Sunfire (series)
Sunfire is a series of young adult historical romance novels published by Scholastic Books in the 1980s. They are currently out of print.
Background
The books were written by a group of authors, including Vivian Schurfranz, Jane Claypool Miner, Candice F. Ransom, Mary Francis Shura, Jeffie Ross Gordon, and Willo Davis Roberts.
Structure of the novels
The Sunfire books contained two themes: history and romance. Each book featured a teenage girl who experienced a particular period or event in American history. At the same time, with very few exceptions, the girl was torn between two potential lovers. The girl was typically ahead of her time in ideas and actions and the suitor she almost always chose was the one who approved of or accepted her actions. The cover art always featured the main character flanked by her two potential lovers, along with scenes from the historical event or period that was the setting for the book.
Reception
A review by Catherine Bowles, in the journal Children's Book and Media Review of the first 4 books in the series, found the books under researched, formulaic and "of mediocre quality". On the other hand Joyce A. Litton, while conceding that the novels were formulaic, called the series an "ecelent set of historical novels".