quippe | Entries tagged with maggie stiefvater

The Blurb On The Back:

Every year, the Scorpio Races are run on the beaches of Skarmouth. Every year, the sea washes blood from the sand. To race the savage water horses can mean death, but the danger is irresistible.

When Puck enters the races to save her family, she is drawn to the mysterious Sean, the only person on the island capable of taming the beasts.

Even if they stay together, can they stay alive?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Maggie Stiefvater’s critically acclaimed standalone YA fantasy is a well-crafted, exciting read that really conveys the magic of horses (both real and fantastical) while also establishing a credible romance between the two main characters. The story is a little predictable and I found Skarmouth veered at times towards being distinctly Oirish in flavour while Kendrick’s main antagonist Mutt (the cruel and vicious son of Benjamin Malvern) is two dimensional, but Stiefvater’s skill as a writer means there are still some surprises in the plot together with some beautifully observed and touching scenes. What really sets this book apart though is the fact that the romance is so well written – you see Puck and Sean grow towards each other and the love they share for horses. In lesser hands this could be clichéd but Stiefvater gives it life and a sweet intensity (and I say that as someone who doesn’t like a lot of romance). Also good is the relationship Puck has with her brothers, especially the sweet and fearful Finn who isn’t quite able to deal with the real world. Ultimately this was an interesting and entertaining read and I really look forward to seeing what Stiefvater does next.

The Blurb On The Back:

If you kiss your true love, he will die.

Every year, Blue stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be-dead walk past. Blue can’t usually see them, but this year is different. When she sees a boy emerge from the dark there are only two explanations as to why she can see his spirit – either he is her true love or she has killed him.

The boy’s name is Gansey and Blue soon discovers that he attends the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from those students. Known as Raven Boys, they only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey in a way she can’t explain.

There’s something magical about Gansey. Something powerful. And as Blue becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s determined to keep him alive …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Maggie Stiefvater’s paranormal romance (the first in a new trilogy) is a beautifully written but oddly slow and un-engaging novel that draws on Welsh legend and has strong themes of loyalty and friendship. Although I’ve enjoyed Stiefvater’s other paranormal romances (despite not being a romance fan), I found it difficult to engage with most of the characters here while the plot unfolded too slowly (and relied heavily on exposition early on). As such, although I probably will read the sequel, I won’t rush to because I don’t find this to be on a par with the author’s other work.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the free copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

When his best friend, Dee, fell in love with a faerie, James realised she’d never feel the same way about him.

Trying to escape into music, James finds himself, surrounded by more faeries than ever. Before he knows it James is trapped in a dangerous game. One where the only way to win is to betray the one you love …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Maggie Stiefvater’s sequel to LAMENT is a deftly written character-driven novel but it’s a story that I think benefits from having written the first book (which I hadn’t). While the voices are strong and I liked both main characters, Dee’s storyline never really caught fire for me and I didn’t see what James saw in her (although this is probably because I hadn’t read the first book). It’s worth checking out and I’ll definitely be looking out for LAMENT.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

The pack circled around me, tongues and teeth and growls.

When a local boy is killed by wolves, Grace’s small town becomes a place of fear and suspicion. But Grace can’t help being fascinated by the pack, and by one yellow-eyed wolf in particular. There’s something about him – something almost human.

Then she meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away ...

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

It’s refreshing to read a teen romance that gives the characters more to do than stare moodily into each others eyes and while I think that there was a little too much plot within this novel, it was still an entertaining read.