A Woman of the Iron People by Eleanor Arnason is the Open Road Science Fiction Daily Deal $1.99 in the US.
I haven't read this but it won the James Tiptree, Jr. Award and seems to have several positive reviews. Has anyone read anything by this author?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J48FCHU
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/eb...-iron-people-1
From award-winning author Eleanor Arnason comes a well-drawn first-contact novel about a team of anthropologists exploring Star Sigma Draconis, an alien world where human interaction may have unexpected impact on the culture of the Iron People who call it their home.
Lixia and the members of her human crew are determined not to disturb the life on the planet circling the Star Sigma Draconis which they have begun exploring. But the factions on the mother ship hovering above the planet may create an unintended chaos for both the life on the planet and the humans exploring it. As the anger increases on the ship, the ground crew becomes more and more affected by the conflict and begins to rely on their instincts to keep the project moving forward. Unexpected danger plagues the mission as Lixia is determined to expand her knowledge.