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It would have been more believable if the author had given us more detailed information to feed our imagination.

I too found that the start of the novel is a bit slow. As for the beliability of the novel, I think it is alright to have some unrealistic element to it. Afet all,this novel falls into the sicence fiction / fantasy genre.

There were many things I found myself questioning. Like the actual place and surroundings. That being said, my imagination ran wild. Maybe that's what the writer was going for.

Tan TR wrote: ↑07 Jul 2020, 12:26 At first, I was confused with what exactly was the Zona and more importantly how it looked. It would have been better if in some parts the author went into more detail about how exactly does the Zona look. But once invested in the story, it was easier to imagine. However if a place like that actually exists, well, that is the question.

I agree with this too. I think the fact that it is a forbidden place could explain the vagueness around the location and all of the details that could make it real. It becomes believable ad the story progresses. I also think this could be an intentional part of the author's style of presenting the story.

With some books that I have read, they go very slow at the beginning and set the stage. A good example of this is Watership Down. It is a very slow book as it starts but if you take the time to read it you will be able to see the scene the author sets vividly. So, my question for you, is did you end up seeing that scene vividly? I believe the answer to this question will be the answer to you question.

For every continent, there is a part of it that has not been explored yet due to one reason or another. Being a forbidden place may be because people embarked on it's exploration and never returned. Whatever became of them is still mystery. So I'll say its believable

Many things are left to the imagination, and I find it a bit annoying. It isn't quite believable. I thought the slow start would be justified by the end of the book—may be, something spectacular would just happen. Nothing like that happened.

It's a work of fiction, but with the description of Zona the author, it seems real and imaginative.

For the most part, it was believable. I only struggled with animals like Shadow, I feel the author overdid it a little with those characters.

I think many parts of it are believable - it doesn't seem very Russian to me. "Zona" to me doesn't sound like a Russian word - not that I know a lot of Russian, but it doesn't seem Russian to me. Plus, I was expecting something like out of "Tomb Raider" - no cute and friendly Eskimo-type girls. Siberia is massive - if it's not like Dr. Zhivago or Crime and Punishment or "White Nights" or "Tomb Raider" then, who knows? As to why it's forbidden, the cold factor and government liability are enough to justify it being deemed "forbidden". Once a responsible group is viewed as "responsible", then they are obligated to police such things. People say they won't try to sue (or whatever), but arguments to go to such places are often underhanded (and oftentimes perhaps even a subconscious) means to short-term self-gratification of some sort. Shortly after I read this book, a friend of mine (part-Russian American, kind of reddish haired) and his friend - named Grant - went on a camping/hiking trip and it was supposed to be real cold - I was glad that he made it back!

ArriettyClock wrote: ↑03 Jul 2020, 04:10 Did you find Zona believable ? Are there any descriptive areas that you think were lacking in the novel which could have helped you understand Zona better? (e.g. descriptions of the locations, or more background on why it's forbidden, or a better scale on how large it is?)
It was a bit annoying that the novel was slow to start, and I think this contributed to my impatience surrounding the Zona.

I agree with you about the slow start.
It bothers me when novels aren't immediately capturing . Bothers me and starts to bore me.

I did not find Zona believable. It could have been better described. Even the obstacles faced by the characters were lacking. Why was it forbidden? I'm still not sure. Maybe because of the danger aspect of the place.

I think apart from the wolves talking to humans in their head and the whole sex related aspects, Zona is believable. There's a lot of things in this world that are hidden or a mystery.

No, it's not. Zona is an intelligent and imaginative piece of fantasy genre. It's not real but fiction and should be read as such.

At the beginning I thought I would be reading about murder and crime as there was enough mystery and suspense however as it unfolds and the twists of things I was intrigued by mistries surrounding Zona and why was it forbidden. As for it being believable I think its debatable depebding on individual's beliefs. I just concluded that Zona was forbiden because of the risks involved in getting there passing through the great Sheba and all the dangerous animals.

I enjoyed the story and the author's description of geographic location and chain of events was ok for me. It is science and fiction after all.