Reviews with content warning for Death - Authority

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Authority by Jeff VanderMeer

14 reviews

emilywemily6's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This book was weird just like the last one, but it was much slower and lots compelling to read. We got relatively few answers for the length of this book, and while it was interesting to take a different perspective on Area X, it was mildly frustrating. I think this writing style is not for me and most of the book said nothing and then big moments were passed over too quickly for me to grasp. It was still intriguing, and kind of a pseudo-character study, but the payoff was not as much as I anticipated when I started reading it. I’ll probably read the next one to get more answers.

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zombiezami's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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bomenvernietiger's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Brave choice to not feature a new expedition into the area at all, and to completely rely on the academic and administrative side of the plot, but it pays off. Because of this, the story sometimes gets a little too slow, but overall the slow-burn works well.

Very colourful prose, sometimes trying a little too much to be clever, occasionally leading to metaphors and expressions that are just a little weird.

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athryn's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Much more literary in feel than the previous book, I can see why people don't like this follow up as much. There's seemingly not a whole lot that goes on for a good 3/4 of the book, right up until the end. It's a lot of mystery and pondering of what's actually going on. But I still found it pretty entertaining.

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calico_camaraderie's review against another edition

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mysterious tense

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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samdalefox's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Incredibly disappointing after the first book. For the first 10% of the audiobook I actually quite liked the change in perspective, I thought it would be interesting to gain insight into the authority and researchers behind area X. But no, what this book is instead is a steady stream of conciousness from the new Director of the Southern Reach (John Rodriguez/Control). We only get small, unsatisfying, tidbits about area X that neither inform or grow the mystery, only frustrate the reader (in a bad way). We get long winded descriptions of the Director's daily habits that do not build suspense, only boredom. He frequently over anaylses and describes things by what they are not, rather than what they are, which is infuriating. We get no substantial insight into the 'authority' of the Southern Reach. Where there is any possibility for an insteresting sub-plot, it is completely forgotten about e.g.,

Spoiler

Whitby's artwork or the plant, mouse, and mobile phone.

At over double the length of 'Annihilation', I frankly don't see why this book is justifiable, or even necessary at all. I guessed the indicators of theings going awry e.g.,

Spoiler

the rotting honey smell, the doppelganger biologist, the voice using hypnotic control

and did not find any of the story's 'revelations' shocking e.g.,

Spoiler

Control's fieldwork fuck up, the old Director returning, or the area X border advancing/breaching.

Overall, this is mostly useless filler story, I will however read the final installment with high hopes of a better ending since the first book was so excellent.

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antigonecounterpart's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Despite a really slow start, to the point where even I considered dropping it, the last 100 or so pages are some of the best horror I've read. I think Vandermeer is talented in making things alien. In Annihilation, it was nature. Here, It's man made structures and rules.

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