Authority

I'm generally not a fan of sequels. In fact, I tend to avoid any books that pare part of a series. But this is a sequel done right. It seems that VanderMeer planned this story as a trilogy. This book builds upon the world that “Annihilation” created without repeating any plot points. Whereas “Annihilation” was an expedition into the unknown Area X, “Authority” is the story of those on the outside, the scientists and bureaucrats trying to solve the mystery from their perspective. While not as creepy as “Annihilation” (though the creepiness gets ratcheted up toward the end), this is an engaging story that tackles the same themes from a completely different perspective. Definitely worth a read if you liked “Annihilation.”