I enjoyed reading about the lighthouse keeper but much less so about the director’s past, so when the perspectives were this fragmented and presented in a revolving door-type style I struggled to keep track of most details. each character’s journey was written with clearly cathartic intentions, but unfortunately I couldn’t fully connect to some of their endings. 

even after reading the ample background of the director’s final weeks before the twelfth expedition, I still couldn’t tell you much about the true purpose of the reach or area x… and I guess I’ll have to make peace with that. at times it felt like I was reading an elaborate companion novel that didn’t add much more to the current plot, but I don’t regret finishing the series. there are some memorable moments that I'll be thinking about for a while. jeff vandermeer is clearly a skilled writer with a knack for creating unique moods and an interiority to his characters that I see myself coming back to, so I'm still interested in getting into more of his work.