What’s it all about?:
We always thought the biggest threat to humanity would come from the outside.
We were wrong.
As the human race picks up the pieces of destruction left behind, a new world order emerges. New alliances are formed. Old divisions are strengthened. And, with a power struggle fueled by the threat of mutually assured destruction, nothing is certain.
At a time when the world’s nations should have been coming together, they have never been more divided.
What did I think?:
I can’t believe I’ve been buddy reading with blogger bestie, Janel from Keeper Of Pages for almost a year now! We’ve read some staggeringly good books and with the final book in The Themis Files, we’ve now completed a series together which gives me a strange sense of achievement. Now that all the three books in the trilogy are completed, I feel quite bereft and not sure what to do with myself and as I’m sure Janel would agree, it’s been quite a journey. Now, reviewing the third and final book in a series was always going to be notoriously difficult and like Janel in her review, I had to delete a portion of the synopsis to avoid potential spoilers.
Sylvain Neuvel, author of Only Human, the third and final book in The Themis Files.
Generally speaking, this series has been a bit like the tornado that hits Kansas in The Wizard Of Oz. It’s been shocking and indeed, devastating at points but there have been moments and particular characters through the series that will remain permanently in my thoughts and that I still continue to muse on and admire for their strength, determination and resilience. In this way, it’s been such a mesmerising reading experience – for specific individuals like Kara and Rose alone and of course, for the structure and writing style of the narrative which is nothing short of brilliance.
I have to admit, it hasn’t always been a stellar reading experience, I have had a few issues with the series as a whole. There’s been dramatic jumps in time that were slightly disconcerting in Sleeping Giants and a slightly disappointing sequel that felt more of a “filler” novel in Waking Gods but I’ll also never forget the unexpected moments, twists that made me want to scream blue murder at the author and overall, the fascinating, imaginative world that he created.
As a science fiction series, I can’t really comment if The Themis Files stands out in the genre as I’m not a huge connaisseur but I think I can say with complete confidence that The Themis Files makes me WANT to read more science fiction. Apart from a couple of exceptions (The Sparrow and The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet), this is a genre that kind of intimidates me and I often don’t feel like it’s going to be my cup of tea. Well, this series has turned that thought completely on its head and now I fully believe if other books in the genre come close to The Themis Files, I could definitely become a convert! Sylvain Neuvel has combined a fantastical, technologically advanced world and an intriguing alien species with a wonderful element of mystery and excitement but much more than that, he has created characters that you really care about, particularly his female leads.
I think Sleeping Giants will always remain my favorite book in the series but to be perfectly honest, Only Human comes a close second. If you’re curious about science fiction and have been a little afraid to give it a try, please trust me when I say that this series has the potential to blow your mind a little bit. Even though this might be the end for The Themis Files, I wait in eager anticipation for what Sylvain Neuvel will do next – his unique way of telling a story and creating personable, memorable characters knows no boundaries and I’ll be one of the first in line to snap up whatever he writes next.
Thank you so much to Janel @ Keeper Of Pages for another excellent buddy read. Check out Janel’s fantastic review of Only Human HERE.
Would I recommend it?:
But of course!
Star rating (out of 5):
Previous buddy reads with Janel @ Keeper Of Pages
The Fireman by Joe Hill – check out my review HERE and hers HERE.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman – check out my review HERE and hers HERE.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – check out my review HERE and hers HERE.
The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – check out my review HERE and hers HERE.
Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel – check out my review HERE and hers HERE.
The Girls by Emma Cline – check out my review HERE and hers HERE.
Waking Gods (Themis Files #2) by Sylvain Neuvel – check out my review HERE and hers HERE.
The Three (The Three #1) by Sarah Lotz – check out my review HERE and hers HERE.
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