In the second volume of the Southern Reach Trilogy, questions are answered, stakes are raised, and mysteries are deepened …
Following the disastrous twelfth expedition chronicled in ‘Annihilation’, the second book of the Southern Reach trilogy introduces John Rodriguez, the new head of the government agency responsible for the safeguarding of Area X. His first day is spent grappling with the fall-out from the last expedition. Area X itself remains a mystery. But, as instructed by a higher authority known only as The Voice, the self-styled Control must battle to ‘put his house in order’.
From a series of interrogations, a cache of hidden notes and hours of profoundly troubling video footage, the mysteries of Area X begin to reveal themselves—and what they expose pushes Control to confront disturbing truths about both himself and the agency he’s promised to serve.
Undermined and under pressure to make sense of everything, Rodriguez retreats into his past in a labyrinthine search for answers. Yet the more he uncovers, the more he risks, for the secrets of the Southern Reach are more sinister than anyone could have known.
- ISBN13 9780007553464
- Publish Date 8 May 2014 (first published 6 May 2014)
- Publish Status Out of Stock
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Imprint Fourth Estate Ltd
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 352
- Language English
- URL http://harpercollins.co.uk
Reviews
HekArtemis
Time for Acceptance.
thepunktheory
*inhales deeply and lets out a sigh*
This was not what I had hoped for.
Instead of answering a single question that was raised in the last book, Authority opens up a whole new story line with its own questions and issues, so I'm even more irritated than I was before.
Honestly, this one was dragging on even more than the last one. I was really bored at times and the unreliable narrator keeps annoying me.
It's actually a short book, but for the love of God, it took me forever and a day to finish it.
Michael @ Knowledge Lost
While Annihilation focused on Area X and served as an exhibition into nature, Authority is more about the bureaucratic nightmare of a secretive government organisation. The story follows Control, who serves as more of an outsider trying to make sense of everything that is going on within the Southern Reach. While this novel focuses on the organisation rather than Area X, readers can still expect to experience the same building of tension and terror found in Annihilation.
Even though it is a different cast of characters, I am very mindful of giving spoilers to the series so I will be a little vague and won’t be able to say everything I would like to say. Having said that, I tend to view Authority as a novel that parallels Annihilation in many ways. This makes me believe that the effects of Area X is not just a physical anomaly but also psychological. Yet again the reader is left with more questions than answers; What is going on here?
While I don’t think Authority was nearly as exciting as Annihilation. I am still very curious how this series will end with the last book Acceptance. I do have the last book from the library and I will probably read it sometime in January; I just need to know the answers. These books are a fun departure from the types of books I normally read but I do hate how vague I have to be in the reviews. Go out and read them; that is pretty much all I can really say.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2014/12/19/authority-by-jeff-vandermeer/
meowstina
After reading the first few pages of this book, I was kind of confused. The information presented goes against what I thought had happened previously. I had to go back to Annihilation to confirm that I was remembering correctly - and it turns out I was. That was when I knew Authority would be really, really good.
The second instalment balances out the first quite nicely, while still maintaining an air of suspense and mystery. It’s not quite as intense as its predecessor, but works in its own way to push further into the presence of Area X, from the outside this time. Control works in the Southern Reach office and filters through previously gathered evidence about Area X. His new role is meant to bring fresh eyes to the case, but as he gets more involved he also gets more confused. Though some questions are answered, there are a whole lot more introduced. I’m (still) as confused as Control, but in a good way. It leaves me wanting more, and wanting to finally figure out the strangeness behind Area X.
This book follows Control through every detail of his investigation, so it’s more research oriented. Although this makes it a little less exciting than exploring inside Area X with the biologist, it’s still pretty interesting and has its own form of intensity. Control is so involved in the evidence that I found myself heavily involved as well. It doesn’t feel as if he makes a ton of progress towards figuring out Area X, but a few questions are answered and he discovers a lot more evidence. I’m sure most of it will come together in the next book.
I have a feeling the last instalment won’t answer all questions or solve everything, but I think it will provide a sense of why Area X exists. I’m very excited to continue (and finish) the trilogy, so I am eagerly anticipating Acceptance.