Life on Thisby Island, population 4,000 is quiet, except in November. The closer it gets to November, the more capaill uisce - water horses - the sea spits out.
These are not ordinary horses. Drape them with charms, hide them from the sea, but today, on the beach: Do not turn your back.
During the month of October, until the first of November, the island becomes a map of safe areas and unsafe areas.
Puck Connolly understands too well what the capaill uisce ("copple ooshka") are capable of. Her parents were killed at sea. Puck lives with her older brother, Gabe, and younger brother, Finn. Gabe works at the hotel to keep the family together, and Puck and Finn work odd jobs to earn some money.
Suddenly Gabe tells Puck that he's leaving the island. To make him change his mind, Puck tells him she's going to enter in the annual Scorpio Races - races with the unpredictable capaill uisce. Gabe finally admits that he'll stay on the island until after the races. To enter the races, though, Puck needs to find a capall uisce. Forced to make a choice, she decides to ride her beloved horse, Dove.
Sean Kendrick has worked in Malvern Yard since he was 10 years old. He has a way with the capaill uisce, he understands their magic. The capaill uisce can play tricks on the rider, coaxing him to trust and to join the beast in the sea. Sean knows how to tie knots in the horse's mane, use threes in sevens, track iron counterclockwise on the horse's withers, and make circles in the sand and spit in the center. Sean and his favorite capall uisce, Corr, have won the Scorpio Races four times. But Corr belongs to Mr. Malvern, and more than anything, Sean wants to own Corr.
Mr. Malvern is a powerful man on Thisby. He owns most everything on the island, including Puck's house. Equally as cold, his son, Mutt, hates Sean and will do anything to hurt him.
Both Sean and Puck must win the races to save what they love the most. But can they survive?
Even if you don't know anything about horses, The Scorpio Races is an exciting read, full of lovely imagery and strong characters. And there's even some romance in unexpected places.
Rating: 10 out of 10 stars
*mild language, some crude British humor, mild violence
To check this book out at NOLS, click HERE!
