This is the final book in the Themis Files trilogy. Similar to the other two books it is very political and at it's release was very timely. I really liked the direction the story went in and thought it was a great finale. I also really appreciated how the characters grew, especially in relation to each other.

A disappointing ending to an otherwise stellar trilogy. Boring and plotless- it took me a year to finish.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection and will recommend it to students.

It took me a while to get to this one but I was immediately drawn back into the story & it didn’t matter that it had been a few years since I read the others thankfully. Overall a great ending to a unique trilogy. I loved how in-depth this installment was and I was not left wanting by the end.

This series leads the reader on a journey. You might think you know where it's going, but then Neuvel will throw a twist in right where you least expect it.

I loved the first two books in this trilogy and was really excited when the last volume came out. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that it was a very satisfying conclusion to a really original sci-fi story that even patrons who don't "do sci-fi" have enjoyed.

What a fantastic end to a series. I still can't believe that a book that is full of redacted transcripts of interviews could have so much depth to it. Kudos Sylvain Neuvel for such a creative and entertaining addition to the world of scifi literature.

This was such a unique series that I very much enjoyed. Only Human was not quite as good as the two previous volumes but I would still recommend it to my customers, especially those that like big robots and comic book style stories. Reads like an epic Green Lantern arc or one of the great indie scifi comic book series like something by Rick Remender. I give it 4 stars for this volume but 5 stars for the trilogy.

I only just realized I forgot to post a review here! This was a phenomenal ending to the Themis Files, extremely satisfying, and like the other books in the series, almost impossible to put down.

I absolutely LOVED the 3rd installment of The Themis series. My favorite part was learning so much more about one of the main characters, Rose. However, the character of Kara really struck a cord with me. I related to her and how she felt during several intense scenes of the book. I can't recommend this series to people enough! I can't wait to see what Sylvain Neuvel has in store for us fans next!

WHAT DID I JUST READ?! THAT LAST PART WAS SO GREAT AND SOMETHING I REALLY HOPED WOULD HAPPEN AND I STILL WASN'T PREPARED.

So this book is basically a cautionary tale about what would happen if humanity as a whole lost its collective minds (which yes, is way, way, way worse than whatever has happened so far on earth) and it's done so well that it's, sadly, completely believable. It's definitely hard to read at points about the far-reaching consequences of racism and humans always needing an 'other' to blame for its own shortcomings but boy, does it ever make us look like damn children in the face of well, everything. It does. That's not to say that this book is only bleakness personified; it has funny moments and it has heartwarming moments and it shows that decency is not completely lost.

My favorite character by far in this series is now Eva. I had't really been attached to any of the characters so far so much as their ability to pilot the hugeass robots, but Eva is the real star of this series for me. She's fucking precious. Also, that father-daughter relationship took me on a ride haha. It's amazing to read a book where a teenager and the female doctor are the most sensible characters. Also, aliens. The rest of the humans? Not so much. LOL.

I still can't quite believe this series is over and I would want nothing more than getting to read more books set in this world. These books are everything from being thoroughly messed up with fucked up characters to ofc, the giants robots that occasionally fight each other in epic battles, an alien who's into telling stories and so much more. Feels like I've barely scratched the surface with that last sentence. SO I HONESTLY CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS SERIES ENOUGH ESPECIALLY AFTER HAVING READ ONLY HUMAN ALHKDJGLKSFD.

I really didn’t want this series to end. Great world building and an author to keep an eye on. Imaginative and well executed.

Only Human finishes up Neuvel's trilogy (Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods were the preceding titles), and readers who haven't read those first will founder here. Those who've been following the adventures of Rose Franklin and her team will find some closure.

Not all of the characters from the first two titles return, but the consequences of Rose's initial discovery are far greater this time around. There's alien life--and instead of polarizing Earth against the aliens (although it does), Earth itself is divided into distinct factions, any of which could cause even more global devastation. Neuvel says quite a bit about the idea of the Other, about fitting in, and about the concept of humanity. These transcripts are chilling, and this rounds out the trilogy nicely.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. While I absolutely loved this series, this book lost me a little. Too much focus on family drama than the actual robots. Was still a good read, just not my favorite one in the series...

The first person narrative and interview / journals style is always hard to work in. If the characters are interesting and you want to hear them talk all day, it's great! But if all the ones you liked in the series were systematically replaced with ones you want to punch in the face, then it's a rough go. I found a lot of the earth part really preachy and the alien part underdeveloped. Together this just made a disappointing end to the series.

the first in the trilogy remains my favorite, but this was stellar. they've all come so far and so much has happened and happens again and the structure and pacing are still amazingly well done. this is a really excellent series. highly recommended to those who like science-y science fiction. plus giant robots.

The Themis Files has been a series that is really out of my comfort zone in a number of ways, but really just worked. This trilogy is written in a series of interviews and journal entries, similar to The Illuminae Files, but based in the nearer future and (mostly) on earth. The first two books of the Themis Files completely blew my mind and I loved every second of them! I was eager to get Only Human, but it actually took me quite a long time to get through it and is a bit different than the first two installments.

Like the first two, this book follows Rose Franklin and Vincent Couture. Unlike the first two books, Eva is a main character in this and she's also nearly an adult, as it takes place a decade after Waking Gods. After spending ten years on an alien planet, Vincent, Rose, and Eva land back on earth - Eva against her will. Having been raised primarily off Earth, it's no wonder that Eva did not have much desire to return, but daddy knows best so back she went.

I found myself struggling with all the characters in this book more so that in the others. Eva was basically a new character and, while she was definitely a strong female character, which I like, she was also a whiny teenager, which I did not. Her rebellious nature caused issues for everyone and, although I understood her feelings, I found myself becoming very frustrated with her as a character. Similarly, while I understood Vincent's decisions as a parent, there were moments that I would have liked to knock him over the head with something. Still, he remains my favorite character in this series. As always, I love his attitude and snark. Rose was just Rose for me, but I've never been particularly fond of her.

Sadly, my favorite part of the first two books was largely missing from Only Human. The conspiracy aspect is all but gone and instead this book focuses on various countries trying to outmaneuver each other and steal each others' robots. Although there is still some action in this book, it's much more spread out than in previous books. There also wasn't any big twist that I've come to expect from Neuvel. Simply put, it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat like Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods.

One thing I did greatly enjoy was the interactions between the main characters and the alien species they lived with! I liked learning more about their government and moral code. I also appreciated the social commentary on racism and the us vs. them mentality.

Only Human is a good ending to a fantastic series. It's without question the weakest of the three books and I wish it had packed more of a punch, but at the end of the day I'm happy with it. This series has conspiracy, action, and aliens and I am definitely glad I read it!

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I keep hoping that Neuvel will pull through at the end; he began the "Themis Files" trilogy with such an interesting and compelling first fifty pages that to be denied a strong final installment was ultimately disappointing for me. For readers who loved the first two books in this series, however, "Only Human" will not disappoint—in tone and style it is perfectly consistent with the larger body of work. If you are like me, however, and hunger and thirst after description, you will be denied that here; "Only Human," like its predecessors, is entirely, 100% dialogue. There is no description whatsoever here, and that is a stylistic decision which I can respect, but I must honestly admit does nothing for me. Without that description, the use of em dashes instead of quotation marks clutters up the page and obscures, rather than clarifies, speaker attribution. Neuvel is clearly aligning himself with English-speaking writers such as James Joyce by utilizing the dashes (and a French friend once told me it's common practice in French authorial practice), but in doing so, he is also deliberately alienating certain readers. Joyce was up-front about the artistic purposes of obscuration, but in my opinion, it's not a good fit for snappy, modernist science fiction. Or at least, I haven't run across an author who's used dashed dialogue in such a way as to add, rather than detract from my enjoyment of snappy, modernist science fiction. I'm still waiting for an author to change my mind, I guess I'd say.

What happened? The first two books worked well enough for me, but this one left me with all kinds of questions that don't have answers. Did I miss something? I'm not sorry I read it, but I'm sad about the ending and the closure that I don't feel like I got.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey Books, and Netgalley for the free e-copy of Only Human (Themis Files #3). All opinions expressed below are my own.

Synopsis:
Only Human is the third and final book in the Themis Files trilogy by Sylvain Nuevel. In Only Human, it is 10 years after the conclusion of Waking Gods (book 2) and Themis is transported back to Earth, with Rose, Vincent, and Kara in tow. Following Themis' departure, Earth is now in shambles and on the brink of nuclear world war. In Only Human, we have flashbacks to the group's time on an alien planet with politics quite different than those on Earth alternating with present day chapters.

Review:
So, for a little background, I read Sleeping Giants (book 1) and Waking Gods (book 2) via audiobooks. I don't always love audiobooks, but these books work perfectly in that format due to the interview style. I received an advanced copy of book 3 via netgalley and thus read it on my e-reader. I didn't enjoy book 3 as much as the earlier books, but wonder if that also has to do with the format.

I often feel a bit underwhelmed reading the conclusions of trilogies. I feel like there is so much action and storylines to wrap up and the book can feel like a waste. I don't totally feel that way with Only Human, but do admit that I didn't find it as compelling as the earlier books (which were 4 star reads for me). I found myself having to push myself to finish Only Human - there is less action and more theory being presented in this one and it was hard for me personally.

I highly recommend the Themis Files series and would rate the entire series as 4 star. I liked the interview/diary format and would strongly recommend listening to these as audiobooks. The narrators do an amazing job! When looking at Only Human individually, I'd rate it 3 stars. Its an okay conclusion, but many of the elements that caused me to love the first two books (sense of mystery/unknown and all the action) were simply not as strong in book 3.