Hummingbird Salamander

VanderMeer’s latest is a departure from his previous work (Borne; Ambergris; the “Southern Reach” trilogy”) in that it is less ostensibly science fiction. The story centers on a narrator who calls herself Jill, though this is not her real name. Jill is mysteriously contacted by old friend Silvina, who sends a note directing her to a storage space containing a taxidermied hummingbird. Jill is compelled to investigate Silvina and discovers a network of ecological initiatives and possible bioterrorism funded by her wealthy family. (Silvina means “of the forest” in Latin, so her character is aptly named.) Suddenly, Jill is plunged into a dangerous web of murder and violence perpetrated by former colleagues of Silvina’s, which continues until Jill narrowly escapes death and loses everything. Revelations about Jill’s family lead to a simmering conclusion.