Paula, or anyone: I had never heard of Robin McKinley until I arrived at RP.
Are her books (I'm assuming R McK is a she with a blokes name) the sort of thing that might appeal to UK readers . . . especially one who has little time for make-believe and fairies, goblins, elves et al at the bottom of the garden?

Robin is a girl's name here-even though I believe she is English.
She is very popular with some of my students while they wait for the next Potter book. Strong girl characters, fantasy, dragons, classic good vs. evil and quest stories. They compare her books to the currently popular Eragon and Inkheart books.

McKinley gets mixed reviews at my house. I find her writing enjoyable (the comparison to the Eragon books is a little generous to Christopher Paolini I think), she's particularly adept at conjuring up mood and tone, but her heroines are becoming monotonous. If you've met one of them, you've met them all. I gave up really anticipating new releases from her after reading Sunshine a couple of years ago. There was that same character again in Rae... Aerin/Harry/Cecily/Princess Lissar... they're interchangeable.

That said, her first novel, Beauty, is still my favorite Beauty and the Beast rendition. I just wish she would inject some new personalities into her heroines.

Robin McKinley is an American writer, mostly YA fantasy but with a strong adult following. Robin is so thoroughly a girls' name in the US that we are always surprised when we remember it is a boys' name in the UK. She lives in England, and is married to the writer Peter Dickinson. But then many names that started as boys' names have become girls' names. I can list half a dozen off the top of my head -- Sydney, Beverly, Evelyn, Tracy, Sandy, Brooke. Ccertainly there are others as well. I wonder if this is strictly an American phenomenon, or if it happens in the UK as well. Here I think giving a girl a male name, or at least an androgynous name, can a slight cachet. It seems a bit daring and bold. Over time the name loses its male association (and corresponding dashing quality) as people stop naming their boys these names. Most people here forget that Beverly and Shirley were ever male names.

There is a tendency for her characters to be at odds with the world, some rather sad, and some just prickly and a bit lost. I actually welcomed Sunshine for the change in direction from her earlier works. I know of fans who were taken aback by the loss of the fairytale quality, but I admired and enjoyed the new direction.

Two of her novels are not favorites of mine. One was her Robin Hood book Outlaws of Sherwood, which just didn't work for me. I'm not sure why. It is the only one of her novels I didn't finish. The other was Spindle's End, which felt a bit confusing in parts, and lacked the immediacy I expect from her books. But when I think over my own life's efforts, I am more than willing to excuse any writer an off book or two, or even three! And it may well be that many people liked best the two I enjoyed least.

Her first novel Beauty is one of my favorite novels. In part this is because the book came into my hands at a time in my life when I myself felt lost, and did not see the way clear to make my life any better. The changes I made to my life had nothing to do with anything in the book, but I remember reading it as a rare moment of real pleasure in a long unhappy time. It has lived up well to re-reading, too. Others I liked very well are her two Damar novels The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown; Rose Daughter, enjoyable to me even though she went back over material she had already visited; her darkest novel Deerskin based on a fairy tale which really, really confused me when I read it in an Andrew Lang collection at age 10; and as I mentioned above, Sunshine.

It is always a pleasure when a favorite author releases a new book!

Rosefolly

Veer - I see that I did not directly address your question, only your (correct) assumption. Robin McKinley writes fantasy. She does it unusually well, IMO, and without that quality of sweetness or preciousness that I think you are finding repellent when I read your note. However, if you don't like the genre at all, you should pass on reading her books.

Rosefolly

I have enjoyed most of her books and I'll be sure to waitlist myself at the library for this one. Thanks for the heads up. I learned about McKinley from this forum, thanks to all who recommended her!

I do find her heroines a bit tedious, but I find she has a way of really making a story come alive, and her fantasy is of the realistic sort, not the fairy dust variety.

And let me add a hello to all - I've been overwhelmed with schoolwork for the last few months, but I've stolen a moment to check in here. Hope you have all been well - Siobhan

Gosh... I just re-read what I typed this morning and realized it came across as waaaay too negative. I've really enjoyed most of her books. What I was trying to say in my bleary-eyed-early-morning stupor was that I enjoy her writing enough to wish she'd get some new leading ladies to write about. Does that makes sense? Most of her books are on my shelves, well-used and falling apart at the mass-market-paperback seams.

:)

It looks as though the new book has a male main character, so that will be a change. In the short excerpt he sounds young, coming-of-ageish, so I expect he'll have that attitude of feeling at odds with the world that her heroines have. I have yet to meet a teen, no matter how poised and accomplished, who did not feel at odds with the world, at least inside.

Musicmom, I agree that it is hard sometimes to convey just the tone you meant when communicating electronically. Many is the time I have had to post a clarifying note of my own.

Siobhan, we have missed you and wondered where you were. Please do drop in for a moment when you can spare one. You have been part of RP for so long that the forum would not be the same without you.

Rosefolly

Thanks for the explanations about R McK. I checked our county library 'on-line' section and they don't seem to have any of her books in stock, although this could be because they don't seem able to deal with McKinley and can only come up with MacK words.
Even as a child I was not happy with fairy stories/make-believe and much preferred true-to-life books.

As for names I think in the UK we are tending to go the way of America . . what you do today we will probably be following before long.
I can't say I have ever heard an English girl called Brooke or Sydney and Tracy, along with Sharon has become attached to 'Estuary' England. Did you know that Wendy was 'invented' by J M Barrie in Peter Pan and the boy's name 'Barry' along with 'Clive' were originally surnames . . .probably dozens more egs.
The name 'Sandy' is always short for either Sandra (for a girl) or Alexander for a boy, particularly in Scotland. Also quite popular for dogs!
We certainly don't have your rich mix of 'first' names (or Christian names are they are still known over here).
Can someone please tell me why it is that American women often use a couple of surnames rather than dropping the first when they get married; something we seldom do over here?

It's a feminist thing. I do it myself. It means that the woman doesn't want to give up the name/family identity she has had all her life and become submerged completely in her husband's name/family identity. Some women solve this dilemma by not taking their husband's name at all, remaining Mary Smith when they marry Bill Jones, rather than becoming Mary Smith-Jones or Mary Jones. Sometimes the husband takes her name, too, and would become Bill Smith-Jones. My own husband cheerfully offered to do whatever I pleased about his name, but since I had children from an earlier marriage with yet a third last name, I thought he should keep the last name he'd had all his life. Why add to the confusion?

Rosefolly
aka Paula Larkin Hutton (I only use the hyphen if someone's database requires it.)

It is common, at least in my part of the country, for the wife to drop her given middle name and use her maiden name in its place-i.e.
Mary Eloise Jasper marries Steven Fletcher. She becomes Mary Jasper Fletcher. Hyphens are still viewed with a bit of suspicion by the natives of our conservative area-double-barreled names being seen as a bit longing to be-aristocratic.

Thank you for the kind words, Rosefolly! I have often thought of RP and even wondered if I was missed. I've been around here for quite a few years now.

I just received the wonderful news that I don't have to go to summer school! My program director pushed through a couple of transfer credits for me, saving me many, many $$$$ and just as much time. I don't know how to thank her. I think I will read a book and dedicate it to her! (Does that even make any sense?) I cannot wait to do some reading for sheer pleasure and not for an assignment.

I have gotten married (for the third time) and finally hit the name jackpot - I really like my husband's surname. It is short, unusual but not TOO unusual and easy to spell. I unhesitantly changed it, especially since I have a sister and an uncle who are bringing disrepute upon my family name (!).

I've put myself on the waitlist for McKinley's new book and looking forward to discussing it here!

Why hello Siobhan and congrats and happiness! Of course you have been missed. The only reason I didn't post earlier to this thread is that I was in Montreal and Quebec City the past week.

I'll read the new McKinley but only if it is not exclusively directed to the juvenile audience. Dragons are somewhat of a tired theme for me. I compare everything to the Pern novels. Although, McKinley did do a wonderful job with Aerin's nemesis in the Hero and the Crown.

Paula - I find myself nodding in agreement re the Sherwood and Spindles books. It felt like someone else wrote them.

Vee- Skip these books as they are not your cuppa tea, even though I know you are a fierce dragon slayer. Regarding your surname question - many of my friends kept their maiden names when they married. I did so as well; it made sense from a feminist perspective as well as a business one due to my career. Our children have my husband's surname athough both have my maiden name as a second middle name. Personally, I think those hyphenated surnames can be awkward and cumbersome.

Robin McKinley's new book should be out this week. I was going to order it for myself but am holding off so my DH can give it to me for my birthday (in just a few short weeks). I can't wait to read it. She's one of my favorite authors.

I picked this up at a local bookstore and have now read it. Different from her usual novels. I enjoyed, but did not love it. Her experiment with Sunshine worked much better for me personally than this one did. Still, I respect the continuing efforts to push her frontiers.

Really, really bad binding on the book, possibly the worst I've ever seen. It fell apart in my hands, and as I mentioned on another thread, I do take care of my books. Someone not in a hurry might do well to wait for the paperback. It would probably hold up better.

Rosefolly

I actually loved Spindles End, as well as the Danmar series...I have Beauty on my TBR list. Perhaps I haven't read enough of her books to become tired of them yet.