The Scorpio Races – Maggie Stiefvater
Last night, I made the mistake of attempting to tell my husband about The Scorpio Races, which I’d finished reading a few minutes before.
The problem was that I was still slightly overwhelmed by the beautiful ending and got a bit teary — at which point he nodded wisely, poured me a wine, and backed slowly out of the kitchen.
Anyone who’s read this (or my reading blogs in recent years) knows I’m a big fan of Maggie Stiefvater’s writing, so it’s no surprise I loved The Scorpio Races.
The surprise is just how much it blew me away. It is one of the most beautifully realised, atmospheric and tense stories I’ve ever read. Seriously, this novel is a master class in creating a sense of place, and populating it with perfectly drawn characters facing impossible choices.
It’s a love story, and not just one between a boy and girl, but between a girl and her horse, a girl and the wild island she lives on, and a boy and his man-eating water horse.
The story is set on the fictitious island of Thisby, some time in the past. The island is famous for its murderous capaill uisce, equine creatures that come out of the cold sea each November and are saddled and raced by the locals on the windswept beach. It’s an unforgiving, violent and bloody spectacle, and always ends in bloodshed.
The story has two narrators, Kate (aka Puck) and Sean, who each need to win the race for equally compelling reasons. They’re drawn to each other in the weeks leading up to the race, heightening the stakes and complicating their own situations.
As with Maggie’s other works, The Scorpio Races is a bittersweet story. So, yes, there are heartbreaking moments. But they serve to make the moments of triumph all the more moving and rewarding – and make the emotional journeys real.
I really loved this book. It was one that I didn’t want to put down, and equally didn’t want to end. (And yes, I can talk about it without welling up now…)
Brisbane Writers Festival – Maggie Stiefvater
OK, so the highlight of this year’s Brisbane Writer’s Festival for me was today’s master class with Maggie Stiefvater (anyone who’s ready my Other Worlds blog knows how much I enjoy and appreciate her work).
Not just because it’s always exciting to meet a favourite writer (and find out she’s extremely likable in person), but because Maggie had some insightful and interesting things to say about writing and – in particular – how to get to the end of the story.
I’ve got a good idea of where I’m going with The Rephaim, but I’ll always jump at the chance to learn from experienced authors. I was keen to hear what Maggie had to say about plotting and delivering a story – especially over multiple books.
The two-hour session was choc-ful of great tips and advice. There were a lot I could relate to, and a few things I needed to be reminded about (e.g the importance of every setting having meaning in the story). But what resonated most with me was Maggie’s comment on knowing the “whatness” of a story. What is the core of the story? What am I trying to achieve? (And does every scene get me closer to achieving that? It’s a no-brainer when you think about it, but it’s easy to lose sight of that sometimes when bogged down in character and plot development.
For me, Maggie delivered the master class like a seasoned presenter – lots of energy, interesting, relevant content, plenty of humour, and some lovely insights into her own process and experiences as a writer. I’d go as far as to say it’s my favourite BWF session in the six years’ I’ve been going to the festival.
So, yes, I may have a book deal, but I’m still a geek fan at heart. 🙂
