For all that time she has struggled with what this rebirth means, whether she is really Rose Franklin, or merely a copy with some of her memories and knowledge. It has been nine years since Rose Franklin returned from the dead, mysteriously missing three years of her life and memories. We do, however, find out more about the mysterious Interrogator, and his even more mysterious friend Mr. Everything is falling apart, and the style mimics that. However, as the situation on Earth descends into chaos, the narrative structure devolves in parallel, taking on more of a transcript style than an interview format. This in fact makes for a more interesting scene than simply witnessing the speech directly, as we gain insight into the Interrogator through the changes he suggests. Neuvel continues to work this technique, for example by having General Govender practice his speech to the UN General Assembly for the Interrogator before he delivers it. The structure of Waking Gods continues in the interview format Sylvain Neuvel used with great success in Sleeping Giants, with the unnamed character who I always think of as the Interrogator resuming his contact with the Earth Defense Corp after a long silence. The aliens know that humanity has found Themis, and they are not happy about it. And that knowledge will be more necessary than ever when more robots begin to materialize around the globe, in the world’s most populous cities. The appearance of Hyperion also drives home how little the Earth Defense Corps really knows about Themis’ combat capabilities. Then another robot materializes in the middle of London, and the government’s response inevitably leads to a deadly confrontation. Rose has dedicated her time to studying Themis, and Kara and Vincent have continued to try to master operating her.

We’re both out of place and out of time, and the more I learn about her, the closer I feel to understanding what really happened to me.”Īlmost a decade has passed since the events of Sleeping Giants, when Rose Franklin and her team hunted down and assembled the pieces of the giant alien robot known as Themis. She doesn’t belong here any more than I do. “I’m grateful for Themis, to be in her company every day.

Sleeping giants waking gods