga långa transportsträckor. Dessutom står den för sig själv, den behöver ingen uppföljare. Jag hade inte velat ha en uppföljare till denna, inte efter det slutet. Boken är bra, men det räcker med en.
A great YA book that will appeal to adults as well. I enjoyed the alternating first person perspectives of the two main characters. Although the actual races only take up a short bit of the book, the stories of why the characters joined the races and what happened while they trained is not disappointing. Read and enjoy!
Update 2022:
Hooboy was I a noob when I wrote the original review. I am now an audiobook aficionado - I listen at 1.6x-2x speed and no longer think 12 hours is a long audiobook XD
ORIGINAL REVIEW
4.5/5
*This is an audiobook review
THE AUDIO
This is the first audiobook that I've made it all the way through. I have tried before - with One Second After and Darkfever, but I didn't care for the narrators so I gave up. (Mac's voice SO should not sound like that!)
So, how did it turn out? Fantastic!! Fiona Hardingham (narrator for Kate "Puck" Connolly) has a great voice; it's not too girly and she does a spectacular job of conveying emotions. I had a hard time getting used to Steve West (narrator for Sean Kendrick) at first, but the more I listened, the more he grew on me. They were both so good at speaking that I was able to get completely engrossed in the audiobook. Even when they were speaking for other minor characters, their voices were different enough that I felt like it was someone else entirely. Especially when it was George Holly speaking, because he had an American accent and they didn't.
If you didn't know, this audiobook was a whopping TWELVE hours long. I could have read the book in about 4. It took me roughly a month to finish it because I only listened to it while I was driving. After spending that long with the narrators, it was quite consuming. And addicting!! Anytime I got in the car, I needed to listen to it. There were a few times when my Audible app was acting up and I had to re-download it so I didn't get to listen...and I missed it! Then when I finished, it was like, Now what? because now I have to go back to listening to music again (and I love music!) because there's no more. Sad face!
The only downsides to audio? You have to give it your undivided attention. It's so easy to listen without actually hearing if your mind wanders off. And if it's a fantasy with strange names (like this one), you don't always know how to spell them (I only knew how to spell Corr and capaill uisce because I had a sample of the ebook).
THE STORY
This was such a magical storyline that I couldn't help but love it because it's unlike anything I've ever read before. The water horses, capaill uisce (sounds like cap-pull ish-kuh), are basically kelpies. I've never read a story about kelpies before, and the idea of a deadly man-eating water horse fascinates me. Taming and racing them adds to that!
I freaking loved Puck!! She was fiery and brave, a bit petulant at times, but compassionate and outspoken. Her and I would totally be besties! She stood up for what she believed in, and stood up for herself. She had the guts to be the first female ever in an all male event, and held her head high in the face of the taunts she received for it.
I loved the switching points of view. Because I was listening to audio, and there was a man and a woman narrating, the POVs were drastically different. But even if I had been reading, there would still have been a difference. There was a clear distinction between Puck and Sean in the way they talked and thought. Sean was very unruffled and....stoic, and Puck was the complete opposite. Their personalities were so well written (and spoken) that they felt like real people!
The relationship between Sean and Corr (Sean's uisce stallion) was beautiful, and at times, heart-breaking. Even though Corr was a monster at heart, he was still utterly loyal to Sean. The relationship between Sean and Puck was wonderful, too. It moved very slowly, and the romance was barely there at all, but you could still feel their connection.
There wasn't really much happening for the majority of this book, and if I'd been reading, I may have actually gotten bored. Which is something that didn't happen with the audio. But the scenes that involved the capaill uisce kept me on the edge of my seat! One in particular - I don't want to spoil anything, but I thought something terrible had happened and I kinda wanted to throw the book (except it wasn't a book, it was my $600 iPod, so of course that didn't happen).
And the ending! The race itself was such a tiny portion of the whole story, and it was over very quickly, but it was intense! Plus something that happened during the race - not gonna lie, I cried. Ahhh! The ending was bittersweet and left me wanting more. This would make a great movie!
Favorite quotes:
So, I may have had more, but I didn't realize I could make bookmarks on audio until I was more than halfway through. >.<
Because Sean Kendrick looking like that is the races, even if no race was ever run. A reminder of what the horses mean to the island; a bridge between what we are, and that thing about Thisby that we all want but can't seem to touch.
I hear laughter and someone asks if I need help, not in a nice way. I snarl, "What I need is for your mother to have thought a little harder nine months before your birthday!"
And here's another that wasn't actually from the story, but something Maggie Stiefvater said in the afterword while talking about water horse legends and shape-shifting:
Because, of course, there's nothing more irresistible than a strange red-headed boy that smells vaguely of fish.
Favorite character: Puck, but my heart belongs to Puffin!! I so want to name a future cat that :)\
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 3/5
Writing style: 4.5/5
Narration: 5/5
Originality: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World-building: 5/5
Pace: 4/5
Cover: 3.5/5
Hooboy was I a noob when I wrote the original review. I am now an audiobook aficionado - I listen at 1.6x-2x speed and no longer think 12 hours is a long audiobook XD
ORIGINAL REVIEW
4.5/5
*This is an audiobook review
THE AUDIO
This is the first audiobook that I've made it all the way through. I have tried before - with One Second After and Darkfever, but I didn't care for the narrators so I gave up. (Mac's voice SO should not sound like that!)
So, how did it turn out? Fantastic!! Fiona Hardingham (narrator for Kate "Puck" Connolly) has a great voice; it's not too girly and she does a spectacular job of conveying emotions. I had a hard time getting used to Steve West (narrator for Sean Kendrick) at first, but the more I listened, the more he grew on me. They were both so good at speaking that I was able to get completely engrossed in the audiobook. Even when they were speaking for other minor characters, their voices were different enough that I felt like it was someone else entirely. Especially when it was George Holly speaking, because he had an American accent and they didn't.
If you didn't know, this audiobook was a whopping TWELVE hours long. I could have read the book in about 4. It took me roughly a month to finish it because I only listened to it while I was driving. After spending that long with the narrators, it was quite consuming. And addicting!! Anytime I got in the car, I needed to listen to it. There were a few times when my Audible app was acting up and I had to re-download it so I didn't get to listen...and I missed it! Then when I finished, it was like, Now what? because now I have to go back to listening to music again (and I love music!) because there's no more. Sad face!
The only downsides to audio? You have to give it your undivided attention. It's so easy to listen without actually hearing if your mind wanders off. And if it's a fantasy with strange names (like this one), you don't always know how to spell them (I only knew how to spell Corr and capaill uisce because I had a sample of the ebook).
THE STORY
This was such a magical storyline that I couldn't help but love it because it's unlike anything I've ever read before. The water horses, capaill uisce (sounds like cap-pull ish-kuh), are basically kelpies. I've never read a story about kelpies before, and the idea of a deadly man-eating water horse fascinates me. Taming and racing them adds to that!
I freaking loved Puck!! She was fiery and brave, a bit petulant at times, but compassionate and outspoken. Her and I would totally be besties! She stood up for what she believed in, and stood up for herself. She had the guts to be the first female ever in an all male event, and held her head high in the face of the taunts she received for it.
I loved the switching points of view. Because I was listening to audio, and there was a man and a woman narrating, the POVs were drastically different. But even if I had been reading, there would still have been a difference. There was a clear distinction between Puck and Sean in the way they talked and thought. Sean was very unruffled and....stoic, and Puck was the complete opposite. Their personalities were so well written (and spoken) that they felt like real people!
The relationship between Sean and Corr (Sean's uisce stallion) was beautiful, and at times, heart-breaking. Even though Corr was a monster at heart, he was still utterly loyal to Sean. The relationship between Sean and Puck was wonderful, too. It moved very slowly, and the romance was barely there at all, but you could still feel their connection.
There wasn't really much happening for the majority of this book, and if I'd been reading, I may have actually gotten bored. Which is something that didn't happen with the audio. But the scenes that involved the capaill uisce kept me on the edge of my seat! One in particular - I don't want to spoil anything, but I thought something terrible had happened and I kinda wanted to throw the book (except it wasn't a book, it was my $600 iPod, so of course that didn't happen).
And the ending! The race itself was such a tiny portion of the whole story, and it was over very quickly, but it was intense! Plus something that happened during the race - not gonna lie, I cried. Ahhh! The ending was bittersweet and left me wanting more. This would make a great movie!
Favorite quotes:
So, I may have had more, but I didn't realize I could make bookmarks on audio until I was more than halfway through. >.<
Because Sean Kendrick looking like that is the races, even if no race was ever run. A reminder of what the horses mean to the island; a bridge between what we are, and that thing about Thisby that we all want but can't seem to touch.
I hear laughter and someone asks if I need help, not in a nice way. I snarl, "What I need is for your mother to have thought a little harder nine months before your birthday!"
And here's another that wasn't actually from the story, but something Maggie Stiefvater said in the afterword while talking about water horse legends and shape-shifting:
Because, of course, there's nothing more irresistible than a strange red-headed boy that smells vaguely of fish.
Favorite character: Puck, but my heart belongs to Puffin!! I so want to name a future cat that :)\
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 3/5
Writing style: 4.5/5
Narration: 5/5
Originality: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World-building: 5/5
Pace: 4/5
Cover: 3.5/5
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh... this book was not what I expected in the slightest. Perhaps past me, when buying the book, misread the summary on the back — not that it really mattered, given that I mainly bought this because I'd heard good things about it. For some reason, I'd expected the protagonist to be stranded on an island with a boy... don't ask me where that came from!
But I truly did enjoy this book for a multitude of reasons. I was utterly surprised at the emotional complexity and relationship exploration in this novel — Puck and her two brothers, andher grappling with the fact that Gabe is choosing to leave to the mainland, a decision that leads to the very events of the story when Puck decides, on a whim, to sign up for the Scorpio Races. Sean was also a very interesting character, and I found his chapters to be especially insightful. For him, he was dealing with the desire to own Corr, a water horse he'd bonded deeply with for many years, while also being repeatedly denied the opportunity to do so by Malvern, the man who owns the stables he works and lives at.
Despite having some romance towards the end, it never truly felt like the main focus. The main focus of this book always felt like Puck's brothers andher possibly losing their house (for her point of view) and Corr, the water horse (for Sean's point of view). And I really liked that! It felt extremely refreshing, and when their relationship did progress, it felt very natural. The island where this story takes place also feels incredibly alive — the descriptions, their cultures and traditions, the people living there, all of it contributed to superb storytelling.
To be completely honest,I had felt like any outcome where Puck won the races wouldn't feel justified, given she was riding a regular pony and not a water horse. And yet, the way that it was written worked utterly beautifully, and I was thoroughly satisfied. I also enjoyed the ending very much; it was slightly open, but felt perfect for this book.
Is "The Scorpio Races" one of my top books? Not really. It was a fantastic read, but I did struggle with the incredibly slow pace of the book. I often found myself struggling to pick it up, spending about a month trying to work through it. But it was worth it, in the end.
But I truly did enjoy this book for a multitude of reasons. I was utterly surprised at the emotional complexity and relationship exploration in this novel — Puck and her two brothers, and
Despite having some romance towards the end, it never truly felt like the main focus. The main focus of this book always felt like Puck's brothers and
To be completely honest,
Is "The Scorpio Races" one of my top books? Not really. It was a fantastic read, but I did struggle with the incredibly slow pace of the book. I often found myself struggling to pick it up, spending about a month trying to work through it. But it was worth it, in the end.
📚 Review 📚 The Scorpio Races by @maggie_stiefvater
On the first day of November is the deadliest race on the island. Horses start to comE out of the water, deadly, blood thirsty. Kate “Puck” Connelly wishes to win the race to save her home. Sean Kendrick has won the race 4 times. Even though having always live on the island fate now brings them together for what could be their last race. Can they survive the tumultuous test in front of them, or will they fall in the bloodiest race around.
....____....…..____...........____........____....
Why did it take me so long to read this book? I’m not gonna lie that at the beginning I couldn’t get into it. I had to get an audiobook to get me halfway and then the audiobook wasn’t going fast enough. I love the bravery and strength Kate “puck” and Sean show and the determination to get what they want. I love how the story is set in what seems to be this world yet on a fantasy island. And there’s a form of magic in the formation of capall usice (I hope I spelled that right). Steifvater has such a way of writing realistic fantasy that drags you into the story and keeps you wanting more I absolutely love her books.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
On the first day of November is the deadliest race on the island. Horses start to comE out of the water, deadly, blood thirsty. Kate “Puck” Connelly wishes to win the race to save her home. Sean Kendrick has won the race 4 times. Even though having always live on the island fate now brings them together for what could be their last race. Can they survive the tumultuous test in front of them, or will they fall in the bloodiest race around.
....____....…..____...........____........____....
Why did it take me so long to read this book? I’m not gonna lie that at the beginning I couldn’t get into it. I had to get an audiobook to get me halfway and then the audiobook wasn’t going fast enough. I love the bravery and strength Kate “puck” and Sean show and the determination to get what they want. I love how the story is set in what seems to be this world yet on a fantasy island. And there’s a form of magic in the formation of capall usice (I hope I spelled that right). Steifvater has such a way of writing realistic fantasy that drags you into the story and keeps you wanting more I absolutely love her books.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I love Maggie Stiefvater's writing, I love horses, I love the water, and I love love. This book pretty much had everything for me. It is amazing.
Da ich den Plot im Groben bereits kannte, fiel es mir relativ einfach, in die Geschichte hineinzufinden. Beim ersten Lesen habe kritisiert, dass das eigentlich Rennen leider viel zu kurz kommt, deshalb bin ich dieses Mal nicht mehr mit den falschen Erwartungen an das (Hör)-Buch herangegangen. Trotzdem hat sich auch nach dem zweiten Versuch nicht viel an meiner damaligen Meinung geändert.
Zu allererst möchte ich den grossen positiven Aspekt hervorheben, und das ist die Idee, die Stiefvater in diesem Buch hatte. Ich finde ihren Einfall rund um die Insel Thisby und die unheimlichen Capaill Uisce, die eine grauenvolle Version von Pferden darstellen, sowie das gefährliche Pferderennen, sehr innovativ und vielversprechend. Bislang ist mir noch kein anderes Buch begegnet, das eine ähnliche Thematik enthält, was der Autorin hoch anzurechnen ist.
Ausserdem hat mir die düstere Atmosphäre, die die Autorin in ihrem Buch schafft, sehr gut gefallen. Ich kann gar nicht genau benennen, wie ihr das gelungen ist, aber während des gesamten Hörbuchs hat mich ein beklemmendes Gefühl begleitet. Ich würde behaupten, dass die faszinierende, einnehmende Atmosphäre auch das ist, was das Buch ausmacht.
Leider sind diese beiden Punkte die einzigen beiden, die mir gefallen haben, denn der Plot an sich war sehr dünn und die Geschichte plätschert die meiste Zeit vor sich hin. Die ganze Zeit über wird eine Neugierde und Vorfreude auf das kommende Pferderennen geschaffen, bei dem vor allem die beiden Protagonisten Puck und Sean viel zu gewinnen (aber auch zu verlieren haben). Man lernt beide Charaktere im Verlauf durch ihre jeweiligen POV besser kennen und erfährt, was beide dazu bewegt, überhaupt an dem gefährlichen Rennen teilzunehmen. Das Erzähltempo ist dabei so gemächlich, dass ich es kaum mehr abwarten konnte, bis das Rennen endlich losging. Und als es dann so weit ist, war ich gerade beim ersten Lesen sehr enttäuscht. Man muss sich bis zu den letzten Kapiteln gedulden, bis das Rennen startet und bevor man weiss, was geschieht, ist es auch schon wieder vorbei. Dieses Mal wusste ich, worauf ich mich einliess, deshalb hielt sich meine Enttäuschung in Grenzen. Beim ersten Mal hatte ich allerdings die Erwartung, dass das Rennen einen grösseren Teil der Geschichte einnehmen wird, gerade weil sich die Charakterentwicklung und das ganze Gerede immer um genau dieses Thema drehen. Das eigentlich Rennen wird der Geschichte als vermeintlicher Höhepunkt aber leider überhaupt nicht gerecht, denn dafür ist es zu schnell vorbei und fast schon zu unspektakulär.
Ich bleibe also auch nach dem zweiten Lesen bzw. Hören dabei, dass es der Geschichte an einem packenden roten Faden fehlt. Die Grundidee würde so viele interessante Ansätze und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten bieten, die meiner Meinung nach leider fast ungenutzt geblieben sind, was ich sehr schade finde.
Die beiden Erzähler machen das Zuhören sehr angenehm. Dadurch, dass sich die weibliche und der männliche Erzähler*in abwechseln, weiss man immer genau, aus wessen Sicht der Charaktere die Geschichte gerade erzählt wird, was das Verständnis sehr erleichtert hat. Was die Charakterentwicklung an sich angeht, so hat mich die leider eher kalt gelassen. Ich konnte nicht wirklich eine emotionale Bindung zu Puck und/oder Sean aufbauen und deren potentielle Liebschaft wirkte auf mich deshalb auch eher konstruiert.
Fazit:
Eine düstere Atmosphäre mit einer vielversprechenden Idee, die sich mit einer horrormässigen Version von Pferden beschäftigt. Leider hat die Autorin meiner Meinung nach nicht einmal annähernd das Potenzial ihrer eigenen Idee genutzt. Es fehlt dem Buch letztendlich an einem spannenden Plot und die Story plätschert die meiste Zeit nur vor sich hin. Aus der Idee hätte man sicher viel mehr machen können, deshalb kann ich leider nur 2.5 Sterne vergeben.
-------------
Review aus 2015:
Die Idee wäre so gut gewesen, aber die Umsetzung war so enttäuschend! Viel Blabla um nichts und das eigentliche Rennen kam viel zu kurz.
Zu allererst möchte ich den grossen positiven Aspekt hervorheben, und das ist die Idee, die Stiefvater in diesem Buch hatte. Ich finde ihren Einfall rund um die Insel Thisby und die unheimlichen Capaill Uisce, die eine grauenvolle Version von Pferden darstellen, sowie das gefährliche Pferderennen, sehr innovativ und vielversprechend. Bislang ist mir noch kein anderes Buch begegnet, das eine ähnliche Thematik enthält, was der Autorin hoch anzurechnen ist.
Ausserdem hat mir die düstere Atmosphäre, die die Autorin in ihrem Buch schafft, sehr gut gefallen. Ich kann gar nicht genau benennen, wie ihr das gelungen ist, aber während des gesamten Hörbuchs hat mich ein beklemmendes Gefühl begleitet. Ich würde behaupten, dass die faszinierende, einnehmende Atmosphäre auch das ist, was das Buch ausmacht.
Leider sind diese beiden Punkte die einzigen beiden, die mir gefallen haben, denn der Plot an sich war sehr dünn und die Geschichte plätschert die meiste Zeit vor sich hin. Die ganze Zeit über wird eine Neugierde und Vorfreude auf das kommende Pferderennen geschaffen, bei dem vor allem die beiden Protagonisten Puck und Sean viel zu gewinnen (aber auch zu verlieren haben). Man lernt beide Charaktere im Verlauf durch ihre jeweiligen POV besser kennen und erfährt, was beide dazu bewegt, überhaupt an dem gefährlichen Rennen teilzunehmen. Das Erzähltempo ist dabei so gemächlich, dass ich es kaum mehr abwarten konnte, bis das Rennen endlich losging. Und als es dann so weit ist, war ich gerade beim ersten Lesen sehr enttäuscht. Man muss sich bis zu den letzten Kapiteln gedulden, bis das Rennen startet und bevor man weiss, was geschieht, ist es auch schon wieder vorbei. Dieses Mal wusste ich, worauf ich mich einliess, deshalb hielt sich meine Enttäuschung in Grenzen. Beim ersten Mal hatte ich allerdings die Erwartung, dass das Rennen einen grösseren Teil der Geschichte einnehmen wird, gerade weil sich die Charakterentwicklung und das ganze Gerede immer um genau dieses Thema drehen. Das eigentlich Rennen wird der Geschichte als vermeintlicher Höhepunkt aber leider überhaupt nicht gerecht, denn dafür ist es zu schnell vorbei und fast schon zu unspektakulär.
Ich bleibe also auch nach dem zweiten Lesen bzw. Hören dabei, dass es der Geschichte an einem packenden roten Faden fehlt. Die Grundidee würde so viele interessante Ansätze und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten bieten, die meiner Meinung nach leider fast ungenutzt geblieben sind, was ich sehr schade finde.
Die beiden Erzähler machen das Zuhören sehr angenehm. Dadurch, dass sich die weibliche und der männliche Erzähler*in abwechseln, weiss man immer genau, aus wessen Sicht der Charaktere die Geschichte gerade erzählt wird, was das Verständnis sehr erleichtert hat. Was die Charakterentwicklung an sich angeht, so hat mich die leider eher kalt gelassen. Ich konnte nicht wirklich eine emotionale Bindung zu Puck und/oder Sean aufbauen und deren potentielle Liebschaft wirkte auf mich deshalb auch eher konstruiert.
Fazit:
Eine düstere Atmosphäre mit einer vielversprechenden Idee, die sich mit einer horrormässigen Version von Pferden beschäftigt. Leider hat die Autorin meiner Meinung nach nicht einmal annähernd das Potenzial ihrer eigenen Idee genutzt. Es fehlt dem Buch letztendlich an einem spannenden Plot und die Story plätschert die meiste Zeit nur vor sich hin. Aus der Idee hätte man sicher viel mehr machen können, deshalb kann ich leider nur 2.5 Sterne vergeben.
-------------
Review aus 2015:
Die Idee wäre so gut gewesen, aber die Umsetzung war so enttäuschend! Viel Blabla um nichts und das eigentliche Rennen kam viel zu kurz.
Maggie Stiefvater is truly in a class of her own. This book was stunning in every single moment. Truly 5 stars all the way around, my god.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated