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Waking Gods
Waking Gods
Apr 20, 2025 10:15 AM

Author:Sylvain Neuvel

Waking Gods

'Reminiscent of The Martian and World War Z' PIERCE BROWN

A twenty-story-tall metallic figure appears in the middle of Regent's Park. The caretakers at London Zoo notice it first at around 4am. The figure, or robot, bears a great resemblance to the UN robot known as Themis . . .

Who made Themis?

It's been ten years since Themis - a giant alien metal robot - was revealed to the world by Dr Rose Franklin. It now stands at the heart of the Earth Defense Corps - in case the makers of Themis return to claim it.

Why did they leave it here?

Rose and her team are still seeking answers to Themis's origins when a second and even bigger robot appears in London's Regent's Park. A military response backfires, reducing half the city to bare earth.

And what if they come back?

As more robots appear across the world, Rose knows it's a race against time to discover where they've come from, what they want and - most importantly - how to stop them . . .

'Captivating' BUZZFEED

'A sheer blast from start to finish. I haven't had this much fun reading in ages' BLAKE CROUCH

'Non-stop action and adventure. In a word: unputdownable' KIRKUS

Reviews

A superb, powerful follow-up

—— SciFiNow , -

Praise for Sleeping Giants

—— -

Reminiscent of The Martian and World War Z, Sleeping Giants is a luminous conspiracy yarn that shoots for (and lands among) the stars

—— Pierce Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Red Rising

This stellar début novel...masterfully blends together elements of sci-fi, political thriller and apocalyptic fiction

—— Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

As high-concept as it is, Sleeping Giants is a thriller through and through. . . . One of the most promising series kickoffs in recent memory

—— NPR

Stewart's books always leave me with a sense of pride for my country, and this book is no exception, but this is tempered by the individual courage and the individual loss. The personal tales that inspire and horrify in equal measure. By the time I finished the book I felt entertained and educated, which for me form the key pillars of a great Historical Fiction novel. Once again Stewart Binns has managed to create something unique, entertaining and eye-opening, I'm very much looking forward to book 2.

—— Robin Carter, Parmenion Books

The whole thing is a tour de force of writing brilliance, and it's great to know that in five years' time, Stewart will have delivered a book for each of the first world war years. A totally enjoyable experience, a brilliant start to a terrific project.

—— Books Monthly

Unarguably heart-warming... will leave any reader with a sense of British pride

—— Goodreads

Truly a book that educates while entertaining, a talent of this best-selling author

—— Historical Novel Review

Lee Child is the master of plotting...full of action and adventure.. This is Child's most emotional book to date. There are issues concerning family loyalty,wounded veterans, disfigurement, the opioid explosion, and the habits of drug dealers...This is not just a good story; it is a story with a purpose and a message.

—— Huffington Post

Sirens is a powerhouse of noir. Joseph Knox owns Manchester and paints it in all its grimy colours.

—— Val McDermid

Manchester throbs with lowlife in this startling debut . . . a page-turner with a beating heart. I loved it.

—— Sarah Hilary

Waits’ first fictional outing is a shadowy, disturbing narrative and once you start reading it’s hard to resist the call. Sirens is the best British crime debut of the last five years.

—— Crimescene Magazine

A fierce, assured and utterly compelling debut . . . A Ross MacDonald for the 21st century.

—— Stav Sherez

Great read. A powerful piece of Manchester noir, brutal, poignant and dark as tar.

—— Cath Staincliffe

Fresh and darkly stylish, Sirens is a striking debut that marks the arrival of a major new crime writing talent.

—— Chris Ewan

Sirens immediately feels like a classic, not a debut . . . a book for every crime fan.

—— Julia Heaberlin, author of Black Eyed Susans

An amazing thriller. Sexy, stylish suspense.

—— A. A. Dhand

A dark, dangerous noir, Sirens will be one of 2017’s smash hit debuts.

—— Nick Quantrill

Deliciously wicked

—— Tatler

Nesbø clearly had fun…it feels as if Shakespeare has been bent to Nesbø’s will. Refeshing’

—— Ben East , Observer

This medieval whodunnit evokes the rural past with skill . . . shares common ground with Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent and Andrew Michal Hurley's The Loney.

—— Laura Freeman , The Times

A peek behind the respectable curtain of village life, narrated by someone who has seen more than most… Reve’s voice develops into one of freshness and restrained lyricism.

—— Simon Baker , Literary Review

A consistently interesting contemporary voice.

—— Ben East , The National

Samantha Harvey's fourth novel is set in the 1400s but feels vivid and intimate.

—— Good Housekeeping

In the end, the questions of faith and the purpose of humanity raised in this bold, impressive and lustrously written reimagining of a past world are as important as the solving of the crime.

—— Elizabeth Buchan , Daily Mail

Harvey's luminous prose, tight plotting and rich characterisation make this a riveting read.

—— Move To Town & Country

Ingenious… Harvey has captured an unconsciously sophisticated, morally muddled, truly good and truly interesting protagonist.

—— Minoo Dinshaw , The Oldie

A visceral sense of the smell and look of the medieval world has knowing echoes of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose. Eco would also have admired the playfulness of the book’s shape… And Agatha Christie would recognise the cleverness of the reveal.

—— Mark Lawson , Catholic Herald

Harvey’s imagination, and her empathy for medieval Oakham, make this a convincing tale... [The Western Wind] beguile[s] the reader with numerous twists and turns.

—— Catherine Pepinster , The Tablet **Novel of the Week**

Samantha Harvey ingeniously builds a marvelously convincing medieval world out of modern language.

—— Justine Jordan , Guardian, **Books of the Year**

The Western Wind is an unexpected but triumphant foray into historical fiction… it is both an unconventional murder mystery and an unforgettable re-creation of 15th-century rural life.

—— Nick Rennison , BBC Histroy Magazine, **Books of the Year**

[The Western Wind is] worth returning to... it's terrific. It's formally interesting, it's got a heart, it's well put together, it's great.

—— Richard Lea , Guardian Books Podcast, Our Favourite Books of the Year

This is the novel of recent years that I have most frequently pressed on people; it is magnificent… It’s a cunning mystery – who is responsible for the death of the village’s benefactor? – and a profound exploration of faith, guilt and social cohesion. What elevates it is the quality of Harvey’s attention to the minuscule kinks and reflexes of human behaviour.

—— Alex Clark , Guardian

Ragnar Jónasson writes with a chilling, poetic beauty - a must-read addition to the growing canon of Iceland Noir

—— Peter James

His clues are traditional and beautifully finessed - and he keeps you turning the pages

—— The Independent on Snowblind

Distinctive blend of Nordic noir and golden age detective fiction...atmospheric...economical and evocative prose

—— The Guardian on Nightblind

Seductive ... an old-fashioned murder mystery with a strong central character and the fascinating background of a small Icelandic town cut off by snow. Ragnar does claustrophobia beautifully

—— Ann Cleeves

The ending hits the reader like a kick in the stomach

—— FRÉTTATIMINN ****

Jonasson's books have breathed new life into Nordic noir ...all the skilful plotting of an old-fashioned whodunit although it feels bitingly contemporary in setting and tone

—— Sunday Express

The threads lie in various places, the plot is well woven and the pieces in the puzzle come together well in the end. The structure is good, the main characters are believable, the story flows well, everyone is a suspect á la Agatha Christie and the solution unveils the mystery and leads the readers to the truth. But not all the truth, as some things are better left hidden

—— Morgunbladid (Icelandic newspaper)

Hulda Hermannsdottir is a welcome addition to the selection of Icelandic crime fiction protagonists . . . It is almost impossible to put the book down until the last word has been read

—— Fréttablaðið ****

Out of all of Ragnar's books, this is the one I like the most . . . The book of his which reminds me most of Agatha Christie

—— Kiljan, on The Island

A very good book, gripping and interesting, with all the threads carefully managed. Hopefully the author will publish as many books as possible with lead character Hulda

—— Vikan Magazine, on The Island

Praise for Ragnar Jónasson

—— -

No country associated with the label Nordic noir is as bleak, cold, snowy and empty as Iceland. And no crime writer portrays those elements as evocatively and scarily as Ragnar Jonasson

—— The Times

A classic crime story seen through a uniquely Icelandic lens... first rate and highly recommended

—— Lee Child, on , Snowblind

A modern take on Agatha Christie-­-style mystery, as twisty as any slalom . . .

—— Ian Rankin, on , Snowblind

Ragnar Jónasson writes with a chilling, poetic beauty - a must-read addition to the growing canon of Iceland Noir

—— Peter James

Distinctive blend of Nordic noir and golden age detective fiction...atmospheric...economical and evocative prose

—— The Guardian on Nightblind

Seductive ... an old-fashioned murder mystery with a strong central character and the fascinating background of a small Icelandic town cut off by snow. Ragnar does claustrophobia beautifully

—— Ann Cleeves

The ending hits the reader like a kick in the stomach

—— FRÉTTATIMINN ****

Jonasson's books have breathed new life into Nordic noir ...all the skilful plotting of an old-fashioned whodunit although it feels bitingly contemporary in setting and tone

—— Sunday Express

Hulda Hermannsdottir is a welcome addition to the selection of Icelandic crime fiction protagonists . . . It is almost impossible to put the book down until the last word has been read

—— Fréttablaðið ****

Out of all of Ragnar's books, this is the one I like the most . . . The book of his which reminds me most of Agatha Christie

—— Kiljan, on The Island

The threads lie in various places, the plot is well woven and the pieces in the puzzle come together well in the end. The structure is good, the main characters are believable, the story flows well, everyone is a suspect á la Agatha Christie and the solution unveils the mystery and leads the readers to the truth. But not all the truth, as some things are better left hidden

—— Morgunbladid (Icelandic newspaper)

A very good book, gripping and interesting, with all the threads carefully managed. Hopefully the author will publish as many books as possible with lead character Hulda

—— Vikan Magazine, on The Island
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