Tale of the Upland Daughter: World of Heavenfall

Book excerpt: Following the events of Tale of the Swamp Song. Spoilers ahead. Everyone who crosses paths with Ronnie of Dougan, even his best friend Gemma, sees a tall, broad-shouldered boy on the cusp of manhood. His life is laid out before him. His family’s expectations couldn’t be clearer. But the person Ronnie sees in the mirror feels like a stranger. When a fateful encounter at his coming-of-age ceremony leaves Ronnie at a crossroads, he turns to a forgotten goddess for guidance. Content note for Upland Daughter manuscript: This story contains instances of misgendering, deadnaming, and transphobia. The characters depicted in this tale do not have terms for their experiences in this place and time. I have made this choice to acknowledge the fact that even when gender nonconformity and queerness haven’t been adequately represented in the lexicon, we have always been here.