Part fantasy, part horror, part love story and totally captivating. Rae “Sunshine” Seddon goes out to her family lake house for some peace and quiet. She is attacked by vampires who kidnap her and chain her up in a mansion next to Constantine, a hungry vampire who is also a prisoner.
Instead of attacking her, he gets her to tell stories to help pass the hours. In her desperation to be free, Sunshine recalls her forgotten powers of transmutation. She manages to unchain herself and Constantine by transforming her pocket knife into a key. They escape together and form a bond knowing their mutual enemies are not far behind.
I really didn’t want this book to end. McKinley creates such a magical world of mythical creatures that you will wish it was real. Sadly, it doesn’t appear that a sequel will be forthcoming. Apparently the author is waiting for divine inspiration from the story fairies, and in her words “don’t count on it”. Too bad, there is so much potential for a continuing story here. I loved it anyway.
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Reader Ratings - Click On A Star to Rate This Book:
(6 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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June 10th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
I thought this book to be one of the most vapid, insipid and boring reads ever. Sunshine’s going on and on and on about her thoughts and feelings without break made me wish her dead half way through the book. None of the other possible interesting characters were ever fully developed. The reader never got to feel or experience anything. After reading Rice and most other master storytellers, after watching Buffy, this was a shoddy attempt by a rank amateur. Are all of her books this bad? Not interesting. Not thoughtful. Not deep. What a waste of time.
June 10th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
Wow, your comments are pretty interesting. Thanks for giving another viewpoint. I guess that’s about the same way I feel about L.A. Bank’s books!
October 31st, 2007 at 5:05 pm
I throughly enjoyed the book, i felt as though i was Sunshine in a sense.
November 21st, 2007 at 3:43 pm
I really enjoyed “Sunshine”. It was a stay-up-til-3AM-on-a-work-night-to-finish-it kind of novel. The Sunshine character is definitely a strong, independent female but she seems to not know what she wants in life until she meets Constantine. Their relationship really keeps the book moving and the non-central characters are interestingly written. My only complaint would be that some of the action scenes seemed almost too ethereal and quickly explained. McKinley would do well to plant the action more firmly in the reader’s mind. Beyond that, the sexual tension between Sunshine and Con kept the temperature slightly above lukewarm the whole way through -and spiked here and there. Superb book with a great narrative style.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:43 am
I purchased this book because I was in need of a new vampire book and it seemed intriguing. I finished the book only because I can’t stop halfway through. I wish I never started it. It has been a while since I read it and I can’t remember anything worth remembering about it!!! Robin McKinley has written several other books that seemed lacking as well. I can’t quite put my finger on what the problem is, but none of her books have been able to capture my attention or hold an interest.
April 25th, 2008 at 6:41 am
I was so fascinated by the disparity in the above reviews, that I decided to add my 10 cents. I love the book “Sunshine” despite its obvious flaws: the world created by McKinley is so intriguing that it enabled me to look past the “breathless” monologue style (which I cannot stand). This book was in need of a walloping good edit, but it was still captivating. It has that essential spark, a true burst of imagination which made the world and, to some extent, the characters, come alive. The setting is an intriguing mix of alternative fairy and post apocalyptic sci fi, and you are only ever told enough to keep the story going. I find this kind of slow-reveal very enticing - to me it seems real: as if the narrator forgets that you have no idea about her world. You have to read between the lines and look for the clues, like we do in real life. Add to that - what an interesting heroine - a self-confessed poorly-educated baker with a compellingly strange family history, who has trouble coping with the traumas in her life, but does her best to pretend that all is ordinary.
Like many, according to posts, I would love to read a sequel - love to see Sunshine go looking for her father and that side of her family.
So, in response to above:
* I agree the monologue was awful, but we did get to know Sunshine and what she cares about - just only a little at a time.
* I too can’t stand LA Banks’ Vampire Huntress series - too much emotional angst.
* a better balance between action and first person monologuing would have been fabulous
I guess I’m defending the book - mainly because the story has stayed with me - ion comparison to all those books where I struggle to remember what it was even about. Cheers.