Review by t_mann23 -- Zona: The Forbidden Land

[t_mann23]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Zona: The Forbidden Land" by Fred G. Baker.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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When Dr. Grant Taylor travels to Saint Petersburg, Russia, all he expects to do is settle his uncle’s estate. His uncle, Randall Taylor, went missing a year ago on one of his exploratory expeditions to a strange region of Siberia called Zona—a land rumored to be home to ferocious animals that should not exist. Once in Russia, however, Grant uncovers pieces of the story that don’t to add up—although his new lover, Irina Ustinov, does her best to distract him. The winding trail of evidence eventually leads Grant and Irina on another expedition in the hopes of finding Randall and discovering what it is that makes Zona so mysterious—and dangerous.

Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker is a fascinating adventure, thriller, and speculative fiction novel. Filled with dynamic characters, interesting secrets, action-packed sequences, and passionate romances, the book has something for everyone. It is told only through Grant’s perspective, giving the reader a close view of how he thinks and behaves. This also enhances the suspense and intrigue since the reader does not know what the other characters are thinking or doing unless Grant does.

One thing I particularly liked about this book was the relationship between Grant and a wolf he encounters in Zona. This was where the speculative fiction came in as the two found a way to communicate. It was very interesting to see how they grew to trust each other and eventually become allies. Additionally, I appreciated that each chapter included the date at the beginning, which made it easy to keep track of how much time had passed.

However, since the expedition takes up the majority of the book, there are quite a few sections of dull summarization as the group drives, sets up camp, eats, sleeps, and repeats the routine every day. It was difficult to remain focused in those sections and push past them to the more exciting moments.

There are a few attacks by animals during the expedition, so there is some gore in the book. It is not very detailed, but it is something to consider for readers who are sensitive to that. Additionally, there is romance and intimacy, though it is in very general terms.

I rate Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker 3 out of 4 stars. It is exciting and original, but the dry summarization disrupts the pacing too often for me to rate it higher. The book is exceptionally well-edited, as I did not find any errors. I recommend this book to adults who enjoy thrillers, adventures, and the occasional fantasy element.

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Zona: The Forbidden Land
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[Bigwig1973]

You did a nice job summarizing the book without saying too much! I really like your second paragraph; it makes the book sound very exciting, which it is! Nice review!