Overall rating and opinion of "Zona: The Forbidden Land" by Fred G. Baker

[Laura Mich]

Well the first three chapters were more engaging than the others combined, nonetheless, it was overall an interesting read.

I have to concur with the fact that there were a few loose ends towards the ending of the book.

[Laura Mich]

The first few chapters were interesting, although the story was wavy ( beginning to get boring and then it still picked up on the way ).

The character development of the protagonist kept me glued to my chair till the end, even though the book was slow-paced in some chapters.

[Jeff Winger]

I rate this a 3 out of 4. Normally I am not a fan of science fiction this was an interesting read. I quite liked the world of Zona. Would definitely recommend.

[C Austin]

The concept this story have is quite interesting. I have not read alot of books that focus on the wilderness in Siberia. I loved the Dire Wolves, It brings back memories of The Grey starring Liam Neeson.

[Zinda Lukman]

I like science fiction and adventure novels. I liked this one because of the suspense it created in my mind while I was reading. I recommend it to my fellow science fiction readers. It's theme were also fascinating.

[Literaryfun]

This SCI-FI adventure book is a suspenseful and well written story overall, although there are some parts that require suspending our beliefs. The pace of the story is a little slow at times but overall a good read. I am rating this 3 out of 4 stars.

[Viczboy16]

It's a wonderful read. It starts off with a slow pace and as suspense builds up, it becomes fast-paced. I would have enjoyed it better if it started off fast-paced, but I believe it was part if setting and introducing other scenes. I would recommend this book to readers who love sci-fi genre.

[ljohnson236]

Fred G. Baker’s Zona: The Forbidden Land
Dr. Grant Taylor is in St. Petersburg, Russia to find out what happened to his Uncle Randall who had gone on an expedition. It had been a year since anyone had heard from Randall. While in Russia, Grant meets a girl named Irina, who is related to Randall’s friend, and they become romantically involved. Grant and Irina, along with others join an expedition to a no man’s land area in Siberia, known as Zona, to discover what has happened to Grant’s Uncle Randall. In this forbidden land they find strange animals, pollen that causes them to feel romantic, interesting plants and landscape and also dead bodies...

Be advised that there is a fair amount of sexual content in this book. In addition, the beginning of the book drags a bit but picks up about a third of the way through especially when the group goes to Zona. The plot takes more twists and turns at this point and, given that Zona is a forbidden land, there are interesting aspects to it such as huge animals and even a healing plant. With its mystery, adventure, and romance, all in all, the book is intriguing. I would rate it a two out of a four because the book isn’t interesting until more than 1/3 of the way into it (which is basically almost the end of the book).

[SaltyKate]

The plot for this book had so much potential, but the author just threw so much away it became a chore to figure out what the heck was happening. The protagonist was dull, robotic, and woefully underprepared and underqualified for the tasks they were undertaking. Antagonists appeared and disappeared frequently. As a geoscientist, I can honestly say that some of the conclusions drawn in this book about Siberian geology were laughable. The continuity was a disaster. The misuse of simple words like 'sex' made this book sound ridiculous and the constant run-on sentences in the first section gave me a migraine. The team decided they needed more firepower so they brought smaller caliber weapons? That makes absolutely zero sense. Everyone's pregnant in the middle of nowhere and they are all okay with this? They brought condoms, but barely any antibiotics or pain relievers for an extended trip into nowhere with no hope of getting rescued if something went wrong? It had potential, but the sheer idiocy of the characters demolished it. I gave it a two strictly based off potential. Someone might enjoy it as long as they have zero geologic, tactical, or general scientific background.

[namuyong]

i have to rate this book with 4 stars as per the chapters i have gone through. i read it slow as i am not into science fiction books. i have to agree that the author is doing a great job.

[Bigwig1973]

I gave this 3 out of 4 stars. I thought the beginning of the book was very good but, as the story shifted to their trek into Siberia, I thought the book seemed a bit rushed. It starts as a mystery with some action in the beginning and then it shifts to everyone traveling in Siberia. The elements of mystery are still there, but the notion of looking for Dr. Randall Taylor gets a bit lost in the rest of the story and the mystery shifts to the happenings in Zona. Like life, I suppose. The plot is very good and the writers descriptions are also very good. Initially, it seemed that the occurrences should have been more emphasized, but this is also, it seems, very stereotypically Russian - attempted robberies, people getting run over, etc. very humdrum apparently. If you look at it from a "normal" perspective, a lot of what is going on is actually kinda like a big deal. None of it is presented as if it is a big deal. I think the book could have been two longer books and I think they would have been excellent. Regardless, I would still recommend this book to others. If reading a book leaves the reader wanting more, then that is a good thing, right?

[kristen_r]

I overall enjoyed this book. I think it was an interesting concept although the ending became pretty predictable. I could have gone without the amount of sex scenes though.

[Sam Lauren]

I felt pretty mixed about it. I felt the first half and the second half don't go well together, they need a better transition. But each one would be good as its own genre.