Author: Joan Tierney

A queer and cli-fi reimagining of a Portuguese folktale about a young trans woman who must save her elder sisters from the King of the Air, the King of the Sea, and the King of Misery

Elixane lives in a village ravaged by waves, storms, and the encroaching forest. When she was too young to remember, her elder sisters each picked a flower and were whisked away: Borboleta to marry the King of the Air, Adelina to marry the King of the Sea, and her favorite sister Dores to marry the King of Misery, who promised: No one will ever love you as I will.

So when Elixane receives a mysterious message from a toad, she sets out to rescue Dores from the Kingdom of Misery. She is aided by the jester-like Marquês of Luck and his sister Jinx, the contrary and beautiful Marquesa of Misfortune. On the way, she'll have to reunite with her sisters and their magical husbands, break several unbreakable curses--and, perhaps, find a magical love of her own.

Publisher: Macmillan Publishers (MPS)
Published: 07/14/2026
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.06oz
Size: 9.25h x 6.12w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781250421791

About the Author
Joan Tierney is the author of the Publishers Weekly-starred novella The Killing Grounds. Misery's Wife is her debut novel.