The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic, 2011. ISBN 9781407129853.
(Age 13+) Recommended. Every year the Scorpio Races are run on the
beach of Skamouth, but the horses are not ordinary thoroughbreds,
instead they are capaill usice, wild water horses that are desperate
to
return to the ocean and are likely to attack and eat their
riders. Sean Kendrick knows and loves the water horses,
especially Corr, the blood red stallion that he has won on four
times
previously. Puck Connolly is a newcomer to the races. Desperate to
save
her family home, she is determined to try and win on her little
mare,
Dove, even though she faces opposition from the men who ride in the
races. When Sean sees Puck on the beach, he is drawn to her
and
together they prepare for the race of their lives.
After a slow start, the book builds up momentum and I became
immersed
in the story of the water horses. Stiefvater built up her small
island
world, with its mythical capaill usice, in such a matter of fact way
that I found myself believing that there could be a place off
Ireland
or Scotland perhaps, where there really are cannibalistic water
horses
and people crazy enough to risk their lives riding them in races.
The
lives of the people living there are also described in depth.
The
longing of some of young, like Gabe, Puck's brother, to get to the
mainland and the strength of the pull of island roots for Puck and
Sean
who know they could never leave adds interest to the story.
Puck (or Kate as she was christened) is a brave girl. She is
prepared
to take on the men and refuses to let them intimidate her. However
she
is open to advice and actively seeks it out in her quest to save her
family home. Sean is a strong silent character and the low
key,
simmering romance will satisfy those who enjoy a love story.
However it is the excitement of the race, the suspense and fear that
someone will be killed by the water horses and the sheer thrill of
the
gallops along the cliffs that truly captivated me. People who love
horses will enjoy this change of pace from the author who wrote the
Shiver series about werewolves.
Pat Pledger