Waking Gods is the second in the Themis Files series and is
an urban fantasy novel with a touch of sci-fi, suitable for YA and up.
Eva Reyes suffers from debilitating night and day mares.
Visions of dead people, everywhere she looks. She knows the images are
important and not to be ignored like the doctors suggest. In the meantime
another robot has appeared in London. Similar in appearance to Themis, it seems
to have been made by the same people who made the first female robot the EDC
has taken control of. When the robot just sits there day after day with no
movement, the world is divided as to whether to leave it alone or attack it before
it attacks the world. When the robot does reveal what it can do, the world
reels with the destructive power on show. Terrifyingly more robots have
appeared throughout the world, all in major cities. Can Vincent and Kara,
together with Rose and the rest of the team find a way to use Themis to save
humanity?
This was a great sequel to Sleeping Giants and answered a
lot of questions (especially about our interviewer), but raised quite a few
more. You get to the last sentence and then BAM - you just know there is sequel
waiting to happen. For the most part I like that the book is written as a
dialogue or conversation and sometimes as a letter, even though it can be a
little trying to read it like that sometimes. I liked the introduction of new
characters and how they related to the established ones. The concept of why the
robots were there was very thought provoking and even in our current times
makes you regard history and the bigger picture in a different way.
Some of the scientific explanations became a bit tedious to
read and I found myself skipping over sections. I also found certain parts of
the dialogue unnecessary or drawn out, like some of the arguments in parliament
as to whether to approach the robot or not. Certain parts pushed belief a
little too far for me, but I guess if the first novel starts with someone
falling onto a giant hand, then learning that not all people are as they seem
in the second one doesn't seem too far-fetched.
Overall I enjoyed the storyline, the characters and the good
editing. Sometimes when writing in dialogue some of the world building gets
left out but at least now I know I need to try Kung Pao Chicken!
Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review the novel.
