The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Release Date: 18 October 2011
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Rating: ****
Review: Oh. The Scorpio Races! How you managed to tame me besides my best efforts. It's true, I was a little daunted by the sheer size of this novel and the extremely intensive writing style, I could even go on about the lack of romance but overall, I found it to be really quite a shining star.
After many attempts at publishing a novel on mythical horses, Maggie Stiefvater has finally found her groove with the capaill uisce pronounced CAP-ALL ISH-KA. A rare and often deathly creature literally dragged from the ocean each year for The Scorpio Races. Kate Connelly puts fear in the eyes of contenders when she is the first female to risk her life for the title with the help of Sean Kendrick, local horse whisperer and four-time winner of the race.
If I were given the chance to alter anything in this novel, I would start with the romance. Why, oh why would you hold back such an integral part of the story from us for so long, Maggie? Were you trying to create a much grander conclusion because ultimately I just got bored of the dull and sometimes tedious text. A little bit more adventure and action would not have gone astray, I almost felt like the novel could be cut down by half if it weren't for the detailing of the scenery ie. cliffs, ocean, island, etc.
Overall: For those of us who are purely interested in this novel due to The Wolves of Mercy Falls, tread very carefully. You may not exactly find an instant winner here but if you manage to get through this novel without drifting off, you'll find something really quite amazing buried beneath the text. An extremely unique novel not to be attempted lightly.
Cover: Sure, the cover art succeeds in the most important requirement of giving readers a small degree of insight into the plot and its character but what about the key demographic. If I'm not wrong, Maggie Stiefvater is a YA author and it seems like this cover would be much more successful in attracting a 40YO male than anything else. Bring back the fun, I say!
