[REVIEW] Waking Gods

title: Waking Gods (Themis Files #2)

author: Sylvain Neuvel 

genre: adult, science fiction
published: April 4th 2017 by Del Rey
my copy: hardcover, 336 pages
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 5 / 5 stars
goodreads

As a child, Rose Franklin made an astonishing discovery: a giant metallic hand, buried deep within the earth. As an adult, she’s dedicated her brilliant scientific career to solving the mystery that began that fateful day: Why was a titanic robot of unknown origin buried in pieces around the world? Years of investigation have produced intriguing answers—and even more perplexing questions. But the truth is closer than ever before when a second robot, more massive than the first, materializes and lashes out with deadly force. 

Now humankind faces a nightmare invasion scenario made real, as more colossal machines touch down across the globe. But Rose and her team at the Earth Defense Corps refuse to surrender. They can turn the tide if they can unlock the last secrets of an advanced alien technology. The greatest weapon humanity wields is knowledge in a do-or-die battle to inherit the Earth . . . and maybe even the stars.

ABSOLUTELY UNPUTDOWNABLE

This is one of those books I really just have to say, WHY DID IT TAKE ME FOREVER TO PICK THIS UP!? 

Waking Gods happens a year after the events of the first book. Themis, the robot discovered in the first novel has been somewhat normalized, and the world is business as usual until another large robot suddenly appears in London. Will it attack? Does it have pilots the same way Themis needs pilots? Why appear just now? Why in London?

I absolutely LOVE this! After finishing this, I think I like this more than the first book (or maybe it's because I read that about four years ago, lmao). I read this and I was instantly hooked. I really like the interview/journal way of story telling. I think it really fits the story well. I also like the little humors in-between conversations, the sarcasms and just amusing things to make many heavy conversations a bit lighter. 

Like Sleeping Giants, Waking Gods is fully of exciting things that you will never want to put it down! What's really good about this is how Neuvel just puts one big thing after another. You'll never get a break from all the things that are happening. It may seem like a lot but all these things happening are all thrown so well together that when things just culminated towards the end, it all fits so well.

Quick things I like about this because I don't know how to coherently gather my thoughts (lol): (1) I like Rose's constant questions on what really happened to her. Just one of the most intriguing things about this novel from start to finish!, (2) still love the relationship between Kara and Vincent, (3) I like that we get to know more of the unnamed man doing the interviews, (4) I'm not completely sure but I think that the political aspect is lesser in here. It's there but it didn't feel as much as it made me think so much in the first book. Nothing wrong with it though since it didn't really affect my enjoyment of this, (5) the ending is absolutely frustrating because it's such a freaking cliffhanger and I CANNOT GET OUT TO GET THE THIRD BOOK!!!

OVERALL, Waking Gods is a fantastic second book. Usually middle books feel so dragging but this one is just an exciting, quick read and it made me really curious of this world, these robots, these characters. I'm excited to get the third book (even though I've seen a bit of disappointed thoughts on it. I never read full reviews though because I don't want anything to further influence my enjoyment of it when I read it).

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