|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
Robin McKinley is an author who makes one glad to be a reviewer. Her new fantasy Sunshine is no exception. Sunshine is the nickname of the protagonist and narrating character. She is a young woman whose life consists almost entirely of baking in her stepfather's diner. In her world there are humans and there are the Others: vampires, weres, and demons. While humanity can usually deal with the weres and the demons, humans and vampires are implacable enemies. In the Voodoo Wars of a few years ago, Others and humans faught each other and many died. Sunshine hasn't been to the lake where she used to meet with her grandmother in years. Since the war it has been abandoned by humans. One evening she drives out to the lake and is captured by vampires. They chain her to the wall in an old house where they have also chained another vampire. The vampire, Constantine, does not wish to give in to his enemy, Bo, in anything, and so does not eat her. Sunshine begins to remember the magic her grandmother taught her, changes a pocket knife into a key, unchains herself and Constantine, and the two escape together. Sunshine and Constantine become bonded by the magic and the escape. A wound that the vampires gave her festers and Constantine heals her, increasing their bond. Bo is now the powerful enemy to both of them, and a confrontation is inevitable. McKinley is an excellent author. Her narrative is smooth and Sunshine is a vivid character, as are the people who are part of the diner, her landlady Yolande, and the SOF police who help her. McKinley is an experienced fantasy writer, and the world she creates is self-consistent. The only drawback is that sometimes the description of the world interrupts the momentum of the story. I do not know if this is the beginning of a series or a standalone book, but hope for the former. Recommended.
Reviewed by Mary A. Axford, October 2003
This book has more than one review. Click here to show all.
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
| 
