This book is a stand alone, set on a fictional island off the coast of Scotland, where every fall dangerous carnivorous magical horses wash up to shore. Brave and foolish people capture these horses and try to tame them enough to ride them in a huge race that takes place in November. Hundreds of tourists descend annually to watch the race and place bets; the winner earns a sizable prize money. The main characters are two teenagers, Puck and Sean, who both desperately need to win for different reasons. Naturally, strong feelings develop between the two of them. By the end, the thought of either of them loosing was heartbreaking to me; but there can only be one winner. Stiefvater has openly stated that this is her favorite of her own books and I agree.