Sunshine by Robin McKinley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really dislike vampire novels. I find them clichéd and silly (other than Bram Stoker’s Dracula, of course). And, if it weren’t for the fact that Robin McKinley is one of my favorite fantasy writers, I wouldn’t have read this one either.
But I’m glad I did. This book is a bit different than many of the author’s other books. The language of the book is more colloquial than is typical, and her world building is a bit more casual, too. Also, unusually for her, the book is narrated in the first person. But the plot is interesting and original and ambivalent. And, as a baker myself, I like that the main character is also a baker. (She’s evidently also a morning person–we do NOT share that character trait.)
Vampires are a central theme in this book, obviously, but not either good and or evil. And the book is a thoughtful study on what happens when you are confronted with a stereotype that you discover not to be true.
It isn’t perhaps my favorite of the author’s books, but it is perhaps the most thought-provoking of her works so far. I would have given it 3.5 stars but rounded up as she is one of my favorite fantasy authors.



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Chalice by Robin McKinley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have loved almost everything I’ve read by Robin McKinley, and “Chalice” is no exception. On the surface, this is a conventional fantasy with magic and villains and heroes. The author lifts the book out of its conventional genre with lyrical–almost poetical–writing (as is typical of her work). She also defies the stereotypes of heroes and heroines by making both the hero and heroine of this novel people who are uncertain about their places in the world. There is no strong sense of destiny in the main characters, no inner conviction about the righteousness of their actions. Instead, they are two people who are lifted from their previous lives and thrust into a greater role. And neither one of them is certain that they are suited for those roles. It’s actually a refreshing change to watch main characters flounder and feel inadequate about their lives.
The author is skilled at world building without utilizing overly descriptive phrases. In a few austere strokes, she creates emotional resonance about the world she is building, and the reader follows. There are flamboyant extroverted fantasy novels, and then there is this one–a seemingly unobtrusive nugget that slowly reveals its hidden jeweled splendor as the novel progresses.
I highly recommend this book!



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