Even though my review may not show it, I loved Sleeping Giants. It is one of the rare novels last year that made it to my permanent to-keep bookshelf. The story was creative, engaging, mysterious, and suspenseful. Giant robots, kick-ass women pilots, even cooler female scientists, an unknown super-spy, national intrigue, patriotism, human greed, human achievement - it pretty much has it all. Knowing it was a series only made it better because it meant there was more robot awesomeness to come. Normally, such high expectations do not bode well for the second book in a series. Thankfully, Waking Gods more than lives up to those expectations. In fact, it pretty much blows them out of the water.

Waking Gods starts out ten years after the events of the first novel. A second, larger robot suddenly appears in central London, and suddenly everything Rose and the EDC don't know and could not figure out during the ten-year interval comes back to haunt them. While Sleeping Giants was all about man's greediness, Waking Gods explores mankind's penchant for violence - violence as a first reaction to a threat, violence as power grabs, violence as a form of revenge. It is not until the situation becomes truly bleak where violence gives way to more thoughtful actions. Once again, it is an insightful look at society at its weakest and the very real consequences that result.

Suffice it to say, Waking Gods is just as good as, if not better than, Sleeping Giants. It has action and adventure, soul-searching, drama, loss, love, and most importantly, humor. In fact, I don't remember the first novel being quite as sarcastic as this one is, but I like it! Told in the same format as the first one, through transcripts of interviews, news reports, scientific testing, doctor's notes, and the like, the format allows you to be an impartial observer and also an intimate participant of the events. Because it is the second novel in a series, to discuss the story in any greater detail would be to spoil all of the fun and ruin the suspense, but what follows after that initial robot appearance is a frenetic, intense, and dark story that keeps you on the edge of your seat from open to close.

The nitty-gritty: Higher stakes, terrifying alien robots, and plenty of human drama as well, I thoroughly enjoyed this follow-up to Sleeping Giants.

I had a blast reading Sleeping Giants last year, and despite some issues with the format, I enjoyed Neuvel’s original take on the alien invasion story. If you haven’t read Sleeping Giants, the story revolves around Dr. Rose Franklin, who finds a giant robot hand as a girl, and later becomes a renowned scientist who discovers that the hand is one piece of a very large alien robot. Sleeping Giants tackles the tale of how Rose and her crew are able to locate all the pieces of Themis, which just happen to be scattered all over the world, and put them back together again. Once that's accomplished, the characters try to figure out the purpose of Themis—why she's here and what she does.

Now in the second book of the series, Neuvel takes the exciting premise of the first book and injects it with a shot of adrenaline, raises the stakes and gives us a terrifying look at what an alien invasion might be like. If I was intrigued by all the science and alien engineering in the first book, I was scared out of my mind this time around. This is no E.T., it’s more like War of the Worlds, and I loved every minute of it. Even though I’m still having issues with the format—a mix of interviews, recorded journal entries, radio chatter between military personnel, and more—for the most part I was able to let go of my reservations and simply enjoy the ride. There may be some unavoidable spoilers in this review, because in order to talk about the story I’m going to have to spill some of the beans, but I’ll do my best to keep those to a minimum.

It’s been ten years since the events at the end of the last book. The U.S. has formed a group called the Earth Defense Corps in order to continue studying Themis and the reasons for her existence. Vincent and Kara are still piloting the giant robot, and they are still the only two people able to do so. Meanwhile, Rose, who was killed in the last book, has been brought back to life (by a method that I’m still not clear on), but she has lost many of the memories of her “old” life. Things have been relatively quiet, but that’s about to change—in a big way. One day, another giant robot, this one even taller than Themis, appears seemingly out of thin air in the middle of bustling London. Initial reactions range from fear all the way to curiosity, as British military forces debate whether a show of force is necessary, or if a peaceful approach might work better. As weeks pass with no movement from the robot, tensions start to rise, and eventually the area is flooded with military vehicles and armed troops, marching to surround the robot.

When a bright wall of light is released from the robot’s hand, the world watches in horror as the light sweeps across the city, obliterating everything in its path. When the dust settles, it is discovered that thousands have died, and the center of London is nothing more than a huge circle of dirt.

In the months that follow, Rose, Vincent and Kara will be called upon to try to solve the mystery of the new robot, now called Kronos. But before Rose can do anything, more robots begin to appear in large cities all over the world. Earth’s only hope is to utilize Themis as the weapon she was designed to be, because the event in London was only the beginning.

A lot happens in a very short book, and even though I’d love to discuss each juicy plot detail in this review, I’m going to resist temptation and stick to the basics. Let’s just say that the alien robots who pop up around the world pose a huge threat to the planet, and I was stunned by how dangerous these robots are. In the first book, the reader is lulled into a false sense of security, since Themis is one of the “good guys,” at least that’s the general consensus. But hold onto your hats, folks. Things get violent fast, and even as I was gasping in horror at some of the more outrageous plot points, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. Neuvel certainly isn’t afraid to kill off his characters either, so don’t get too attached…

The story raises lots of interesting questions about how to defeat an enemy. Should the world go to war against the alien threat, or would it be better, as Rose suggests, to take a scientific approach to defeating them? Neuvel has some intriguing ideas about our possible relationship with alien life, and how we’re connected might lie in our DNA.

But despite the ideas and the implied action, this story felt static at times, much like Sleeping Giants. While I usually love the epistolary format, most of the horrific things that happen in Waking Gods happen between the lines, and despite the high body count, I didn’t really feel connected to those deaths. I think this is one of those cases where the audio book might work better than the print version, simply because it almost feels like a radio drama.

Once again, we have a couple of characters who seem to be important to the Themis project, and yet they have a sense of mystery surrounding them. A character known as Mr. Burns may or may not have a tenuous relationship with the aliens, but we still don’t learn much about him in this book. The unnamed narrator from the last book, however, finally reveals more about himself to Rose, in one of the more poignant scenes in the book. Even though the last part of the story felt a little rushed, as if the author was trying to wrap everything up within a certain page count, I loved the twists that come near the end, which are clearly leading up to events in the next book.

This is quite a fun series, although you must start at the beginning, because you’d be completely lost if you didn’t. Waking Gods not only tells a cautionary tale of alien invasion, but gives readers plenty of surprises along the way. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next installment of this addictive series.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

Super fun, fast paced read - I enjoyed this soooo much! Possibly more than the first, and I loved the first one too.

SO GOOD.

A little girl falls into a hole and lands in a giant metal hand. The source and nature of this hand remain a mystery until this girl grows up to be Dr. Rose Franklin, a scientist who joins a team of archeologists to find the other pieces of the metal body, which are scattered all over the earth. These hidden parts are brought together and used to create an enormous statue, twenty stories high. It seems to be a kind of spacecraft, hollow with a control room inside. 
After several years, the people of earth believe this monstrous statue to be harmless, even beneficial to mankind. They imagine it may have been left as a guardian of earth by aliens who left earth thousands of years ago. An agency created by the UN called the Earth Defense Corps, led by Dr. Franklin, is charged with studying this phenomenon to try to assess what impact it might have on humanity and make plans for defending earth if necessary. What happens when another of these gigantic statues appears suddenly in a park in London sets off a chain of events that threatens the survival of mankind. 
The story is told from different points of view, in multiple forms: interviews, news reports, journal entries, records of debates in parliament, surveillance logs, news reports, mission logs, session notes from a psychiatrist, customs interrogation transcripts, research logs, news broadcasts, email messages,  internal memos and even chat room transcripts. The plot was so cleverly presented using these various means that it kept me interested until the end. Discovering gradually what was really going on was tantalizing and fun, and I was surprised and satisfied by the ending. 
I recommend this book not only for science fiction fans, but also for anyone who enjoys a good mystery. I will look forward to reading more from this author. 

Note:  Thanks to the author and publisher for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The thing I love about this series is that it always keeps me guessing. Seriously, I never know what is going to happen next and whenever I think I've figured something out I turn out to be so wrong!

This book is a bit different than its predecessor, and I enjoyed it more. If there is such thing as "first book syndrome" (and I guess there is considering it was a debut), then Sleeping Giants was just that- focusing more on introducing the reader to the discoveries, the characters, the formatting. While admittedly a very creative and intriguing idea, something fell flat for me. I summed up my feelings on the first book by simply stating "it had so much more potential." I felt more engaged in the story this time around, whether it's an improvement in the writing, familiarity with the characters, or the fast-paced plot... or some combination. I think that perhaps the interview format of the book doesn't lend itself to very strong character-building (I always feel an arm's length away), and thus the story feels more engaging when it's more plot-driven.

In the second installment, we still have the same characters, same detached interview format, but this book was just nonstop suspense and action. From the first page, another robot appears in London and let's just say... things get ugly and then they get even uglier. We get some answers about why the aliens are there and even some backstory on the nameless interrogator. (view spoiler)

The interview format makes the book a quick read and the aura of mystery and suspense keeps the pages turning late into the night. The story ends with what I hope is set up for another book, and again, I'm so intrigued I need the next book ASAP (please let there be a next book!). This series is refreshing and original, easy to read, and leaves you hungering for more answers... I think that even non-science fiction fans could get on board :) don't let the phrase "alien robots" turn you away from this book!

P.S. Eva plays World of Warcraft? Besides being a totally badass 10 year old. My new favorite character. (view spoiler)

This is such a wonderful book, I so wish I had it in physical form. I loved sleeping giants and Waking Gods was no different. Whenever the next book comes out, I'll be waiting.

If you have ever had the slightest interest in science fiction, you need to read this series. Even if the extent of your interest is an occasional random thought like, "yeah, I guess space is pretty cool" or "I wonder if aliens exist", read it. I'm serious. 

The story is told in snippets of recorded dialogue, interviews, and journal entries, which gives the reader an intimate understanding of the characters while still allowing for a big-picture world view. From the very beginning, the scope ramps up and the intensity never wanes. There are giant robots and wayward scientists, secret investors and worldwide mayhem, but there are also heroes and families and a whole lot of heart. It's the perfect package.

I haven't been this excited about a series in a while. And with this book, the second and possibly last book in the series, it only gets better. I don't know if there will be a third (from what I can tell, it may just be a duology), but if there is, you can bet I'll be first in line to get my hands on it.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5ish stars

Waking Gods has everything good about it's prequel, Sleeping Giants, but kicks it into an entirely other level. I thought SG was decent enough, with some interesting ideas, but I enjoyed this so much more. To anyone thinking about picking this up: listen to the audio version. It's a great production with a full cast of voice actors and it elevates the story so much more.

In SG I thought Neuvel's authorial voice was a bit uneven and a little inexperienced, but it seems much more confident and comfortable here. Now that the characters and the plot have been introduced, Neuvel is left with a lot more room to expand personalities and play with the pure sci-fi awesomeness of the plot. Each of the characters come into their own, especially Vincent and Kara, and our "nameless friend" continues to be an infuriatingly fascinating enigma.

One thing I'm especially impressed with is that Neuvel, who has an extensive background in linguistics and a "dabbling" in robotics, does a great job of balancing the more technical sciencey elements of the story with straight up robot aliens. It's quick, exciting, unabashedly alien melodrama without being mindless. A difficult feat, but Neuvel achieves it.

This was a good follow up to the first-the stakes are definitely higher here, and there's sadness and drama and sacrifice and these characters develop more and discover more about themselves, and there's lots about family and the choices we make and who we are and it's just a quick read where you need to know what happens. If you like the first one you should pick this up too!

I absolutely devoured Sleeping Giants last year: a brilliant scifi novel that really gave me everything I wanted. Mystery, giant alien robots, and amazing characters… I was hooked instantly. I have been so looking forward to this sequel, and avoided all spoilers. It did not disappoint!

Old enemies. New threats. And finally, some gosh darn answers. It’s the end of the world, and the only people who can save it are severely outmatched.

I won’t even mention the ending yet! Only to say that I desperately need the next book NOW!

I stepped out of my comfort zone when I read Sleeping Giants last year and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I've been looking forward to find out what would happen after insane ending. Waking Gods is a thrilling ride and even more impressive than its predecessor. I am officially addicted to the series and cannot wait for the next installment. 

Waking Gods occurs ten years after the end of Sleeping Giants, but there is no lapse in adventure. I was immediately drawn right back into the storylines and events. It is nonstop action and endless revelations. I couldn't read fast enough and found myself wanting more. 

This book is heavy on the science, and if I were more intelligent in the field, it would have easily been a 5 STAR read. I admit to sometimes getting overwhelmed with the complex scientific language. However, it was still heart bounding and interesting. If you are a sci-fi fan, I highly recommend giving this series a try. 

**Thank to Del Rey and NetGalley for my advanced copy of the book.**

Wow, where should I start?

I absolutely LOVED this book. After I read Sleeping Giants on a whim last year, I ended up being sucked into its incredible premise: giant body parts are discovered in the earth that predate the human technology required to make them. A simple idea with huge implications. What does this mean for humanity? For science? Religion?

Maybe it's just me, but I get shivers at the question: if there is something on our planet that didn't occur naturally, that we didn't make, that we couldn't have made - then, who did?

To be honest, I wasn't sure Waking Gods would have as much of an effect on me. Sleeping Giants had already started to answer some questions, and with the atmosphere of mystery dwindling, I wasn't sure exactly what a sequel would offer. Well, seriously, I don't even know how to convey how exciting, fast-paced and unputdownable this book was.

Waking Gods is a heart-pounding thrill ride. I loved everything about it. From the action scenes as things get bigger and bigger and it seems humanity might really be doomed, to the scientific details which were so damn interesting! I love sci-fi books that seem (not like I'd know for sure) grounded in scientific fact. It adds an extra dose of realism; of possibility.

The style of narration also really appeals to me. The story unfolds through interview transcripts and journal entries, which works wonders for the pacing. It keeps us constantly in the moment, gives us further insight into the characters, and never gets bogged down by too much description. Plus, most of the interviews are conducted by an unnamed interviewer (yes, we do learn more about him), giving it an additional air of mystery. And he's snarky as fuck, which also helps.

Look, you probably already know by now if this book is for you or not. If you like sci-fi that opens up worlds of possibility, that makes you feel smaller than you knew was possible, that offers new, thrilling and scary answers to some of the oldest questions -- READ THIS SERIES.

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.

Wow, did not disappoint!!! Advances the story perfectly. I was a bit worried by this book being set almost 10 years from the first one but it actually flowed really well! I already can't wait for book 3!!!!!!!

Many years after the discovery of several giant robotic body parts strewn across and the subsequent construction of these into the giant robot Themis another one shows up in London. Larger and with more functions it at first appears to be non threatening, but when Themis confronts it a battle ensues. With the latter victorious a new phase in the situation with the robots is entered. Especially when there are human like aliens found inside. At the same time the mysterious return of the dead Rose Franklin yields even more information, illegal egg harvesting and secret offspring. That ends upp being the least of humanity’s problem when thirteen new robots appear out of the blue and Themis vanishes in the process. The robots kill the population of several major cities and it looks as if man might just become a footnote in the history books.

Neuval continues with the case file form he began in Sleeping Giants and it is a structure that works well. He takes a story that to many may have some familiarity; the alien threat coupled with political and scientific secrecy and relates it in a very innovative style. The narrative consists of a variety of interviews conducted by the mysterious friend, news reports and other various recordings. Very much like the previous books it keeps the reader interested and it keeps a very nice and quick pace to a story that might otherwise be quite heavy on words and difficult to get through. Neuval is brilliant in that he has the ability to capture ones interest with quite meager means. We are not informed of the appearances of any of the characters or their outer goals other than what they might reveal in discussions with each other and this is fine. It creates a tension and interest in the story itself and the events that may come to pass, as well as what the consequences humanity might have to deal with once we come in contact with alien worlds. The question poised at the center of the Themis Files is still where the robots come from and whether they have left more than hardware behind. The plot truly thickens throughout this book and the story becomes more tragic than before.

It is easy to become enamored by Neuvel’s writing and his story of humanity playing with new toys that they do not quite understand, but this second book might answer some of the questions from the first one and leaves you with so many more that it is almost impossible to wait for the next installment.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

While this book has many of the issues I had with the first one, it's definitely more action packed than the first one. It seems when you're not dealing with cliche political wrangling of putting together a giant robot, and instead dealing with pure action of robots ending the human race, more can be forgiven. Yeah the writing is not the best, BUT OMG IT'S THE APOCALYPSE! It being a compelling enough story obviously helps. Otherwise, it would end up like Armada.

While the telling over showing was a big part of this book as well, it helped by being more from the diary entries than the interviews. The mystery man was still the weakest part. Even attempts at giving him emotional scenes and a backstory fell flat. The backstory was a mixture of odd and laughable. It really didn't work for me.

I do like how the author took risks with the plot. After certain choices in the first book, I thought the author wasn't willing to do some things to help drive the plot. If he retcons this in the 3rd book, it'll be a bit upsetting.

While the dossier style of the book makes things all a bit shallow, it's quite a fun read. Moreso than the first one. If you've wanted to read Independence Day mixed with mecha, here it is.

Thanks very much to NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

After years of investigation, Rose and her team have just begun to figure out a portion of the mystery surrounding the giant robot that they had unearthed and pieced together. The answers that they have found have been extremely interesting, to say the least, but there is still quite a bit that they just don't know. That's when a robot even bigger than the one that they dug up materializes and unleashes its wrath on a major city. Suddenly the team finds themselves living in a nightmare, as more and more robots start appearing on their planet. If they want to stand a chance the Earth Defense Corps is only going to have to work out the technological secrets of an unimaginably advanced species.

I was absolutely thrilled when I lucked out and got approved for this ARC on NetGalley since I enjoyed book one of the Themis Files, Sleeping Giants, so much. (You can see my review of that novel here. I'm so pleased to see Neuvel back back for book two in style! Waking Gods is an awesome sequel! I loved seeing our cast of characters back for round two - I can never get enough of Kara and Vincent, plus our interviewer who (reminds me primarily of Agent Smith from The Matrix with a dash of Castiel from Supernatural) is my personal favorite character of the entire group. My only issues with this novel, like before, is that I really wish we had a better sense of time between each interview and report and during a few scenes I found myself wishing that we were a bit closer to events instead of being a step or two removed. Otherwise, though, I particularly enjoyed the formatting of this story - it's such a unique and imaginative way to set up this sci-fi saga. 

This installment is a fun, thrill-ride with some stunning twists and emotional gut punches (I'll admit I got a bit misty-eyed) to boot. I don't want to give too much away about the plot overall, but I'm still reeling from that cliff hanger ending. If you like The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, The Fold by Peter Clines, The Iron Giant, Fringe, and Power Rangers, I highly recommend this series. I can't wait to see what will come next in Sylvain Neuvel's Themis Files!

As with Sleeping Giants, I enjoyed this book a lot. It amazes me how well written it is and how this series have made me be more open to the Sci-Fi genre, which I didn't use to read a lot. A well crafted writing style, action, and a great continuation to book one which I highly recommend.

It's sequal time. I did read the first book in this series. I'm glad to say that this was a BIG improvement over the first book. I started to not read it, but I hoped to have questions that weren't answered solved. I'm not sorry that I got it. It's still log/journal entry style, but at least we are more involved in the plot and outcomes now. 

If you liked the first book even 2 stars worth, this has jumped to 4 stars. My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

The sequel to <i>Sleeping Giants</i> definitely raised the stakes. I almost want to think of the first book as the training montage for both Vincent and Kara piloting Themis, but also for the reader's understanding of this version of earth's history. It's a fascinating exploration into the human psyche from the perspective of empathy and bureaucracy told in case files and audio interviews.

As with many SFF sequels, this one was an easier read because the reader knew most of the rules. Or so they thought. There was so much left to learn about the giant robots and the way they functioned. There was a palpable terror with the amazing abilities these aliens had. There were definitely more nods to the ways the mechs work that remind me of <i>Pacific Rim</i>, but more directly, <i>Neon Genesis Evangelion</i>.

Where the book falls apart is that less time was spent delving on the magnitude of human suffering. In the first book, Neuvel spent more time from multiple POVs looking at the disasters that happen. Perhaps because it's hard to understand millions dying in an alien-induced apocalypse, but that global feeling of hopelessness and sadness could have been executed better.

With that cliff-hanger ending, I can't wait to see what comes up next in <i>The Themis Files</i>.