Initial Impression 1/29/13: Beautiful and emotional. Didn't quite knock my socks off, but it was really, really good and the audio was fantastic! 
 Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: THE SCORPIO RACES was magical. I'm not entirely sure what I had expected when I started, but I really ended up enjoying it! I actually felt like it took me a little while to get into it - not because it wasn't good, but because it took a while for me to "meet" the characters and get to know them. I felt like both Puck and Sean have a really tough exterior so even to the reader it takes a little bit to break that shell. I was never really going to quit it, but I can't seem to think of different wording than I'm glad that I stuck with it. The writing is simply beautiful and whereas I did not really enjoy the only other Steifvater book I've read so far - Shiver - I was totally captivated by the beauty of Maggie Steifvater's writing and her character development. 
 Even though THE SCORPIO RACES ultimately boils down to a race, exciting action, and violent sea horses, I think was I was really sold on was the character development. We really get to know Puck and Sean separately until the races intertwine their two lives. They're both in different yet similar predicaments - They must win the races and the monetary prize that goes with winning in order to maintain their currently lives and not lose a valuable piece of their family (or whatever they consider their family after everything they've already lost). Watching the interactions between Puck and her family and Sean & his horses was the most magical part of this book for me by far. As far as their romance goes, I loved that it wasn't rushed and it wasn't even the main focus. It fit in perfectly and easily, without being forced at all. 
 For some reason, I was totally caught up on the logistics of the water horses. How did they survive in the water AND on land? Did they have gills to breathe in the water? Were their lungs adapted to both land and water? It was never explained and somehow I was a little stuck in the fact that I didn't know the details. 
 A big part of the magic of this book for me was Thisby itself. I have no idea in what time period this was supposed to take place but I very much pictured something in the 1930s or 1940s - a time before technology started coming through and the automobile was just becoming a part of every day life. I loved the atmosphere that this setting created. It was such a personality in itself and I loved the feeling of Thisby. 
 I was REALLY hesitating how to rate it. I was caught somewhere between liking it and loving it, but overall, I think I'm leaning more towards loving it. Thinking back on the general feel and the emotions I felt toward the end, I'll lean towards the higher rating! 
 Audiobook Impressions: Yes. Get this as an audiobook. Steve West reading for Sean Kendrick and Fiona Hardingham reading for Puck Connelly was superb. I absolutely loved the British accents and for some reason it just made the story flow. Is it weird that my favorite part of the narrating was George Holly's American voice? I don't what it was, but for some reason I found it weirdly sexy..... Anyone else? No? Just me? Okay, awkward... 
 Re-read impression: Okay... That was an amazing re-read. I listened to the audio again because how could I not and it was so exciting because for some reason there was just so much that I didn't remember! Maybe I was just too lost in the audio the first time... But knowing who the characters were easily helped me jump back into this story. I LOVE the atmosphere and the setting and everything about this book is winning. 
 Full re-read review originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide: Naturally, I felt the draw to re-read THE SCORPIO RACES in October and November. It's been a while since my first read and to this day, this is still one of the audiobooks I push the most due to its amazing narrators (Steve West as Sean and Fiona Hardingham as Puck) and of course, Maggie Stiefvater's gorgeous prose and amazing story-telling. 
 A book about horse races. Not something I'd normally gravitate to much less fall in love with, but Maggie's magical realism is supreme. There's so much more to this book than just horse races -- mythical water horses, the first girl to enter the annual Scorpio Races, a fight for the proper place in the world, bravery, loyalty, love. THE SCORPIO RACES is just the kind of book that draws you in and really gets you lost in the world that the author creates. Both times I've read this book, I could truly feel like I was on Thisby, watching these characters, running with the horses. I could almost taste the salt of the sea and feel the chilly November wind in my hair. Just thinking back on it now brings all of those feelings back and this book is definitely one I just love to tuck myself into. 
 This was actually my second time not only reading the book but listening to the audio. After reading it for the first time via audiobook, I couldn't get it out of my head. The voice actors were just amazing and really brought the book to life. There's no way I could read this book again and not have it be through the audiobook. It was a very familiar experience re-reading in the same format (lately I've been reading in print the first time around and then re-reading via audio, most often) and yet it was really a brand-new experience as well. Firstly, somehow in the this crazy reading world of mine, I had forgotten how the book actually ends. Obviously I knew it ended with the Scorpio Races themselves, but... did Sean win? Did Puck win? Did someone die? Did something insane happen? Somehow I didn't remember the details and I don't know how that happened but it did. That was kind of a good thing in a way though. The ending was suspenseful and emotional and like a brand new book. The second thing was that during my first read, I really wasn't quite sure what I was getting into. I had a brief understanding of what the book was about but I really wasn't sure what the feel was going to be like or where the story would go. It was nice to know exactly where I was putting myself when picking this book up for the second time (well, aside from the ending, apparently) so it felt much more secure and there was a lot more excitement on my part as well. 
 I really just LOVE everything about this book. I was a bit hesitant during my first read simply because I didn't know what to expect. THE SCORPIO RACES does have its action but it's also a very character-driven book. It caught me by surprise when I first read it and I felt like it took a while to get into but knowing that during my re-read and pining for these characters and the magnetism they have towards one another (and to me as a reader), I was already head over heels for the both of them and for this entire story and setting and feeling before I even started. 
 THE SCORPIO RACES might end up being a re-read every year book for me! I absolutely loved reading it during the months that it took place. I think the more I read this book, the more I'll fall in love with it. If you're looking for a great audiobook, this is definitely one I'd recommend to sweep you off your feet! 
 Re-read finished 11/5/17: Just as amazing every time! I love catching new things and experiencing the same magic.