Review by Allweind -- Zona: The Forbidden Land

[Allweind]

[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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Dr. Grant Taylor travels to Russia to claim his inheritance from his uncle, who is missing and presumed dead. When he arrives, he ends up immersed in a world of danger and intrigue surrounding his uncle and his ill-fated trip to the Siberian area called Zona. The protagonist starts investigating his uncle’s disappearance, with romance and danger wherever he turns. A mission to investigate the doomed trip and the fate of the members of that team is undertaken, where even more danger of another type is found.

The author of Zona: The Forbidden Land, Fred G. Baker provides an interesting and informed look into life in Russia and its culture. The roadblocks the main character have to get past in order to begin the rescue operation are interesting to say the least. After a slow start, the twists of plot start to grip you and it is hard to put the book down. I disliked the slow start but ended up loving the twist and turns once the rescue mission began. The description of the Tundra and the animals found there ended up being the best part. The inclusion of supernatural elements is understated and seamlessly brought into the plot.

The book is written in 2 parts: The first part is Grant’s arrival in Russia and his finding out how his uncle disappeared in Siberia. This part starts slow, with a lot of background information on Grant, his uncle, and the people involved in the original expedition to Siberia.

The second part is the mission to understand what happened to his uncle and potentially rescue him. As the story unfolds, the plot gets more involved and keeps you riveted. The characters are well-defined and are their changing interactions keep the plot flowing. You keep wondering what is going to happen next.

I give this book a 3 out of 4 stars. I rated this book as a 3 since I did not feel that this book belonged in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre. The book has more suspense and intrigue than fantasy and was not what I expected. That being said, this book was quite enjoyable. The book was well-written and edited. Some language, there is frequent use of the “F” word involved. Mild sexual content (G/S/L and multiple partners) I rate the sexual content as a 2 out of five for this reason. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Russia and the supernatural.

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Zona: The Forbidden Land
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