Sunshine

Sunshine is a freshly original novel in the vampire genre. The hero, Sunshine, is a gifted baker with a knack for making cinnamon rolls so superb that strong men weep and beautiful women break their high heels to get at them. She lives in a world where vampires and other supernatural entities mix with the human population. The aftermath of the Voodoo wars has left suspicion of those with mixed human and "Other" blood. In particular there is great enmity between humans and vampires. Also, one must be careful traveling in this world as there are bad spots which are left with magical residues intolerable to humans.

So in this fragile and frightening world, Sunshine maintains a cozy lifestyle in her family coffeehouse, baking and dating the cook. Until one day when she seeks solitude by the lake and is kidnapped by a rogue vampire gang. In the process of escape she forges an unlikely friendship with a vampire and ultimately learns more about the magical underpinnings of her friends and family than she wanted to know.

This novel has an enthralling story that portrays the development of an interspecies friendship without sentiment or excessive eroticism. Sunshine learns about her powers and about bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. Her forbidden camaraderie with the vampire brings out the non-conformist in this hitherto meek young woman. In addition the homey atmosphere of the bakery and the description of the delicious cakes provides a sensual contrast to the stark nighttime world that Sunshine must conquer in order to survive. Highly recommended!

I absolutely love this story. It's a very different take on vampires and a very interesting world.

I honestly can't explain to you why I love this book so much. It is badly in need of an editor to fix basic typos and places where scenes have been cut and pasted poorly. It's written from the heroine's point of view as a stream of consciousness that borders on verbal diarrhea with a lot of repeating herself. And whining. Normally that sort of thing would put me off a book immediately, but in this case it all just kind of works.

One of my favorite books. Mckinley has a great take on the vampire mythology that's creative and fresh. Hard to do with so many other versions. Great developed and memorable characters anchor this book. It's not really just one thing that draws me in but I've read this book at least once a year. I suppose I think it's deeper than first glance her story just sticks with you.

"Sunshine" is a favorite book of mine. I just read if for the third time. I don't recall reading other vampire books, but "Sunshine is unique. It's so much fun. Sunshine and Con, like Romeo and Juliet and the Golem and the Jinni, are "star crossed lovers". I don't remember reading a more romantic ending.

We "Sunshine" fans hunger for a sequel, but Robin McKinley promises nothing.

Dear lord was that ever a slog. SO. MANY. WORDS. Not that it's long it's just that probably 3/4 of the book is the main character's (Sunshine's) internal monologue, a very tangentially challenged one at that. And gads, we get that she's a baker and she likes it, and the coffee house is swell, I get that too, made me crave cinnamon roles and want to go there to the cafe. But she talks SOOOOO MUCH about baked goods and cinnamon rolls, which really have very little to do with the actual plot, that I was ready to bash her over the head with a rolling pin and say gads girl get a life already! She's almost as bad as Bela (from Twilight, which I had the misfortune to read) though not quite so helpless. Not that that's due to any effort of her own.

The descriptions of the main vampire are not appealing in any way. Nor does there seem to be much of any chemistry other than a bond from a shared bad experience. Though most of her interactions with most people are fairly flat. Only the landlady and Maude (who she only has one interaction with) seem like they might be real people.

And then (spoilers)

Toward the end..after all this build up about the big bad master vampire....they go rushing in without any sort of plan and boom bang boom and it's done, just like that. Not even any real struggle except mental. Buffy she ain't.

That said, skim reading it, I didn't hate it. I kind of liked the girl for no discernible reason. And it made me want to bake things, which I haven't done much of and had been meaning to learn. But...zzz

Great book. I just rediscovered McKinley after almost 20 years. The hero and the crown was the first book I actually ever purchased at a book fair in elementary school. I didn't know how I'd feel about reading her more adult fare, but I have to say I'm impressed. I didn't know how I'd feel about her genre switch from retelling fairy tales to retelling vampire stories, but she didn't disappoint. A master at creating her own worlds, McKinley creates a magical alternate universe. I also love the fact that while creating a compelling and satisfying story introducing her heroine, there is still an immense amount of room for further character development. I'm already looking forward to more installments.

I bought this book because it was inexpensive and I needed a product to use up the last five dollars or so of a gift certificate. I also bought the book because I very much like Robin McKinley; I find her characters and the worlds that they live entrancing.

The book starts strong, and I was pulled in right away. The narrator - the book is told in the first person - is a young woman in her twenties, living in a magic-laced version of our world that isn't immediately recognizable. The contrast of her normal life against this eerie backdrop is set up beautifully.

Our Heroine is kidnapped by a gang of vampires, an event that changes her life. I especially like the portrayal of vampires in this book because they are truly monsters. The vampires of this story are not the more beautiful, more refined, rich, talented, and immortal version of ordinary mortals that has become so popular in contemporary vampire stories. They are monsters whose very presence turns people to quivering piles of goo. No one escapes from vampires.

Given all that, I expected an intriguing story and was disappointed. What follows is a fairly straightforward coming-of-age story framed in a good-versus-evil context. The story isn't bad, it just wasn't as good as I expected from this author. The middle of the book does get a bit slow while the main character waits around for other people to make decisions for her. The end is predictable.

Overall, I'd say this book is worth buying for $5 or checking out of the library, but it's not the sort of modern, dark fairy tale this author is known for. It shoots for that mark, but the typical-ness of the story and ultimately boring main character drag it down a handspan or two.

Wonderful addition to vampire lore. This had an amazing, interesting main female character who seems to strike just the right balance between strength and vulnerability. I hope there's a follow-up book!

Yes, it has vampires, but it was written well before the Twilight series and is far superior. I'm not surprised it made it onto NPR's top 100 fantasy books list. Robin McKinley is always an excellent author. I have most of her books in paperback, and I'm thrilled that these are finally coming out in Kindle versions. Her characters always feel real to me, and her worlds are wonderfully original and imaginative.

As an avid reader, particularly of paranormal/supernatural young adult and adult novels, I really enjoyed "Sunshine." If you like your novels to have chapters which end with the typical 'hook' endings, this novel is not for you. If you like stories which take their time to unfurl and aren't broken down into individual chapters, this is your story.
I would not equate the character of Sunshine with Buffy. She's older and falls into her 'power' by accident. The story was a bit slow going at first, but I feel it was necessary to understand the workings of Sunshine's mind, her situations, her life. Some have complained about the other characters not being fully developed. This story is told from Sunshine's viewpoint, in first person, and the reader receives only her interpretations. As she describes herself, Sunshine just barely finished high school so she is not as eloquent as a Jane Austen heroine.
The storyline is refreshing--I enjoyed the twist on the vampire Con not being beautiful and enthralling. The main characters grow together and trust each other over time because they have become allies to fight a master vampire, Bo.
At times you'll laugh out loud, other times you'll get frustrated at Sunshine not believing in herself. Yet, I believe you'll enjoy this unconventional story. Give it time to unravel and McKinley's prose will hook you in ways mcpaperbacks do not.
In an age of instant gratification, "Sunshine" is old fashioned storytelling. Let it grow on you.

Mckinley is an eclectic writer. This is not her best work, but is very interesting. She gives vampires a metaphysical aspect I have not seen anywhere else. Basic girl meets vampire becomes something very different in her hands. Slows badly in the middle, but ends very nicely. It demands a sequel, but the other thing you need to know about this author. She has never written a sequal to my knowledge.

This was a beautifully understated vampire/love story with a soft flow to it. If you want "hard core" vampire, do not choose this book. If you would enjoy a vampire story that has a mysterious back story of her family, friends, lover and an alternate reality that explores the "what ifs", then order it now! BTW many of the questions raised about secondary characters do not get answered in this book. Be warned: the author does not plan a sequel, per her webpage

I liked the "domestic" aspects of the main character and found the book to be relaxing (ok that sounds silly for a vampire book I know) Read and enjoy!

Wonderful, slow, intense, riveting... I stopped reading vampire stories decades ago, but Robin McKinley merited an exception. The main character and the host of others (not used in the specific way the novel does) were masterfully painted. Part of me wants a sequel, and part of me thinks it's perfect just as a stand alone.

There was a lot of good things about this story - I appreciated the reworking of the paranormal creatures and world building. What I didn't appreciate was the way the world and characters were revealed to the reader. Long streams of consciousness (that included incredibly long tangent streams of consciousness set apart in parenthesis) smack in the middle of conversations is not the best way to help a reader track what is going on. There was steps forward in plot like "you never hear them coming" that then backtracked for pages as 'they' were explained - along with other tangents from the main character's stream of consciousness in the moment that would leave this reader spinning slightly and trying to go back a few pages to remember where the hell we were. Some pieces were left unexplained, the main character's own emotional relationships were never quite explained. Lots of loose ends are left hanging like just who is Mel and does Sunshine still have family somewhere? It certainly seems like this story is missing the other half. I can't recommend it other than as a rather disappointing first person piece of writing from an author that I have found in the past to be adept at character development and plot.

My second Robin McKinley book and I loved it just as much as the first one! Its very different from The Hero and the Crown but I still loved it, A vampire story but so much more; well written, great character development, humor, food!, romance. This kind of had it all. Had a tough time putting it down.

Beautifully written with a moving characters. Sunshine s strength and bright, weary sadness are magically compatible with Con s seemingly gentle and gentlemanly existence and alien nature. I only wish it could have been much longer and was sad to see it end like saying good bye to a friend. Each of McKinley s books seems more magical and wonderful than the last

Like other reviewers, I am also having a difficult time giving this novel an unequivocal thumbs-up, primarily because of one overriding problem: the narration. McKinley seems to be employing the Sinclair Lewis school of description, which is, in order to make your character seem normal, boring and mundane, you make her blather about normal, boring and mundane details throughout the entire book. This tendency slows everything to a crawl and becomes increasingly irritating after McKinley has set the stage for some real suspense and through events sort of dragged her characters onto the interesting side of the coin. The other minor problems I have are that the world that McKinley describes is pretty vague (what exactly is a "bad spot"?) and the adjectives she makes up are kind of stupid (carthaginian, kali) and never explained. This too is annoying.

On the positive side, I don't agree with other comments about how derivative this novel is. There are superficial resemblances to Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse, or even Victoria in Tanya Huff's novels, but the vampires in this novel are thoroughly evil creatures with no charm whatsoever and their menace is very strikingly shown. The demon stuff is weird but different and the "bad-cross" magic is also unique, if a bit over-explained. So I don't find it cookie-cutted at all, and I have read all the greats (and many not-so-greats) in this genre. Most importantly on the positive side however, is that I ended up LIKING the heroine in this novel. She's a damned-long-winded but fiercely independent, hard-working, vulnerable-but-determined type that I found likable.

This all said, there is a small paradox here: it is hard to recommend this book wholeheartedly because of its problems, but at the same time it's good enough in some ways to be interesting. With a little work, a lot of editing and a sharper approach this could be a good series. But pointing out the flaws of an author is like trying to change a spouse after you're married; good luck. You get what you get because that's the deal. So this is a first: I don't strongly recommend a book that nonetheless many might like and that I myself didn't wholly reject. The strange case of the reviewer in limbo.

This book was unlike any other vampire related book I've ever read. I loved the characters and the elaborate world Robin McKinley created. It's rare for a book to keep me guessing, but I honestly wasn't sure what would happen next. I absolutely loved it!

I liked this book but found sections that were unfortunately slow and tedious. I ended up skipping through the large sections of introspection indulged by the lead character. I really like this author's other books so this one was a little disappointing.

No really. It *is* the best vampire book ever. I bought the first paperback edition and wish it was as pretty as this one--but it doesn't matter, because I've read the book at least 40 times since I bought it, and have sent four copies that I know of off of the top of my head to friends. Absolutely wonderful. And absolutely the best McKinley book, too, which is saying something, I know, but it's true.

McKinley has made a vampire story original terrifying and riveting. I loved Sunshine and her family. The journey of discovery is entirely plausible. R McKinley is one my favorite authors and this story thrills.

Anything by Robin McKinley rocks. A new take on her favorite fairy tale, and mine, Beauty and the Beast. Sunshine is a person, a reality, a concept and magic and now a book worth reading. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

I have read this book several times and was disappointed when i finished every time - not because the book was bad, but because I enjoyed it so much I just wanted more. I look forward to the sequel and would love to have an audio version of it.

While I love the Charlaine Harris novels and have really enjoyed the audio version of her books, I think this book is head and shoulders above those. It has more depth and darkness and character. Also, like other of Ms. Mckinley's work, I love the language and her characters. In the movie "Reuben, Reuben" the main character says that rather than use the Eveylyn Woods speed reading course, he'd pay someone to teach him to read slower. I always feel like that with this author's work.

Quite honestly, a waste of my time...I never give up on a book, but with this one, I did at 3/4 the way through. I guess Neil Gaiman's endorsement influenced me. Probably should have called it Twilight 2.0.

This was a modern supernatural based story with vampires, witches, sorcerers, etc. It starts with a human – seeming heroine who finds out that she is part sorcerer and part something else entirely. Her faults and strengths make her grow on you quickly as you read along.

Me. McKinley has done it again. This was a good read.

Robin McKinley's writing always seems to me to have a dreamy quality, which I enjoy. the Kindle description compares Sunshine to Buffy & Sookie, which is pretty nonsensical, but it does have a heroine, albeit a reluctant one.

I've always loved the way Robin McKinley writes, and this book was lots of fun. It's very different, in style and setting, from her other books, and it's enjoyable to watch a writer develop. I liked the characters and the story, and the new slang she invented, and it's fun to guess at the resolution of the loose ends she -- quite deliberately -- left hanging. Will there be a sequel? That'd be nice, but she doesn't usually write them. That's not bad, it means the reader gets to use his imagination too.

Nancy pearl said this was one of the best vampire books. I agree. I really enjoyed this book. Style, story, characters. This book is really solid. And I agree with other reviewers - it's not really a vampire book.

Finally, a vampire book that's actually well written! My very favorite book; I've read it several times. I only wish the author would write more adult fiction - no, I don't mean porn, for grownups, not children.

I love Robin McKinley. This story was more about stepping up and doing what is needed even when we really would rather not. Slightly difficult style made it a longer read for me and easier to put down.

I love Robin McKinley. She wrote my two favorite Beauty and the Beast retellings- the perfect Beauty, and the haunting Rose Daughter. I was so excited to read this vampire story, and she didn’t disappoint! I loved this.

Wonderful book. I have re-read it many times over the years and purchased the Kindle version as my paperback is getting worn out. It is a stand alone paranormal book with no cliffhangers. It is more of an adventure story and not a lot of romance. Excellent plot building.