Little Sister
core novel 1996 Mitsuko
Record
| First published | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.89 (742 ratings, collected 2026-11-01) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780152013929 |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
In twelfth-century Heian Japan, warrior-monks raid and burn the home of Mitsuko, a thirteen-year-old noblewoman of the Fujiwara clan. During the flight from the city, her older sister Amaiko's husband is killed, and Amaiko falls into a catatonic state, her spirit gone from her body. Mitsuko prays for help at a small shrine and promises to restore it. She then meets Goranu, a mischievous shape-shifting tengu, who agrees to guide her. Together they set out to cross into the netherworld, meeting figures from Japanese mythology such as the Dragon King and Lord Emma-O, Judge of the Dead, in order to find her sister's soul and bring it home.
Where it sits
- Universe: Mitsuko
- Series: Mitsuko core; position 1 of 2 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Kara Dalkey
Notes
- From the series record (Mitsuko): Two linked novels following the noblewoman Mitsuko and the tengu Goranu in twelfth-century Japan.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series Mitsuko: position 1 of 2: next The Heavenward Path (1998)
Sources
- Rivendell Group: Krentz reviews two books by Kara Dalkey
- AbeBooks listing (Harcourt Children's Books, 1996)
- FantasticFiction: Little Sister
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