“It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.”

The Scorpio Races is a story about an island. Every year, deadly water horses make their way on to this island, leading to the annual Scorpio Races. This story follows two main protagonists, both who end up racing for their own ideas of freedom.

This was another book I listened to the audiobook of, and although it wasn't the best (female narrator seemed to always read dialogue as if they were shouting?) it did lead to me finally reading this book! I've loved all the other works by Stiefvater that I've read, and while I didn't like this one as much, it still grew on me.

I'll admit that while the writing style of this book is still good, it wasn't what I've come to expect from Stiefvater. I know authors fluctuate in style between series and books, but I just didn't like the simplicity this style had in comparison to the other books I've read of hers. I was a bit let down, and I think this led to me not getting into this book at all at first.

However, it grew on me. Something about the simplicity of the story, of two people with very pure goals racing for their futures, grew slowly on me, and I didn't even realize until I hit the ending and it affected me as much as it did. I guess it was something about the characters, how compelling their stories were, how real their motivations and personalities were.

I also just fell in love with the racing and cultural aspect of the book. It felt overall really well done, and while there were definitely some gruesome scenes, it just ended up backing the dark descriptions of the water horses. I just also loved the emotion the characters tied to the parts of the island they loved, and how their homes, whether that be in a place, people, or horse, were described and made the focus of the novel.

I'm glad I finally got around to reading this book, and while I don't think it'll ever be one of my favorite Stiefvater works, I did end up enjoying it!