'Maiden Voyage' Is the LGBT Fairy Tale We Wish We Had Growing Up

LGBT millennials wish we had an iconic, queer-themed fairy tale to read when we were growing up. Luckily, today's LGBT kids can lose themselves in the fantastical adventures of relatable queer heroes in Promised Land and its upcoming sequel Maiden Voyage.

The book follows Ru, a fisherman's daughter who inherits a map from her father and joins the crew of Captain Freya to unearth their treasure. However, the two women soon discover a romance budding between them. Little do they know, they're being pursued by a band of pirates led by Captain Crow, who's been bewitched by the wicked Queen Neva to keep a dark secret from surfacing...

"It’s important for young people to feel included, that they have a place in the world, and something they can relate to," said co-author Jaimee Poipoi. "If they can identify themselves within a story, that empowers them to be who they are and what they represent." 

Maiden Voyage is the follow up toPromised Land, a gay fairytale that became an overnight viral success in 2016 with outlets like BuzzFeed, Upworthy, Teen Vogue, and others covering the groundbreaking children's book.

Authors Jaimee Poipoi, Adam Reynolds, and Chaz Harris's forthcoming installment is still gaining it's backing via Kickstarter and celebrity donations, most notably actors/activists George Takei and Sir Ian McKellen, along with GLSEN!

Be sure to check out Promised Land and contribute to Maiden Voyage's Kickstarter here.