Hello, woefully neglected blog!
I just finished the new Robin McKinley book,
Sunshine (linked below). It is definitely not a young adult book. There is violence and one particularly language-y sex scene, and it's not exactly what I'd call uplifting. It is filled with McKinley's usual lyrical writing, though, and the story is compelling and quite obviously inspired by (but not ripped off from)
Buffy. Highly recommended.