If I could compare this to any books I have read in the past, I would say it's like World War Z but with ancient aliens instead of zombies. This book was so fun! I read the first book in this series and wasn't sure if I enjoyed it but when I began reading the second Waking Gods, I could not put it down! It was exciting and page turning. I wasn't sure what was going to happen next and I love that. I just read that this series will be made into a movie and am ecstatic about that! What a great movie series these books will make. Sylvain confirmed on Twitter that there will be more Themis Novels coming when I sent him a tweet begging for more! Awesome news. I will definitely recommend this series to friends. Thanks for the ARC.

A decade has passed since the Earth Defense Corps (EDC) was created and Themis, the twenty-story alien robot, was officially introduced to the world. Themis’s two pilots, Kara Resnik and Vincent Couture, have been traveling the world with Themis doing promotional events to make the people of Earth as comfortable with the robot as possible. Dr. Rose Franklin, the head of the EDC Scientific Division, leads research. Since her “return” she has been grappling with the very concept of humans being able to pilot Themis, especially since our anatomy is different than the species that created it. Then Kronos, an alien robot larger than Themis made in the image of a man, appeared in the middle of London and the question of whether or not Themis was placed on Earth to protect humans will have to be answered.

Waking Gods is the sequel to Sleeping Giants. I enjoyed both books but they suffer from some problems. The format of Waking Gods is very similar to that of Sleeping Giants with the use of journal entries, transcripts, news coverage and conversations between an unknown male and the main characters. I expected Nuevel to follow a format close to that of his previous book so I wasn’t at all disappointed when I began reading this second novel. I thought the addition of news agents and other transcripts outside of our main characters to actually be really helpful, especially with the world building and the scope of the story. Unfortunately there were moments where this wasn’t executed very successfully. Moments when I found the format of the conversations to be a distraction and take away from what was a pretty interesting plot. Earth is finally being invaded after waiting on pins and needles for something like this to happen. EDC has a giant robot and all they’ve done is tour it around the world, until now. Now Themis can do what she was built for: hand to hand combat. The possibilities for the plot become endless and Nuevel takes advantage and the characters go through quite a whirlwind. I complained about some of the plot elements in the previous book but one of the strengths of Sleeping Giants was the character development. In this book some of the characters I really enjoyed fell flat to me. It felt as if much more energy was placed on executing the plot and not on evolving the characters. I would have loved to see the characters be as well developed as the concept for the story.

Now, I’m two novels in to The Themis Files and of course I am going to finish. Nuevel left off with a pretty unexpected cliff hanger so I’m waiting patiently to see how things go from here. I’m recommending this book to people who enjoyed Sleeping Giants. This is definitely a really interesting science fiction story. I like the concept and I’m still intrigued by where Nuevel is taking the story.

I apologize, but due to extenuating circumstances I will unfortunately not have the time to read and review this title. I thank you for the opportunity; however, my current life situation does not allow a whole lot of time to read + review.

I was so pleased to dive back into this series again with an ARC from NetGalley (thanks again).

Much like the first one, I love the way this book is written. I said it then and I'll say it now: It's amazing that a book that is told with notes, transcripts, etc. can have such great character development, but this one was able to do that again.

I really loved the first 70%, probably more than the first book as a whole. There were a couple things that took away from the the last 30%, partly being rushed, that dropped the book down a tad. That said, the ending was once again great and now the slow wait for the third book begins.

7.5/10

A fantastic follow up to Sleeping Giants. I read it in two days which is fast for me. The story was mysterious and exciting and horrifying. The most unique alien invasion novel I have ever read plus giant robots fighting are awesome!! Cannot wait for book 3. The ending cliffhanger was amazing and has left me speculating for hours on what is going to happen. Loved It!!

Oh! Thank all the sleeping and waking Gods for you Netgalley for letting me get my eyeballs on the advanced copy of this book!!!!

Well, like the first one this was just the best. Since fiction like it's supposed to be. Who says you can't have fun with the end of the world?! I mean we are talking about alien robots after all.

I can't actually say much about the plot because everything seems like a spoiler. There are so many twists and turns and new developments, it was fantastic. You will just have to trust me.

My only complaint is that now I have to wait who knows how long to find out what happens next!!!

Waking Gods is the second in the Themis Files series and is an urban fantasy novel with a touch of sci-fi, suitable for YA and up.

Eva Reyes suffers from debilitating night and day mares. Visions of dead people, everywhere she looks. She knows the images are important and not to be ignored like the doctors suggest. In the meantime another robot has appeared in London. Similar in appearance to Themis, it seems to have been made by the same people who made the first female robot the EDC has taken control of. When the robot just sits there day after day with no movement, the world is divided as to whether to leave it alone or attack it before it attacks the world. When the robot does reveal what it can do, the world reels with the destructive power on show. Terrifyingly more robots have appeared throughout the world, all in major cities. Can Vincent and Kara, together with Rose and the rest of the team find a way to use Themis to save humanity?

This was a great sequel to Sleeping Giants and answered a lot of questions (especially about our interviewer), but raised quite a few more. You get to the last sentence and then BAM - you just know there is sequel waiting to happen. For the most part I like that the book is written as a dialogue or conversation and sometimes as a letter, even though it can be a little trying to read it like that sometimes. I liked the introduction of new characters and how they related to the established ones. The concept of why the robots were there was very thought provoking and even in our current times makes you regard history and the bigger picture in a different way.

Some of the scientific explanations became a bit tedious to read and I found myself skipping over sections. I also found certain parts of the dialogue unnecessary or drawn out, like some of the arguments in parliament as to whether to approach the robot or not. Certain parts pushed belief a little too far for me, but I guess if the first novel starts with someone falling onto a giant hand, then learning that not all people are as they seem in the second one doesn't seem too far-fetched.

Overall I enjoyed the storyline, the characters and the good editing. Sometimes when writing in dialogue some of the world building gets left out but at least now I know I need to try Kung Pao Chicken!

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review the novel.

Neuvel takes it up a notch in Waking Gods, bringing the global and personal stakes to the brink. A page-turner for sure; bring on book 3!

This was a riveting follow up to the book Sleeping Giants and I expect this book to go places! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will be recommending it to all my Sci-Fi/Fantasy friends!

Every bit as entertaining as the first book. Can't wait to read the next one.

I was blown away by the first book in this series which I came upon by accident so I sought out the sequel with great excitement.
The story takes place ten years later when Earth comes in contact with the next robot. All the characters but one character fins themselves at a very different place both physically and emotionally. When the next robot magically appears in London, they must very quickly come to terms with who they are not because the Earth's safety depends on it,
Like Sleeping Giants, the book is a page turner and doesn't bog itself down too much in the science of the plot. It also keeps the same format all the first: written accounts and transcripts of he events. Each file builds on the previous creating a clear picture of what actually happen.
The story still packs some emotional punches (there is one in particular that changes the way you read the material) but it doesn't cause readers to connect with the characters quite as much. It may be the lack of mystery that permeated the first novel. Waking God is more suspense novel that mystery and it does that quite well. But as a reader, I lost my sense of awe that I had with the first one.
A strong follow up to Sleeping Giants, Waking Gods has me eager to read the next entry.

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!

This was so much fun to read. An excellent follow-up to Sleeping Giants that raises the stakes even higher. I love how much nuance and pathos Neuvel is able to get across using a format that initially seems distance and cold.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an opportunity to read this book. This was just an entertaining and enjoyable as the first book. I would definitely recommend reading that one first. It starts out with exciting events and kept me turning the pages. The style this is written in holds up just as well in this book. I found the story just as interesting and fun to read. Not sure how I felt about the way the book ended but I am assuming there will be 3rd book and I will definitely need to check that one out. If you read and enjoyed the first book then this is a must read.

This book kicks serious ass. No honestly it does. It was just the best read – thrilling, emotional (we’ll get to that!) incredibly addictive and insane as all heck. Sylvain Neuvel the punk rocker of American SciFi.

ANYWAY in case you missed me banging on about the first book in the series, Sleeping Giants, you can have a read of that review HERE and I strongly suggest starting there if you are not on this train yet – look we’ll only be at the station for a short while so jump on board.

Moving onto Waking Gods then, this has that quality increased by a factor of ten – it is fast yet complex, frenzied yet considered and has a whole lot of action, quite a bit of edge of the seat hair clutching and so much book trauma I can’t even come up with enough words to tell you how completely mad I was with the author when I was done. He’s going to hear about it though, especially if he’s stupid enough to let me interview him again – YOU CAN’T DO THAT. Even though you just did….

Like Sleeping Giants, Waking Gods has that beautifully authentic scientific edge, making the whole thing utterly believable. You don’t think giant alien robots from outer space can be believable? They can. Completely. As far as immersive reads go you won’t find better than this, or its predecessor for transporting you to a world other than our own which is, well, our own.

I’m not saying anything about my favourite character. Nope. Or the others. I’m keeping my lips sealed except to say be prepared for anything, trust no-one and go along for the ride – embrace the trauma people, there is nothing else like that moment a book grabs you by the throat and won’t let go.

I love these because they are pure, unadulterated entertainment. That’s not to say there are no important themes involved there are. Its not to say that it doesn’t have a cutting edge because it does – boy oh boy does it – but at the end was that beautiful, intensely satisfied feeling you get when you realise the first novel was not a fluke. Nope you are going to be in this until the bitter (cries a bit) end. And now the wait begins for the next one and everyone who knows me knows that I am NOT GOOD AT WAITING AT ALL.

Even if you have never read this genre in your life before make an exception and read Sleeping Giants and then read this. If you have but have missed these, hopefully I’ve given you a little push.

You are welcome.

Hold onto your hats though – tis one HELL of a ride.

HIGHLY Recommended.

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 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 or 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.

Waking Gods is the second book in the Themis Files series and I definitely recommend reading Sleeping Giants first. My favorite character in this book is the mysterious, sardonic, unnamed interrogator from the first book. He is still more or less calling the shots in the investigation of Themis, the giant robot that was discovered 9 years ago. When more giant robots suddenly appear around the world, the question is who sent them and what is their purpose?

As in the first book, the story is told in the form of file entries. That got on my nerves in the first book, but didn't annoy me this time. I liked this book at least as much as the first one. They are both wonderfully imaginative. Really, giant alien robots, resurrections, strange mists, crazy scientists, green goo - what's not to like? This book is a complete story, but there is certainly potential at the end for another book in the series. I have no idea whether a third book is planned, but if there is I will read it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Even better than Sleeping Giants, if that's possible. Sylvain Neuvel is definitely a name to become familiar with.

Wow, the best book I have read in years. It is not very often that a sequel book is as good as the original one but Waking Gods is in my opinion even better. It picks up from the end of the last one and continues to tell the story.
Dr Franklin is alive and well and new robots are landing on earth. Together with Vincent and Kara and with help from the 'nameless man' the team have to race against time and many obstacles to attempt to stop the invasion.
The writing is portrayed as before through journals and interviews so the reader has to piece together the story, this does not in any way slow you down though.
The action is constant and the character development brings the characters further to life after the last book. The team have to deal with apocalyptic mayhem and take on an alien race to save the world. The book ends beautifully, as the last did with a window into the story of the next book. Please write really quickly as I cannot wait to read the next one.

What a disappointment. I loved the first in this series ("Sleeping Giants"), but the author just has no real followup here. Although a rationale is given for why humans are able to find a solution for their problems, it makes no sense. The characters are incredibly irritating. Yes, they're mostly the same characters as in the previous book, but here they spend whole chapters just babbling, sometimes while they are dealing with crises, and all it does is highlight the lack of serious sequel material. The story continues, but it's all over the place, with little of interest and lots of filler. If you liked the first book, just remember it fondly and move on to something else. Truth be told, I finished this book several hours ago, and each time I considered it and thought about my review the lower I ranked it.