Review of Zona: The Forbidden Land
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Review of Zona: The Forbidden Land
[Following is a volunteer review of "Zona: The Forbidden Land" by Fred G. Baker.]
Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker is a fiction book that takes place in Russia. Grant Taylor is an American Ph.D. in philosophy which goes to St. Petersburg after discovering that his uncle was presumed dead after a mysterious expedition. The protagonist will then decide if he will go in search of his uncle and look for a place shrouded in mystery.
You will find a lot of action, deaths, twists, and sex in a book full of adventure. Even describing his book as "part adventure thriller, part speculative fiction," you'll be fascinated by how real it feels. Not even the fact that the expedition's members encountered extinct animals such as the saber-toothed predator makes you abandon the feeling that this story already happened in some parts of the world. The expedition members are people from diverse backgrounds and with complementary skills. Something that makes the plot more exciting and easier to understand and adds to the mystery.
The suspenseful atmosphere is incredible. I changed my mind several times midway through the book about whether uncle Randall was dead or not. And this atmosphere of suspense is present even in the relationship between the main characters. Even though Grant is intimate with Irina (including sexual intercourse between them), the reader is left wondering if she is a trustworthy person. How can you not like suspense like that? That's the book's main asset.
I have a few caveats to share about the book's cadence. Even aware that this could be a matter of personal taste, I felt that the author failed initially and in the end. In the beginning, the pace is plodding, and I do not doubt that many readers have abandoned the book as almost nothing happens for approximately the first third of the book. The pace during the expedition was adequate, but when you think the author has got the hang of it, the ending leaves a lot to be desired. It's as if he had a deadline to deliver the finished work and had rushed everything. That's what I disliked the most.
Albeit an enjoyable and fascinating read, the problem mentioned above is glaring, and that made me rate Zona: The Forbidden Land three out of four stars. The author's approach to some events would only be justified if there were a continuation or even an epilogue. I recommend this work to those who enjoy a realistic and adventure-filled fiction history even with these problems. There are no grammatical errors and the sexual scenes, while repeated, are not over-the-top.
******
Zona: The Forbidden Land
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker is a fiction book that takes place in Russia. Grant Taylor is an American Ph.D. in philosophy which goes to St. Petersburg after discovering that his uncle was presumed dead after a mysterious expedition. The protagonist will then decide if he will go in search of his uncle and look for a place shrouded in mystery.
You will find a lot of action, deaths, twists, and sex in a book full of adventure. Even describing his book as "part adventure thriller, part speculative fiction," you'll be fascinated by how real it feels. Not even the fact that the expedition's members encountered extinct animals such as the saber-toothed predator makes you abandon the feeling that this story already happened in some parts of the world. The expedition members are people from diverse backgrounds and with complementary skills. Something that makes the plot more exciting and easier to understand and adds to the mystery.
The suspenseful atmosphere is incredible. I changed my mind several times midway through the book about whether uncle Randall was dead or not. And this atmosphere of suspense is present even in the relationship between the main characters. Even though Grant is intimate with Irina (including sexual intercourse between them), the reader is left wondering if she is a trustworthy person. How can you not like suspense like that? That's the book's main asset.
I have a few caveats to share about the book's cadence. Even aware that this could be a matter of personal taste, I felt that the author failed initially and in the end. In the beginning, the pace is plodding, and I do not doubt that many readers have abandoned the book as almost nothing happens for approximately the first third of the book. The pace during the expedition was adequate, but when you think the author has got the hang of it, the ending leaves a lot to be desired. It's as if he had a deadline to deliver the finished work and had rushed everything. That's what I disliked the most.
Albeit an enjoyable and fascinating read, the problem mentioned above is glaring, and that made me rate Zona: The Forbidden Land three out of four stars. The author's approach to some events would only be justified if there were a continuation or even an epilogue. I recommend this work to those who enjoy a realistic and adventure-filled fiction history even with these problems. There are no grammatical errors and the sexual scenes, while repeated, are not over-the-top.
******
Zona: The Forbidden Land
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Heart! We will forget him!
You an I, tonight!
You may forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.
When you have done, pray tell me
That I my thoughts may dim;
Haste! lest while you're lagging.
I may remember him!
Emily Dickinson
You an I, tonight!
You may forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.
When you have done, pray tell me
That I my thoughts may dim;
Haste! lest while you're lagging.
I may remember him!
Emily Dickinson
Latest Review: The Wingless Fairy by Kye Strothers
