Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

In Anthony Pond’s Conquistadors, Ryan Jordan joins a small expedition in central Mexico to climb three of the country’s highest volcanoes under the direction of their guide, Ricardo. After becoming ill at a mountain lodge following a meal in town, he chooses to continue with the ascent rather than withdraw, determined to keep up with fellow climbers Colleen, Elliot, and Jorge. The team moves from acclimatization hikes to glacier travel, crossing steep ice as they approach the increasingly demanding terrain. As the altitude increases and footholds narrow, Ryan finds himself balancing his private doubt with the visible expectations of the group. On the final mountain, a split second on exposed ice alters the course of the expedition, binding the climbers together in ways none of them anticipated when they first gathered beside the lodge fireplace.

Anthony Pond’s Conquistadors is a novella that flips the switch on the Spanish conquerors of history, recasting conquest as a private contest against the altitude, pride, and the thin air of Mexican volcanoes. This is an extremely thoughtful and well-written story, packed with a balance of wonderful and equally horrifying moments. I love that at 17,800 feet on Popocatépetl, the climbers drop their packs and share champagne in a scene of hard-won celebration. In contrast, during the briefing at Piedra Grande hut, Ricardo recounts a recent solo climber’s fatal slip on ice that rattles the group. Ryan is the story's anchor, but all the characters are fully fleshed out. Initially putting the entire group at risk by covering up his health, he later puts that selfishness aside when the rope teams above the Labyrinth signal a growing trust and responsibility within the group. Pond breathes life into the landscape, from the Jamapa Glacier spreading beneath Pico de Orizaba in pale ridges and small crevasses, to a truck ride to Piedra Grande. This is a short read that packs a big punch. Recommended.