Review of Zona: The Forbidden Land

Henry Patrovic · Post by **Henry Patrovic** » 06 Oct 2022, 13:33

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

4 out of 4 stars

Share This Review

The fantasy/science fiction novel “ZONA: The Forbidden Land” by Fred G. Baker follows Dr. Grant Taylor who is called to Russia after the mysterious disappearance of his uncle during an expedition that officially never occurred. There he is greeted by strange and intriguing events that lead him to Zona, a region in Siberia that the Russian government doesn’t want people to know about. Soon Grant becomes embroiled into his own expedition to Zona, trying to figure out the mysteries behind the strange place and to find his missing uncle.

I would split the book into three parts. Part 1 is the most uneventful as it is an introduction to the characters and the story. That is not to say that it is bad. The way that the author builds intrigue in this part is fascinating. He introduces many different pieces, leaving the reader wondering how they all connect. The characters are not revolutionary but all of them have a certain mystery around them, which I absolutely love. But only once the expedition starts does the real fun begin.

The second part starts with the expedition and is the absolute best. This part is focuses on the anomalies the expedition encounters, building up suspense as they realise that not everything there wants to see them live. Building tension is one of the many things the author excels at. Every night had me wondering what would happen next. And then the tension culminates in an amazingly chaotic action scene.

The last part is about the characters themselves. It gives the various personalities time to shine. The tension continues to build up, shifting to the actions of the characters who are unhappy with the way the expedition is being handled. I constantly wondered when they would snap and the consequences of that.

In the previous paragraphs I wrote about the positive aspects, but are there any negatives? For me personally, no. But certain aspects of the book might scare off potential readers. For example, the expedition starts pretty late into the book and people who want immediate action will be disappointed. Action also does not happen often and the author uses suspense instead.

I give this book four out of four stars. The tension is thick, and the characters are amazing. This makes the book a great read. The negative aspects did not bother me at all. I’m normally more into classic fantasy, but the author has managed to impress me. I also want to mention that the book was exceptionally well edited.

This book is not for people who want to read about action and fighting. It is more for people who appreciate a good mystery adventure. The author compares this book with Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Jurassic Park and I strongly agree with him. If you liked seeing those movies then you will certainly like this novel.

******
Zona: The Forbidden Land
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon