Real Rating: 4.5* of five

If a conversation ever needed changing towards hope in dark times, it's the one around the worldwide amphibian extinction. In point of fact there aren't too many subjects that we do not need to find ways of discussing that include hope, hopefulness at the minimum.

The Ritland siblings found a way to do that. They have not found any surviving populations of the golden toad, but they have contributed a lot to the information store about the fungal enemy of amphibiankind that is globally decimating the world's population of all amphibians.

A family inheritance of curiosity and wanderlust, plus a strong grounding in biology and science more generally, sent this pair to a global biodiversity hotspot, Costa Rica, to do anything they can for the decades-missing golden toad. I know the story here is factual but it reads like a fictional adventure. The men are the kind of competent and driven people that make compelling reading; they are traveling in a landscape so replete with unique life as to be alien to sedentary US readers; and they encounter so many people intent on their own business who either help the men in their quest *because* of the quest, or in spite of it, or try to influence them away from their golden-toad search. It's a bit, well, repetitious at times. I don't think that's surprising at all. There is a great deal of information important to understanding the way things need to unfold to accomplish the needed tasks. It naturally will require periodic refreshers of facts readers most likely won't have fresh in their minds.

Still takes time and energy out of what was from the start a very propulsive narrative style, so I can't honestly award a fifth star to the reading experience. As a story told, it gets all five stars, however, so that explains the compromise half-star I polished up for the Ritlands.

Batrachochytrium dedrobatidis is a terrible, fatal scourge, one unleashed in its scope of havoc-wreaking by our changing climate. Anyone who contributes to the knowledge base regarding it, its impacts, and ultimately the ways and means of its future control or eradication, should be celebrated and praised. The Ritlands are large figures in this world-wide effort. Please help celebrate their passion and their contribution. Get a copy, give a copy, read a copy. It's definitely not time wasted.

This book surprised me in the best way! It was so much more than a nonfiction book. It offered incredible insight into our ever changing world and the impacts of climate change on all types of species. There were moments I felt on the edge of my seat to understand what would happen next. This book was clearly a labor of love. A great journey and wonderful mystery.

An entertaining example of the genre I like to call "scientific adventure." Blending popular science and memoir, the authors take us on an emotional journey through a diverse and wonderful environment. I recommend it to anyone interested in nature conservation, biology, and/or mystery solving.

Thanks to the publisher, Diversion Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I recently finished The Golden Toad by Trevor and Kyle Ritland, and I have to say it was a wonderfully immersive experience. The story blends adventure, mystery, and a touch of magical realism as it follows a group of explorers on a quest to uncover a long-lost treasure tied to an ancient legend. What I really enjoyed was the way the Ritlands built a world that felt both familiar and fantastical—there’s just the right amount of intrigue to keep you turning the pages.

The pacing was spot on, and the characters, though not overly complex, were endearing enough to carry the story forward. The quest itself was engaging, filled with twists that kept me guessing until the very end. Overall, The Golden Toad is a fun, quick read for anyone who enjoys an adventurous mystery with a hint of magic. It's not a groundbreaking masterpiece, but it’s definitely a solid and enjoyable escape.