This last book was more interesting to read because of more robot action, and scenes on another planet, but there could have been fabulous descriptions of the alien setting to offset the bland dialogue (it is still bothering me that all of these highly educated, highly intelligent people only use basic vocabulary). The trees were described only as "weird looking" and a small animal as "cat like". Descriptions of the different races on the other planet were mostly limited to terms like "blue skinned". There was also the opportunity to describe an alien toilet in detail, and all I got was that it was very tall. I was so disappointed!

Yes, there was a lot of political shadowing of what is going on on our planet now, and sociopolitical statements being made in this book, but they were fragmented and scattered, and disconnected. Just when I thought the threads were all coming together and there was this big epiphany being made by the aliens, the author had them do something ridiculous just so he could bring this older forgotten element back in to do what? I don't know. The ending was a steaming hot mess that neutralized anything good that was accomplished beforehand.

There were two big questions that were never answered, and a bunch of smaller plot holes that were never filled. The science wasn't very science-y, and as a huge SciFi fan this series failed me in many ways. The writing style was amateurish, and it couldn't be covered up with the interview/journal type of narrative.

A solid 4 stars for the full trilogy. Only Human comes to a logical, satisfying conclusion. Recommended.

This was a nice finish to the trilogy. If you have not read the first two novels, it will not make sense. It had perhaps a too clean ending. I can see this series as being a crossover to YA sci fi fans.

It's finally here, and Only Human, the third book of the Themis Files is worth the wait. In a fitting conclusion to the series we once again jump forward in time by almost a decade,but we also jump to a new planet, Esat Ekt, the home world of the people who created Themis and the other giant robots. Fear not however, through the by now familiar use of diary entries and reports we do learn what our band of reluctant explorers got up to, and how they eventually made their way back to earth. As you might imagine there have been many changes in the decade of their absence and in some ways it is almost as difficult for Vincent, Rose and especially Eva to adjust to these changes as it was for them when they first arrived on Esat Ekt.
There is a lot of interesting and relevant social commentary woven into the story, and this weaving is very deftly handled, making the book more thought provoking than either of the previous ones., but equally as entertaining. I feel that there is a real maturity to it, and I think some of the questions it poses will stay with me for some time to come. Speaking of maturity, I must also compliment the author on his character development, not just in this book but in the series as a whole, and a stand out example of this is Vincent, who has grown from a brash, almost obnoxious young man, to a determined and devoted father, with a well developed sarcastic streak.
I loved the book, my only complaint is that it's the last, or so it seems for now.

Review will not be posted until April 24

Prior to the release of Only Human, the final entry in the Themis Files trilogy by Sylvain Neuvel, I did a little research. I wanted to see how many Sci-Fi titles include the word human. It seemed like there should be a fair few, since most SF is painstakingly concerned with the human condition, but I couldn’t find that many. Human isn’t a terribly interesting word when you could go with things like robot or mars or horrendous space kablooie. Among the only titles I did recall or discover was Theodore Sturgeon’s classic More Than Human. It’s always less or more: even in books without indicative titles, nobody is super jazzed to talk about humans as they are.

Only Human, as the title implies, isn’t thrilled about us either. In this third installment, human nature has caught up to scientific progress and made a mess of things. But perhaps it would be helpful to remind you what things are afoot.

Recap (spoilers, obviously): Themis, the robot painstakingly assembled and awoken in book one, Sleeping Giants, had some dramatic adventures in book two, Waking Gods. The aliens who created her returned and tried to scrub their "interference" from humanity, since they believe in the self-determination of species (anyone familiar with Star Trek will understand when I say it's essentially the Prime Directive). However, in attempting to remove the results of genetic interference—aka, interbreeding between their species and ours—they misjudge the extent to which our DNA has mingled and end up killing millions and millions of people. Through scientific cleverness and the judicious use of force (read: Themis fights another robot), they persuade the aliens to leave.

Unfortunately, the aliens take Themis when they go. With all our favorite characters stuck inside.

So now it's nine years later, and linguist Vincent, his daughter Eva, and physicist Rose have returned with Themis, along with a single alien named Ekim. They have left under dramatic circumstances, and they return to dire ones. Earth, it seems, has not fared well in the interim. In fact, everything has pretty much gone straight to hell.

The UN and the fictitious Earth Defense Council have failed. In an anti-Watchmen move, humanity didn't band together once they knew there were aliens. They panicked and reacted with violence, which made things worse, and then when the aliens disappeared the collective "fight or flight" response didn't switch off. Because the aliens might come back. Because action feels better than admitting ignorance. Because—Neuvel wonders—it's human nature?

Early on, a character describes human nature as wanting to punch someone who just punched you. Not aggression, necessarily; just this unrestrained ability to react with a combination of fear and aggression. Humanity is good at reaction. Action, less so. This is one of the most insightful comments I've heard in a long while, and it encapsulates Only Human fairly well. No longer optimistic, but not quite ready to despair, the reality dogs each character: human nature is petty, venal, and insecure. How can you save a species so capable of greatness, yet so mired in its baser instincts?

These books are one of the clearest, most devastating and yet most subtle indictments of the Trump era that I've seen. The first book was published and clearly also written in a time of guarded optimism, and the second follows suit. But I'm going to guess that this third book was primarily written—and definitely finished—after the 2016 election. Because it's brutally, unflinchingly pessimistic about how humans and governments would act. Gone is the scientific hope for solutions; now we use DNA tests to put the "wrong sort" of people in labor and execution camps. Gone is the collaboration of academic inquiry, military effort, and bureaucratic efficiency. Now, America has annexed Canada, dissolved democracy, and enforced its fascist rule over everyone that doesn't have a nuclear arsenal capable of promising mutually assured destruction. It's the Cold War Part II.

Obviously I'm inferring some things about Neuvel's politics, but it's really not much of a leap if you've read the books. I had to put this one down several times; it was just too bleak. Not just in its take on earth politics, but also on Ekt politics. The hyper-evolved, technologically advanced aliens are in just as much of a political maelstrom as we are, and fall victim to many of the same prejudices and fears. Xenophobia, terrorism, and bigotry are just as rampant. Even fake news makes an appearance, a bold-faced lie that nonetheless embroils Eva, Vincent, and Rose in Ekt conflict while as they are still trying to untangle Terran issues. Namely, a very familiar tension with Russia, which makes this a timely book. The inclusion of a Chinese/Russian/North Korean/South Korean/American drama plays out with some nail-biting tension due to its real-life parallels as well.*

All of this seems incredibly complicated, but it's actually quite straightforward in presentation. Neuvel does an excellent job parceling out information so as to maintain a sense of mystery and discovery without being obscure. He also has a knack for providing context without reams and reams of infodumps. Even the philosophizing, which might have been preachy or dull, is full of emotional resonance and urgency, like his tragic reflection on the ills of the Prime Directive.

The dialogue (which comprises 99% of the book, as this is all "found" documents of conversations and personal logs) is as snappy as ever. These books are basically Aaron Sorkin doing sci-fi. I would love to see them adapted, actually, because they don't just walk the line between awesome sci-fi action and complex politics and intimate character development, they strut it. And even though Neuvel is mostly reflecting on humanity, he also gives a fairly complete and accurate picture of an alien civilization. Despite being all dialogue, this is a highly evocative and visual book. So much so that I also had to put it down before the epilogue, because despite the bleakness, I was very reluctant to have it end.

The epilogue seems so entirely out of character for one of our exhausted heroes that it’s a clear authorial wish-fulfillment scenario. I don’t doubt the author has justifications but I did have to roll my eyes a tiny bit. Other than that, though, I found the conclusion both fitting and satisfying, not easy in a book that took such a grim turn. I think there is a chance that others will criticize the rather deus ex machina solution to a large issue, but I actually found it appropriate and surprisingly complex. No great force saves humanity. Neuvel is clear that such a thing does not actually exist. A series of compromises and sleights-of-hand just give us another chance to save ourselves—or not.


*Although the geopolitics are scary in their plausibility, the most unrealistic part is that Finland is Russian-occupied but Sweden has maintained neutral independence. And if you don't think that's true, I encourage you to meet a Finnish person.

The third and final book in the Themis Files, Only Human is a fitting end to an exciting science fiction trilogy. Full of action and emotion, the characters in this third book feel more fleshed out and three-dimensional than they have in the previous installments, and the characters of Eva and Vincent are especially rounded out this time. The description of the planet where Themis hails from is vivid despite only being described by the characters, and I found myself wishing that more of the book took place there. Altogether, I highly recommend this to anyone who has read the previous books in the trilogy. To anyone who has yet to pick up Sleeping Giants because they are waiting to find out if the series is worth reading in its entirety, I definitely recommend it. Science fiction at its most readable and enjoyable.

Ohmygosh... The FEELS at the end! Neuvel rocked it once again with his series finale to the Themis Files.

In Only Human, Vincent, his daughter Eva, Dr. Rose Franklin, and the General had been whisked off to the aliens' planet of Esat Ekt as the 4 were celebrating their victory while inside Themis. 10 years have passed and our crew finally manage to make their way back to Earth with Themis.

Once again, the story is told in interviews, personal logs, and transcriptions and this time bounces between being back on Earth and those years spent on Esat Ekt. And once again, I was glued to my ereader throughout!

I did miss Kara and the nameless interviewer throughout this entire book. Russian Katherine just didn't appeal to me at all. If she was meant to take the nameless interviewer's place, it didn't work for me. I still enjoyed the heck out of everyone else though!

Although there wasn't as much action as the first 2 books, I still thought it was an amazing ending to the series. My favorite of the series will always be Waking Gods!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Publishing for the advanced copy!*

This novel left me feeling bittersweet for all the right reasons.

The story takes place 9 years after the previous book, but there is the expectation that the reader still remembers what happened from before. So if you haven't read the previous books or you don't remember what happened, READ THEM FIRST!

This story is once again told in a series of case files and interviews. This is a format that some may not like but I actually love it. It is just such a unique way to tell the story and it is surprising how it conveys a lot of emotion and allows the reader to connect and understand the characters. The writing style has always been one of my favourite things with this series and it continues to be so in this book, as well.

The plot for this story is slower than in the first book, but it is more than made up for by the depth of the story and all of the different connections that are made. There is so much that goes on in the story that there really is no need for a ton of action. I love the idea of the aliens, how the story mixes in politics and philosophy with science fiction, and the way the characters have grown and developed.

The only thing I didn't like about the story was the introduction of a new character: Katherine. Now, the author has created some pretty zany characters who seem to lack depth at face value but are a lot more calculating or deep underneath. However, Katherine's character was just too wacky for me and there wasn't enough time in this one novel to give her any depth.

But overall, I loved this novel. I don't want to give too much away because anything I say will be a spoiler. But this is a series worth reading. If you like science fiction and are looking for an interesting spin on a classic alien/robot story, this is one you don't want to miss out on! I'm giving this a solid 4/5 stars!

What a perfect end Only Human was to an incredible trilogy. It was emotional, deep and satisfying. Despite the first book being far from perfect, The Themis Files has gone from strength to strength, culminating in a brilliant ending that had so much to say about humanity in the form of absolutely spot-on social commentary.

“You build a revolution on ideas. If the population doesn’t buy your ideas, it means they’re not ready, or you’re wrong…If you’re using bombs instead of words, that means you’re banking on people giving you what you want out of fear instead of reason. That’s never a good sign”

The characters of Vincent and Eva got a lot of love in this instalments. They were fleshed out, and their relationship developed in believable ways. They were individuals, and with the epistolary style giving equal weight to both their thoughts and motivations it was both beautiful and frustrating to see how they interpreted the same events so very differently, neither of them wholly wrong and yet neither of them entirely right, either. Dr. Rose Franklin wasn’t quite as fleshed out in this one, but we already had a great sense of her as a character from the previous instalment, and she served as a great way to bring Only Human full circle. Some of the villainous characters once again felt a little contrived and unbelievable, but the rest of the book was strong enough that I could forgive Neuvel for that one, tiny element.

“We’re talking about human beings making a conscious effort…to be ignorant. Willfully stupid. They’re proud of it. They take pride in idiocy. There’s not even an attempt to rationalize things anymore….Our entire race is trying to lobotomize itself.”

The narrative of Only Human exists in two timelines. At the end of Waking Gods Vincent, Eva, Rose and General Eugene Govender find themselves transported to Themis’ home planet. Half the book takes place on Esat Ekt, the alien’s home planet, and the other half takes place on our protagonists’ return to Earth. We see parallels between the political situation of the Ekt, and the state of war Earth finds itself in after the elimination of so many people in Waking Gods. The pacing is perfect, interspersing just enough action with discussions on the nature of democracy and the ‘human’ condition. We see the parent/child dynamic of Vincent and Eva mirrored in the parent/child dynamic of the Human race and the Ekt.

Only Human was dark and deeply emotional, but still managed to have a sense of humour that made it an absolute joy to read. This will be a story that lingers, and one that really made me think about my place in the world, and what it means to be human.

The final installment in Sylvain Neuvel's Themis Files trilogy. It's definitely not quite what I expected, but the ending is ultimately satisfying - even if it comes about as the result of a little trickery. Neuvel's commentary on the human condition is a bit bleak, but at present? It's probably accurate. Now if only some alien overlords would show up to take care of our current situation...

I received access to this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel

It’s been nine years since Eva, Vincent, Dr. Rose Franklin and General Govender disappeared in the alien robot Themis, and a lot has changed since. Unbeknownst to the people left behind on Earth, the four of them had been taken back to Esat Ekt, the alien planet where those responsible for the robot and for the destruction of one hundred million humans on Earth live. The Ekt were just trying to correct an error in their own judgement. Thousands of years ago, Ekts had come to Earth and quite a few bred with the humans, leaving traces of their DNA in part of the population. The Ekts were trying to eradicate those with their DNA. They were leaving Earth after realizing how much damage they had done and were trying to take Themis with them, unaware of the four human stowaways inside. The humans weren’t allowed to leave, and three of them ended up escaping back in Themis to Earth to find a world still in chaos. The United States has a robot and they’ve been using it to intimidate and conquer the countries around them. People around the world are put into internment camps based on the amount of alien DNA they have in their genes. Eva, Vincent and Rose have left one world on the brink of war for another.

So that was a wild ride. Neuvel starts guns blazing, well lasers blazing. Before we even find out what happened to those in Themis, we learn of the state the world is in. Chaos. And things continue to unravel from there. One thing I’ve always loved about these books are the way they are told. Neuvel uses interview transcripts, news broadcast, personal letters and mission logs to tell the story. It is surprisingly effective and doesn’t take away from the character development at all. Because large portions of this novel take place on a different planet, I could have enjoyed more world development. I wasn’t sure if readers are ever given a clear idea of exactly what Esat Ekt was supposed to look like but my imagination was in overdrive the entire time trying to create a world similar to ours but different.

What I found interesting about this novel, that separates it from the other two previous novels, were the issues regarding civil rights and the way Neuvel chose to discuss them. Each planet is having its own existential crisis when it comes to how much Ekt blood the society has. In Esat Ekt it determines your voting power and the influence you have on decisions that affect the populace. On Earth the amount of alien (Ekt) blood you have, could force you into an internment camp, cost you your livelihood and possibly your life. The conversations that took place around these issues were interesting, especially when the four humans attempted to compare what was going on in Esat Ekt with the events they remembered on Earth. It was intriguing to read Neuvel’s attempts to show the sides of both the oppressed and the oppressors.

Only Human ends this trilogy well. The flow of the novel and this style of storytelling was really enjoyable. I liked the fact that there was such a long passage of time between the events of the second and third novels. I had no idea what was going to happen after finishing the second book so finding our humans on another planet was fun and terrifying at the same. Neuvel has created a really enjoyable series and this fits as a great end piece. I definitely recommend this entire series.

This is the final book of the Themis trilogy and I don't think it would work as a standalone. The giant robots that visited Earth in the last book have returned to their home planet, Esat Ekt. Unfortunately, Dr. Rose Franklin, Eva Reyes, her father Vincent Couture and General Eugene Govender were celebrating aboard Themis when the Council of Akitast (aliens who decide how their world deals with others) caused Themis to travel back to Esat Ekt. The Council refused to return their accidental visitors to Earth, but after 10 years they are finally back. The book is a combination of flashbacks to their time on Esat Ekt and their lives after their return. Earth has undergone a lot of political changes during those 10 years. As in the first two books, the story is told entirely in the form of journal or log entries and transcribed interviews. It's not my favorite writing style and I really missed the unnamed interviewer from the first two books. His replacement is Russian intelligence officer Katherine Lebedev. I thought that her dialogue was very jokey and awkward.

I loved the first two books, but I wasn't that crazy about this one. It had none of the charm or imagination of the prior books. I found it to be preachy and there was too much politics (on both Earth and Esat Ekt) and not enough science or robots. Even though I agree with the author's point of view, I don't really want to be preached to in my scifi. There are internment camps on Earth for those people who have the most alien DNA. Muslims are particularly singled out for internment. (Really, the author is pretty ham-handed with his social commentary throughout this book.)

The planet was not thoroughly described but what description there was made it sound too much like Earth. The Ekt had very similar names (and were given no personalities) so it was difficult to tell them apart. Eva was an annoying, self centered teenager. Finally, the interviews and log records kept going around in circles rehashing the same arguments over and over again. Although I was disappointed by this conclusion to the trilogy, I wouldn't mind reading more about Themis.

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

Sylvain Neuvel returns to his world of giant robots in the third and final of the Themis Files series Only Human. Like the second book in the series, Waking Gods, this volume jumps forward ten years from the cliffhanger ending at the end of the previous entry. That cliffhanger saw the giant robot Themis and the four people inside whisked away to the planet of the robot builders. This volume starts with their return to a very changed Earth but also, in flashbacks charts their ten year stay on an alien planet.

Following the massive destruction of Waking Gods, the Earth is a changed place. America has managed to restore the last remaining giant robot and uses it as a tool of aggressive expansion. During the events of Waking Gods, the world learned that many people were genetic descendants of aliens who arrived thousands of years ago. Those with high levels of genetic traces of alien DNA are being persecuted and put in camps. Many of those persecuted are Muslim, although the connection between the alien DNA and Muslims feels like a stretch by Neuvel put in to bring his allegory home to readers who do not do allegory well. Similar themes of tolerance, interference and the corruption of democratic ideals are explored in the flashback sections.

The travellers return with giant robot Themis to Russian territory and in doing so create a situation which allows for some robot v robot action. Although, unlike previous books the robots really only feature in one climactic scene. That scene is itself thematic, building on the relationship of Victor and his daughter Eva.

Only Human is told in the same style as its predecessors – as the record of a series of conversations between characters and occasional diary entries and letters. This has always limited Neuvel in the portrayal of action sequences. And in this entry particularly, with its more philosophical approach to current issues, tends to makes the narrative a little preachy at times.

One thing Neuvel cannot be accused of is repeating himself. He has used his giant robot scenario to tell three very different tales and explore three different sets of themes. While Only Human is not the best of the three, it is definitely worth visiting for those who are keen to find out the fates of Rose Franklin, Victor and Eva and Neuvel gives each of them a satisfying narrative arc. And while there may not be much giant robot action, those scenes involving these behemoths are handled with great surety and demonstrate Neuvel’s love for this sub-genre. All in all, Only Human provides a satisfying ending to this series and with the trilogy having been picked up for a potential film, there is hope for some giant robot movies that are more thoughtful and thought provoking than Transformers or Pacific Rim.

There have been few series in recent memory for which I am this excited for when a new volume is released. But a series about giant robots? Yeah, that’s definitely one of them. The Themis Files wraps up with the soon to be released Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel, a story about giant robots and aliens, but also of family, love, and human nature.

Only Human is the final book in the Themis Files, a series which begins with a little girl who finds a giant metal hand, only later discovering the rest of the giant metal robot it belongs to and the alien race who left it on Earth long ago. After being whisked away to this alien planet at the end of the second book, Waking Gods, Rose, Vincent, Eva, and General Govender find a way home. During that time Earth remains on edge. Fear and extremist views take hold, and the home our protagonists return to looks nothing like the one they left.

If you’d like to catch up with our reviews of the first two books or would like a quick refresher of what happened in books one and two, check out what we thought of Sleeping Giants here and Waking Gods here.

This novel continues with the mixed media formatting the first two books in the series sported. Interviews, journal entries, and more make up entirety of the story.

The book is split between the character’s time among the aliens who originally created Themis and the time after they return to Earth. Sections about life on the alien planet function as flashbacks in a more practical sense despite the continued use of interviews, recorded conversations, and personal diary entries. The alien culture and planet was rather fascinating. These are an incredibly ancient people with a rich history that has greatly influenced their culture. We get a surprising amount of details about this society for the format the novel is written in mixed media formatting. I did wish we got a bit clearer sense of the aesthetics of this other world and the various peoples that called it home.

Characters and their relationships change throughout the course of the novel. Like the second book, this one also has a ten year time skip. The majority of that time is taken up with Rose and the rest trying to escape – or not escape – back to Earth. Friendship, family, and love are all tested.

Many characters from the first two books make appearances, even if they aren't in the novel for any great length of time. Side character's stories received the sort of closure they deserved without detracting from or taking time away from other matters. The mysterious interviewer is, of course, missing from the narrative. While I do quite miss his voice, I am all too used to having my favorite characters killed off. The character which takes up much of the nameless man’s duty as interviewer is a Russian woman whom is interviewing the main cast of characters after their return to Earth. Personality wise she is quite different than the still nameless individual from books one and two, but her function within the narrative is comparative.

Now, the pacing of Only Human is more akin to that of Sleeping Giants as opposed to Waking Gods. That is to say, the pacing is a bit slower with more focus on the characters and character interactions. If you’ve come for more epic battles with giant robots rest assured that you won’t leave disappointed. That said, some patience might be needed to get there as they don’t occur with the sort of frequency as the second book in the series.

I won’t go into any great detail about the ending in fear of spoilers, but it was very different. And I mean that in a good way. I really liked how the story wrapped up. It says something about people and human nature. I didn’t necessarily see the series ending in quite this way, but it didn’t feel at all out of place.

Only Human is more than just giant robots. It’s a story of love, family, home, and human nature. It is a wonderful end to a great series. I cannot wait to see what else Sylvain Neuvel has in store for us. If you haven’t already begun this series, I highly recommend giving it a try.

I can’t believe it’s “yokits” over. This final saga is more political than ever, really hitting home during this time of unrest in the United States and with foreign embassies. While this novel didn’t feature some of my favorite characters, I still enjoyed the characters we follow in the narrative. Not as great as the other two, but still a solid four stars.

I was first introduced to Sylvain's work a few years ago, and was astounded by his talent, especially so because of his young age. Characters are flawlessly portrayed and dialogue was smooth and realistic. I seldom give books a 5-star rating; but Neuvel was a rare and well-deserved exception. Every one of his novels warranted a 5-star rating. If you've never read one, I strongly recommend that you do so. You won't be disappointed.

4.7 Out of 5 "Themis Inspired" Stars

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~ABOUT THE BOOK~
Only Human
Sylvain Neuvel
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In her childhood, Rose Franklin accidentally discovered a giant metal hand buried beneath the ground outside Deadwood, South Dakota. As an adult, Dr. Rose Franklin led the team that uncovered the rest of the body parts which together form Themis: a powerful robot of mysterious alien origin. She, along with linguist Vincent, pilot Kara, and the unnamed Interviewer, protected the Earth from geopolitical conflict and alien invasion alike. Now, after nearly ten years on another world, Rose returns to find her old alliances forfeit and the planet in shambles. And she must pick up the pieces of the Earth Defense Corps as her own friends turn against each other.

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~MY REVIEW~
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If you love audiobooks, then this amazing series is a must listen. I know...I did read this. And, I only did so because I was preapproved for an ARC, and I couldn't wait until the release date to find out how this all ended. I will be listening on Audio, once it is released.

I am sure that once I listen to this on Audio, my rating will be a full 5-STARS. My .3 deduction is because in book format; it's really difficult to follow the conversations because of the format it's written in. Every chapter is a transcript between two or more people (with a few journal entries thrown in every so often). And I seriously could never keep it straight. Luckily, I didn't really need to all the time, to get the full effect of the story. Also, it will be irrelevant since Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods has had a full-cast narration, therefore, I am confident that Only Human will also have a full-cast narration. And in case you didn't know...full-cast narration rocks!

If you've been searching for your next thought-provoking, easily-digestible Science Fiction series to start on. The Themis Files really has it all...

From the intense action to the meaning of life, and everything in between; it has it all. Plus...it has giant robots…that are hopefully coming to the big screen, soon.

Only Human comes out soon, and that's the last edition of this trilogy...so what are you waiting for?!?

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~MY RATING~
4.7/5 STARS - GRADE=A
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~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
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Plot~ 4.5/5
Main Characters~ 5/5
Secondary Characters~ 5/5
The Feels~ 5/5
Pacing~ 4/5
Addictiveness~ 4/5
Theme or Tone~ 5/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 4/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 5/5
Originality~ 5+/5
Ending~ 5/5 Cliffhanger~ Nope.
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Book Cover~ Amazing, all three of them are amazing
Series~ Themis Files #3
Publisher~ Random House - Ballentine
Setting~ Earth and Esat Ekt
Source~ I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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I've thoroughly enjoyed the first two books, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed the third. Neuvel's writing style is addictively easy to read, and the plot moves very quickly making it (as the others were) a very fast and entertaining read. I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed - I found myself wondering if it truly was going to be a trilogy for most of the third book, but overall, I thought it was satisfying.

Oh man, I am so bummed to say that I was disappointed with the final installment in the Themis Files Trilogy. I felt like this book didn't have any redeeming characters and it felt like old characters were brought back unnecessarily. I couldn't stand Katherine Lebedev and thought Vincent's daughter Eva was a whiny brat. I was also let down with the details provided about Esat Ekt, the planet where the Ekt are from. I wanted to feel as though I had been there on an alien planet with Dr. Franklin, Vincent, Eva and Eugene but I didn't. Since the story is broken up in "Files", the details are all over the place. For some reason, the jumping around in the story bothered me. this time. Not having a linear story hadn't affected my reading in first two books, but this time it was part of the challenge I had in connecting to the story. Although I didn't enjoy the final book, the first two of the series were very good. I especially LOVED the second book. I tore through that one and gave that book the highest rating of the three. Below are the summaries of all the books in the series so that you can make a decision on your own whether or not to read them.

This book will likely wrap up the Themis Files, a trilogy about what would happen if an alien giant robot was discovered on our planet. It's told, as is the rest of the trilogy, in the form of journals, transcriptions of radio and video exchanges, and other sorts of ways to record information.

The book jumps ahead ten years from the previous book, and starts with the reader finding out that Themis disappeared from Earth for 10 years and has just reappeared. Most of the book is backstory about this. A major development on Earth during this time is that the United States government managed to get the robot that Rose Franklin disabled operational again and has embarked upon consolidating a global empire. This doesn't seem unlikely, quite frankly- it seems like exactly the sort of thing our government might do.

Themis reappears in Russia, which now hopes to use Themis as a sort of deterrent to the US government conquering further. Rose, Victor, Victor's daughter Eva , and one of the people from the alien world where Themis has spent the last decade all return with Themis.

Much of the book is flashbacks that fill in the humans' time on the alien world. This ended up being disappointingly vague and disappointingly like earth. The people who made the giant robots have an extremely democratic way of governing (every citizen votes on every issue on which they have knowledge) but there are of course still injustices, uneven social classes, and dissatisfied people. The world was vague but other than some of the political system, it all feels a bit too close to Earth.

So, I wasn't too satisfied with the story that took place far from Earth. As far as the Earth storyline goes, a lot of it revolved around Eva being angry at Victor for decisions he made without consulting her. I'm usually not too drawn in by parent/child conflict storylines, and this book didn't succeed in hooking me.

I missed the nameless character of the first two books. The Russian intelligence officer Katharina didn't really feel believable in her insouciance and was not a good replacement.

The climax of the book felt like it was winding toward a scenario that could only be resolved by outside intervention, and I was right about that. The deus ex machina ending disappointed me too.

And I feel like for a series about giant robots, the giant robot fights were not all I hoped they would be! I feel like this series had a very strong beginning and a solid middle, but I wasn't satisfied with the end. That being said, I'd still strongly recommend at least the first two books.