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The Stronghold
18-year-old Bowie is the envy of his peers; the sharpest eye with a rifle, deadly as a viper in hand-to-hand combat, and set to marry the prettiest girl around. Papa Byrne, leader of the Fort Thunder militia, has high hopes for this rising star, sees him as the heir apparent to their Pacific Northwest island stronghold. That all changes when a plane crashes into the island. Its sole survivor is Alexis, an exotic young woman who looks nothing like the fair-skinned people back at the Fort. Bowie brings her back to the stronghold, throwing the fearful community into chaos. Even his parents worry about what this will mean… All fears are confirmed when an impromptu mission leaves a young cadet dead and Bowie wounded. Worse still, Bowie is being blamed for the death, framed by his former mentor and banished by a hung jury. The once favored son of Fort Thunder is about to have his eyes opened to the larger world – if he can live long enough to see it.
262 pages, Paperback
Published October 30, 2017
15 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Sebastian Bendix
25 books103 followersSebastian Bendix is a Los Angeles based writer and musician, as well as founder of horror film series, Friday Night Frights. He attended school at Emerson College for creative writing and spent his formative years in Boston playing in popular local band The Ghost of Tony Gold. Upon moving to LA he shifted his focus back to writing and began contributing articles to entertainment websites such as CHUD.com and the print publication Mean Magazine. However, his true passion lies in the realm of horror fiction. Bendix has found success both online and in print with numerous stories published in genre imprints and noted podcast The Wicked Library. In 2013, Bendix self-published his first horror/fantasy novel titled "The Patchwork Girl." This was followed by his second novel, "The Stronghold," a thrilling story inspired by real-life events, which has been published and is available digitally and in print. Alongside his writing endeavors, Sebastian Bendix is also a devoted film lover. He has made contributions to a science fiction anthology film called "Portals," released in October 2019. Recently, Bendix completed “Hell Bent for Heather”, a horror novel in the style of Stephen King that he hopes will be the definitive take on heavy metal horror, it is currently out to publishers. He also just published “Hollow Jack & the Blood Curse of Blackwater”, the first in a series of western horror novellas centered around a supernatural gunslinger. Sebastian Bendix's diverse background in writing, music, and film influences his unique storytelling style, making him a notable figure in the world of horror fiction. Bendix currently resides in Atlanta with his wife Jennifer and their supermutt Annie.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 31, 2018
Fear is a powerful weapon, especially when a group of people hellbent on building their own utopian island wield fear to rid their society of those different.
The Stronghold is the story of Bowie, a young and skilled sharpshooter in the Fort Thunder militia. He’s got everything he could possibly want and his life is laid out in front of him. All that changes when Alexis crashes her plane on the island. Ignoring orders to stay away, Bowie pulls her from the wreckage and brings her back to the Fort. He’s intrigued by her as she’s nothing like he’s ever seen before. Her arrival creates all sorts of chaos to those living on the island and some even want her executed. Bowie is suddenly thrust in the middle and must choose between the truth and following orders. Is Bowie willing to risk his very life to learn the truth or will he keep quiet to protect life on the island and its fearful inhabitants?
Wow! Just wow! What a gripping dystopian thriller! I was hooked from the first page and loved all the twists and turns. While it reminded me of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, the story is very much a reflection of the world we’re living in. Fear against those different from ourselves makes monsters of us all and it’s this concept that’s throughout The Stronghold. Bowie is an amazing character and his growth is honest yet necessary. Fast-paced plot is peppered with intriguing characters and conflicts. Before I knew it, it was over. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
This review first appeared: https://princessofthelight.wordpress.com
The Stronghold is the story of Bowie, a young and skilled sharpshooter in the Fort Thunder militia. He’s got everything he could possibly want and his life is laid out in front of him. All that changes when Alexis crashes her plane on the island. Ignoring orders to stay away, Bowie pulls her from the wreckage and brings her back to the Fort. He’s intrigued by her as she’s nothing like he’s ever seen before. Her arrival creates all sorts of chaos to those living on the island and some even want her executed. Bowie is suddenly thrust in the middle and must choose between the truth and following orders. Is Bowie willing to risk his very life to learn the truth or will he keep quiet to protect life on the island and its fearful inhabitants?
Wow! Just wow! What a gripping dystopian thriller! I was hooked from the first page and loved all the twists and turns. While it reminded me of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, the story is very much a reflection of the world we’re living in. Fear against those different from ourselves makes monsters of us all and it’s this concept that’s throughout The Stronghold. Bowie is an amazing character and his growth is honest yet necessary. Fast-paced plot is peppered with intriguing characters and conflicts. Before I knew it, it was over. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
This review first appeared: https://princessofthelight.wordpress.com
January 20, 2018
This near future YA thriller has terrific action scenes and an interesting plot. It is rather long, could have been easily divided into three books, each with an explosive, climactic ending.
February 15, 2018
This book paints a grim yet fascinating dystopian tale about what an actual America might be like ripped apart by fear, prejudices, and militarism. The story is told through the eyes of Bowie, a young teenager who struggles to understand his identity and history in a world built on mythologies and propaganda. Set in on an island in the near future, Bowie is raised as a soldier, trained to defend the remains of small militia after a global apocalypse. After living his entire life in constant readiness for possible invasion by the threats beyond Fort Thunder’s walls, his world is turned upside down, when a plane crashes and the sole survivor, an exotic girl named Alexis, brings into question everything Bowie thought he knew about his world and the world beyond. While the threads of Bowie’s small society are torn, and the story quickly becomes a tale of survival and nonstop action, it brilliantly remains a tale of relationships and self discovery. In the dystopian future genre, the book combines the best of action and drama that you would find in The Hunger Games with the thoughtfulness of books like Station Eleven. You will not be disappointed.
December 30, 2017
The Stronghold is a young adult novel that has more thrills and excitement than most of the adult thrillers that I’ve read this year. First of all, the cover is very simple, almost nondescript, but for some reason it grabbed my attention. After reading the synopsis for the book, I wasn’t sure I could read another zombie survival novel but since it sounded somewhat different I decided to try it and I am so glad I did. Without giving anything important away, this is not a book about surviving a zombie apocalypse. Rather, it’s about surviving the people around you when you begin to learn about all of the lies that have been told.
Bowie is set to become the newest leader of the militia on an island strong hold, the last place that has survived the destruction of the world some decades ago. He follows all of the rules and believes everything that he has been told by his commander, a grizzled old soldier named Byrne. When something from the outside world invades Bowie’s world, it makes him question everything he has been taught. It’s those questions that cause Bowie and a couple of his unlikely allies to take action. All three must run for their lives as Bowie becomes hunted by the very people he once trained beside.
This is such an excellent novel that I couldn’t put it down until it was finished. There wasn’t a page that didn’t keep me wanting to turn to the next one. The characters are very well written and even though there isn’t a lot of information about most of them, they are still so realistic that they ignite strong feelings of dislike for some and a hope for survival for others. Bowie is the most fleshed out character and he is wonderfully written. I love the world that Mr. Bendix has created in these pages and the details he has given with all of the rules and way of life in the stronghold’s own little society are well thought out and planned. The action increases steadily through the book and it is quite a fast-paced story. I can’t say enough good things about The Stronghold and I look forward to reading more from Mr. Bendix.
I read this in digital format and it worked well on my ereader.
Bowie is set to become the newest leader of the militia on an island strong hold, the last place that has survived the destruction of the world some decades ago. He follows all of the rules and believes everything that he has been told by his commander, a grizzled old soldier named Byrne. When something from the outside world invades Bowie’s world, it makes him question everything he has been taught. It’s those questions that cause Bowie and a couple of his unlikely allies to take action. All three must run for their lives as Bowie becomes hunted by the very people he once trained beside.
This is such an excellent novel that I couldn’t put it down until it was finished. There wasn’t a page that didn’t keep me wanting to turn to the next one. The characters are very well written and even though there isn’t a lot of information about most of them, they are still so realistic that they ignite strong feelings of dislike for some and a hope for survival for others. Bowie is the most fleshed out character and he is wonderfully written. I love the world that Mr. Bendix has created in these pages and the details he has given with all of the rules and way of life in the stronghold’s own little society are well thought out and planned. The action increases steadily through the book and it is quite a fast-paced story. I can’t say enough good things about The Stronghold and I look forward to reading more from Mr. Bendix.
I read this in digital format and it worked well on my ereader.
December 18, 2017
The story is set in a post apocalypse period. Twenty years ago thirteen couples established home on an island where, for protection against zombies and hostiles, they destroyed the bridge linking them to the mainland. Their home is a fort, the centrepiece of which is the armoury holding a massive collection of weapons and ammunition. The adult members of the militia are the elite, the women - mothers and housewives.
The story is told through the eyes of Bowie, an older teenager who is captain of the cadets - an armed and trained youth militia. An aeroplane crashes in the forbidden zone on the edge of the island. Against orders, Bowie leads his cadets to explore. Rescuing a teenage girl from 'outside', whom is neither a zombie nor a hostile, turns out to be a seismic event for the community, the cadets and Bowie especially.
Told with pace, the snappy dialogue and Bowie’s thoughts add to that pace and character interplay, and lead to a climactic ending of discovery.
Set against a well crafted background, the coming of age story takes place across a turbulent few days. Although starkly presented here, the story nevertheless encapsulates the issues and challenges that face young people of all generations. It also offers an interesting perspective on how today’s society might handle the diverse groups of those dissatisfied with that society.
The story is told through the eyes of Bowie, an older teenager who is captain of the cadets - an armed and trained youth militia. An aeroplane crashes in the forbidden zone on the edge of the island. Against orders, Bowie leads his cadets to explore. Rescuing a teenage girl from 'outside', whom is neither a zombie nor a hostile, turns out to be a seismic event for the community, the cadets and Bowie especially.
Told with pace, the snappy dialogue and Bowie’s thoughts add to that pace and character interplay, and lead to a climactic ending of discovery.
Set against a well crafted background, the coming of age story takes place across a turbulent few days. Although starkly presented here, the story nevertheless encapsulates the issues and challenges that face young people of all generations. It also offers an interesting perspective on how today’s society might handle the diverse groups of those dissatisfied with that society.
December 6, 2018
Wow! The Stronghold had me from page 1. The author's voice is easy to fall into and I was happily lost in the well-executed story. Each character, specifically the main character, was spot on and believable, bringing the story full circle to an excellent ending. I loved everything about The Stronghold and will be looking for more novels from Sebastian Bendix. Definitely recommend picking this one up, especially if you love action, adventure, and a huge rush of adrenaline. Five giant glowing stars!
July 14, 2018
This is set slightly into the future, after groups that didn’t want to live under the governments rule and could see matters around the country and the world were getting worse, took off on their own to live in isolation. The group our characters are in, is Fort Thunder, a group set up by thirteen families, under the leadership of Papa Bryne, the leader of their militia, on a small island – separated from the mainland by a destroyed bridge.
The main character is Bowie, the eighteen year old top cadet of the Fort’s youth militia, who thinks of Papa Byrne as a father figure, more even than his own father, and is also betrothed to his only child, his daughter Tessa. Tessa is the prettiest girl in their colony and this is an arranged marriage due to take place in the coming months. Their duty is to procreate and provide other generations to continue their group’s survival.
Bowie’s closest rival is Rafe, who wants to take his place as top cadet and also has his eye on Tessa. Bowie sees himself as the heir to Papa Byrne’s legacy and leader of the militia in the near future and ignores his own father’s attempts to have him read books or learn more about the world and its past. Matters change when a plane unexpectedly crashes into the cliffs of the island late one night. The older militia leaders go out to check, but tell everyone that it was nothing to worry about.
Bowie overhears these men discovering the plane and planning to go out the next night to blow the plane up. Bowie takes the other cadets into the restricted area and they find the plane and he rescues a survivor of the crash, a young girl who looks nothing like those in the stronghold community. Byrne takes this girl, Alexis, under guard as a suspected spy. Bowie’s actions have consequences even he couldn’t expect.
A sudden secret mission leaves one of the young cadets dead and Bowie wounded. The council say there is evidence of Bowie being the one responsible for the cadet’s death and also of becoming too familiar with Alexis, the suspected spy. Byrne has set him up and his punishment is to be banished, along with Alexis. The only problem being that as winter has arrived, they have little chance of surviving and also have the rest of the militia seeing that they don’t escape to the mainland alive.
His eyes are being opened to tales of the mainland and what life is really like there versus the stories he has been brought up on, to see the government and any other officials as enemies and the rules of the community as the only way to live. Girls cannot join the cadets nor choose to be different and must accept their role as mothers of the future. One girl who goes against all this, is Maya, a friend of Bowie’s and someone who has never conformed to the norm expected. She helps Bowie more than she knows.
An exciting read, full of differences in beliefs, survivalists, stories of zombies and cannibals and youth brought up in the reality their parents place in front of them and the stories they are told from a young age, Everyone in their community must be useful, if injured or ill, they are classed as redundant and banished. A fate worse than death. You get to see what the younger generation are about, what they believe and how some of them are not suited to the lives they are being forced into. The older militia members and the council are set in their ways and there is a lot of racism from Byrne, their leader, as well as sexism.
An easy read, you can read in a day as you have interesting characters to follow, a near future scenario of survivors and what happens when an outsider is brought among them. It has a great pace, when needed, but also allows slower moments amongst family and friend to see how they interact. I look forward to what may happen next, either with this story or another the author writes along this storyline.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
The main character is Bowie, the eighteen year old top cadet of the Fort’s youth militia, who thinks of Papa Byrne as a father figure, more even than his own father, and is also betrothed to his only child, his daughter Tessa. Tessa is the prettiest girl in their colony and this is an arranged marriage due to take place in the coming months. Their duty is to procreate and provide other generations to continue their group’s survival.
Bowie’s closest rival is Rafe, who wants to take his place as top cadet and also has his eye on Tessa. Bowie sees himself as the heir to Papa Byrne’s legacy and leader of the militia in the near future and ignores his own father’s attempts to have him read books or learn more about the world and its past. Matters change when a plane unexpectedly crashes into the cliffs of the island late one night. The older militia leaders go out to check, but tell everyone that it was nothing to worry about.
Bowie overhears these men discovering the plane and planning to go out the next night to blow the plane up. Bowie takes the other cadets into the restricted area and they find the plane and he rescues a survivor of the crash, a young girl who looks nothing like those in the stronghold community. Byrne takes this girl, Alexis, under guard as a suspected spy. Bowie’s actions have consequences even he couldn’t expect.
A sudden secret mission leaves one of the young cadets dead and Bowie wounded. The council say there is evidence of Bowie being the one responsible for the cadet’s death and also of becoming too familiar with Alexis, the suspected spy. Byrne has set him up and his punishment is to be banished, along with Alexis. The only problem being that as winter has arrived, they have little chance of surviving and also have the rest of the militia seeing that they don’t escape to the mainland alive.
His eyes are being opened to tales of the mainland and what life is really like there versus the stories he has been brought up on, to see the government and any other officials as enemies and the rules of the community as the only way to live. Girls cannot join the cadets nor choose to be different and must accept their role as mothers of the future. One girl who goes against all this, is Maya, a friend of Bowie’s and someone who has never conformed to the norm expected. She helps Bowie more than she knows.
An exciting read, full of differences in beliefs, survivalists, stories of zombies and cannibals and youth brought up in the reality their parents place in front of them and the stories they are told from a young age, Everyone in their community must be useful, if injured or ill, they are classed as redundant and banished. A fate worse than death. You get to see what the younger generation are about, what they believe and how some of them are not suited to the lives they are being forced into. The older militia members and the council are set in their ways and there is a lot of racism from Byrne, their leader, as well as sexism.
An easy read, you can read in a day as you have interesting characters to follow, a near future scenario of survivors and what happens when an outsider is brought among them. It has a great pace, when needed, but also allows slower moments amongst family and friend to see how they interact. I look forward to what may happen next, either with this story or another the author writes along this storyline.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
May 4, 2018
Survival Can Be A Matter Of One's Own Perception!
If you like good post-apocalyptic stories as I do, you need to check out The Stronghold by Sebastian Bendix. This is hands down one of the best, if not THE BEST, story I have read in this popular and much read genre. Once in a while, I find a story that I can not put down and that I do not want to end. The Stronghold is one of those rarities. I must confess that I delayed finishing this read for a few days because I just didn't want the separation anxiety that I knew would come with "THE END." From the impressively believable characters that captivated me to the spotless proofing, editing, and structure this book is a beautiful piece of imaginative work. I must mention the proverbial CHERRY ON TOP, the perfect cover art. It conveys the feel and contents of what lies within perfectly. In summation, this well crafted and ideal compilation of skills would easily win a gold medal if the Olympics had this category. I can not wait to see what's next from Sebastian Bendix.
If you like good post-apocalyptic stories as I do, you need to check out The Stronghold by Sebastian Bendix. This is hands down one of the best, if not THE BEST, story I have read in this popular and much read genre. Once in a while, I find a story that I can not put down and that I do not want to end. The Stronghold is one of those rarities. I must confess that I delayed finishing this read for a few days because I just didn't want the separation anxiety that I knew would come with "THE END." From the impressively believable characters that captivated me to the spotless proofing, editing, and structure this book is a beautiful piece of imaginative work. I must mention the proverbial CHERRY ON TOP, the perfect cover art. It conveys the feel and contents of what lies within perfectly. In summation, this well crafted and ideal compilation of skills would easily win a gold medal if the Olympics had this category. I can not wait to see what's next from Sebastian Bendix.
November 27, 2025
I just finished Hollow Jack and the Revenants of Barrel Rock, and wow what a ride! I loved the mix of western grit and supernatural weirdness. Salma Clemens really stuck with me; she’s trying to keep her life together in the middle of the desert while dealing with a bunch of sketchy ranch hands and, well… undead problems.
Hollow Jack is such an interesting character mysterious, a little broody, and you can’t help wanting to know what he’s thinking. The revenants popping up added just the right amount of tension, and I kept turning pages wondering what would happen next.
This isn’t your typical western. It’s darker, creepier, and has moments that really make you feel the stakes. Definitely a book I’ll be thinking about for a while after finishing.
Hollow Jack is such an interesting character mysterious, a little broody, and you can’t help wanting to know what he’s thinking. The revenants popping up added just the right amount of tension, and I kept turning pages wondering what would happen next.
This isn’t your typical western. It’s darker, creepier, and has moments that really make you feel the stakes. Definitely a book I’ll be thinking about for a while after finishing.
September 11, 2022
Pretty good dystopian novel with lots of cliffhangers and surprises.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews