Left to die in an abandoned mansion as the prey of a vampire, Sunshine is stunned to find herself unharmed and must come up with a way to save her undead host from the perils of the daylight world, in a seductive tale of supernatural desire from the Newbery Medal-winning author of The Hero and the Crown.
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Classic fairy tale retellings and original high fantasy worlds have long provided readers with pragmatic, capable heroines who forge their own paths through perilous magic. Robin McKinley established her place in fantasy literature through rich reimaginings of folklore alongside inventive original fiction set in realms such as Damar. Her early novels, including The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown, earned widespread distinction for their grounded characterization and immersive worldbuilding.
Jennifer Carolyn Robin McKinley was born on November 16, 1952, in Warren, Ohio. Because her father served in the U.S. Navy and Merchant Marines, her family moved frequently during her childhood, leading her to rely on books as consistent companions. She attended Dickinson College from 1970 to 1972 before transferring to Bowdoin College in Maine, where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English literature in 1975. Before transitioning into full-time writing, McKinley worked in a variety of roles, including transcriber, research assistant, bookstore clerk, counselor, editorial assistant, barn manager, and freelance editor.
McKinley published her debut novel, Beauty, in 1978. Her acclaim grew with The Blue Sword, which was named a Newbery Honor book, followed by The Hero and the Crown, which won the Newbery Medal. Her editorial work on the anthology Imaginary Lands earned a World Fantasy Award, while her novel Sunshine won the Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature. In 1992, she married British author Peter Dickinson and moved to England. In 2022, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association named her the 39th Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master.
McKinley is widely recognized for modernizing fairy tales by giving traditionally passive figures agency, practical skills, and psychological depth. Her writing often centers on themes of isolation, duty, recovery from trauma, and the strong connections formed between humans and animals or magical beasts. By combining detailed, atmospheric settings with straightforward, resolute protagonists, her work offers realistic emotional weight within high fantasy and urban fantasy frameworks.
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