Waking Gods: Themis Files Book 2

Originally fat-fingered the ordering process, and ordered the Kindle. I DO NOT own a kindle and thought that the store would realize the error.
Te\hey DID NOT... Just requested a refund for the Kindle version. My bad -- But all good....LOL

The very unique format, which worked very effectively in book one, wears thin. There are still the interview notes and the transcripts of radio and television broadcasts that ring true. Unfortunately there are a few too many personal journals that start to turn into just normal chapters in a typical book.

The story also turns a bit suspect as different colored robots appear all over the world and start to kill. The twist in how they kill is a good one but we learn about it as an old character becomes the mirror image of a another older character who doesn't make it. That seemed just a little too convenient.

Doesn't live up to the promise of the first book and I won't bother with the third one.

Giant alien robots!
For some readers, these three words will be enough to make them want to read this series. I can’t imagine who wouldn’t love a story with giant alien robots, however for those who’d like to know just a bit more, I’ll see if I can assist.

This is book two in a series but as of right now I don’t know if it will end up a trilogy or longer. For anyone who hasn’t heard of or hasn’t yet read book one, Sleeping Giants, here is the very, very short version leading up to this one:
A small team is put together to locate parts of a giant robot which have been scattered and deeply buried around the globe. Once assembled, the robot can be operated from inside. They have determined the robot is of alien origin but they don’t know what it’s for or really how to operate it.

Waking Gods takes place ten years after. The aliens have discovered we assembled the robot. We know this because they show up on Earth in their own robots – 13 of them placed around the globe in densely populated areas. But what do they want? How do we communicate with them? How do we fight them? What happens next had me thinking this was going to end up being a robot apocalypse. I guess since the series isn't over yet, it could still play out that way.

I don’t know if it’s a matter of ‘right book at the right time’ or if Neuvel is that great a writer but I’m loving this series. It’s just so much fun but unfortunately over so quickly. It’s listed as 320 pages and I finished in a day, which should underscore the addictiveness of it. Highly recommended!!

The first book was excellent. Funny, imaginative, well-conflicted, suspenseful, and well-written (though in an unusual, interview style not for everyone). Then he wrote this. Anti-God, anti-military, anti-U.S., you name it. The bits on Delta Force were just farcical to anyone who's at all familiar with how they operate. It's a shame for an author and a story that both showed such potential; but I won't be reading anything else of his.

In THE SLEEPING GIANTS (Book 1), Rose Franklin discovered a giant hand that turned out to be a piece of a giant and very futuristic robot. This prompted her to devote her adult life to learning about this giant and its purpose in her world. In WAKING GODS, Rose is now an adult. Her world has become even more dangerous, as giant robots, even larger than the one she had discovered, start materializing in all the major cities of the world. When the threat of these giants is discovered and millions are killed, Rose finds she must be the one to save the human race. But how?

Once again, Sylvain Neuvel has created an intriguing and suspenseful novel that the reader cannot put down. Using only journal entries, recorded minutes from Parliament, interviews, surveillance logs, and other official records as the sole means of providing the narration of this story, the author lends a sense of both reality and urgency to this tale. This method of narration really puts the reader into the middle of the drama, creating a sense of stress and anxiety. This novel, peopled with realistic, life-like characters, provides the reader with pure escapism. This amazingly-creative tome is what readers look for in reading!

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Neuvel crafts a sci-fi tour-de-force of characterization and classic themes in this sequel to his SLEEPING GIANTS. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House for an advance look at this incredibly well-conceived and written science fiction tale. Like SLEEPING GIANTS, Neuvel takes a rather unique approach to storytelling, giving you "log entries" in pure dialogue, no author intrusion, so you feel very much like a fly on the wall, observing what is going on. I think it adds a layer of depth than engages the reader more deeply. With two books in, Neuvel has a long writing career ahead of him if he keeps putting out books of this quality.

Ten years after scientists discover a giant robot on Earth, the world must deal with a second robot that appears without warning. Unlike the first robot, however, the second one exhibits malicious intentions. The scientists who found the first robot will have to use every resource at their disposal to stop the new evil visitor before every person succumbs. Author Sylvain Neuvel continues the thrilling story of Themis with aplomb in the second novel of the Themis Files series called Waking Gods.

It's been a decade since scientist Rose Franklin and her team excavated and assembled the mysterious pieces of metal that turned into the robot she named Themis. The world has become complacent about Themis in that time. Since her appearance, nothing terrible has happened and Themis seems more like a fascinating scientific oddity than anything else.

So when another robot just appears one morning in London, residents of that city as well as others think Themis’s “family” may finally be joining her. Rose doesn’t know what to think about the new robot. As a scientist she’s intrigued, but an unnamed government source told Rose that Themis wouldn’t be the only one to visit. Nor would the other robots necessarily be as benign as Themis.

The prediction becomes truth when the second robot in London emits a deadly gas and kills thousands. Before anyone can formulate a plan, robots begin arriving in other cities. They, too, begin emitting deadly gasses.

The citizens of the world are under attack.

Not everyone dies, however, and Rose races to find out why. The survivors don’t seem to have any connection to one another. Why do they get to live?

Along with all this, Rose deals with her own insecurities about her abilities. Years earlier she was found after an accident in which she supposedly died. When she wakes up, four years have passed and she questions everything she knows about herself and her life.

It doesn’t help that Kara and Vincent, the cracker jack team of scientists who actually pilot Themis, also treat Rose like a delicate vase. They want to restore the friendship the three shared, but they’re not sure how to go about doing that. With the progression of world events, however, Rose, Kara, Vincent, and all the others involved may not get the time they want to sort through their personal challenges.

Author Sylvain Neuvel brings back his flair and innovative storytelling method for the second book in the Themis Files series. Once again Neuvel doesn’t stick to a conventional narration. Like Sleeping Giants, its predecessor, Waking Gods reads like a collection of files recovered from some sort of aftermath. With the events in Waking Gods, the overall concept for Neuvel’s story world becomes more clear and more opaque all at the same time.

Neuvel spends more time sharing the characters’ lives in this book, which sets it apart from the first novel. In particular readers will find out more about the unnamed government source who Rose and others have turned to time and again for access to information and other resources. Like the characters, readers will find themselves in turns delighted and frustrated by him.

The frustration is purely by Neuvel’s design, though, which is what makes this such a fantastic read. Nothing is out of place in the book in terms of pacing or character development, and readers will most likely finish it wishing they already had the third book on hand. Current world events sometimes suggest the kind of society Neuvel proposes, which makes his books timely, frightening, and necessary escapist reading all in one.

Fans of the first book will find everything they love about Themis, Rose, and the others in this second story. I recommend readers Binge read Waking Gods!

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher in order to write an honest, objective review.)

Last year a friend introduced me to Sleeping Giants and sparked an obsession. This year I heard there was an opportunity to read Waking Gods early and tripped all over myself trying to get a copy! Although I wasn't sure Sylvain Neuvel could deliver a second book as incredible as the first, I am excited to report that Waking Gods did not disappoint!

Sleeping Giants was a well-wrapped package. While there was a mind-blowing revelation near the end, there was no giant cliffhanger, so it wasn't surprising that Waking Gods opened with a time jump. I'll readily admit I was nervous about this at first. I tend to despise time jumps just because I feel so disconnected from characters ten years after I last saw them. I'm not sure if it's the unique format of this series or if Neuvel is a magician, but he totally pulled it off and managed to suck me back in immediately.

Kara and Vincent have been living their version of happily ever after since the conclusion of Sleeping Giants and it's exactly what you'd expect from these characters. Kara is happily childfree, Vincent does what he can to make her happy, and both continue to travel around the world showcasing their robot. But when a new threat comes to Earth, they jump right back into the action, ready to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of the human race. The mysterious man at the center of everything is also back and I was thrilled that there was much more to him this time! Even a bit of backstory. Although the format of this series could make it difficult to connect with these people, there is no shortage of character development.

Thankfully, Waking Gods isn't short on conspiracy or action either. While the first book revolved around the worlds' shock of finding an alien robot, book two is about the panic that follows when several more of them show up - this time in tact, in major cities, and with alien pilots. No one knows what they're capable of and good people of Planet Earth are intent on testing their boundaries (as they do), inciting chaos at every turn. Sleeping Giants was exciting in its own right although there were lags, but Waking Gods is fast and sometimes feels like an action movie. I was never bored with this book!

The format of the Themis Files was something I really wasn't sure about when I finished the first book. While it worked well in audio, I said in my review that I didn't know if I would've been as intrigued if I'd read it in book form. As it turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong! The interview and log format of Waking Gods ended up being incredibly immersive and made me feel like I was in the middle of the action right alongside the characters.

I also loved that, while science was a big part of this book, it wasn't over my head to the point where I couldn't understand what was happening. There are also philosophical issues brought up in Waking Gods that you may not expect. Certain characters have to contend with some huge, life altering questions, but I always felt able to identify instead of being overwhelmed. Neuvel has written this in a way that it's understandable without being dumbed down or spoon fed to the reader.

Waking Gods is an incredibly intense sequel that did not let me go until the last page (and not really then). So often sequels suffer from second book syndrome but that definitely didn't happen here. I laughed, I cried, and I was absolutely on the edge of my seat! If you haven't started this series yet, you really need to give it a try! I cannot wait to get my hands on book three!

Things I liked: It's entertaining and fast paced- not significantly different from the previous one in terms of writing style and all that. I intend to read the next one. The short chapters make it easy to pick up and put down when you're in between tasks or waiting for something. The characters have a good gender balance and the female characters are written like people (not sure why it's classified as "women's action" though- gender isn't especially relevant to the story, there just happens to be an equal number of female characters).

Things I didn't like: what drew me to the previous book was that it seemed like the plot was going to revolve around discovery of information about where Themis came from and how she worked and stuff like that. By the end it turned into an action book, but I hoped the next one would carry on the discovery quality from the beginning of the first book. This sequel was just an action book all the way through- which I'm not a fan of, but I understand it's a matter of taste. They do make discoveries, but they're mostly pragmatic discoveries to solve action-related problems and not so much to assuage curiosity or bring to light further mysteries. So it wasn't what I'd hoped for, but it's not bad for what it is. Perhaps the problem was with my expectations.

I listened to Sleeping Giants last year and absolutely fell in love with not only the audiobook but also the story.

Waking Gods picks back up a few years after the events at the end of Sleeping Giants. Now it seems that Themis isn’t the only robot out there as another Giant robot appears on Earth, than another, than another. Soon Kara, Dr Rose, Vincent and their mysterious friend are out there again trying to figure out why the robots are showing up and are they a danger to Earth.

This was a thrilling ride. I love having all the voice actors and the characters right back telling the story. They do such a great job with the book it is both exciting and an interesting listen. There were a few parts that I found myself reading the actual book for (mostly the scientific parts), but overall the audio is my favorite part.

The story itself is exciting as a reader, I was eager to find out what happens to the characters and what do the giant robots want from the Earth. This definitely had some science fiction elements to it, but it was easy enough to get into the story. Sylvain Neuvel really knows how to bring the characters and their personalities to life through simple character dialog and files. This is not written as a traditional book which I think makes it even more exciting.

I did have some gripes about it

First, I didn’t like the voice of Eva. I get that she is suppose to be 10 year old girl, but she was super whiny and listening to it was a bit grating.

The second gripe might be a spoiler so please read at your own discretion below

SPOILER POSSIBLE AHEAD
Two main characters from book one die in this book and their deaths in the matter that happened just felt a bit odd and off for me. I am still not sure how to feel about that, it felt like it was there for a shock factor, but I felt as to who these characters are they deserved a better ending.

That’s all. I am enjoying this series, it’s really well done and I am looking forward to digging into book three and seeing how it wraps up. That ending definitely threw me in for a loop.

Sylvain Neuvel continues what he started in Sleeping Giants in book two of The Themis Files, Waking Gods. The giant robot that scientists recovered and put together in book one was incontrovertible evidence of extraterrestrial beings with intelligence and technology superior to man's. In book 2, the aliens show up. Without prior warning, another robot appears a decade later, this time fully assembled, in London. Attempts at a peaceful welcome failed, and a large slice of London is vaporized by the robot.

Themis, the earth-assembled robot, takes down the robot, but then additional robots appear in major cities around the world. Themis's crew has their hands full, trying to figure out the teleportation feature and being reunited with their test-tube baby daughter they didn't know they had. Their plan for confronting the newly-arrived robots sounds crazy, but it just might work. . . .

Neuvel continues his documentary story-telling style, advancing the narrative through journal entries, interview transcripts, event logs, etc. While I enjoy his method, in this case it serves to downplay the scope of the events of the book. Tens of millions are killed by these robots, and it seems as if the characters can barely bring themselves to care. He gives only a distant, detached understanding of world events as he focuses on the personal perspective of the characters.

I thought he had a pretty good cliffhanger at the end of Sleeping Giants. That cliffhanger became an important element of Waking Gods. But the cliffhanger at the end of Waking Gods is even better. I can't wait to read Only Human!

Have you ever been leery of reading the next book in a series for fear of disappointment after you so loved the first? Well, fear not. dear reader. Waking Gods more that lives up to my high expectations after reading Sleeping Giants!

But now, how to review it without being spoiler-y. Clearly, any plot discussion is out. Most of the characters, too.

Let’s start with a discussion of the writing. Like Sleeping Giants, Waking Gods continues the the interview/journal style that I love. We all accept that great dialog and conversations are the best part of books, don’t we!?! Or is that just me? We gain insight into the Rose, Vincent, Kara, and our unnamed government agent through their conversations and personal journal entries. The pace moves very quickly and short chapters really make me feel like I’m progressing quickly. The plot is a twisty-turny road that kept me guessing at every turn. And sometimes even gasping. The connection between new character Ava and our other main characters was a real shocker. I also love the progression of the titles from sleeping to waking. There is considerably more action in Waking Gods!

Next, we’ll move onto a major theme of Waking Gods. What does is mean to be human when you find out you may not be 100% human? After the WTH ending of Sleeping Giants, we see Rose trying to figure that out through the course of the book. We may take our humanity for granted, but through Waking Giants and Rose, we can re-learn what it truly means to save the world.

"We’re not the greatest thing in the universe, certainly not the smartest. Seems logical there’d be a great many things in it we can’t comprehend."

Finally, let’s discuss my feelings of Waking Gods. Loved. Loved. Loved. 12 Stars out of 5. I don’t think I can gush enough about how much I love this series! I even love the mass destruction. When I’m feeling anti-people, culling the population is refreshing. ?

What are you waiting for? Read this series! Start with Sleeping Giants, though. You don’t want to miss a thing.

I loved Sleeping Giants more than words can say. I loved everything about it – the story and how it was told, the characters, the humor, the suspense, the robot. So when someone gave me a heads–up that Waking Gods was also available on Netgalley, I was there before the pixels faded.

And … oh, okay, I gave this five stars as well, and I'm kind of surprised, to be honest. I'm not touching that; Sleeping Giants earned enough stars that it can lend Waking Gods one; I wouldn't have rated the latter less than four even at my harshest. But … I … didn't love it nearly as much as I did the former.

The storytelling is still in the same format, through interviews and transcripts and so on. The characters are largely the same; a shocking reveal at the end of SG is fully explored in WG. And the inspiration for one character's name is revealed, and it made me happy. The humor is still the same –

—Do you like squirrels?
—I ask for your help in preventing a conflict of apocalyptic proportions and your answer is: "Do you like squirrels?"
—Yes. I have a good squirrel story.
—Of course. By all means

– but now the suspense is ramped up, and there is an apocalyptic element introduced which … I don't know. That's part of why this wasn't as huge a success with me. Maybe it's because the curtain is pulled back and we see the wizard, so to speak… In Sleeping Giants, the setting was basically "twenty minutes into the future", almost completely familiar; in Waking Gods it felt less so, especially once destruction begins. I'm never going to enjoy seeing cities I'm fond of (in the abstract, at least) being leveled, or – to risk a spoiler – characters I'm fond of being wiped out. If the first book seemed to show that nobody was safe, this second book proved it. And the revelations about who was behind the robot(s) and their motivations were strangely anticlimactic. Like many a promising mystery novel, once the mystery is dispelled, so is a lot of the promise. In short, I wasn't happy once it all morphed into an almost standard sci-fi plot.

One topical comment (in two parts): where in SG it is noted in passing that the president is a woman (DAMMIT), another throwaway line mentions "His Majesty's Government". I just thought that was interesting. And given an imminent threat to America's participation in the U.N., and maybe to the U.N. as an entity, I wanted to save this quote: "This institution was founded in the wake of the most devastating war in human history, to promote peace by allowing nations to resolve their disputes here, in this room, and not on the battlefield. It was also created so that we could pool our knowledge and resources and achieve great things none of us could dream of achieving on our own."

It's relevant.

So – I didn't enjoy this as much. But the humor and intelligence of the writing was still strong. (—Can you stop interrupting? It's a story. There's a fairy in it. No, I don't know what species of fairy.) The geekery was still strong – as evidenced in the dedication and the revelation of who Vincent was named for, thus ensuring that I will never forget his name. It was, in the end, a satisfying story – and I don't feel that the losses suffered along the way were gratuitous, however much I hated them – but the place where it all ends up is not somewhere I want to be. I'm sure I'll read the third book whenever it comes along, out of loyalty and out of a desire to find out what the survivors do with this place.

A couple more things I saved, and will want to save:

However, the French had long likened slow and clumsy work to that of a man wearing wooden shoes, or sabots, and Pouget, in his report, coined the term sabotage.

While I am reasonably confident you are not "the chosen one," you are without doubt one who has been chosen.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.

Again, any book read in one sitting gets an automatic 5 looks. I was a little hesitant to read this one without refamiliarizing myself with the first in the series, "Sleeping Giants", but no fear. While it would have been a bit richer to build on the characterizations of the main players, it was not necessary to dive right into the story. Enough background was provided to jog my memory. However, I do recommend reading these in sequence.

I remembered the first book being quite the exciting rollercoaster ride, and this was the same. Written in epistolary form, the science fiction-heavy story is made personal and easy to follow. I am not a huge fan of science fiction because I get bogged down in the science, unfamiliar words, and implausibility of the scenarios. Neuvel makes this science fiction feel very real and possible, and brings the genre home to readers like me.

A few of my fave lines:
Scientists are like children: They always want to know everything, they all ask too many questions, and they never follow orders to the letter.
Believing you're the only person with their head on straight is usually not a sign of good mental health.

Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel is the highly recommended second book in the Themis Files Series which began with Sleeping Giants. It is important to read these books in the order in which they were written.

In the prologue we hear from a new character named Eva Reyes: "They keep telling me it’s normal to have bad dreams. But I know they’re not dreams. I have them when I’m awake now. I saw it again today at school, and I started screaming. It’s the same one I’ve been having for months. Everyone’s dead. There are thousands of them, dead on the streets, a whole city filled with corpses. I see my parents lying in blood inside our house. I haven’t told them that part. Today there was something new. I saw a robot, like Themis, a big metal woman falling into the clouds."

The Earth Defense Corps members, including physicist Rose Franklin, are still studying the advanced technology found in the giant robot named Themis, while Army pilot Kara Resnik and Quebecois linguist Vincent Couture are becoming more adroit at moving/controlling the robot. It was thought that Themis was left on Earth to protect humankind from future invasion. This theory is tested when a giant robot suddenly appears in London and subsequently wipes out a wide swath of the city. While they were somewhat successful in the aftermath of the attack, how will they handle the many robots landing in large cities worldwide? These new robots have arrived with a new way to exterminate millions of people.

The narrative is again told through an epistolary compilation of interviews, news items, and official journal entries. The mysterious interrogator/examiner is back, discussing events and actions with the characters. The development of the characters is though these interviews and journal entries and is surprisingly effective for the most part. Some more surprising information is revealed in these almost matter-of-fact entries. The complex plot moves quickly forward and the action is very fast-paced due to the way the novel is written, which allows the facts to be succinctly presented. While new questions arise, some previous questions from Sleeping Giants are answered.

Waking Gods is the second in the series and does suffer a bit from second-in-a-series syndrome with some plot points cleared up but many new ones left opened and unanswered. Still, there are giant robots arriving in cities and being piloted by aliens with some nefarious plans. And there are new scientific facts learned as well as many startling personal revelations.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Random House Publishing.

The thrill continues in Waking Gods, the second installment in Themis Files series by Sylvain Neuvel. This series is now becoming one of the most awaited Science Fiction and Fantasy series. Well undoubtedly, this is a well-deserved stand.
The events in Waking Gods take right after where Sleeping Giants had finished. There’s more action in this installment as more robots starts to show up. The world is entranced. The most prominent and even smartest world thinkers, leaders and scientists can’t solve this mystery and moreover can’t stop the threat. The whole humanity is at risk.
Using Themis to fight the first robot gave the world the fake sense of security. However, not for long. Robots are now everywhere and once they start the action… well you have to read that.
The narration takes the same style as in Sleeping Giants. It’s a series of numbered files representing interviews and logs of the project. Very interesting indeed. The most thrilling thing in this installment is the action. A lot is happening, and by that I really mean a lot.
We also get to know more about our mysterious Mr. Big Shot. This in itself is one of the most astonishing things I’ve ever read. Just wait to read that. Quite astonishing!
Well, the question is whether anyone can find a solution. The solution might be in the answer to the most important question: Why is this happening? Unless someone finds an answer, everything is doomed.
It’s quite obvious now how creative Sylvain Neuvel is. With the same intense spirit, he has created a very interesting story. I don’t know if there’s more to this series, but I hope there is.
**Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for supplying my copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. **

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Another massive robot has arrived in London. They call it Chronos. It's bigger than Themis, and no one knows what it wants...

-----------------------------------------------

Wow, I enjoyed Waking Gods a lot more than Sleeping Giants. Not that its predecessor was bad, I just didn't find the story as engaging. This series is very technical, and has a lot of background scientific information which needs to be waded through in Sleeping Giants in order to make way for the action.

The continuation of the story takes place ten years after the first book. Almost immediately, a new giant makes its appearance, and begins wreaking havoc on London. Unfortunately, he's only one of the first. The team constructed by the unnamed interviewer scrambles to try and figure out how to stop the genocide of mankind, literally standing at their doorsteps.

This is why I wish we...I...had never found Themis. They're here. Her family's here, now.

The characters we met in Sleeping Giants take overwhelming steps toward complexity. I wasn't expecting some of them to go as deep into their emotions as they did. Unfortunately, there are a lot of casualties in this book, including some of the more interesting characters (in my opinion), and we only get to know so much about them. I would suggest not to get too attached to anyone...

I came to realize that good and evil were out of my reach, that time was the only thing I had any control over. I could buy time, create intervals. I could not truly make the world a better place, but I could make part of it a better place for a short while.

I've discovered that there are a few drawbacks to this writing style---using a dossier to tell the story---It tends to leave a lot out. There is a lot of undisclosed information that I'm dying to know more about. Also, some of the live action parts aren't explained in full. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of action, but at times I felt lost to the setting, and what exactly was happening around me. Lastly, the time frame would sometimes jump drastically from one entry to the next. I felt like my body was shifting along with the story, but my mind was left back in time.

Overall, this was a great story. There are several facets, angles, agendas, and wars of all shapes and sizes interfering with one another. Despite everyone's differences, they are working towards one goal: keeping mankind alive.

Vulgarity: Quite a bit.
Sexual content: Minimal.
Violence: Minimal.

4 stars.

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey. Thank you.

The first book in this series is "Sleeping Giants" and I highly recommend you read that book before you begin this second book. Even though Sylvain Neuvel has sprinkled some backstory information throughout this book he did not try to re-create the first book. If you don't know what happened before, it will take you longer to fully appreciate what is happening as you get into the body of the new material. I can say I absolutely raced through this book. Because the 'files' (instead of chapters) are short it seemed entirely possible to keep saying just one more, no, really, just one more. The style in which the book is written takes no time at all for the reader to adjust to something a little different from standard narrative. Each file is a report or a conversation and those conversations are only between two characters so you don't need quotation marks. There is an unnamed individual and his portions of dialog are shown in a lighter color to differentiate him from everyone else. You find yourself falling into a comfortable rhythm as you read and this, plus the fact that the action moves very quickly from one area of the world to another, makes the story pretty nearly impossible to put down.

In the first novel the pieces of a giant robot were discovered all over the globe and assembled into a huge robot christened Themis. Speculation ran rampant as to why this obviously advanced technology was on Earth and how it could be made useful. Now two pilots have learned how to use Themis, but suddenly a robot that looks slightly different from Themis has appeared in the middle of London. How will the countries of the world react if they feel threatened by this robot that simply appears? What if there are others? What do they want? How should the Earth Defense Corps react to something obviously not from this world?

I enjoyed this second book, perhaps even more than the first and that's saying something. The questions raised about how humans might react to something so foreign was great fodder for conversations with other fans of science fiction. I don't know how many novels have been planned for this series, but there is no way it can end here. Why? Well because there are still unanswered questions, but most of all because I want to read more.

This is such a marvelous series! I read the first book when it came out, and have been eagerly waiting for the sequel – there was a rather huge cliffhanger (handled very well), and if that wasn’t enough, I was just plain curious to see where the exceedingly talented Mr. Neuvel would take his story… Well, he took it in a startling direction – startling, but not entirely unanticipated. That isn’t to say that it was at ALL stereotypical or predictable. Rather, that if one gave thought to the assumptions generated by the first book (sorry to be vague, but spoilers are the death of great books, and I won’t risk them), the direction of this one would be one of a number of likely options. But the fact of that direction/the major plot line here is not the point – the point is entirely in the execution and the details, and that is where this series is so exceptional…

If you are not familiar with the series, check out the book blurb for Sleeping Giants, the first in the series. Given how things ended, I was not sure what on earth (that’s a rather silly pun, if you’re familiar with the series at all) to expect – but it wasn’t this. Things have heated up rather significantly between books one and two – years have passed, seemingly in the blink of an eye. That’s rather how time passes in these books all the time – there are no benchmarks for time, no sense of whether Themis was found in the past, present, or future, no sense of how much time elapses between the various “files” that comprise the story. This is one of the things I like – and also find frustrating. I do think it’s smart, especially in a series and in science fiction, to avoid dating your story (hello, 2001: A Space Odyssey…) since that can create expectations (and disappointments) when the “future” comes and goes. It is challenging, however, to keep things straight without any explicit internal timeline in a complex and ever-developing story like this one. The text of each file does always explain the time-lapse, but the jumps are often uneven in duration and the timeline can be difficult to maintain if you read speedily like I do (I flip back and forth a bit in these books). Still, it’s not at all a distraction – it contributes to the feeling of authenticity in the “series of files” format.

Interestingly enough, this format has never been an issue for me. Generally speaking, I do NOT like epistolary or non-traditional narratives – I usually find them jumpy and difficult, and rarely am I able to really lose my self in the story when it is presented that way. Not so at ALL here. Despite the unusual format and varying styles of each “chapter”/”file”, somehow the whole thing comes perfectly together into a coherent narrative that tells a most compelling story about a brilliant and extraordinarily well-developed cast of characters facing a set of wild circumstances utterly beyond their control.

This is an excellent series – beautifully crafted, insightful in its exploration of the dark side of humanity (and its responses to dark events), and utterly original. I’ve read alien stories before. I’ve read discovery stories before. I’ve read end of the world stories before. I’ve read “let’s learn who we are through strife and conflict” stories before. But I’ve never read a story that comprises all of those concepts into one unified tale full of science and miracles, despair and possibility. And wait until you get a load of the cliffhanger THIS TIME… If you haven’t read Sleeping Giants yet, start the series right away. Then rush out to get this one. You won’t be sorry.

My review copy was a granted wish on NetGalley.

Sleeping Giants was one of my favorite books 2016 so I've been eagerly awaiting Waking Gods. I flew through the first half of the novel and absolutely loved it. Then I hit the second half. Most of what I loved from the first book shifted to the background, leaving behind a faster-paced, more action oriented novel.

What had set this series apart for me originally was that it was very character based. All of these incredible science fiction events would occur, but the focus was on how the events affected the characters. Additionally, I loved seeing how the characters developed over the course of the book. That being said, Waking Gods is not bad, it was just different. While it was an unexpected surprise, I did really enjoy the book.

More so than the previous ones, this was first contact science fiction. I thought that the reactions of the various characters and government agencies were well-developed (and scarily accurate). The plot did jump around a bit toward the end, which made for a slightly disjointed reading experience. There was one subplot that really intrigued me and I can't wait to see what the author does with it in the next book.

Overall, this book was good. Had it been a little longer and developed the plot and the characters a bit more, it would have been great. I still adore the storytelling style and the overall story though. I have grown very attached to all of the characters, which is a testament to the quality of the writing. Did I like Waking Gods as much as Sleeping Giants? No. Did I still like it? Yes, very much so. And, after the set-up in this one, I think I'll like the third installment even more.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Waking Gods is the second book in author Sylvain Neuvel’s series The Themis Files and it is at least as exciting as the first book, Sleeping Giants, which was one of my favourite books of 2016. Like the first book, it is told mainly through emails, letters, reports, and other documents as well as by the unknown narrator so that the reader is never allowed to know more than the characters, giving the story a real sense of urgency as events seem to happen in real time.

The story opens with a new even bigger robot appearing suddenly in a garden in London. At first, nothing happens but, when England sends in the military, things take a huge turn to the horrific. Themis is brought in to stop the devastation and, mostly by sheer luck, the robot is defeated. But that is only the beginning and soon an alien attack on a massive scale is launched. In desperation, Rose must find a way to defeat them and their seemingly indestructible robots but how when they seem impervious even to Earth’s most powerful and deadly weapons.

At the risk of sounding like a fan girl, I am loving this series. The story is one roller coaster of a ride with constant twists and turns and just when you think you know what’s going to happen next, well, you are most likely wrong. Most of the characters we met in the first book are back and we get more of their backstories, their strengths and their flaws. They are not only interesting, they are complex. This is one unputdownable adrenaline rush of a book. It ends on a cliffhanger and I am already impatiently anticipating the next installment of the series. A definite high recommendation from me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publish Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

WAKING GODS by Sylvain Neuvel is the second book in the Themis Files series about a giant alien robot found buried in pieces all of the world. It is put together in the first book and now in WAKING GODS, we find there are more robots in the universe when they start materializing all over the world.
Neuvel creates an intense and provocative story of an alien presence on Earth and how we as global society respond to it. At the same time, the book is a very intimate look at the influential players involved in how to counter this new alien existence. I enjoy the style of the book, Neuvel presents the story as a series of interview files and communication logs rather than telling the story third person. By giving all of the major characters their own voice, the reader connects to them in a way traditional storytelling cannot provide. Neuvel is careful to further the story and include all of the pertinent information about the story, and does so without it feeling forced. All of the characters are flawed in one way or another, just like we are in the real world, and it makes them all that much more endearing. Behind much of the book is a mysteriousness, as if there is always something more a person wants to say or knows that everyone else doesn't, and that keeps the reader engaged and focused to try to read between the lines and discover the truth. I'm purposely not disclosing much of the plot, because I think find out what is happening as the book is read is especially enjoyable with WAKING GODS.
Unique storytelling style, great characters and a fascinating plot makes WAKING GODS a book you want to go out and find and jump right into.

Writers not uncommonly set themselves to compose in the style of another writer. I have known situations (more often in the UK) where this can actually be a mildly competitive sport.

Sylvain Neuvel has undertaken to write this series as dispatches, files, and interviews, rather than in normal prose. I find the result less than impressive. The style lacks the immediacy of prose, reports are by necessity written after an event so the reader receives cues about the timeline that detract from suspense, and interviews, however informative, are not dialogue.

This is an interesting exercise but the resulting books do not work as novels.

I received a review copy of "Waking Gods: Book 2 of The Themis Files" by Sylvain Neuvel (Random House – Ballantine) through NetGalley.com.

Just as cinematic as the first installment, the stakes are higher not only because we have gotten to know the characters and are invested in them, but because what seemed like a dream come true has now turned into a nightmare. While reading Sleeping Giants I kept thinking that I wished something like that came true (meaning, knowing aliens are real). Seeing what happens in this second book, I take it back (really, I rather not know and if Stephen Hawking thinks it would not end well for us, who am I to doubt him?). So... ten years after volume one, another, bigger, more bad@ss giant robot appears in London. It doesn't do anything, just stands there. The Earth Defense Corps is no closer to figuring out how Themis, the robot in Sleeping Giants, works. When the new giant attacks, Earth can do nothing but watch as the world gets destroyed. How can humans possibly fight back? The answer was very surprising, the final part, satisfying and the cliffhanger more suspenseful than ever. The one thing I wasn't crazy about was a new character - I can't explain more because it's a giant spoiler, but... let's just say that nothing ever got better by involving children. I still need to know what happens next and I can't wait for the next volume, which promises to be awesome!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine!

Waking Gods is the second book in the Themis Files series. Like the first book it’s told completely in interview and journal format. I listened to the audio again, and the full cast was really good, only there was a new Kara. I was kind of bummed. She was my favorite character and the original narrator did an amazing job.

Anyway…about the book. There is decent advancement of the plot in this book. We learn a lot more about the aliens and the Earthen characters. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the first book. Again, I think second books are hard. The first book blew my mind, but there wasn’t any of that in this book since I kind of already knew what was going on.

There is a new character in this book who is kind of annoying, but also pretty wonderful. I don’t want to say too much in case you haven’t read the first book yet, but I enjoyed this book as well. I know I’ll go back and re-listen to both books before the third one comes out. I’m so glad I bought both books on Audible.

Blog: Opinionated Book Lover

A two-hundred-foot-tall robot (Themis) is found in parts in the first of this set of books ("Sleeping Giants"). In this Themis Files book #2, an even larger but similar robot instantly appears in London and devastates a part of the city and its people but is stopped by Themis. More of the robots appear throughout the world, and hundreds of millions of people are killed. It's up to Themis and a small group of people to try to avoid total destruction of Earth.

I was unable to get "Sleeping Giant," so I read the second book first. There is enough in this book to infer some of what happened in book #1, so it was no problem in reading and understanding it. The dialogs in the book are interesting, and the book was hard for me to put down. A third book, "Only Human," is scheduled for publication in May.

I still cannot figure out why so many people hated the first book, I mean, i really liked it and I'm unnecessarily picky. Now this book is even better, even though it's a bit of a different flavor.

To recap, the first book was about the mystery of the "sleeping giant" and moved at a sedate pace filled with tension and the unknown. Waking Gods however has a sense of urgency as the repercussions of the mystery of the first book comes to a head. Here, the mystery that drives the plot is something more insidious, but nothing obvious. The unknown is really the most dangerous enemy of all.

It so often feels like I've seen it all, so I don't tend to give very many five star reviews these days. This book did a pretty great job surprising me and making me just completely lose track of time. Seriously, how did I finish this book so fast!? The style of telling the story through a series of records and files is just impeccably done and works naturally, as in no gimmicky feeling or anything.

So yeah, I recommend this book and this series. If you want a bit of a mystery thriller about a what if and the unknown, then pick this up.

Now then, I really really want the next book right now.

Freaking awesome! Waking Gods (Themis Files #2) by Sylvain Neuvel is the second book in the series and I didn't think it possible for the author to make a better book than book one but he did! What an epic story!!! I loved the first book and this doesn't let the fans down. The giant robot is back but now there are more but they don't friendly. There is so much action, twists, surprises, and suspense I had to stay up at night to finish the book. I couldn't sleep not knowing what was happening! This is definitely in my favorites! The same characters are back and the we get to know them more and deeper than ever. The plot is so complex and twisted, it just keeps you guessing. I loved it! So many surprises! Especially the ending! Oh my! This series is a must read! Do yourself a favor and start with book one, you don't want to miss out on anything! Fantastic! Thanks you NetGalley and Sylvain Neuvel for letting me read this awesome book! This is a 10 Star book!

RATING: ★★★★★ / All the stars in the galaxy and beyond!

REVIEW: First, a huge thank you to the peeps at Penguin Random House (Del Rey) for sending me an advance copy of this book (I might have done a bit of begging and pleading via email...it wasn't pretty...I imagine they said yes just to make the crazy lady go away). I actually dove right into it back in February (it's currently April in case you come across this review later and you're curious) but I somehow forgot to right the review. It's awful of me but life happens. Still, I haven't lost the reading experience to time, such is the amazing strength and impact of this book.

Okay, so I'm assuming that if you're reading this review then you've read the first book SLEEPING GIANTS and are, either, anxiously waiting to dive into this sequel because the last cliffhanger left you a little crazy, or you're curious as to whether you should continue the series...OR you're reading this 'cause you're my mom and being supportive (this last one is less likely...hi mom!). So here's where I convince you to read WAKING GODS because it's amazing:

The author, Sylvain Neuvel, dives right in on this one, he doesn't leave us hanging from the last book's cliffhanger long. Actually, there's a half-page prologue at the very beginning, which is a fantastic teaser of what's to come in the book. It's like a little puzzle piece that we have to wait and slot in later... Everything that I loved about the first book is back and turned up to an 11 (little Spinal Tap reference for ya). The story is quicker, though not shorter, and there's more action, which also results in some seriously tough decisions and brutal moments. Really. It gets merciless...and I loved every word.

There's a significant time jump from book one to book two and it was the best decision possible! It allowed for so much more development in the characters and world without being bogged down in needless exposition. The time jump took the story to another level that you wouldn't expect until a third or fourth book (told you this book was moving quick). Neuvel is breaking literary walls and thrilling the reader along the way. His style of writing, with the progression of files, gives you nothing more or less than what is perfectly necessary to suck you in and keep you reading at a break-neck pace. It's brilliant.

There are definitely surprises within these pages that had me muttering to myself, little exclamations of shock and awe. I will also admit that it took me way too long to piece part of the story together, that little prologue teaser I was talking about. But in my defense I read this book two nights in a row, past 2am, and I was really focused on Vincent's story at the time! I couldn't put the book down and I was getting loopy tired (we've all been there, right?!). My point is that along with new surprises, we also get some of the answers that have been plaguing us readers since book one. And the answers are awesome.

I'm not going to lie, WAKING GODS ends on one hell of a cliffhanger. Just like the first book, it's a short and sweet cliffhanger but it's also a swift kick to the brain. It's a sweet kind of pain and I can't freaking wait until the next book. Please, oh please, join me in the agony of waiting! Because I can't recommend this series enough. It's fresh and fast and everything I have been looking for in Science Fiction and I really hope you enjoy it as much I did.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and Random House Ballentine, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would write a review and post it on Net Galley, Goodreads, the store and my book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.

I requested this book as I am a fan of science fiction and I read the previous book in the Themis series (Sleeping Giants) and enjoyed it immensely.

This book continues the theme of the first in the series (alien visitation/invasion) and expands upon it to several robots. It is an engaging read which also makes it a quick read. I do not want to give the story line away, but some characters from the first book are killed and some new characters arise. I have been looking for new science fiction authors to follow and Sylvain Neuvel has definitely made the list. I am looking forward to the next book in the Themis series.

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fresh, engaging science fiction author. I also recommend that you read the first book in the series as this one is not a stand alone novel.

This is the second book in the Themis Files series. I really enjoyed the first and this follow-up is definitely a great read. If you liked the first, I think you’ll be glad you read the second.

This is a story about human-alien contact. In the previous book, the story was laid out but there were many additional questions left at the end. This book did a great job of filling in some of those blanks as well as giving the reader additional information that makes the overall arc of the story that much better.

This book has a little bit of everything – action, drama, love, and even humor! I love the way the novel is formatted in transcripts and interviews. Such a unique way to tell the story and add to its depth.

I think this will be a hit with all the fans of Sleeping Giants but I encourage those of you who haven’t read the series to consider giving it a chance. I’m not much of a sci-fi fan generally, but this is that and so much more! It really exceeded my expectations and I think it’s just a great series regardless of genre. I highly recommend it! I don’t think you’ll be sorry if you pick it up!

Neuvel's sophomore book in the series shines where the first fell slightly flat. While the prose and formatting are still a little confusing it won't stop you from reading this time around.

The girl that fell to Themis's hand in her youth, Dr. Rose Franklin, is back from the dead; and more confused than ever. As loyalties and government ties are tested, the world hangs in the balance as a new titan shows its head in one of the most populated cities in the world. Do they mean harm? Or are they here to collect what's theirs? This book is fast paced and intriguing - and you won't be able to put it down.

Waking Gods picks up where Sleeping Giants left off, answering a lot of questions and actually coming to a pretty satisfying conclusion. The logistics I didn't really like about the first book are remedied in this one. Although formatting is still a problem, it's way easier to understand what's going on, with a lot more showing than telling. I would highly recommend giving it a chance if you love scifi and alien encounters.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

The second book in the series is even better than the first. What an exciting, thrilling and surprising ride. It kept me on the edge of my seat and had just as many shocking moments as the first book.

I love the way the story is told. It is perfectly suited for the full cast recording done for the audiobook version which I very highly recommend. If you like audiobooks, I recommend listening to this series. If not, go with the print version, but don't miss out on this series.

If you enjoyed the first book, you should love this one. If you are new to this series, be sure to start with book 1. This is not a book you want to read without having read the previous book first. And for anyone who doesn't like cliffhangers, sorry, but this one has a doozy. That said, this part of the story arc does get resolved, but the story ends with the lead in to the next book and it's pretty exciting. Just disappointed I will have to wait another year to see what happens.

Last year I read a book called Sleeping Giants, which was a glorious combination of Ancient Aliens and Pacific Rim in a a super fun and easy to read interview style. I had some problems with flat characters in the first book, but the sequel, which came out this year, really blew me away. It was action packed, the characters felt less forced and more confidently written, and it was an incredibly quick read. We also got to learn more about the nameless narrator who I thought was kind of cheesy as an idea in the first book. He's just like your general nameless spy dude who seems to have his fingers in every governmental activity (classified or otherwise). Part of me sort of didn't want any actual background, but I ended up really enjoying what we got. This book did not pull any punches AT ALL and it kept surprising me throughout. It is a great read, and it's worth checking out the first book to get here.

Set about 9 years after the events of Sleeping Giants, this story ramps up the action by introducing a new threat- a robot, very much like Themis, but much bigger, and with pilots who actually know what the heck they’re doing. Because apparently Vincent and Kara have spent the last 9 years on a publicity tour and not, you know, LEARNING HOW TO WORK THEIR ROBOT.

Sigh.

Add to this a very confused Rose Franklin, who died (then returned)during the last book, not that she was there for it, her last memory being from years before the project. Confused? Imagine how she feels!

This second book continues the “transcripts of recorded conversations” conceit, but still manages to be a lot more action-oriented than the first, and the addition of more first-person perspective (diary entries and such), makes it feel a lot less detached and uneven than the first book.

I have to say I found the abrupt cliffhanger a bit of a letdown- it was a bit like being slapped in the face by a giant cod, Unhygenix-style*. I get what the author was going for, it just felt a bit unsubtle.
But for the most part, a good, fun, smart read.

Hopefully in book 3 Themis actually does something slightly cooler than bear-hugging her opponents to death.

*Google it.

Received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

** spoiler alert ** Contains minor spoilers.

I absolutely loved the first book, so I felt a bit let down with this book. I'm chucking it up to 'middle child syndrome,' but I really hope the next book redeems the series. I read the first book in less than two days; this one took me a whole month because I was so disinterested. I didn't like the explanation given for Rose's reappearance, or the large time lapse between the books 1 and 2, or all the negative things that happen. The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, so it left me interested enough to want to read book 3 when it comes out.

Waking Gods is the second novel in Sylvain Neuvel’s science fiction series, the Themis Files, and follows on a few years later from Sleeping Giants. You most definitely need to have read Sleeping Giants first and this review assumes you’ve had the pleasure.

When little Rose Franklin fell into a hole in the ground, right into the palm of an extraordinary, enormous metal hand, of unknown construction and astonishing age, the world changed forever. Over the years Rose, now grown and a scientist, led the project to rebuild the robot – Themis. But not just to rebuild it – to pilot it, to understand it. The question of whether this was the right thing to do continues to haunt Rose. She has suffered for it in the worst of ways and many have died or been irrevocably altered, especially its pilots, Vincent and Kara.

A shock is coming. Another robot, bigger than Themis, appears out of the blue in London. It stands still. Nobody knows what it will do. Some flee while some can’t keep away from it, even picnicking by it. But while the world makes up its mind, the robot does it for them. It begins to move. And all hell breaks loose.

As with Sleeping Giants, the narrative is presented as a series of interviews conducted by the mysterious and enigmatic interrogator, as well as journal extracts, news reports, reflections. This means that we spend time with all of the key protagonists in the most immediate fashion and in the most tense circumstances. It’s a style that definitely works in these novels. We sometimes circle around the same critical event from a range of perspectives. There is conflict between the individuals as well as great affection in some cases. Themis herself feels almost alive although she continues to be enigmatic and unknowable.

Waking Gods US ednI’m so fond of these characters, particularly Vincent and Kara but also the interrogator. We learn a little more about him here and some of what we learn surprises. He’s almost as impossible to know as Themis but there are glimpses of his true nature – and it is ambiguous. Kara and Vincent continue to make me care for them and their relationship is central to the novel. Rose Franklin is an intriguing character but her struggle to identify herself makes us keep our distance. She also embodies some important questions about the nature of the origin of these robots. While others bring the militaristic, strategic or political element to the story, Rose brings the science.

Sylvain Neuvel tells a great story. Waking Gods is thoroughly exciting – aliens, giant robots, intrigue, danger, explosions, mystery. All of the ingredients for an entertaining science fiction thriller are here and they’re mixed to perfection. It’s a fast read, very hard to put down, and this is speeded up even further by the dramatic structure. There are surprises and shocks in this novel, far more than I was expecting and some left me reeling and wondering where on earth the story could go from this. But proceed it did and its fantastic ending left me wanting much, much more and soon. I'm grateful for the review copy.

Exceptional! This was such a great sequel and really moves the story along. However, fair warning there will be lots of times you will yell "No!" because of what happens in the story. I enjoy the reality of the story mixed with the sci-fi aspect of it. This is no "the humans save everything again" story but rather can humans get over themselves and fight even when hope has run dry.

If you haven't read "Sleeping Giants", the 1st in the trilogy, it really is essential to do. Otherwise, I think the reader will be lost as to what is happening in this one.

All in all, just a really good book! Now I just have to wait for the final book :-(. These are books I will most likely being buying and recommending to everyone. Amazing job Sylvain Neuvel

"slain, after all man's devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth" - The War of the Worlds

I liked this book although it has its problems.
Using gas to slaughter millions at a time because they weren't 'pure'.
Where did we see that in history? I found that a bit disturbing.
The characters didn't evolve, mature after 9 years. Found some of them annoying(Vincent).
The action scenes were sub par and why do we always try to nuke'em?
One more thing. Why a trilogy? 320 pages and many were half blank. Why make us pay $28 for a bloated comic book? The book would have worked better as a stand alone 600 page story, Greed.

Is it normal to have your mood tremendously affected by a novel? Because either I was having issues or Waking Gods really stressed me out! I found myself feeling on edge while reading it; it was relentless.

Some books can be described as a roller coaster, but I'd describe this one as a sprint. There was non stop, high anxiety pressure running through about three-quarters of the novel.

It's difficult to share anything about the plot without major spoilers, given that this is the second book in the series. However, I can safely say that this installment moves the story forward in a satisfying way, while still making me eager for the third book in the series. Was that vague enough?

This sequel to Sleeping Giants ramped up the story and the stakes. Themis is not alone, and once again our diverse cast needs to determine what is happening and how to fix it. The book is written primarily using interviews, and although it was interesting in printed form, I suspect it would be fantastic in audio format (and I hear it is). One thing I liked is that the events weren't random - they made sense (eventually). Although things wrapped up nicely, the last sentence makes me think we are not done with the story.

I'd like to thank netgalley for the ARC of the book. That did not influence my review in any way.

** spoiler alert ** Contains minor spoilers.

I absolutely loved the first book, so I felt a bit let down with this book. I'm chucking it up to 'middle child syndrome,' but I really hope the next book redeems the series. I read the first book in less than two days; this one took me a whole month because I was so disinterested. I didn't like the explanation given for Rose's reappearance, or the large time lapse between the books 1 and 2, or all the negative things that happen. The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, so it left me interested enough to want to read book 3 when it comes out.

Waking Gods is the second novel in Sylvain Neuvel’s science fiction series, the Themis Files, and follows on a few years later from Sleeping Giants. You most definitely need to have read Sleeping Giants first and this review assumes you’ve had the pleasure.

When little Rose Franklin fell into a hole in the ground, right into the palm of an extraordinary, enormous metal hand, of unknown construction and astonishing age, the world changed forever. Over the years Rose, now grown and a scientist, led the project to rebuild the robot – Themis. But not just to rebuild it – to pilot it, to understand it. The question of whether this was the right thing to do continues to haunt Rose. She has suffered for it in the worst of ways and many have died or been irrevocably altered, especially its pilots, Vincent and Kara.

A shock is coming. Another robot, bigger than Themis, appears out of the blue in London. It stands still. Nobody knows what it will do. Some flee while some can’t keep away from it, even picnicking by it. But while the world makes up its mind, the robot does it for them. It begins to move. And all hell breaks loose.

As with Sleeping Giants, the narrative is presented as a series of interviews conducted by the mysterious and enigmatic interrogator, as well as journal extracts, news reports, reflections. This means that we spend time with all of the key protagonists in the most immediate fashion and in the most tense circumstances. It’s a style that definitely works in these novels. We sometimes circle around the same critical event from a range of perspectives. There is conflict between the individuals as well as great affection in some cases. Themis herself feels almost alive although she continues to be enigmatic and unknowable.

Waking Gods US ednI’m so fond of these characters, particularly Vincent and Kara but also the interrogator. We learn a little more about him here and some of what we learn surprises. He’s almost as impossible to know as Themis but there are glimpses of his true nature – and it is ambiguous. Kara and Vincent continue to make me care for them and their relationship is central to the novel. Rose Franklin is an intriguing character but her struggle to identify herself makes us keep our distance. She also embodies some important questions about the nature of the origin of these robots. While others bring the militaristic, strategic or political element to the story, Rose brings the science.

Sylvain Neuvel tells a great story. Waking Gods is thoroughly exciting – aliens, giant robots, intrigue, danger, explosions, mystery. All of the ingredients for an entertaining science fiction thriller are here and they’re mixed to perfection. It’s a fast read, very hard to put down, and this is speeded up even further by the dramatic structure. There are surprises and shocks in this novel, far more than I was expecting and some left me reeling and wondering where on earth the story could go from this. But proceed it did and its fantastic ending left me wanting much, much more and soon. I'm grateful for the review copy.

Exceptional! This was such a great sequel and really moves the story along. However, fair warning there will be lots of times you will yell "No!" because of what happens in the story. I enjoy the reality of the story mixed with the sci-fi aspect of it. This is no "the humans save everything again" story but rather can humans get over themselves and fight even when hope has run dry.

If you haven't read "Sleeping Giants", the 1st in the trilogy, it really is essential to do. Otherwise, I think the reader will be lost as to what is happening in this one.

All in all, just a really good book! Now I just have to wait for the final book :-(. These are books I will most likely being buying and recommending to everyone. Amazing job Sylvain Neuvel

"slain, after all man's devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth" - The War of the Worlds

I liked this book although it has its problems.
Using gas to slaughter millions at a time because they weren't 'pure'.
Where did we see that in history? I found that a bit disturbing.
The characters didn't evolve, mature after 9 years. Found some of them annoying(Vincent).
The action scenes were sub par and why do we always try to nuke'em?
One more thing. Why a trilogy? 320 pages and many were half blank. Why make us pay $28 for a bloated comic book? The book would have worked better as a stand alone 600 page story, Greed.

Is it normal to have your mood tremendously affected by a novel? Because either I was having issues or Waking Gods really stressed me out! I found myself feeling on edge while reading it; it was relentless.

Some books can be described as a roller coaster, but I'd describe this one as a sprint. There was non stop, high anxiety pressure running through about three-quarters of the novel.

It's difficult to share anything about the plot without major spoilers, given that this is the second book in the series. However, I can safely say that this installment moves the story forward in a satisfying way, while still making me eager for the third book in the series. Was that vague enough?

This sequel to Sleeping Giants ramped up the story and the stakes. Themis is not alone, and once again our diverse cast needs to determine what is happening and how to fix it. The book is written primarily using interviews, and although it was interesting in printed form, I suspect it would be fantastic in audio format (and I hear it is). One thing I liked is that the events weren't random - they made sense (eventually). Although things wrapped up nicely, the last sentence makes me think we are not done with the story.

I'd like to thank netgalley for the ARC of the book. That did not influence my review in any way.

When I began to read Sleeping Giants (First book in this series), I loved the story from the begining.
In the first place to began with interviews was enjoyable and I thought it was a nice way to know characters and my favorites was always Kara's interviews (Every time I read her interviews she make me want to say "Yeah, thats my girl" :)) She is lovely for me. But when all story told that way, It was becoming disturbing for me.

But I liked our mission man (Just don't like to call him nameless man).If this is made to movie (I would love to see it.) I feel like every time after he talks with Mr. Burns he will look us (and will think what the hell he (Mr. Burns) was telling :))

I was unconfortable with the way story told until I finished first book which make us shocked in the end. After that I didn't care about the way story is told so I was excited to began second book " Waking of Goods" which didn't dissapoint me and on the contrary it was better what I expected.

As I go on reading story was making me add more questions for me to ask and that made me worried how will end ( even though this book had a lot of good comments). I was remembering "Lost" series case so felt like to say " Just don't make me feel the same way when I wached Lost last episode (Even though I enjoyed how series gone on in the begining, I was thinking I would rather not to wach at all in the end). But when I finished the book I was feeling happy and satisfied with what I get ^_^.

The ending is making you want to story keep going on (and make you feel like it is going on in your head) Even though that, I was satisfied with it just ending like that too.

Well this is how I feel about story. About characters I didn't love all of them (but I can't think story with any of them missing). Kara and Our mission man was my favorites :)) I didn't like him much but he did make story more enjoyable.

I can higly recommend this book anyone who love fiction. I believe this book won't dissappoint you (so don't miss it ^_^)

Thanks, netgalley and the publisher, giving me a free copy of this e-book in exchange for a review.

Following Sleeping Giants and a story format told through files, interviews, reports and journals; Waking Gods picks up the Themis storyline a decade later.
Having let the genie out of the bottle, humanity struggles with the repercussions of alerting an alien race that they have more in them than they should.
A great blend of chutzpah and snark, apocalypse, and intuitive intellective initiative.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph in exchange for an honest review.

Giant robots are back! Themis is no longer the only giant robot on Earth. A new one has appeared in London, standing right in the middle of the city and people are going crazy. What can the EDC, the United Nations or the British government do? Is it friendly? Hostile? A scout or the whole invasion force? Read Waking Gods and find out what all your favorite characters from Sleeping Giants are up to. Plenty of action, a bit of philosophy and dastardly deeds, not to mention plenty of disasters along the way. Enjoy the ride!

I believe I finished reading the first book in this series in a matter of hours. ABSOLUTELY fantastic read if you love sci-fi. The first book built the characters SO well and gave very interesting lore on Themis. While in the second book we continue the extremely interesting history behind Themis and where he comes from. As well as the human-like species that this Iron Giant like robot is created for. In the book we encounter other giant robots like themis and battle them, and gain very interesting knowledge on the history of the creators of these robots. Though I feel the story was a bit rushed this round. Since it is only the second book I wish they would of continued to build on the character relationships, and the overall story. There are several time lapses that could of been written on. It is still a fantastic read and I very much enjoyed it besides my few personal critiques. Overall, This book won't disappoint you, It reads very well, great story for the book, very interesting lore for Themis and his homeworld, and be prepared for the plot to thicken in the end of the book which I feel will make book 3 extremely interesting!

6 million people dead... Countries bombing their own people... Chemical warfare... Green, buggy goo… all facets of Neuvel’s Waking Gods.

The cliffhanger in the epilogue of Book 1, Sleeping Giants, is answered in the first few sections of the book, which will appease many readers. All characters from the first book are also included in this book, which is a loyal continuation of the plot.

Overall, the narrative is an engrossing look at what could happen during current times if extraterrestrial artifacts are unearthed. In Sleeping Giants, parts of a giant woman-esque robot are unearthed and she is named Themis (thus the namesake of the series “Themis Files”). After various events occur, some of which are catastrophic, the world responds. Waking Gods, without giving away the details of either book, is the continuation of that response.

My favorite aspect of this series is the nature of the writing. The book is not written in typical fiction prose; it is a series of interviews, mission and personal logs (similar to World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War and The Martian). This may seem as if it would be impersonal to readers and perhaps lack detail, but this is actually a very creative opportunity to use inference as a reader. For me, it was nice to be able to learn about characters without them always directly stating their personality (or having a third person omniscient narrator tell me). I appreciated this challenge, even if it wasn’t very difficult. It was, at times, even more telling than typical prose.

As for the plot of the second Themis files book, I felt some parts were cliché and archetypal, such as a secretive character giving his life story right before his death. Additionally, I didn’t feel the ending was nearly as gripping as the previous book. However, the book itself offered so many interesting twists from the first book while simultaneously taking the plot in an entirely new direction (no pun intended, but the ending certainly leaves the 3rd book going in a new direction, too).

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting sci-fi series. Even those who aren’t used to ci-fi books or even those who typically don’t enjoy sci-fi books will likely enjoy this series.

I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to an early copy in exchange for an honest review. First, let me start by saying I was a huge fan of Sleeping Giants, and Waking Gods was a worthy follow-up. I read the first book on my phone and listened to the second on audio, and I must admit, I preferred the audio format. We find our characters entangled in even more twists and turns. With shocking revelations, an all-out global war from newly appeared alien robots even more terrifying than Themis, and a killer ending, Waking Gods is a must-read if you like science fiction--and Sleeping Giants is a great entry to the genre. I can't wait for book three!

NetGalley ARC.

This was just as chilling as Sleeping Giants! I love the format, it's really interesting because you're really only told so much. You must infer some and guess some. Keeps you on your toes! 5% in and my jaw dropped! Plenty more surprises come in this book! ARCs are great but man, it's hard when you have to wait even longer for the next book! Such a fascinating series!

The Themis Files has become one of my new favorite series after reading this awesome sequel to Sleeping Giants. I definitely thought the "giants" were there for a totally different reason. However, there were so many unexpected surprises in the plot line that I am unsure as to what is going to happen in the third book, which I can not wait to read.