A small-town baker uses her magic to confront a post–vampire apocalypse world in this award-winning fantasy Neil Gaiman called “pretty much perfect.” Although it had been mostly deserted since the Voodoo Wars, there hadn’t been any trouble out at the lake for years. Rae Seddon, nicknamed Sunshine, head baker at her family’s busy and popular café in downtown New Arcadia, needed a place to get away … place to get away from all the noise and confusion—of the clientele and her family. Just for a few hours. Just to be able to hear herself think.
She knew about the Others, of course. Everyone did. And several of her family’s best regular customers were from SOF—Special Other Forces—which had been created to deal with the threat and the danger of the Others.
She drove out to her family’s old lakeside cabin and sat on the porch, swinging her feet and enjoying the silence and the silver moonlight on the water.
She never heard them coming. Of course, you don’t when they’re vampires.
Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sookie Stackhouse will cheer for this tough and quirky heroine. In Sunshine, which won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature, McKinley has a vampire novel that is “a smart, funny tale of suspense and romance” (San Francisco Chronicle).
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I ended up skimming through several parts that were dragging down the story.
I loved this book. I loved the characters. But, it does leave you with a lot of unanswered questions at the end. So I looked to see when the next book would be out, only to find that the author is not planning to return to this unpredictable world she pulled me into. Boo! Bad author. Listen to your fans and start thinking of what is happening to Sunshine, next. Or think what your fans are doing to your characters in all the fanzines they are forced to write to return to this unpredictable reality you created.
P S vampires, yes : sparkles, no
I loved this vampire tale. It was very different, and yet a true vampire tale. I rarely give 5 stars, but I found myself totally enchanted and wouldn’t change a thing. For me to love a book, I have to care about the characters, and I loved the main characters, and even the secondary characters. I had a hard time putting it down, I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. In addition, I thought about the book for weeks after reading it.
Lyrical and detailed imagery builds a world populated with characters who could be your neighbors if you sprinkled them with just a bit of otherness. A wonderful story of personal growth bolstered with a good dose of introspection. There aren’t many books I can read more than once, this is one.
I could hardly put this book down. I was very disappointed to learn there is no sequel. Many loose ends that fairly beg for further developments!
Love this book. Love the characters.
Great story. The end was nice but was going for a sequel
I enjoyed this authors writing, albeit somewhat long winded between action scenes, even during action scenes. The thought I kept having while reading this book was “moving right along”. Having said that I liked the book.
Robin McKinley never disappoints. I appreciate the non sexy vampire hero who is sexy in spite of it all. The only thing I ever find to complain about reading Robin is I always want more sequels and that is rarely if ever something she does.
Trashy
I am trudging through this book. I don’t know why I am staying with it. Guess I just want to find out how it ends. The author is a good writer and has invented interesting characters, but she clearly needs a far better editor. It is unnecessary to know every single thought that crosses the protagonist’s mind. Some are witty, but mostly I want her to get on with the action.
Robin McKinley is perhaps best known for her fantasy novels and fairy tale retellings, so I think Sunshine might not have gotten the attention and praise it deserved when it was first released. For readers thinking, “Another vampire novel? No thanks!” I promise you, Sunshine is not like any other vampire novel you’ve read. McKinley infuses her post-Apocalyptic tale with warmth and humor, a realness that other authors can’t even touch.
Rae “Sunshine” Seddon is an original in every way, the kind of character that stays with you after you read the book because she brings a comfort and humanity to a surreal setting. She is a baker and something of a loner, quirky and scrappy– oh, and in possession of some powerful magic. When vampires capture her and chain her up with a vampire named Constantine, she uses her magic to set them both free. But can they save themselves, and everyone she loves?
This is a captivating novel whether you’re into vampires or not. And if you have a fondness for vampire tales, it’s a must read. McKinley takes the genre to a whole new level and it’s wonderful.