So this baker gets kidnapped by vampires--Wait, let me start again.So everything is kind of magic and supernatural but there are still computers and cinnamon rolls--Hold on, one more time.So this is one of my all time favorites EVER, and not guilty pleasure - real pleasure. The way McKinley lays out the history of Sunshine's world is a refreshing change from the usual fantasy methods of "this is some expository narration about how magic works" and the calamitous Made Up Important Words in Capital Letters, Like Magick. Sunshine is a great narrator, feminine and super-smart and stubborn and sharp without being irritatingly all-knowing or self-important. And while we spend a lot of the book focused on fast, scary, sexy vampires, we spend even more time getting to know Sunshine as a heroine and exploring her intriguing universe. I read this book at least once a year to dive into the world as often as I can.
— Andrea
Sunshine is a baker in a world where tour buses get lost down cobbled streets rebuilt after a magical World War. A chance encounter thrusts her into the center of a deadly, ancient game, and face-to-face with her own abandoned heritage. Brilliant world-building, vibrant characters, fantastic charms, and delicious cinnamon rolls.
— Jocelyn"Fabulous, fascinating, and a whole lot of fun. Step into Robin McKinley's thrilling, beautifully described world, where you will meet some interesting vampires and a lady who can deal with the creatures of the night."
—Jayne Ann Krentz
"I had no idea that blood and dessert could go together so well. I loved it!"—Amber Benson, "Tara" on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"Buffyesque baker Rae "Sunshine" Seddon meets Count Dracula's hunky Byronic cousin in Newbery-Award-winner McKinley's first adult-and-then-some romp through the darkling streets of a spooky post-Voodoo Wars world...Most of the charm of this long venture into magic maturation derives from McKinley's keen ear and sensitive atmospherics, deft characterizations and clever juxtapositions of reality and the supernatural...McKinley knows very well—and makes her readers believe—that 'the insides of our own minds are the scariest things there are.'"—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
"Smart, dark, and riveting. Sunshine is quite possibly the best vampire book published in my lifetime." -Melissa Marr, bestselling author of Wicked Lovely
“A luminous, entrancing novel with an enthralling pair of characters at its heart.” –Booklist
“A smart, funny tale of suspense and romance.” –San Francisco Chronicle
“Before reading Sunshine, I had no idea that blood and dessert could go together so well.” –Amber Benson
“McKinley [balances] the dark drama with light touches of humor. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer will feel at home, but McKinley’s novel has its own originality and depth.” –Orlando Sentinel
“A dark, sensual vampire fairy tale.” –This Week Newspapers (Ohio)
“Sunshine has magic in every word.” –Sherrilyn Kenyon, New York Times bestselling author
“Sunshine takes everything we have always known about the menacing eroticism of pale men with sharp teeth and throw it up into the air.” –Time Out