Friday, February 22, 2013

Audio Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater


With her trademark lyricism, Maggie Stiefvater turns to a new world, where a pair are swept up in a daring, dangerous race across a cliff--with more than just their lives at stake should they lose.
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
In the beginning of this story, it was quite slow. In fact, I had a hard time really getting into the flow of the book. At first, I thought it was the narrators Steve West (reading Sean's chapters) and Fiona Hardingham (reading Puck's chapters). Not because they were bad, but because they had a very smooth voice quality... especially Steve West. I thought maybe it was the cadence of their voices that sort of lulled me. However, the story wasn't just taking me away.

Until...

There was a twist. Not a huge one, but it, for some reason, really ramped up my attention. After that, I was able to really see Puck and Sean both struggling with their respective problems and I became entranced. Not only that, it was the beginning of me becoming increasingly tense about the race coming up shortly. A race that started to seem like it would take a year to get here.

Now feeling like it was a year might not sound like a good thing, but it really was. It was the anticipation, the want to hurry up and get it over along side the same feeling of wanting it to last. Not wanting to leave this world too quickly. So, I became increasingly anxious as to what was going to happen. Oh but Maggie Stiefvater doesn't just leave you at that building anticipation. She throws in other anxiety producing incidences that makes you find yourself at the edge of your seat. It also enhances the anxiety already going on.

I should say something about the romance because I really enjoyed it here. There is one and it proceeds gloriously slow. Gloriously? Oh yes... It makes sense with who Puck and Sean have become and are becoming. It cannot be any faster or it would have played false. No insta-love here. And it's a perfect build of emotions. One that takes into account each person's world not made easy by their respective circumstances.

Oh the ending! So many questions leading up to the ending... Will I get my HEA? Will something worse that what is going through my head will happen? Who will die? Will I be able to get my hands through this story and pluck Mutt Malvern out and kick him in the arse? Will "I" survive this ending?

Ah... the end. All I will say is that it was satisfying even though this is one book I would have love to have ended with a epilogue so I know what happened to all the remaining characters years later. No, it's not necessary to the book's ending, I just my want to know since I'm now invested in this world.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. It has a slow beginning but stick with it, the rewards will pay themselves off ten fold. You may also like the audio. If nothing, you will enjoy the two narrator's British accents. :)

26 comments:

  1. Stiefvater is a big fan of ambiguous endings, so I doubt epilogue was ever an option, but I was entirely satisfied with the ending of this one anyway. It is in my top three books of all time, I simply adore everything about it. I haven't had a chance to find the audio yet, but I most definitely will.
    Great review!

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    1. I was happy with the ending, but it's just me wanting to know more! Usually a sign of a good book. :)

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  2. Well, I have heard a lot of the author so I love her ideas.
    But I have read nothing by her, may do sometime, though
    GREAT review!
    Your reader,
    Soma
    http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

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  3. Not a fan of the audio book to begin with, I find it so funny when someone who isn't of that country reads it in an accent that is totally alien to them.

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    1. Actually the narrators WERE Brittish. The accent that was a bit odd was the American accent. :D

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  4. It is on my TBR! I will get to it :) I have heard it is fantastic but that dang ending thing keeps holding me back.

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    1. Oh I hope you get to it. Don't be afraid of the ending, but be aware you will be on the edge of your seat. Remember to breathe! :D

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  5. I will have to remember to stick through slow beginning to get to that twist, because the romance and storyline sounds great.
    Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog

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  6. I don't know I saw a lot of different reviews for this one so I didn't take it but I liked her other series with lament.

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    1. Oh I liked the Lament series. I do think it was about the beginning. I really do think you'd enjoy this one.

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  7. Ohh good grade. I am intrigued, unsure, but intrigued :)

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    1. Well, it is YA and I know how much of a fan you are of that genre. ;)

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  8. I still have not read this one. I love Maggie's writing and I know this is hit or miss with readers. I can handle the slow pace as long as Maggie sticks with her trademark gorgeous writing. I must read this soon!

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  9. YES! I am so glad you loved this one! It's one of my favorites - EVER - and I hope to listen to it on audio book someday since I've heard it's fantastic! :D Amazing review, dear!

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  10. Oh I love this review so much! It's been awhile since I read this, but you've perfectly captured my feelings for this book. Especially the romance—yes it is gloriously slow and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I adored this book so much, and I'm with you was craving more at the end. But I'm so happy with what we did get.

    I kind of want to re-read this on audio now. Wonderful review!

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  11. I kinda hate myself cause I DNF'd this one. I love Maggie and her writing but I could not continue this one cause I was bored out of my mind. But so many people love this book that I'm frustrated I didn't try harder. Maybe I should have just skipped ahead and at least tried the second half. Glad you ended up loving it! Maybe I'll get it on audio on my next road trip, that might work better for me.

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  12. I liked this one but I did think the slowness was kind of hard. I ended up loving The Raven Boys much more-have you read that one?

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  13. YAAAAAAAY!!!! I agree completely Melissa, this one started out really slow for me as well, I even put it down at one point, but then all of a sudden I was caught up in the story and I had to know what happened. I ended up falling madly in love with this book and, like you, wishing for an epilogue to give me a few more details about what happened to everyone. SO GOOD!

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  14. GAH! I need to read this. Actually, I still need to finish the other series as well. LOL!

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  15. I LOVED the gloriously slow build-up of the romance (such a great description, btw). Yes, it started out slowly but the writing hooked me there. And then...bam! I couldn't put it down! AWESOME!! LOVE HER WRITING!! AND THIS BOOK! (I feel like Jenny, raving about it!!)

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  16. Wow, great review. I've heard this one is slow starting. But glad to see it turned out so well in the end. Thank you!

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  17. I hated the Wolves of Mercy Falls and didn't even bother to finish it. I LOVED the Lament series but again, felt like it wasn't finished. I'm still waiting for it to be finished. I'm just not a fan of the ambiguous endings nor the writer as a person. Do you still think I'd like it? I keep wondering about The Raven Boys as well. I hate to miss a good book but I really have a problem with the endings/author.

    Heather

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  18. I have the audio book - now you've made me want to listen to it. I didn't realize it was read by two different people. Nice!
    Pabkins @ My Shelf Confessions

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