Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel -- Restarting May 15th 2025

[Dalziel]

Finally finished it!!!!

Part 1 (view spoiler)[ Completely addicted to this so far, the scientific aspect is keeping me really interested and fully invested in a couple of the character - no surprise there, takes almost nothing for me to like someone. Excited to see where this is going (hide spoiler)]

Part 2 (view spoiler)[ WHAT THE HELL RYAN!? Looks like this book is not being out down anytime soon (hide spoiler)]

Part 3 (view spoiler)[ So this is cool. I feel pure agony right now like wow, really? Can not accept this is happening!? How dare they just... Wow nope (hide spoiler)]

Part 4 (view spoiler)[ WhO aRe AlL ThEsE MyStErIoUs PeOpLe!? Need answers asap, please. Very interested in seeing where the next book is going to take us (hide spoiler)]

Ending (view spoiler)[ HOLY MOLY WHAT THE ACTUAL FORK!? I MEAN YASSSSSS BUT LIKE WHATTTTTT!? HOW!? I CANNOT HANDLE THIS!? (hide spoiler)]

Anddddd I ordered book 2 straight away

[Dr. Andy]

I’ll see if I can find book 2!

[Dalziel]

Yessssssss, let me know if/when you do :D

[Maddie]

Any good?

[Dalziel]

Really enjoyed it, definitely felt like it was more of a set up book though, like I think the next book is going to be mega, really excited for it

[Maddie]

I want to read the physical rather than the audio I had

[Dalziel]

I read the physical so can imagine it might be a very different experience to the audiobook but I hope you get round to picking it up :)

[Maddie]

Me too!

[Dr. Andy]

I loved the audiobook! The narrator was perfect for me

[Maddie]

Oh I thought it was like a physical weird format too?

[Dr. Andy]

Maddison wrote: "Oh I thought it was like a physical weird format too?"

No idea since I didn't read the actual book XD

Dalziel- I found book 2 so let me know when you want to read that! I also got book 3 in case you want to finish the series :)

[GridGirl]

Maddison wrote: "Oh I thought it was like a physical weird format too?"

The physical book is an unusual format :)

Part 1:
(view spoiler)[
Alright, so far we haven't learned a lot more than I already knew from the synopsis (which I usually try to avoid, but it doesn't always work out). I wonder what they'll find out about the control room in the robot. I'm wondering if there's any electricity in it and if it's going to turn on as soon as they have all parts of the robot together. I was pretty shocked when I heard that they blamed one of the victims for the accident in the city and I felt really bad for him and his family :/
(hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Okay cool so I want to read that physical.

[Dalziel]

It's sort of a tamed down illume style book, it's done through journals and interviews which I imagine is harder to do on an audiobook :)

Book 2 came in the post today! If you give me a couple of days to finish of another buddy read I have on the go I'm happy to read it :)

[Dr. Andy]

Sure thing!! I’ll set up the buddy read when I get on my computer :)

And the files were totally fine as an audio. I loved listening to them.

[Dalziel]

Brilliant, thank you :D

[Sierra]

25%(view spoiler)[
I would feel horrible too, even if there was nothing i could do. Oh wow why are they hiding this? I guess everyone would freak out just a little. They thinks its a vehicle, is it..this giant. I wonder how they are going to take it out of the ground and hide it.
(hide spoiler)]
50%(view spoiler)[
Im pretty good at video games, thats my second hobbie. I have a friend that lives in Denver, Co. i would love to go there someday. That would be weird if the helmet worked that way. Kara please dont. Dont go back to the helmet, i dont trust it. Oh kara you should really not! (hide spoiler)]
75%(view spoiler)[
This man is very rude. I wonder why he wanted ryan to walk so bad. He is very bossy as well. Is he in charge of this? (hide spoiler)]
Finished (view spoiler)[
I cant believe they are just doing things to people. Omg i cant believe they are taking her eggs. What are they going to do with them? This cant be allowed? What are they planning? He did warn you that they wouldnt be happy and they would arrest and depref you. I am def going to continue you series. I really want to know what this giant is and what it can do. Also where did it come form? (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Part 2:
(view spoiler)[
Wow, this is getting a lot more dramatic than I thought it would! I like that the book also focuses on those relationships on a personal level. I also noticed that there are a lot of strong women for a SciFi book which I like a lot.
I noticed that I assume the author is not a very good writer, because of the interview format. This might not be true at all, but it's very hard to tell with this special format... I also have a harder time remembering all the names and being aware who is speaking because of the format.
(hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Part 3&4:
(view spoiler)[I don't think those things and people that vanish are actually gone forever. I think they are just transported somewhere else. I'm just not sure what purpose this feature would have... I hope this is not going to end with a cliff hanger, but I fear it will after what we've learned on those last few pages of part 4... (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Overall I'm not convinced by the format. I think it would be way better as a movie than a book. And I told you, Rose is still alive! I'm super intrigued by the fact that she seems to be younger now! That cliff hanger is definitely the reason I want to read the next book. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

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Date changed. Restarting May 15th 2025. Happy Reading ☺

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[Sibil]

22%
(view spoiler)[I love the way in which the story is told, it keeps things fascinating, and I love that it feels like solving a jigsaw puzzle. But it makes it harder to keep track of all the people involved.
I think that the Giants are fascinating, but at the moment, what I really want to know is who the one making the interviews is. We don't know a single thing about him, but that he is a really powerful man (or woman). I guess they are a man, but I don't really know.
(hide spoiler)]

[Sibil]

46%
(view spoiler)[I really like the format of the book, but it is pretty hard to really become invested in the characters. On the whole, I like all of them, aside from the genetist (I don't like her, at all), and my favorite is the mystery man who is behind all this.
It was so funny to see Mr. Mystery give romance advice, and I was really sorry for Ryan, but I wasn't expecting his reaction to the loss. He was in a really bad place, sure, but... I didn't see that coming! (hide spoiler)]

[Sibil]

74%
(view spoiler)[Predicting where things are going is pretty hard with this one, every single thing that happens takes me completely by surprise!
I am really sad that the Doctor died, and I am sorry to see the others scattered around, but now it seems like the project is, somehow, back on tracks, and the old team is regrouping. I am curious to see how things will progress (hide spoiler)]

[Sibil]

Finished
(view spoiler)[The geneticist is crazy, and I really hope they will capture her before she finishes what she started. That said, it was a tad obvious that her research was going in that direction. I am not saying that predicting exactly what she was doing was easy, but the direction of her ideas was pretty clear, and nobody thought about it. That perplexed me.
And it is all so politically complicated! It gave me a headache!
That said... the ending was unexpected, to say the least! (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Part 2
(view spoiler)[Didn’t realize the setup would be like an interview, don’t love the way that reads. So there’s different interviews, with Rose who found the giant when she was a kid - and now this pilot who apparently found another?👀 oooo the pilot Kara found an arm in Turkey and Rose thinks they’re finding pieces of a body! Cool.

I like the interviewer of Kara, their banter was fun ahah. They’re interviewing Ryan, her copilot too. They found a thigh now! Love that they’re all working together to figure out what it is, surprisingly liking the interview writing. I don’t really get how they’re finding these parts? By pushing a button, but huh? How does that raise em? I missed that I think. They accidentally killed a lot of people by the part they raised! So many questions, like who’s buried them, how long have they been there etc.

Kinda like how Kara and Rose are becoming friends, but I don’t understand how Kara said it’s important research bc it’ll help a lot of people. Like? Who? It’s a big body, not seeing how that helps other? The politics are interesting too - they want to go find it in different countries, and it seems to be a vehicle or at least smth to be controlled alrighty! Buried 3000 years ago apparently and they’re spreading toxic shite to find it. Hmm. The fact that they’re covering it up by saying some dude was a terrorist is fucked up but feels typical for Americans lol. Poor guy. (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Part 3
(view spoiler)[I wonder if the place under Denver airport really exists, sounds so cool! Omg Kara put on the helmet and it healed her eye!! That’s so cool. And now the helmet will on my work for her, I love that. But Rose was right, it wasn’t smart to just let her do smth without really knowing what it’d do, but it’s not like they could’ve known lol. I love that Ryan had a crush on Kara even tho the rest doesn’t, rooting for him 🤣 like the change between interviews and just their personal entries too, wonder if we’ll get Ryan and the linguistics guy too.

Apparently the symbols are math tf! That’s interesting ahah. Wow Ryan had sex with Kara, that came out of nowhere wtf?🤣 holy shit!!!!!! Vincent suddenly got control of the legs, idk how that happened through the helmet but okay then, and he replaced Ryan :( poor Ryan, losing Kara too. Really don’t like Kara, she’s such a bitch really. She slept with Vincent and then Ryan hit him with his truck. I feel so bad for them :(( mostly Ryan tbh poor guy :((((( (hide spoiler)]

Part 4
(view spoiler)[Damn the interview dude is making them save Vincent’s legs - clearly making them go the opposite way so he’ll fit in the machinery. But I mean he’ll have to walk around like tht tf, this guy really doesn’t care. Could just use the helmet to fix him?? But it does seem like the robot has had it all planned out or smth, creeeepy.

I do like interview guy, he’s badass ahah. I love that interview guy got rid of Alyssa bc she was giving trouble by revoking her work license, and then found out she was actually useful 🤣🤣 if they only knew how much he’s orchestrating ahaha who is this dude!!!! Wonder if he’s even human or connected to the robot somehow. Rose is getting a bit scared of the robot and its power 👀 Kara went on a submarine and found the head yeuy!! Love how they’re so vague in the interviews but we as readers can put these things together ^^

oh so the helmet only works on the parts it can cover, so not his legs. They can now indeed flip back ew! She even has weapons, cool! This thing is def dangerous lmao. Omg they pushed buttons and then the entire lab was obliterated?????? Noooooo rose too???? Fuck that :(((( (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Part 5
(view spoiler)[Oh wow everyone went home and they’re stopping? Don’t believe that lmao. Eheh he’s sending Kara on a trip, months later, they don’t have contact with Vincent either, poor guy with his knees. Hope Ryan is okay too but guessing not. The Chinese man was very random okay then? But sounded like he knew the robot backstory. So there’s a new president now that everyone found out about the robot and that he hid it, a woman this time! I’m losing a little bit of interest tbh, I’m going so slow.

I don’t like Alyssa, hate that she’s back and now taking over from dr Franklin/Rose. Still can’t believe she’s just dead and gone so easily? At least Vincent is back.

This interview dude is so funny tbh he plans for everything - Kara will have an accident so he can use her on the project again, he’s such a manipulative dude lmao? He’s def rooting for Vincent and Kara tho ahah idk if I am tbh, preferred Ryan. Will we just not see him anymore now? Does he even know about Rose? They’re being deployed whut! So if I understand correctly, other countries are now involved too and they can use it too? And they’ll now be used in a war? Hmmm. (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Finished
(view spoiler)[Alyssa ordered them to go to North Korea even tho they weren’t attacking tf? And then they attacked the robot (duh). They’re trying to work the interview guy out of the project but that ain’t happening ahah. Really dislike Alyssa, she’ll do anything to them to get her work done - including cutting up their bodies. Can’t believe she fixed new pilots tho & wants Kara and Vincent to train em - including Ryan!! Didn’t expect him to be brought back huh, apparently she did like him then. Lots of corporate politics involved now.

At least Alyssa messed up and the interview guy is laughing at her pretty much lmao bye bish. Vincent and Kara tried to run, but they got Kara aaaaa. I don’t get who this Mr Burns is - he’s the only one who can best the interviewer but idk how he knows him etc. Odd, I’d like some things explained a bit more. Alyssa harvested Kyra's eggs wtf what a bitch, kinda wish she’d die or be in jail, very unethical. Ryan is still good at least , getting Vincent to save Kara and get the marines in. Poor people, they definitely got more than they signed up for in the end lmao funny how life develops.

Pohhhh interviewer is intense 🤣🤣🤣 he is linking Alyssa to the murders that happened before in Srebrenica, even tho he doesn’t think she did it - I kinda think she did lmao idk don’t trust her ass - and that’s why Kara went to see that Fata woman. We never really heard more about that hmm. Omg and if she lands he’ll make sure they find drugs on Alyssa 🤣🤣🤣🤣 she should’ve known not to cross him, psychopath (both of em lmao).

I do like interview guy but I wish we knew more about him besides his cheeky banter personality deep down. Woah Vincent wants to propose for Kara? Still feel bad for Ryan, he’s worse off :( and they’ll share the robot with other countries so really there was no use. I don’t like how little we saw of it really, we still don’t fully know what it can do nor where it came from. Don’t like the many unanswered things :/ I mean, how is Rose still alive?? Hmm not sure how I feel about this one! (hide spoiler)]

[Danique]

Sibil wrote: "46%
[spoilers removed]..."

Fully agree! I never felt fully invested bc of the fragmentaric story telling - even though it's an interesting method, it also doesn't make me that invested

[Danique]

Sibil wrote: "Finished
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Agree, Alyssa was clearly interested mostly in trying to be able to make others control the robot - no matter the cost. But the end was indeed surprising - I wish we'd gotten more info on that! Like, how is a different form of Rose still alive? It makes no sense aaaa, the ending is so open :/ (hide spoiler)]

[Sibil]

Danique wrote: "Part 2
.."

(view spoiler)[The author did a great job with the banter and the dialogue in the interview. I guess it's not so easy while telling the story in this way, but he manages to give life to his characters there!
It is an unusual choice, but I think he did a good job! (hide spoiler)]

[Sibil]

Danique wrote: "Part 3
"

(view spoiler)[I loved the idea that the symbols are not a language but math! It is so nerdy!!

And the fact that the helmet has some healing propriety was curious. I don't really understand the whys of it, I mean, what is its scope? But still, it is a nice idea (hide spoiler)]