Review of Zona: The Forbidden Land

[Kayla Archer]

[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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Fred G. Baker’s Zona: The Forbidden Land is a suspenseful mystery from the first page. The story starts with a young man, Dr. Taylor Grant, visiting Russia to take care of his missing uncle Randall’s apartment and belongings. Presumed dead, Grant’s uncle disappeared on an expedition to a land known as Zona the previous year. Much is unknown about the expedition because there was only one survivor, Colonel Max Volkov. Volkov claims that as they were pursued by large animals, team members took cover in an abandoned mining cave. Unbeknownst to them, a sabertooth-like animal was also in the cave and killed almost everyone. Only Volkov escaped with his life, or so everyone assumes.

Part one is about Grant discovering the secrets and mysteries of this expedition. Uncle Randall could be alive, and a second expedition is organized to search for him. Grant uncovers keys to safe-deposit boxes containing money, guns, and mysterious letters. A man contacts him about Randall’s last expedition journal recovered during the rescue mission. Sketchy characters are sneaking around Randall’s apartment and Grant’s hotel room, no doubt trying to obtain this confidential information. Part one concludes with Grant agreeing to go on the rescue mission.

The rest of the book is stocked with fantastic beasts and adventures the team faces as they enter Zona, a forbidden land. Will the team survive this expedition? Can Grant uncover what happened to his uncle Randall?

This book was thrilling from the start. The first page hooked me with suspense and a little fear as I tried to reason why so many people were being so secretive to Grant. I could feel the uneasiness Grant experienced as he slowly uncovered the truth about the expedition. The more Grant learned, the thicker the suspense and mystery.

I loved reading this book. It is layered with so many questions and unknowns that I had to keep reading! Even though it is a fictional tale, I felt the characters' tension with the mythical beasts found in Zona. I felt like I was part of this improbable story.

The only dislike I had was the ending. There are three parts to this book, and each was lengthy and time consuming. The end was almost too abrupt and unrealistic. I felt disappointed in how quickly the story ended and the choices the characters made. With all the time it took to get to that point, I felt it deserved a little more.

Language and sexual content are riddled throughout the pages, so this is not recommended for young audiences. I detected no grammatical errors to note. The characters were developed carefully, and the suspense is thick throughout. My unique disappointment was the ending, which is why I am issuing a 3 out of 4 stars.

Those who enjoy adventures, thrillers, and fictional realities will find this book exciting. It had me captivated from beginning to end. I look forward to reading more from Baker and give praise to his book Zona: The Forbidden Land.

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Zona: The Forbidden Land
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[Leonie Vermaak]

Wow what an excellent review, well done!! I even more intrigued now than with the previous reviews. I truly think I must give this one a try. I might just enjoy it. It's just sad the ending is a negative in this book though.

[Cheryl Erickson]

I also enjoyed reading through this book. It was quite descriptive and had an interesting plot. I did not like the carnal spell that everyone was under in Zona; it was a bit much. I was also surprised by the ending. Great job on the book review!

[Kaitlyn Canedy]

It is such a shame the ending was not what you expected. I do find it interesting that everyone in Grant's party was not being honest with him. I wonder what kind of effects this will have on the story. Thanks for the review!

[Nemanja Jankovic]

I like that the book is thrilling from the start with a constant increase in suspense and mystery. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Kayla Archer]

Wow what an excellent review, well done!! I even more intrigued now than with the previous reviews. I truly think I must give this one a try. I might just enjoy it. It's just sad the ending is a negative in this book though.

Thank you for the kind words. It was a page-turner, for sure. You may not be disappointed with the ending. I just assumed it would go in a different direction.