Tristan is at a family reunion in New Orleans when he spots Cotton and thus starts another battle between Cotton and Tristan that will involve his friends and how vulnerable they are when Tristan doesn't think things thru and just rushes in. Can Tristan's friends teach hi everything he needs to know to beat Cotton, or will all be lost including his friends?

This is another awesome book by Kwame Mbalia and I hope he keeps on going. I love these books they are full of action and suspense, so history and many stories from the gods and Gum Baby, who thinks she is a god. I love hearing the old stories, some I know and some I don't. So don't make us sap attack you and just give the book a try I think you will like these even if you are reluctant.

This review will appear on my blog on October 5th.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-ARC of this book.

Full disclosure, I love everything in the Rick Riordan Presents line. I cannot lie. I'm actually jealous of the kids growing up now who have these amazing books. I have read or listened to all of the books in the line and shared the audios with my children in most cases. We all love these books. I have been curious to see where book 3 would go for about a year now, so very excited for this title.

And it did not disappoint! This series contains everything you want for a middle grades book - likeable characters, comedy, serious topics, serious messages and exciting experiences. I think Mr Mbalia has addressed several topics very well, especially for the targeted age range. Tristan Strong is an amazing hero who is plagued by realistic uncertainties. He feels that he has failed, and that gives his character and the book a lot of heart and soul. We see him struggle with choices and feelings that want to take him over. Very real characters, very real feelings and situations.

I would recommend this series to anyone - of any age. They are so well written, so descriptive and so moving. I can't wait for the book to be published so I can find the audiobook and listen to it all over again.

Stories are the fabric of the world, and nobody knows that better than Tristan Strong. It has been two weeks since the land of Alke was destroyed, and Tristan finds himself in New Orleans for his family reunion. With gods and children scattered around his world, Tristan’s mind is occupied by the need to find them and ensure their safety. When a girl named Seraphine approaches Tristan and guides him to a battle only they can fight, Tristan discovers just how much strength he has within and how his innate tenacity can empower him to be his best.

This stunning conclusion to the Tristan Strong series brings readers on an epic adventure up the Mississippi River in a quest to deliver the world from the nefarious ambitions of King Cotton. Throughout his life, Tristan has been plagued by anger, occasionally struggling to manage his emotions in a productive manner. Cotton capitalizes on this reality, as villains are known to do, working at every turn to convince Tristan to transition to his side. However, Tristan begins to see the world for what it is and discovers how he can channel his anger into something good.

Mbalia’s engaging writing style connects readers to Tristan and his story, painting vivid imagery that unfolds as a film would inside the reader’s mind. Each character has a recognizable and unique way of speaking, jumping off the page alongside Tristan’s first person narrative and internal dialogue. As the Anansesem he is, Tristan seeks out the stories in the world and expertly communicates them to the readers who have discovered this series. Political undercurrents flow through this story as well, and readers must pay careful attention to appreciate the intelligent wit Mbalia incorporates into the narrative.

Clever and poignant, the Tristan Strong series brings tales of African American folklore and history into the present for middle grade readers. Told through the lens of a twelve-year-old who is attempting to understand his own existence, this narrative connects the past to the present and gives these stories new life. Readers will cheer for Tristan as he creates his own narrative and blends his contemporary reality with his roots in a way that inspires others to embrace their own histories, as well. This is an important and profound series that is a critical addition to middle grade libraries.

I received an electronic ARC from Disney Publishing Worldwide through NetGalley.
The final book in this trilogy is everything readers expect. The story opens in New Orleans where Tristan is attending a family reunion and continuing to locate lost Alkeans. The action begins almost immediately with attacks from haints and other monsters. We see Tristan struggle to make the best choices and to let his anger take control and create larger problems. As the story progresses, he learns to control his emotions and to see beyond the taunts, etc. from King Cotton and others. Love that he finally learns to work as a teammate before the final battle over evil. The connections and allusions to US history permeate this volume. Readers are drawn in to see how slavery's effect continues to echo today. They come face to face with their own feelings about the Redliners and how to respond to their subtle and not so hidden hatred. So many discussion topics can come up as a class or a small group reading this one together. I appreciate the Epilogue as this is the end of this trilogy.

Wow... What a great book! Really hoping to read more of Tristan Strong and his adventures. This is a fantastic series and this ending, wow. Such a fun adventure

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia is the third and final book in the Tristan Strong series. In this finale, Tristan is reunited with Ayanna in his world. Tristan is dead set on tracking down his enemy King Cotton. New haints are determined to keep Tristan and his friends from reaching him. The journey to the defeat of King Cotton will require Tristan to harness his newfound power of flaming gloves, along with help from his friends and the Alkean gods.

This book is just as exciting as the first two! I’ve grown so attached to the cast of characters, especially Tristan and Gum Baby. I don’t want it to be over!

In the final book of this trilogy, Tristan must learn to control his anger, use his powers but use them under control and wisely, and depend on his friends. King Cotton is back and he wants to take the power from the spirit world and overtake the land. Tristan has to figure out how to stop King Cotton and to do so he needs to pay attention to the African American history of the past, learn about the tragedies that aren’t taught in school and tell the stories of his people.
Recommended for upper elementary/middle school students.
#TristanStrongKeepsPunching #NetGalley

I just love this series. I love everything about Tristan and the mythology and stories from the past are amazing!

Kwame has done it again with the third and final amazingly fantastical Tristan Strong novel! One final battle to face off against King Cotton- can Tristan and his Alkean friends defeat him for good?? You gotta read to find out!
Gum Baby is and will always be my favorite!!

This was an excellent ending to the trilogy. I won't give spoilers but dang Tristan Strong levels up and his friends have his back. I had to put aside the book for a while because while it was epic it was also sad to read about how America was built on pain and slavery. I would love a movie some day.

I adored this series. The second less so than this latest installment. The message was clear for adults and kid readers. Each time, I feel like Cotton gets more despicable, and stealing children means he takes the cake. Seeing all the gods in the same book and seeing old friends was amazing. Gum Baby is a queen. This is the new Percy Jackson and I couldn't be happier.

For me, this book embodies the heart of middle grade: likeable characters, enjoyable experiences, and comedy, all combined with serious topics and messages. The author addressed beautifully here generational trauma and the need of remembering past hurts, particularly for the target audience of youngsters, as were broader themes of loss and guilt. Tristan was a fantastic protagonist, a young man who aspires to be a hero but is plagued by worries and uncertainties, particularly because he believes he failed and missed a crucial opportunity to be heroic.

Tristan has a lot of heart and soul to give as he discovers who he is, how much he's worth, and what's at risk in his world (s). Mbalia's capacity to simultaneously transport Black readers into a new, optimistic realm while also confronting horrific, tremendously traumatic lived histories/experiences astounds me. This series' antagonist is both metaphorically and practically chattel slavery. Examine the cover carefully. What a wonderful and therapeutic experience it is for young Black readers to read a book filled with adventure and Black community.

Excellent addition to this series!

Tristan Strong is an amazing character and I have loved all of his adventures. Kwame Mbalia has created something truly unique between the history, the culture, the magic, and the characters, the Tristan Strong series will be unlike anything else you've ever read.

The book is full of fun and adventure and a lot of heart.

Perfect books for both young and old readers alike.

In this finale of the Tristan Strong series, Tristan faces off with his enemy King Cotton once and for all. Before the faceoff, he has to deal with his anger issues and figure out exactly what Cotton has planned. His friends become annoyed with him because he is so focused on Cotton that he keeps running off without thinking things through. Tristan loses some more people, and just when he is ready to give up he remembers his family mantra: Strongs Keep Punching. Can Tristan defeat King Cotton or will Cotton take over Tristan's hometown and the world?

One of my favorite heroes, in my favorite city? SIGN ME UP! New Orleans plays the perfect backdrop for Tristan's adventures. I loved reading about the city as he was racing through it. Tristan Strong is one of my favorite middle grade series and I'm sad it's coming to an end. However, it's a fitting end. Tristan finds himself once again punching his way through another adventure. I loved reading about all the characters all and new. I loved the underlying theme of what makes a hero. Bravo. A fitting ending to one of my most beloved heroes.

I love this trilogy so, so much.

The inhabitants of Alke are now in Tristan's world. Tristan and Ayanna band up to travel up the Mississippi River toward Tristan's home in Chicago in anticipation of facing off against King Cotton, running into friends and enemies old and new.

As usual, I loved the worldbuilding. Especially now, with Alke no longer a separate part of the world that we know, seeing the way that history and mythology blended together in the modern-day was just a *chef's kiss*. I loved this tour throughout cities along the Mississippi River and the events in US history that really impacted African Americans, many of which that I didn't know about before.

I loved the return of all the amazing characters, both heroes and villains from previous books, as well as these people Tristan met along his journey in this book. I especially loved a lot of the smaller antagonists, whose historical basis I was somewhat familiar with, and seeing the way that their manifestation in the modern-day world of this story with plenty of parallels to things said and done today in the real world was very interesting to read.

Tristan's anger is very raw and real, especially for people who are younger, who are filled with enough hope that the world can be better than it is, and is angry when it seems that the adults around them don't rise up to the occasion. I loved the commentary on what makes a hero versus what makes a leader, and I appreciated that Tristan was guided to try to be a leader rather than a hero. Tristan trying to grapple with all his feelings while trying to do right by everyone he cares about and struggling to balance what the adults around him wanted him to do and what he wanted to do was a classic dilemma for a hero. I thought it was hilarious that Tristan was suddenly finding new powers that he didn't have previously, and he wasn't sure how to control them, which I think is very realistic for a child who is told he's a hero and is essentially given fairly minimal training.

Thank you to Disney Publishing Worldwide, Rick Riordan Presents, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Falling back into the magical realism of the Tristian Strong books and I have to say the boy has stamina. Family reunion in New Orleans, and trouble has followed. King Cotton is on the lose and there are troubles. All our favorites of the Tristian Strong books are back Gum Baby, Ayanna, John Henry and of course Anansi amongst others are all back. Troubles, dark times, danger and Tristian has to learn how to use his powers to defeat the darkness. I love this series it's interesting, the pace is great and the characters have all found a place in my heart.

Strong and compelling from the start, Tristan Strong Keeps Punching grasps the reader's attention from the first sentence and does not let go until the very last word. The mix of traditional myths and the contemporary world. as well as the many twists and unexpected events keep the books interesting for the audience (middle schoolers) as well as the adults that may read these books.

I read all of the Rick Riordan series and this book follows in that vein. The plot moves along quickly with the main villain being introduced within the first few pages of the book. I would recommend that teachers add this book to their library, especially for reluctant readers that need material that will capture their attention immediately.

What a fantastic end to a great trilogy full of the true American gods, myths and legends that we know and some we don't. This is a great series to read if you are looking for an action-packed adventure. Thank you for the e-arc!

The Tristan Strong series continues to be a stand out in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. This entry brings the mythological people and creatures of Alke, the magical world of the myths and legends of the African diaspora, into the real world. Tristan and his allies must chase the haint King Cotton over the U.S. and defeat his new plan to use a monstrous construct, made from Angola prison, and fed on the spirits of both prisoners and the enslaved people forced to work there when it was Angola plantation, to capture and use children for continued nefarious purposes. It's an exciting adventure with deep thoughts on trauma, interesting perspectives on history, and lots of humor. Long time readers will be interested to see how and where the people of Alke fit into our world.