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A review by wouterk
Authority by Jeff VanderMeer
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
What an interesting continuation of the Southern Reach Series. I must say that for some time I was kind of lukewarm while reading this book but as the story progressed the mysteries, revelations, clues really intensified which made the story very engaging. Like Annihilation this book was very ambient and thematic but completely different because we follow a completely different character with a completely different job.
In Authority our main character is called Control. Control is sent as a replacement to the Southern Reach after the disappearance of the director of the facility. He comes to the Southern Reach facility after the events in Annihilation. Control tries to unravel the secrets of area X and what happened to the director and faces the biologist who has returned from area X but has very little to say. As if that is not mysterious enough in its own, Control meets a lot of internal resistance, political struggles and is faced with a voice in his head.
Jeff VanderMeer writes these stories extremely compelling. You can almost taste the tension and the mystery. Some of the scenes really give goosebumps. I really felt that I was experiencing the same doubts, shock and so forth that Control experienced. I've read some complaints that there is too much offtopic information in this book, but I think that is what makes you crawl into the skin of the main character even though it is a third person perspective. If you want it straight and simple this is not a series for you, but you've probably found that out at the first book.
What I really like about this series, and I think the titles of the books tell you as well, is that the whole book is very thematic. In Annahilation the central theme is the destructiveness and deterioration as caused by area X from the very embedded eyes of the biologist. Authority is much more about the confusion and loss of control caused by area X as experienced by Control the director.
I really recommend reading this book and probably reread this as well, which I'm sure I will do at some point. These books are so rich and full of small little clues and interesting descriptions.
In Authority our main character is called Control. Control is sent as a replacement to the Southern Reach after the disappearance of the director of the facility. He comes to the Southern Reach facility after the events in Annihilation. Control tries to unravel the secrets of area X and what happened to the director and faces the biologist who has returned from area X but has very little to say. As if that is not mysterious enough in its own, Control meets a lot of internal resistance, political struggles and is faced with a voice in his head.
Jeff VanderMeer writes these stories extremely compelling. You can almost taste the tension and the mystery. Some of the scenes really give goosebumps. I really felt that I was experiencing the same doubts, shock and so forth that Control experienced. I've read some complaints that there is too much offtopic information in this book, but I think that is what makes you crawl into the skin of the main character even though it is a third person perspective. If you want it straight and simple this is not a series for you, but you've probably found that out at the first book.
What I really like about this series, and I think the titles of the books tell you as well, is that the whole book is very thematic. In Annahilation the central theme is the destructiveness and deterioration as caused by area X from the very embedded eyes of the biologist. Authority is much more about the confusion and loss of control caused by area X as experienced by Control the director.
I really recommend reading this book and probably reread this as well, which I'm sure I will do at some point. These books are so rich and full of small little clues and interesting descriptions.