I read the first installment of the series earlier in the year and was eager to read the next book. This is an interesting premise...aliens creating huge robot weapons and placing them on earth. It was a bit more science fiction than I usually read. The way the story was told through journals and memos was interesting, though sometimes confusing. The ending leads us to believe there will be a sequel.

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!

[Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy from NetGalley for review purposes.]

This book was gooooooooooood. Actually, it was a hell of a lot better than book 1. I was engrossed from the start. Again with the interviews and journals and stuff though. Really wish there had been a narrator. But I fell right back into it easily, irritating as it was. My major complaint with the style was that there were a lot of "wannas" and "gonnas" when they really didn't fit the rest of the speech patterns. And the brackets to denote who's speaking - very frustrating. However, it was a unique storytelling style and was done mostly well.

This read so much like War of the Worlds to me, especially considering the robots' methods of extermination and that ending. You can absolutely tell there was at least very strong homage, if not downright adaptation. I also loved the reference to Evangelion, because that's exactly the vibe I was getting about Themis.

Really loved this book, a lot more than the first book. I think because we got more story and less digging-up-a-robot-and-trying-to-figure-out-how-she-works. Now I'm definitely looking forward to book 3, where I wasn't particularly excited about this one but wanted to read it anyway. I'm glad I did. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read!

This series is so good! The format is original, the subject is entertaining, the characters are written well, and the plot is well-paced and interesting. I'm looking forward to recommending this one to readers at my library, whether they self-identify as sci-fi readers or not.

4 Stars

This ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley for the early preview!

Nonstop is the word that sticks out to me when reading this story. The amount of cataclysmic events that occur between the pages was (are you ready for it...) Nonstop. The pace of this story in comparison to the original was Nonstop. The amount of cheesy, romanticized gestures was also Nonstop. The amount of times that I had to stop and think to myself "Really Bro" was only a fair couple of times.

The story picks up 9 years following the end of the previous novel. It follows a similar style of being told through journal entries, interviews and news reports that helped shape Sleeping Giants. The first entry entails a new robot, similar in form and presentation to the Themis robot, that appears in London out of thin air. From there, the story progresses on what actions Dr. Franklin, Kara, Vincent and our mysterious narrator take to see if this is a hostile invasion or merely an observation.

The pace and the witty banter really excel in the story and keeps things surprisingly light hearted amongst the dark and dreary circumstances of the characters choices. But in the end, it was a fun and somewhat thought provoking read. I'm not sure how this book progresses into a 3rd iteration, but the source material is definitely strong enough to merit a Trilogy.

First time author Neuvel had a wonderful debut novel with Sleeping Giants. This effort was just as good as the first one and I LOVED the first one. Could not put down! Highly recommended!

This is a book about the place of the human race in the universe and claiming ownership of that place, even when we're barely clinging to it. It's a story about the mysteries within what we don't know about the universe and, even more so, it's about rediscovering the mystery and the wonder in what you thought you already knew about the universe. It's about finding wonder in realities that might otherwise look bleak. Don't get me wrong, this is a dark fucking book and a lot of bad stuff happens. But, ultimately, even though literally nothing went well for anyone throughout almost the entirety of the book, I came out of it with stars in my eyes and feeling small and wondrous in the face of the enormity and inexplicability of the universe and my/humanities place in it.

I am a Quaker, but I don't believe in God as He is traditionally thought of - as an entity. I believe in the divinity, the godliness of the universe itself, in the universe as a godly creation in and of itself even without the existence of an anthropomorphic God figure. And this book makes me feel that feeling and reminds me of the Quaker belief in the inner light. A core tenet of Quaker belief is that there is in every human soul an aspect of the divine - "that of God in everyone". Given that my interpretation of God involves the whole of the universe, the book does a look to connect my with my feelings surrounding these beliefs. I am reminded of Werner Heisenberg's words: “The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.” And, also, all of this and the content of the book in mind (with as little spoiling as possible) a quote from the poetry of Mark Jarman: "God is not death, God is what survives."

If you've already read book one of the Themis Files, Sleeping Giants, you're more likely than not not going to need this review to be very excited about Waking Gods. If you haven't read Sleeping Giants, you should! Big robot! Mystery! Science! Waking Gods fulfills a lot of the promise spelled out in Sleeping Giants and sets the stage for an even more exciting third book. Some of the big reveals seemed a bit clunky but not enough to still not throughly endorse the book. Both Themis Files books are one's any sci fi fan will devour and any non sci fans, if they give it a shot, will go "oh wait, maybe I'm a sci fi fan."

This was an outstanding sequel that kept me on my toes. I was interested in where the author would take this story and I was pleasantly surprised. There were some events that happened in this story that I did not expect to happen until the last book. Many things happened in this book that actually left me speechless and I had to take a little break to process what had happened. I love the direction this series is taking and I really need the next book, please.

I was supremely impressed by <i>Sleeping Giants</i>, which was a great documentary-style science fiction book about finding the pieces to a giant robot littered across the planet. If <i>Giants</i> was about discovery, <i>Waking Gods</i> is about consequences, and that's what ultimately makes the sequel work. We get to delve even more into the worldwide response to the robots but, more importantly, we get a much more detailed idea as to what the robots might mean.

It's hard to discuss this book without completely spoiling what goes on, but there are more than enough shocking moments throughout that make this into another winning tale and ends in a way that makes me really look forward to what's coming next. As long as the style of the story doesn't take you out of it, this is a series worth watching.

This is the second installment of Themis Files, following Sleeping Giants. Waking Gods is much darker, but every bit as exciting as Sleeping Giants! I highly recommend both books and can't wait for the next one to come out!

Lovers of books about giant, human driven robots rejoice! Sylvain Neuvel has delivered a worthy and engaging sequel to his giant robot building debut Sleeping Giants. Waking Gods takes up the story ten years after the end of the first book – the giant robot Themis has become a promotional tool for the Earth Defence Corp and while individual countries would love to get their hands on it for themselves has stayed under the control of the UN. Mystery still surrounds the (SPOILER!) reappearance of scientist Rose Franklin, who is trying to deal with the fact that another version of herself was the one who got the project off the ground.
Neuvel immediately shakes up the status quo with the appearance of another giant robot in the centre of London. This sets the second book up to be very different to the first. These new robots are as powerful as Themis and have a seemingly deadly intent. With Themis outnumbered and outgunned, Waking Gods becomes a race against time as the world tries to discover what these invaders want or destroy them before humanity is wiped out.
Waking Gods is told in the same style as the first book – as a series of interviews and transcripts. Once again these are led by the shadowy unnamed figure who masterminded the Themis project and who is getting some advice from an alien living among us. But there are plenty of sections from other points of view including letters, news reports and diary entries. Neuvel has become more adept at this style and the action sequences work better in this volume than in Sleeping Giants.
Waking Gods is a fantastic easter egg hunt for science fiction fans. Neuvel’s acknowledgements make it clear (although it is obvious from the text) that he is a big Star Wars fan. But Waking Gods also pays homage to the manga roots of giant robot stories with, among other references, a character named after much loved Japanese manga and anime series Evangelion (in which teenagers pilot giant robots against giant monsters).
Waking Gods is not just a great book for manga fans, though, it is thoughtful, tense science fiction. Neuvel does not shy away from tragedy or consequences. Taking a leaf out of the George RR Martin playbook, it turns out that no one is safe. This adds to the tension and emotional heft to the narrative. Waking Gods took the premise of Sleeping Giants in a new direction and the cliffhanger end of the book shows that Neuvel clearly has something different again planned for the next volume.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC:

Love, love, love the Themis files.

I think this happens ten years after the last book ends and suddenly new large robots pop up in the world's capitols and start annihilating humans. Can Themis be used to stop them? There is also the question of why some people survive the attacks, why were they spared?

My only criticism is that it does conjure War of the Worlds for me in its resolution. Still, a great read.

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!

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, Amazon 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.

Love this trilogy and can't wait for the next one!

I am really enjoying these Themis Files books by Neuvel. This installment opens about ten years after book one, with the appearance of another giant metal alien robot (which sounds far more ridiculous than it deserves to) in London. As in the first book, the story is told through a series of files - transcripts of recorded interviews, diary-esque entries, and so on - rather than in a traditional narrative. The explanation given by the mysterious "friend" of why things are the way they are (about 3/4s of the way through the book) is a bit far-fetched for my liking, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one.

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!

I loved Sleeping Giants so I couldn't wait to read this wondeful follow-up. It reminded me of a mix between Transformers and National Treasure. I loved the mystery, adventure, suspense aspects of the story. I thought the pacing was excellent, not to fast but moved along at a good enough clip to keep me turning the pages. I really enjoy sci-fi/conspiracy/alien stories and this one did not disappoint!