Fortress Fiction

Chapter 10 of The Book of Three is packed so densely with lore, lineage, and quiet setup that I had to listen to it three times—and I still found more to unpack.

BONUS CONTENT - https://mjmunoz.com/2026/02/06/the-book-of-three-chapter-by-chapter-10/

In just one chapter, Lloyd Alexander weaves:

-The legend of Dyrnwyn

-The role of bards in Prydain

-Fflewddur’s hidden past and truth-binding harp

-Eilonwy’s lineage and moral tension

-Seeds that clearly point toward Taran’s future, without spelling anything out

What impresses me most...

The Nixie’s Song by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi is the first book in the sequel series to The Spiderwick Chronicles. It brings back the magic, mystery, and fae creatures—but does it go too far with its tone?

In this episode of Fortress Fiction, I explore what worked, what didn’t, and why one jarring insult nearly pulled the whole story apart for me. I also talk about how the book handles character growth and whether it's a good fit for young readers.

SHOW NOTES - https://mjmunoz.com/2025/08/07/ff18/

What I cove...

Looking for clean, powerful, age-appropriate books for your kids or students?

Author and parent MJ Muñoz shares his personal audit of 30+ middle grade books—including classics, modern titles, and unexpected picks.

Books that inspire.

Books that disturb.

Books that should come with a warning label.

If you care about what kids are reading, this is for you.

Featuring books by:

– Louisa May Alcott

– Lloyd Alexander

– Frances Hodgson Burnett

– George MacDonald

– Tui T. Sutherland

– Katherine Paterson

...

What did you think of Wings of Fire Book 1 The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #FOTRESSFICTION #Fantasy #WingsofFire

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2025/07/14/ff16/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Book of Three Chapter 9 by Lloyd Alexander?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheBookof Three #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2025/04/24/cxc44/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Book of Three Chapter 8 by Lloyd Alexander?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheBookof Three #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2025/04/18/cxc43/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

Does Frances Hodgson Burnett hold a place of honor or scorn in the Fortress Fiction? What do you think and why?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheSecretGarden #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2025/04/11/ff15/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Book of Three Chapter 7 by Lloyd Alexander?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheBookof Three #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2025/04/04/cxc42/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Book of Three Chapter 6 by Lloyd Alexander?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheBookof Three #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2025/03/21/cxc41/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Book of Three Chapter 5 by Lloyd Alexander?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheBookof Three #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2025/03/07/cxc40/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Book of Three Chapter 4 by Lloyd Alexander?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheBookof Three #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/12/13/cxc39/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Secret Garden Chapter 10 by Frances Hodgson Burnett?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheSecretGarden #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/11/18/cxc38/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Book of Three Chapter 3 by Lloyd Alexander?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheBookof Three #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/11/15/cxc37/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Secret Garden Chapter 10 by Frances Hodgson Burnett?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheSecretGarden #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/11/14/cxc36/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Secret Garden Chapter 9 by Frances Hodgson Burnett?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheSecretGarden #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/11/13/cxc35/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Secret Garden Chapter 8 by Frances Hodgson Burnett?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheSecretGarden #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/11/12/cxc34/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Secret Garden Chapter 7 by Frances Hodgson Burnett?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheSecretGarden #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/11/11/cxc33/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Book of Three Chapter 2 by Lloyd Alexander?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheBookof Three #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/11/08/cxc32/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Secret Garden Chapter 6 by Frances Hodgson Burnett?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheSecretGarden #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/11/07/cxc31/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Secret Garden Chapter 4 by Frances Hodgson Burnett?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheSecretGarden #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/11/06/cxc30/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Secret Garden Chapter 4 by Frances Hodgson Burnett?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheSecretGarden #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/11/05/cxc29/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Secret Garden Chapter 3 by Frances Hodgson Burnett?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheSecretGarden #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/11/04/cxc28/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Book of Three Chapter 1 by Lloyd Alexander?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheBookof Three #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/11/01/cxc27/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Secret Garden Chapter 2 by Frances Hodgson Burnett?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheSecretGarden #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/10/31/cxc26/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of The Secret Garden Chapter 1?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #TheSecretGarden #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/10/30/cxc25/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

I am pivoting FF a bit again. Look forward to week by week, chapter by chapter coverage of Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three, and more.

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #Fantsy #ChapterXChapter #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/10/24/ff-update-3/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

How did you like Kamudo 1.1?

#Manga #Fantasy #Viz #Kamudo #AkiraHimekawa

LINK - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/10/25/stc-83/

SHOW CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/stc/

PODCASTS - https://mjmunoz.com/podcasts/

Fortress Fiction - https://www.youtube.com/@fortressfiction

What did you think of Maniac Magee Chapter 6?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #ManiacMagee #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/10/01/cxc24/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of Maniac Magee Chapter 5?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #ManiacMagee #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/09/30/cxc23/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of Maniac Magee Chapter 4?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #ManiacMagee #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/09/27/cxc22/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of Maniac Magee Chapter 3?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #ManiacMagee #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/09/26/cxc21/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of Maniac Magee Chapter 2?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ManiacMagee #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/09/24/cxc19/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of Maniac Magee Chapter 1?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ManiacMagee #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/09/24/cxc19/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of the introduction to Maniac Magee?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #ChapterXChapter #ManiacMagee #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/09/23/cxc18/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

Does JM Barrie's Peter Pan hold a place of honor or scorn in the Fortress Fiction? What do you think and why?

#amreading #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #Fantsy #ChapterXChapter #PeterPan #FOTRESSFICTION

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/09/20/ff014/

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of my noir superheroine Keruv?

#Keruv #MJMunoz #FOTRESSFICTION #ShortStory #Noir #Superhero

SOURCE - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/09/18/mjmss1/

What did you think of Peter Pan Chapter 17?How do you like the ending? Is it what you expected?

Show notes - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/09/17/cxc17/

#amreading #PeterPan #chapterbychapter #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #FOTRESSFICTION

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of Peter Pan Chapter 16? Does JM Barrie dislike children or does he just understand them?

Show notes - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/09/16/cxc16/

#amreading #PeterPan #chapterbychapter #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #FOTRESSFICTION

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of Peter Pan Chapter 15? Did the Lost Boys win only by a fluke?

Show notes - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/09/13/cxc15/

#amreading #PeterPan #chapterbychapter #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #FOTRESSFICTION

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/

What did you think of Peter Pan Chapter 14? Are you intrigued by Hook's past?

Show notes - https://mjmunoz.com/2024/09/12/cxc14/

#amreading #PeterPan #chapterbychapter #middlegrade #bookreview #Book #FOTRESSFICTION

SOE CATALOG - https://mjmunoz.com/category/podcast/soe/