Reviewed by Tania Staley for Readers' Favorite

The Fountain of the Earth is a dark, science fiction novel by H.L. LeRoy. At fifteen, Terra should be worrying about marriage and moving into her role as an adult woman in her clan. But on the day of the wedding party, the tribesmen’s opportunity to bid on their wives, her world is changed forever by the death of her father who was killed by a mountain lion. To make matters worse, Terra is not chosen as a wife and is therefore seen as not fulfilling her duty as a young woman. Without a man to fend for them, Terra must take on the needs of her mother and herself and become the hunter of the family. But the dangers of wildlife are not all that plague the land. The Ghoraz, a ruthless band of men that kill, rape, and pillage at a whim, are on the move throughout the countryside, and Terra soon learns that no tribe is safe with them on the loose. Her mother is murdered by men pretending to be innocent travelers, and later her entire tribe is destroyed by the dreaded Ghoraz. Determined to catch her mother’s killers and warn other tribes of their imminent danger, Terra sets off on her own through the dangerous countryside. Her journey will take her through endless peril, have her encounter new friends and old enemies, and lead her to the gates of the famed and mysterious town of Aurora. But will she be strong enough to face her enemies and triumph, or will she succumb and be just another victim? Find out in this gripping adventure.

H.L. LeRoy weaves a wonderful story in The Fountain of the Earth. It is dark and frightening, gritty and action-packed. It is a quick read that lingers with the reader and pulls at all emotions. The world that LeRoy paints is of a disastrous Earth that feels a little too close to our present for comfort. Terra’s world exists after the sun has scorched Earth, killing most of the population. Nature has taken over, gangs run rampant without repercussions, and illness plagues the land. This bleak landscape creates wonderful tension throughout the novel and makes the heroics of Terra even more delightful. Terra is a female hero that is strong and worthy of looking up to. I highly recommend this novel, and I truly hope that H.L. LeRoy will write more about this world.