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Sleeping Giants (The Themis Files)
A page-turning debut in the tradition of Michael Crichton, World War Z, and The Martian, Sleeping Giants is a thriller fueled by an earthshaking mystery--and a fight to control a gargantuan power. A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near her home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth. She wakes up at the bottom of a square hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand. Seventeen years later, the mystery of the bizarre artifact remains unsolved--its origins, architects, and purpose unknown. Its carbon dating defies belief; military reports are redacted; theories are floated, then rejected. But some can never stop searching for answers. Rose Franklin is now a highly trained physicist leading a top secret team to crack the hand's code. And along with her colleagues, she is being interviewed by a nameless interrogator whose power and purview are as enigmatic as the provenance of the relic. What's clear is that Rose and her compatriots are on the edge of unraveling history's most perplexing discovery--and figuring out what it portends for humanity. But once the pieces of the puzzle are in place, will the result prove to be an instrument of lasting peace or a weapon of mass destruction? Praise for Sleeping Giants
"As high-concept as it is, Sleeping Giants is a thriller through and through. . . . One of the most promising series kickoffs in recent memory, [and] a smart demonstration of how science fiction can honor its traditions and reverse-engineer them at the same time."--NPR "Neuvel weaves a complex tapestry with ancient machinery buried in the Earth, shadow governments, and geopolitical conflicts. But the most surprising thing about the book may just be how compelling the central characters are in the midst of these larger-than-life concepts. . . . I can't stop thinking about it."--Chicago Review of Books
"A remarkable debut . . . Reminiscent of Max Brooks's World War Z, the story's format effectively builds suspense."--Library Journal (debut of the month) "This stellar debut novel . . . masterfully blends together elements of sci-fi, political thriller and apocalyptic fiction. . . . A page-turner of the highest order."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Don't miss any of The Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel:
SLEEPING GIANTS WAKING GODS ONLY HUMAN
"As high-concept as it is, Sleeping Giants is a thriller through and through. . . . One of the most promising series kickoffs in recent memory, [and] a smart demonstration of how science fiction can honor its traditions and reverse-engineer them at the same time."--NPR "Neuvel weaves a complex tapestry with ancient machinery buried in the Earth, shadow governments, and geopolitical conflicts. But the most surprising thing about the book may just be how compelling the central characters are in the midst of these larger-than-life concepts. . . . I can't stop thinking about it."--Chicago Review of Books
"A remarkable debut . . . Reminiscent of Max Brooks's World War Z, the story's format effectively builds suspense."--Library Journal (debut of the month) "This stellar debut novel . . . masterfully blends together elements of sci-fi, political thriller and apocalyptic fiction. . . . A page-turner of the highest order."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Don't miss any of The Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel:
SLEEPING GIANTS WAKING GODS ONLY HUMAN
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Community Reviews
I began reading a hard copy of this book but then switched to the audio book about halfway through. If you want my recommendation: listen to this book, don't read it. While it is written in the same style as The Martian or World War Z, I personally had a hard time caring about the story and the characters as I read. After my wife finished it, she recommended that I at least attempt to finish it because it does get better. While I will agree with her that the story does get better, I only started to really care about it after I started listening to the audio and I wish I would have done so from the beginning. The audio version is more "dramatized" than it is an audio book as there are different actors and voices for each character. I believe this helps since the entire story is dialogue driven.
That said, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new and interesting science fiction series. But, if you have the option, just grab the audio version from Audible or TuneIn. It will make the experience much more enjoyable.
That said, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new and interesting science fiction series. But, if you have the option, just grab the audio version from Audible or TuneIn. It will make the experience much more enjoyable.
First of all, this book is written in the form of interviews, incident reports, and personal journal entries. And I am a sucker for books written in this format! In the best way it reminded me of World War Z, comprised of interviews with various characters in various locations.
The downside of books written in this format is sometimes you feel a disconnect with the characters and have a hard time caring about them. I didn't have that problem here. I think enough of each character's personalities came through in the interviews and journal entries. My favorite is of course Rose and Kara. I love Kara's attitude and even seeing how personal issues affect people even when they are learning to pilot a giant robot!
I also love that this is essentially the first couple episodes of a Giant Robot anime in the best possible way!
The downside of books written in this format is sometimes you feel a disconnect with the characters and have a hard time caring about them. I didn't have that problem here. I think enough of each character's personalities came through in the interviews and journal entries. My favorite is of course Rose and Kara. I love Kara's attitude and even seeing how personal issues affect people even when they are learning to pilot a giant robot!
I also love that this is essentially the first couple episodes of a Giant Robot anime in the best possible way!
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