Sunshine by Robin McKinley
I am not sure I liked this book but ….
.... I gave it 5 stars because it pulled me into the story from the first page to the last, the world constructed by McKinley is extremely interesting, I have no regrets about buying the novel in hardcover(instead of waiting for paperback),if there is ever a sequel I will be buying it asap and I would recommend this novel to friends.McKinley constructs a fascinating world inhabited by a eclectic mix of fantasy creatures of both pure blood and mixed blood. The world these creatures and the humans inhabit is our world - just a few degrees off. And the vampires who are the 'evil menace' of the story bear no resemblance to the nice vamps who have come to inhabit all to much of today’s vampire fiction.The very reluctant heroine of the story is Sunshine, who turns out to be very much her fathers daughter after years of her mother (and herself) trying to avoid or ignore that part of her heritage. After years of normal behaviour, the magic in her genes begins to break out. This leads her into a spot of vampire trouble from which she escapes only through her magic. The result is that she has entered into a conflict with a 'Master Vampire'; is allied with another vampire (in a world where all vampires are considered 'the enemy'-to be killed by the authorities); her own abilities are gaining strength and she has come to the attention of the authorities charged with dealing with the "Others".The story follows all these conflicting aspects as they pivot around (over, through) Sunshine. What could have been a terrible mess is held together and driven along the storyline by McKinley's excellent writing. As I said I am not sure I 'liked' this book, but I sure could not stop reading it. If you are looking for a great fantasy world construct, an interesting 'heroine' (say central character), not nice vampires, other interesting characters and a very different storyline - all held together by the authors ability to tell the tale ... Then this book is for you. Let me conclude by saying the ending was open enough to allow the author to visit with 'Sunshine' again and I would be glad to go back again myself.
.... I gave it 5 stars because it pulled me into the story from the first page to the last, the world constructed by McKinley is extremely interesting, I have no regrets about buying the novel in hardcover(instead of waiting for paperback),if there is ever a sequel I will be buying it asap and I would recommend this novel to friends.McKinley constructs a fascinating world inhabited by a eclectic mix of fantasy creatures of both pure blood and mixed blood. The world these creatures and the humans inhabit is our world - just a few degrees off. And the vampires who are the 'evil menace' of the story bear no resemblance to the nice vamps who have come to inhabit all to much of today’s vampire fiction.The very reluctant heroine of the story is Sunshine, who turns out to be very much her fathers daughter after years of her mother (and herself) trying to avoid or ignore that part of her heritage. After years of normal behaviour, the magic in her genes begins to break out. This leads her into a spot of vampire trouble from which she escapes only through her magic. The result is that she has entered into a conflict with a 'Master Vampire'; is allied with another vampire (in a world where all vampires are considered 'the enemy'-to be killed by the authorities); her own abilities are gaining strength and she has come to the attention of the authorities charged with dealing with the "Others".The story follows all these conflicting aspects as they pivot around (over, through) Sunshine. What could have been a terrible mess is held together and driven along the storyline by McKinley's excellent writing. As I said I am not sure I 'liked' this book, but I sure could not stop reading it. If you are looking for a great fantasy world construct, an interesting 'heroine' (say central character), not nice vampires, other interesting characters and a very different storyline - all held together by the authors ability to tell the tale ... Then this book is for you. Let me conclude by saying the ending was open enough to allow the author to visit with 'Sunshine' again and I would be glad to go back again myself.
posted by James W Breckenridge at 2:55 PM
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