Deerskin
core novel 1993 Deerskin
Record
| First published | 1993 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.94 (24,745 ratings, collected 2026-09-14) |
| Page count | 384 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780441000692 |
Synopsis
Loosely based on the French fairy tale Donkeyskin, Deerskin follows Princess Lissar, daughter of a kingdom's famously beautiful and celebrated royal couple, who grows up largely unnoticed and overlooked, living in the shadow of her parents' renowned looks and status. As Lissar comes of age, she begins to increasingly resemble her late mother, a resemblance that draws unwelcome and increasingly dangerous attention from her own father, whose grief and obsession curdle into something Lissar cannot safely remain near. Forced to flee the only home and life she has known, Lissar must find a way to survive on her own, accompanied only by her loyal dog, in a world that offers her little protection from what she has escaped.
Where it sits
- Universe: Deerskin
- Series: not part of a registered series (standalone work within its universe)
- Author: Robin McKinley
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (Adult Literature), 1994: finalist; Confirmed directly via mythsoc.org's own Mythopoeic Fantasy Award finalists page: a 1994 finalist alongside The Innkeeper's Song (Beagle) and The Cygnet and the Firebird (McKillip); lost to The Porcelain Dove (Sherman).
Notes
- A dark retelling of Charles Perrault's "Donkeyskin"/"Peau d'Ane": Lissar flees her father's kingdom after his attempted forced marriage, aided by a moon goddess and her dog Ash.
Sources
← Deerskin dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.