Radical climate change has reshaped human geography by the 24th century. Canadian geologist Keltyn SparrowHawk flies to Antarctica, searching for the strategic mineral iridium. After her plane crash-lands, she and her crew encounter two teens from a local tribe of nomads: orphan would-be gaucho Joaquin Beltran and horsewoman Luz Hogarth, who also seeks the elusive iris stone. Keltyn befriends them both, but now she must reckon with the volcano where the stone lies, the tribe’s hostile leaders, the hidden agenda of her sponsor back home, and rattling skeletons in her closet. Soon she plunges into an ill-conceived gamble that spirals into free-fall. Her two new friends are the only ones who can help, but each must first survive their own ordeals.
In “Stone Fever: Erebus Tales Book One” by Norman Westhoff, it’s the 24th century and a team of scientists venture to Antarctica to locate the precious mineral, Iridium. The mission is sponsored by a rich and powerful man named Sir Oscar Bailey, who may have ulterior motives for locating this rare element. The team is forced to crash-land their plane and the adventure begins as they are discovered by members of the Nomidar Tribe, who have their own reasons for uncovering a greater source of Iridium. Technology meets ancient customs in an exciting story full of science, culture, exploration, greed, betrayal, newfound alliances, and self-discovery to name a few.
I really enjoyed “Stone Fever” because it is very different from anything I’ve read lately. I like how the author mixed a modern technology-driven culture with an ancient tribal culture and how the two were able to learn how to communicate in spite of their many differences. I found the aspects of the Nomidar tribe to be fascinating and in many ways thought their access to knowledge through their ancient rituals to be greater than that of the 24th century elite scientific team with all their fancy gadgets. I loved the contrast between the two groups.
“Stone Fever” is a clever blend of two civilizations in a sci-fi action adventure for young adults but I don’t think the audience is limited to that age group. It’s an action-packed journey that will be enjoyed by all age groups and I look forward to the next book in this new series.
