Blog Tour: The Fortress by T A Styles

We are the fortress, and the fortress is us.

Sim was a teacher in his old life. Now he's the savior of orphans.

He isn't their father. God knows he has already failed in that role. But he is their guide. And the kids? They are his penance. His redemption.

For three years Sim has prepared his orphans for the hard realities of life after the plague that wiped out most of the global population. Theirs is a life without laws or creature comforts. He has trained them to forage and grow their own food, to be vigilant, and to protect themselves and each other by any means necessary. In building a fortress of brick and mortar, they've become a fortress of flesh and blood.

These allegiances and ideals are put to the test when a man named Zagan, who believes himself to be on a mission for the devil to bring about the destruction of civilization's remains, gathers hundreds of marauders and confronts Sim and his orphans in a merciless siege.

Will the fortress hold... Or will it collapse under the pressure of evil?

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The Fortress is a gripping, post-apocalyptic survival story that explores themes of redemption, sacrifice, and the strength of human resilience. Sim, the protagonist, is a flawed man seeking redemption through his role as the protector of a group of orphans in a world ravaged by a deadly plague. He’s not their father, but he’s become their guide, shaping them into a strong, self-sufficient family with survival skills honed for a brutal world.

The tension in this story builds steadily as Sim’s fortress, both physical and emotional, is challenged by the arrival of Zagan, a man on a terrifying mission to bring about the collapse of civilization. This siege forces Sim to confront not only the harsh realities of protecting the ones he’s sworn to defend but also his own past and failures.

The characters are well-drawn, and Sim's internal conflict provides a lot of depth, making him more than just a typical survival hero. The orphans, too, are given room to grow, with each one offering a unique perspective on survival and morality in this broken world. The book doesn't shy away from difficult choices, making for a dark, intense read, but there’s also hope, particularly in the bond that forms between Sim and the children.

The Fortress isn’t just about physical survival—it’s about survival of the spirit, the bonds we form, and what we’ll sacrifice to protect those we love. Fans of post-apocalyptic fiction with deep emotional stakes will find this story hard to put down.

For fans of The Fortress, I’d recommend The Road by Cormac McCarthy for a similarly gritty exploration of survival in a collapsed world. And for a TV recommendation, The Walking Dead fits well with the themes of community, survival, and the human condition under pressure.

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T.A. Styles earned his B.S. in Elementary Education and Mathematics and his M.S. in Developmental Reading. He taught in elementary and junior high schools for twelve years before launching his own childcare enterprise, TSL Kids Crew, which he has operated since 2009. He has had a passion for writing stories since he was a teenager, as it was a hobby and skill for which he realized at a young age he had a knack for and loved. He has two grown children and has traveled extensively including to Iceland, Australia, Greece, Italy, South America, and many other places nationally and internationally.


Contact Links

Website https://transcendencepress.org/

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Purchase Link

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fortress-Post-Apocalyptic-Survival-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0CD8XCJJ1