A thought-provoking speculative fiction novel by S. A. Jones, The Fortress follows Jonathon Bridge as he endeavors to save his marriage by entering The Fortress, an enclosed society run by the matriarchal Vaik. An executive at a leading software firm, he forfeits his power by entering The Fortress where he’ll be a supplicant. For a year, he cannot contact his wife; cannot ask questions; and must obey anything the Vaik instructs him to do. Jones elegantly interweaves the narrative of Jonathon’s present in The Fortress with his past outside its walls. Throughout the novel, Jonathon is confronted with both the implicit and explicit ways he possessed power outside the Vaik’s domain and how his sudden powerlessness relates to the experiences of the women in his life and his sense of self. While set in a speculative setting, Jones examines the very real patriarchal structures which exist in both this world and the novel’s. At times, it is difficult to read; as noted in the book’s content notes, the novel contains: Objectification of and violence against women, pedophilia, sexual assault, submission, and toxic masculinity. However, Jones interrogates these topics deftly, producing a rich world that’s utterly captivating.