Review by trvlrbyeyes2 -- Zona: The Forbidden Land

[trvlrbyeyes2]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker begins in St. Petersburg, Russia, in an apartment which belonged to Uncle Randall, the presumed late uncle of Grant, who has arrived to settle his uncle's estate. Uncle Randall went on a journey to the land of Zona, a previously forbidden land, he had been given government permission to explore. While there he and the group he was with encountered unknown troubles and many of the crew did not return and were presumed dead. Uncle Randall was one of the group who did not return and had been declared legally dead by the Russian Government after a year's time. While Grant was there in St. Petersburg, his Uncle's lawyer, Boris, introduced him to Irina, Boris's niece. a beautiful red head with green eyes. She was also employed by her Uncle Boris at his law firm. Boris was handling all of Grant's late uncle's estate. Irina was assigned to help Grant get situated in his late uncle's apartment and before long, a romance began to blossom between Irina and Grant.

At a dinner party hosted by Boris, both Irina and Grant learned, much to their surprise, there was to be another trip to Zona to find if his Uncle Randall was still alive, or to bring back his remains. They also learned that the expedition hoped to bring back some unique discoveries to help repay the investors of the trip. Evidently, there were minerals and plants that were unique to the region.

There were difficulties before the trip began but the expedition was finally on its way. The trip was fraught with problems of all kinds from the very beginning. As they began to near Zona, the terrain was very difficult and the equipment they brought had to be driven around some obstacles which took time they did not have due to strange changes in the weather. There were also problems with some of the animals of the region and after all that, they encounter problems with some of the personnel on the trip. Just when you thought you knew what was going to happen next along the way, the plot took another twist or turn. It turned out to be an epic trip with many difficulties and just as many surprises. A book anyone would enjoy reading.

This book, Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker, is an extremely well-written book. I found it very difficult to put down as it kept me on edge, wondering what was going to happen next. The intrigue in this book is well placed and well written. Also the story progressed with great elements of surprise. The plot carries many surprises that the reader does not expect. This is a very unique story that I believe even those who are not science fiction affectionados would enjoy reading.

The characters of this story are very believable in the way they respond to their circumstances and how they interact with the other characters in the book. Each is unique , both in their back story and in their reaction to circumstances. The descriptions are very detailed and put you on the journey with the crew, looking to discover the secrets this strange land gives up.

I gave this book a four out of four stars as it is a story that has something for the genre of every reader. There is geography, history, science, romance, intrigue, espionage, danger and murder. It is a book that has some scenes of a sexual nature, though not vividly described, and might not be suitable for the younger readers. What I like most about this book was the intrigue and surprises that kept you wondering what was to happen next. Also this book was exceptionally well edited. I found no mistakes. What I disliked most about this book was that there was profanity scattered throughout, though not to an excess. I would definitely recommend this book!

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Zona: The Forbidden Land
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