tristan strong punches a hole in the sky by kwame mbalia

In Alke, Tristan is reunited with many old friends, including my favorite, the dynamic Gum Baby.Īs with the first book, this installment offers up nonstop-action and humor. In this second installment, Tristan is forced back to Alke, the magical land of African Gods and African American folk heroes, after his beloved Nana is taken hostage by a mysterious villain out for revenge. I absolutely adore his perspective, his humor and the many admirable qualities he is developing as he grows through his adventures. Tristan is such a well-imagined character. My biggest observation of Mbalia's writing is that he writes with HEART. There is truly something for every Reader among the releases. If you are sleeping on the Rick Riordan Presents books, I highly encourage you to give one a try. I have read many of the books published through this imprint and I must say, each and every one has been absolutely fantastic.

The Tristan Strong series is part of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, which if you are unaware, is focused on publishing novels that allow Middle Grade authors from underrepresented cultures to tell stories inspired by the mythology and folklore of their heritage.

The quality of the story, as well as the world-building, felt so experienced. I fell in love with Tristan, as well as Mbalia's wit and compelling writing style.Īt the time, I was blown away by the fact that it was a debut.

I had so much fun reading Mbalia's debut, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, last year. Tristan Strong Destroys the World was my most anticipated Middle Grade novel of 2020!

Tristan strong punches a hole in the sky by kwame mbalia