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At first, I was almost disappointed as this 4th book in the Southern Reach series seemed way too tame, almost boring. But then it dawned on me that I was about to make the same damned mistake those scientists of the first expedition made: I was underestimating what exactly I was dealing with. So I donned my best zombie-apocalypse-survival gear and wouldn't you know it? It didn't save much of me.

Make no mistake. Every little thing that at first glance might appear too mundane or banal serves a purpose - if only to lure the unsuspecting reader into a false sense of security before dropping the sledgehammer of body horror, psychological terror and utter shock on them. *cackles madly*

Seriously, I thought I was prepared because I had read the others but that was what the author had been waiting for, apparently. He's a sly one. And so So SO good!

OK, about the story: Many questions had remained unanswered from the original trilogy, right? Here, we get answers. Well, sorta. Part of the book plays in the first volume's past, part during the original trilogy (various points) and part of it maybe even in the slight future.
We get POVs we had never seen the story from before despite them having been vital to the original trilogy. We get to know the people involved in the creation of "Area X" (kinda). We get the full account of the (in-)famous first expedition (and I can't believe how stupid everyone was in underestimating what was going on, at least the ones that had been complicit)!

When I closed the book, the first two words that came to mind were "YOU BASTARD!" because while we DID get answers (again: kinda), we also got new questions and that just has me screaming and pulling my own hair. Though truth be told: the mystery is what makes this so utterly alluring. I think I'd hate to have ALL the answers.

Instead, I THOROUGHLY enjoyed seeing all kinds of weird flora and fauna again, smiled when an expedition's gear started failing (and them still not trying to get out), cackled all the while people descended into madness* - if they weren't eaten or disappeared with only a few spooky traces that is.

(* though I think I enjoyed the absolutely terrifying body horror even more)

Mysterious, weird and lethal as ever, once again wonderfully riveting / disgusting / unsettling and with only one main character: Area X itself (fuck the humans). BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Love(d) it!



P.S.: Thank you, Netgalley, for providing me with an ARC so I didn't have to wait any longer. Having received a free copy did in no way influence my opinion.