Review by Jimc2001 -- Zona: The Forbidden Land
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Jimc2001
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- Latest Review: Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker
Review by Jimc2001 -- Zona: The Forbidden Land
[Following is a volunteer review of "Zona: The Forbidden Land" by Fred G. Baker.]
A meteor impacts Russia and creates a mythical new landscape in the middle of Siberia. This is the basis of Zona The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker. Grant Taylor’s Uncle has recently been declared dead after disappearing on an exploratory mission to a remote part of Siberia. His Uncle’s disappearance is shrouded in mystery. Randall Taylor was Grant Taylor’s Uncle. His mission to Zona was funded by Boris and Irina Ustinov. They are reluctant to let Grant in on any details of the mission. Irina, Boris’s daughter, goes so far as to sleep with him to keep tabs on him. She also obstructs him in his search for the truth.
Grant is undaunted. He eventually discovers that his Uncle’s last mission was to a remote part of Siberia called Zona. Zona is an area deep in Siberia that was impacted by a meteor, altering it ecology forever. The resources in Zona are unique and priceless. However, all missions to Zona to exploit these resources, have resulted in mass death with few survivors. Boris and Irina eventually reveal their plans for another mission to Zona. Grant takes an open spot on the mission hoping to discover what happened to his Uncle. However, upon arriving at Zona, he discovers things he couldn’t imagine even existed. But will he find out what happened to Uncle Randall?
This book is written in the first person from Grant’s perspective. I found Grant’s character a bit starchy for a man in his thirties. His speech is often archaic. However, the narration was well written, and the pages seemed to turn themselves. Irina, Grant’s main love interest, was a character I loved to hate. When she wasn’t scheming, she was having a nervous breakdown at the first sign of danger. Her inner turmoil was also apparent. She cared about Grant, yet was also tasked with gleaning information from him. She didn’t deal with this well. While she was an annoying character, she was authentic and believable.
I am giving this book three out of four stars. There was a point in the story where wolves were introduced. The humans could talk with them by barking at them. This was a little too hokey for me. I may have given the book a fourth star had the author not introduced this tangential distraction. While not graphic, there is a lot of sex in this book. There is also a fair amount of vulgarity. I recommend this book to science fiction and fantasy fans. As well, this book is light enough to read if you are travelling and looking for a page turner.
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Zona: The Forbidden Land
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A meteor impacts Russia and creates a mythical new landscape in the middle of Siberia. This is the basis of Zona The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker. Grant Taylor’s Uncle has recently been declared dead after disappearing on an exploratory mission to a remote part of Siberia. His Uncle’s disappearance is shrouded in mystery. Randall Taylor was Grant Taylor’s Uncle. His mission to Zona was funded by Boris and Irina Ustinov. They are reluctant to let Grant in on any details of the mission. Irina, Boris’s daughter, goes so far as to sleep with him to keep tabs on him. She also obstructs him in his search for the truth.
Grant is undaunted. He eventually discovers that his Uncle’s last mission was to a remote part of Siberia called Zona. Zona is an area deep in Siberia that was impacted by a meteor, altering it ecology forever. The resources in Zona are unique and priceless. However, all missions to Zona to exploit these resources, have resulted in mass death with few survivors. Boris and Irina eventually reveal their plans for another mission to Zona. Grant takes an open spot on the mission hoping to discover what happened to his Uncle. However, upon arriving at Zona, he discovers things he couldn’t imagine even existed. But will he find out what happened to Uncle Randall?
This book is written in the first person from Grant’s perspective. I found Grant’s character a bit starchy for a man in his thirties. His speech is often archaic. However, the narration was well written, and the pages seemed to turn themselves. Irina, Grant’s main love interest, was a character I loved to hate. When she wasn’t scheming, she was having a nervous breakdown at the first sign of danger. Her inner turmoil was also apparent. She cared about Grant, yet was also tasked with gleaning information from him. She didn’t deal with this well. While she was an annoying character, she was authentic and believable.
I am giving this book three out of four stars. There was a point in the story where wolves were introduced. The humans could talk with them by barking at them. This was a little too hokey for me. I may have given the book a fourth star had the author not introduced this tangential distraction. While not graphic, there is a lot of sex in this book. There is also a fair amount of vulgarity. I recommend this book to science fiction and fantasy fans. As well, this book is light enough to read if you are travelling and looking for a page turner.
******
Zona: The Forbidden Land
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker
