Exceptional! This was such a great sequel and really moves the story along. However, fair warning there will be lots of times you will yell "No!" because of what happens in the story. I enjoy the reality of the story mixed with the sci-fi aspect of it. This is no "the humans save everything again" story but rather can humans get over themselves and fight even when hope has run dry.

If you haven't read "Sleeping Giants", the 1st in the trilogy, it really is essential to do. Otherwise, I think the reader will be lost as to what is happening in this one.

All in all, just a really good book! Now I just have to wait for the final book :-(. These are books I will most likely being buying and recommending to everyone. Amazing job by Sylvain Neuvel

This book picks up 9 years after the first one left off which disappointed me a bit at first (I wanted to know what happened RIGHT after), but worked quite nicely once I got further into it.

Though obviously not as 'unique' as the first book, "Waking Gods" was every bit as good and every bit as difficult to put down. Even the (relatively) open ending didn't bother me too much, as it fit in with the rest of the plot. Still, I'll be keeping an eager eye out for the third book in the series.

I'm really fond of the writing style. It's a bit of a stretch to call it "epistolary" as a lot of it is transcripts of interviews/conversations, but there's no "narration" - everything is told through dialogue or journal entries. It adds a certain twist to the atmosphere which I really like.

Rather dark at times (Sylvain Neuvel is not afraid to "kill his darlings" - so don't expect anybody to be safe "just because") but still written with a good dose of humour. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read more.

The second entry in a planned trilogy. I love Neuvel's style, not episitletory but similar a narrative formed around interviews, journals and correspondence. This really flushes out the characters so readers feel a connection while building up the tension without constant action. The second entry builds on the set up of the first and sets up the third title nicely.

I was reading the ARC version of this book, so there were a lot of awkward line breaks and placeswherepeopleweretalkingwithoutspaces but having loved the first book I soldiered on through that. And I have to say, I hope that there is a part three coming because this series is amazingly written. I can see how people might compare it to The Martian, given the general disposition so far, but to me, this is even better than the Martian, which I read through in one sitting.

Admittedly none of the individual plot hooks were particularly inventive on the author's part, but the order in which they came was as perfectly done as in the first book of the series. It might be a little high on the biology-babble for some people's liking, but I found it better to have things explained than to just have a 'because SCIENCE' flag waved in my face.

The ending has me itching for more. I literally swore at how the book finished, as with Sleeping Giants

I received a copy of the book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank the author, Sylvain Neuvel, and the publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, for the opportunity.

Sleeping Gigants had been on my to read list for a while but seeing Waking Gods on "read now" on netgalley was the final push I needed to actually get to it. Waking Goods was a better book than I was expecting. There was a lot of character development in between the two books and a lot of interesting development in the books themselves, which was something I wasn't expecting given the format. We get to know more about our nameless interviewer, Themis' origins and the impact the events of the first book had in the characters and world affairs. While I liked the focus on science and discovery that the first book had over the dealing with a world crisis focus the second book has, there was still a fair amount of science involved and unexpected twists. Both Sleeping Gigants and Waking Gods have earned a spot in my list of favourite books and I can't wait for the next book.

After reading and loving the first book, I was super excited about Waking Gods – giant alien robots on Earth is already hard enough to believe, but this sequel gives us not one, not two, but 13 other giant robots at one time.

The stakes are a lot higher in Waking Gods, because of the threat of the other robots on Earth, who wipe out whole cities during the course of the book. However, instead of feeling the threat, the urgency and the actions resulting from this, I felt like there was a lot of talk and no action. The book feels disjointed as the focus was on interviews between the unnamed narrator and the other characters, rather than on the threats upfront.

Waking Gods employs the same annoying narrative technique as the first book – we’re only told things in retrospect through character interviews and reports, instead of experiencing them first hand. As a result, I felt an immediate disconnect from the characters and what was happening around them. It’s even more annoying here, due to the monumental events that happen, making it hard to really picture what is going on.

The first book balanced incredulous belief with politics and explored morality of humans and powerplay, but I found Waking Gods to be quite info-dumpy at times. It goes into genetics, morality, science and theory a lot more, and at times I found my eyes glazed over because I didn’t really know what it was trying to tell me.

There were a lot of twists and turns, especially towards the end with the occurrence of unexpected deaths. Even then, I was still disconnected with what was going on because of how crazy and haphazard everything felt. I wish we got more answers out of Waking Gods, instead of some crazy ass theories and scientific explanations which did not make sense.

While I enjoyed Waking Gods, I felt a lot of frustration at the book because of the sheer craziness of the events that were happening, and the way the twists were handled in the book. I felt disconnected with many of the characters that I loved from the first book. I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel though and the conclusion the series.

I was granted an ARC version of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

I was hooked by Sylvain Neuvel's Sleeping Giants from the first page, and I am pleased to report that this second book was even better than the first. Where most authors may struggle with the "sophomore slump," Sylvain Neuvel only seemed to get better. The most annoying thing for me from the first book was what I found to be unbelievable and overdone political dealings, and I was relieved to find this toned down in Waking Gods.

I would recommend this book, and I can't wait for Sylvain Neuvel's next one!

Another excellent addition to what promises to be a blockbuster series, with yet another jaw dropping, cliffhanger ending that has left me furious over the long wait until the next instalment. Neuvel pulls no punches, the pace is still incredible and the death rate terrifying. The style in which it's written continues to work as old and new characters battle against an alien civilisation whose intentions are as mysterious as their terrifying machines. Food for thought as humanity faces a battle it can't possibly win....

This, the 2nd installment in the Themis Files, is as entertaining as the first. With alien technology showing up all over the planet, the adventure is nonstop and thought provoking. If you enjoyed the Sleeping Giants, you will love this one! Recommended.

I absolutely adored Sleeping Giants and was therefore a little apprehensive that the sequel wouldn't live up to my high expectations. Thankfully I was wrong, it exceeded them! Again it follows the same unique narrative style that made Sleeping Giants a joy to read. Without any spoilers I can say this book has everything; conspiracy, science, morality and a few tears with a whole lot of adrenaline thrown in!

Highly recommended, roll on Book Three!

Thank you to the Publisher and to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Having been left on somewhat of a cliffhanger at the end of Sleeping Giants (see my review here), I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on the second Themis Files book, Waking Gods, ever since.

Waking Gods follows a similar format to Sleeping Giants, a dossier of interviews and transcripts which tell the story. I really enjoy this form of storytelling – it’s different but works well. Perhaps it was my eARC but I did, at times, find it hard to keep up with who was actually talking. Then again, it’s possibly just my tired brain.

I felt that things escalated quickly in this book. Avoiding spoilers, let’s just say that some things kick off! Like book one, Waking Gods is filled with information – which can, at times, feel quite a lot. There are plot twists,

There are plot twists, secrets, and even some answers. I must admit though, that while I enjoyed this book I didn’t really ever find myself completely absorbed by it. I don’t think I felt as connected to the characters in this book for some reason.

That said, I’m glad I read it and to finally have some answers. It’s a very inventive series and I actually learned quite a bit in this book too. That ending though… is there to be a third book?

It’s nearly a year since I read and reviewed the first of the “Themis Files”: Sleeping Giants. I enjoyed the way that book told its story, giving us information through interview transcripts, letters and reports. Waking Gods uses the same methods and returns to the same characters as book 1, but I didn’t enjoy this installment quite as much as the first. Perhaps some of the novelty of the form has worn off? That said, don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to enjoy and appreciate in Waking Gods and if you liked Sleeping Giants I highly recommend you get a copy of the sequel.

Firstly, we get more of our favourite characters in Waking Gods and those you love to hate too. More importantly, we finally get some proper answers to all the questions book 1 left hanging. And, if you’re looking for drama, Waking Gods dials up the stakes and threat level massively, this time putting the survival of the entire human race in peril.

The epistolary format used in book 1 continues to work well in book 2. I would love to write a whole novel in dialogue because it’s an efficient, swift way to keep a story moving. But it’s a hard task to sustain this narrative method over the length of a novel and in a couple of places it does result in some rather clunky storytelling. For example:

Interviewee: “You know all this already. Why the hell are you getting me to explain what happened again?”

Interviewer: “I have read your statement, but I want to hear it in your own words.”

Interviewee: “But why? We’re in a crisis situation and getting me to repeat myself is a complete waste of time!”

Interviewer: “Agreed. Nevertheless, humour me.”

Interviewee: “But why-”

Interviewer: “Because the reader needs to know what happened, goddamit! Now talk!!!”

Don’t worry if it’s been a while since you read book 1. Waking Gods does an excellent job of dropping in all the unobtrusive reminders you need to jog your memory about the essential bits of Sleeping Giants.

Overall: if you enjoyed Sleeping Giants, I highly recommend Waking Gods. And if you haven’t read the series yet but like the sound of giant alien robots popping up on Earth, what are you waiting for?!

(Before starting, I want to talk about the dedication: while being super cute and funny, it actually spoils Star Wars The Force Awakens so be careful if you haven’t seen it yet!)

How excited I was when I saw Waking Gods was available on Netgalley! I ran to download the file (uhuh) and started reading almost instantly. I read the first book back in November so everything was still fresh enough in my memories, some names might have eluded me at first but everything came back easily.

I was looking forward to meet this new character, Eva Reyes, but I have to say I was a little disappointed to see so little of her. By the middle of the story I hadn’t seen that much of her, her part was more important in the second half but still not as much as I’d hope.

I have to say I had not the best of times reading Waking Gods, because of something totally unrelated to the writing or the story. I read this eARC on my phone with the Kindle app and there was some kind of glitch where almost every bold text (usually to differenciate who is talking during the interviews files) had no spaces between words. That explains why I took a few more days than usual to read this one, it made me do quite a lot of visual gymnastics and left me exhausted at times 😦 BUT I persisted and flew through the story anyway.

I liked how the characters relationships evolved. It was great to come back to Rose, Kara, Vincent and Mystery Man again! Ten years have passed since the events of Sleeping Giants, but only five month for me (and a year for the people who read it back when it was released I guess!) It was interesting to see how they had changed (or not) during that time. I’m also mad/sad about some events, but it shows how good Neuvel is at making us feel things just with files, journal and log entries about/from the characters.

The way the story was told actually changed a bit, not as many files anymore and a new format of dialogues which confused me at first. I actually missed a little bit the way the first book was told. I’m thinking maybe this was done because some people struggled with the original format?

Waking Gods manage to answer questions from the previous book AND to ask new ones, always leaving us poor reader begging for answers. And we get a lot of answers in this sequel! I love that Neuvel didn’t try to make the suspense last longer than it should, always ready to shoot the reader in the face with new twists at every turn of the page.

Still, I felt there was not as much *on the edge of my seat* kind of discoveries, not the same *omg I need to know I NEED TO KNOW* emotions like I felt while reading Sleeping Giants. It didn’t stop me from reading this book as fast as I could because I really wanted to know what would happen, even if the feeling wasn’t as strong as the first book.
The humor was also very present despite the terrible events and I laugh a few times! There a quite a few quotes I’d love to share here but I’m afraid they would be too spoilery 😦

I’m also VERY much on board to read book 3 because that last sentence was crazy. My eyes almost jumped out of my head when they realised this was the end and that I wouldn’t get more. I’m really looking forward to the next instalment! And also to know what great cover design Penguin will come up with for the rest of this great series.

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.

3,5 stars

Well, that escalated quickly.
The epicness has grown in this book so much. It's much more badass with twists that I definitely did not see coming. Like, AT ALL. I'm still not over that one twist which totally caught me off guard. Respect to the author for that bold move, man.

Now, this book might have more epicness than the first one but I felt even more distant to the characters than in its predecessor. I was actually a little bit bored at the end of the book and did not fully understand what exactly happened. But that ending has left me wanting more. Please, let there be another book!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Last year, Sleeping Giants made my Best of 2016 list and I’m fairly confident Waking Gods has secured a spot on the 2017 list. While Sleeping Giants dealt with the discovery, assembly, and control of Themis, the buried robot relic of unknown origin — book #2 shows how a newly emboldened Earth deals with a threat far beyond what they are prepared to handle. Author Sylvain Neuvel takes the overall story in a bold direction that sees our returning protagonists confronted with a dozen new giant alien robots with unclear aims. Waking Gods is larger in scale, yet more personal in nature.

I love the continued use of interviews with shadowy characters who know much more than they are letting on. By slowly feeding crumbs of intel to the protagonists (and to us, by extension), they’re able to guide them into finding solutions for seemingly unsolvable problems; this serves to drive the narrative forward in a compelling way.

The epistolary format combines with Neuvel’s sharp writing to make for an infinitely readable sci-fi adventure that twists and turns its way to a big cliffhanger ending. I’m excited to see where the series goes from here.

4.25 out of 5 stars

I really liked "Sleeping Giants" and I just loved this second book. These books are so much fun to read. They are impossible to put down, very exciting, action packed, filled with great characters and have such a well written, interesting, and unique story. This second book pulled at my heartstrings at times, made me laugh and *gasp* at other times when the suspense was killing me and I couldn't read fast enough. So many cool twists and turns. This series is so creative and it is a breath of fresh air to read something new and different. I don't want to spoil anything as I'm reviewing this in advance but if you've read the first book you have to read this one as you will love it. If you haven't picked up this series yet you are really missing out. I rarely ever listen to the audiobooks of books I've read but this series is so enjoyable I think I will have to in order to survive the wait until the next book comes out!

* Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

Hard to put down, the book just <i>goes</i> from the first page to the last. | I read the first book in the series 8 months and 1 week ago, and that was the main problem with reading this one today. I've read over 100 books in the meantime, there's a lot of detail from the first book that I just didn't remember when I started the second. Much of it came back to me as I read, but not all, and clearly not as much as the author expected. For anyone who reads the books back-to-back, or who re-reads the first before starting the second, I suspect the experience will be stronger.

I really could have done without the return of two characters--Ryan and Alyssa--and I don't actually see any legitimate reason for either of them to be in this book. They could easily have been referenced without appearing, and I feel it was out of character for the person who brought them back in to do so, which made them feel shoe-horned in for a poor-intention attempt at either paralleling the first book or a sense of completion.

Because Waking Gods, like book 1, is not written with a narrative structure, there aren't chapter breaks and the sections lead smoothly into each other. There's a lot of action here, and the structure combined with that action makes this a one-sitting book. The story has definitely gone in a different direction than I expected at the end of the first book, and I'm interested to see where the next goes, so I'll certainly continue with the series, though I find myself skeptical character-wise. Forcing Ryan and Alyssa on the book 2 readers unnecessarily and removing some of the most interesting characters gives me pause. Whatever happens, it's certain to be quite a ride.

Thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for providing me with an ARC free of charge. This did not in any way impact the contents of my review or my rating.

Quite startling second part. It has even better ideas than the previous one (albeit not best developed) and an almost 180 degrees change on the register. If the first one is full of hope, based on the discovery of the giant ‘robot’, here everything shifts.

All major characters’ lives are being affected by Themis (directly or otherwise) and are going through different states of mind; their entry logs are more insightful than in the previous book, furthermore because here they must deal with the annihilation factor.

Overall, it is another version of David and Goliath myth and reminded me very much of Robert Charles Wilson’s “Chronolits” on how ‘titans’ appeared, but nothing more – the two writing styles cannot be compared.

There were a few things which prevented me to enjoy it to the fullest: first was Mr. Burns, which has more than a cameo appearance here - in addition to being an unreliable narrator, he is a highly unconvincing character.

Second was the ultimate weapon of humans: the basic idea is genuine and wonderful; how it was put in practice is another thing entirely.

Last one was the ending: I understand the desire to leave room for another sequel, but it was too rushed and cheesy for my taste, also being in contradiction with certain events related to the purge; I could not suspend disbelief on it.

Nevertheless, if a third will come, which I’m more than certain it will, I shall read it, because I’m curious what happens next.
I'll recommend it just to those readers who enjoyed the first part and would like a closure on the loose ends and to those who like mystery and action more that sci-fi.


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As a side note, related to the Romanian mother of one of the characters (I can’t quote it here because this is an ARC and that fragment may not appear in the final version of the book): even if it was not meant as a state of fact or an insult but rather one to point out that others are being mean and racists, it still is an unfortunate reference from my PoV. Of course, that’s me being subjective here because I am Romanian.

This second novel maintains the structure of the first one, so it's less surprising, but the author compensates this with a good plot. Very entertaining. Waiting for the next one.
Review in english: http://dreamsofelvex.blogspot.com/2017/03/waking-gods-sylvain-neuvel-english.html
Reseña en español: http://dreamsofelvex.blogspot.com/2017/03/los-dioses-despiertan-sylvain-neuvel.html