- Status
- Complete series
- Published books
- 3 of 3 planned
- Commitment
- Medium series
- Audience
- Middle Grade / Crossover
A grieving boy enters a mythic world shaped by African American folktales and West African gods.
The main prose trilogy completes Tristan’s journey while preserving grief and storytelling as central parts of the adventure.
Best if you want
- A complete portal-fantasy quest grounded in Black folklore and mythology.
- Emotional growth alongside energetic action and inventive storytelling.
Think twice if you need
- Low stakes or an entirely light tone.
- A romance-led or politically intricate series.
Outside the score
Reader context
Series information guides suitability and commitment. Matrix scores remain attached to individual books.
Reader advisories
- Violence
- Child peril
- Grief and loss
Books in this series
Compare the individual volumes.
1 of 3 published books currently have a full Matrix profile.
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
Kwame Mbalia
Tristan's attempt to protect his late friend's journal opens a passage into Alke, where stories carry power and an ongoing conflict demands that he find his own voice.