Harper Fire has bought the reinterpretation of the youth romance and medieval legend The daughter of the enemy by debut author Melissa Poett in a major anticipation.
Senior editor Megan Reid bought worldwide rights (excluding North America) from Catherine Cho at Paper Literary in a “significant” pre-emptive deal, the publisher said. North American rights were acquired by Karen Chaplin, editor-in-chief at Quill Tree, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books US.
Planned for summer 2025, The daughter of the enemy is, according to HarperCollins, “a breathtaking reinterpretation of the medieval Tristan and Isolde legend, set in a dystopian world permeated by magic.”
“An incredibly addictive debut young adult romance where enemies become lovers. The daughter of the enemy is perfect for fans of Sarah Underwood, Tahereh Mafi and Shelby Mahurin,” added the publisher. “An untitled sequel will be released in summer 2026. After the collapse of civilization, all that remains of the Republic are the five clans and their enemy Kingsland. Isadora, the daughter of a clan leader, is a healer desperate to bring back the medicine of the old world to help her people.
“Tristan is the young assassin prince of Kingsland, determined to take revenge on the clans. When Isadora is struck with a poisoned arrow, only Tristan can save her in a magical ceremony that will bind them together forever. As she recovers in enemy territory, she begins to question the truth about her violent past… Isadora must decide which truth to believe.”
Poett said: “I am so excited to be working with Megan and Karen and the amazing publishing teams at Harper Fire and Quill Tree. Their enthusiasm for this story and belief in me as a debut author has been overwhelming, and to be published by such rock stars is a huge honour and one I do not take lightly.
“I wrote The daughter of the enemy as an epic romance, but almost as much it became my love letter to a generation of girls finding their way in this world. I am so grateful to HarperCollins for this opportunity and to my agent Catherine, who plucked me out of the pile of unsolicited manuscripts and took me on this journey.”
Reid commented: “With a beautiful romance featuring forbidden lovers, exquisite magic, high-stakes adventure, and the most haunting, addictive prose, I have completely fallen in love with The daughter of the enemy from the first captivating meeting between Isadora and Tristan. Melissa is an incredible new talent and I am delighted to welcome her to Harper Fire.”
