We are excited to welcome Kwame Mbalia, bestselling author of the Tristan Strong middle grade series, to MahoganyBooks FrontRow for the launch of the second book in his trilogy. Kwame will have a spoiler-free discussion of his new book, Tristan Strong Destroys the World, the origin story of his writing career, and take questions from event attendees.

Bestselling author Rick Riordan presents the second book in the New York Times best-selling Tristan Strong trilogy [written] by Kwame Mbalia.

Tristan Strong, just back from a victorious but exhausting adventure in Alke, the land of African American folk heroes and African gods, is suffering from PTSD. But there’s no rest for the weary when his grandmother is abducted by a mysterious villain out for revenge. Tristan must return to Alke–and reunite with his loud-mouthed sidekick, Gum Baby–in order to rescue Nana and stop the culprit from creating further devastation. Anansi, now a “web developer” in Tristan’s phone, is close at hand to offer advice, and several new folk heroes will aid Tristan in his quest, but he will only succeed if he can figure out a way to sew broken souls back together.

"Mbalia's universe continues to excite through sheer conceptual brilliance, nonstop action and adventure, and--let's be honest--the comical aggression of sidekick god Gum Baby." -- Booklist

Kwame is a husband, father, writer, a New York Times bestselling author, and a former pharmaceutical metrologist in that order.  His debut middle-grade novel, TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY, and the sequel TRISTAN STRONG DESTROYS THE WORLD (October 6, 2020) are published by Rick Riordan Presents/Disney-Hyperion. A Howard University graduate and a Midwesterner now in North Carolina, he survives on Dad jokes and Cheezits.

Derrick Young is a Co-owner/Co-founder of MahoganyBooks and a proud alum of Bowie State University, a Historically Black University. Young is a history buff, visionary entrepreneur, and an enthusiastic father. In his spare time he enjoys learning to DJ, collecting comics, and cycling.

Derrick and Ramunda Young are owners/founders of the award-winning, MahoganyBooks in Washington, DC where they focus on books for, by and about people of the African Diaspora. The couple have been featured in Oprah Magazine, TIME Magazine, Essence, Washington Post Steve Harvey TV and Wall Street Journal among others.

Kwame Mbalia Discusses Tristan Strong Destroys the World at MahoganyBooks