Next of kin in Oriental novel (8)

I believe the answer is:

relation

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'next of kin' is the definition.
'relation' can be an answer for 'kin' (I've seen this before). I'm not certain of the 'next of' bit.

'oriental novel' is the wordplay.
'novel' is an anagram indicator.
'oriental' anagrammed gives 'RELATION'.

'in' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for relation that I've seen before include "Respect" , "Grandchild, perhaps" , "Link" , "Account" , "Auntie?" .)

I've seen this clue in the Irish Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.