Only Human (Themis Files, #3)

by Sylvain Neuvel

Pacific Rim meets The Martian in the explosive follow-up to Sleeping Giants (“One of the most promising series kickoffs in recent memory.”—NPR) and Waking Gods (“Pure, unadulterated literary escapism.”—Kirkus Reviews).
 
Brilliant scientist Rose Franklin has devoted her adult life to solving the mystery she accidentally stumbled upon as a child: a huge metal hand buried beneath the ground outside Deadwood, South Dakota. The discovery set in motion a cataclysmic chain of events with geopolitical ramifications. Rose and the Earth Defense Corps raced to master the enigmatic technology, as giant robots suddenly descended on Earth’s most populous cities, killing one hundred million people in the process. Though Rose and her team were able to fend off the attack, their victory was short-lived. The mysterious invaders retreated, disappearing from the shattered planet . . . but they took the scientist and her crew with them.
 
Now, after nearly ten years on another world, Rose returns to find a devastating new war—this time between humans. America and Russia are locked in combat, fighting to fill the power vacuum left behind after the invasion. Families are torn apart, friends become bitter enemies, and countries collapse in the wake of the battling superpowers. It appears the aliens left behind their titanic death machines so humankind will obliterate itself. Rose is determined to find a solution, whatever it takes. But will she become a pawn in a doomsday game no one can win?

Praise for Only Human
 
“Packing a surprisingly powerful thematic punch, this novel is an addictive blend of science fiction, apocalyptic thriller, and chillingly timely cautionary tale. Two (giant, robotic) thumbs up!”—Kirkus Reviews

“Boasting a winning combination of briskly paced action and futuristic dystopia tempered by cautious optimism, Only Human brings a fitting, satisfying end to the Themis Files series.”—RT Book Reviews

“This action-packed tale with apocalyptic stakes is a fitting finale to this wonderfully cinematic series.”—Publishers Weekly

“Series fans will be eager for Neuvel’s ever-so-satisfying conclusion to his rip-roaring science-fiction adventure tale.”—Booklist

Don’t miss any of The Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel:
SLEEPING GIANTS | WAKING GODS | ONLY HUMAN

• ISBN10: 0399180117
• ISBN13: 9780399180118
• Publish Date: 1 May 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Del Rey Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780399180118

Reviews

[vagasker]

It was not the best book out of the trilogy but I do believe it is a very satisfactory ending. It was a bit anti-climactic when compared to the action that went on in book 2, but it is fitting with the alien species. So all in all I have been impressed by this series and really enjoyed my time listening to it.

I can really recommend listening to the audiobooks because it is read by a great cast! The only downside is that they had to change the voices of some of the characters throughout the series which bothered me in the beginning, but since the voices are quite similar I got used to it pretty quickly.

[maggiefan]

kill me please

[inlibrisveritas]

Book one of my quick personal #owlsreadathon2018.
Ancient Runes done!

Not as good as the first two in the series, as it deals less with the mystery and high stakes scramble that the first two do and more with what it means to be human, to be a family. Still a decent conclusion however.

[empressbrooke]

Meh. I was really looking forward to seeing how this trilogy wrapped up. Unfortunately, it was BORING. I would highly recommend that everyone read the first book and stop there. You'll be left with a mystery, but in a satisfying way. It reminds me of the many TV shows these days that start off with a super mysterious and intriguing first season, but when faced with the task of continuing the story and providing answers in season 2, they just lose the plot. This third book spends most of its time on the minutiae of the politics of the aliens that sent Themis to Earth and some really ham-fisted social commentary probably inspired by real life, but very clunkily written. My own personal preference for storytelling is leaving just enough up to the imagination instead of trying to explain every detail, and this conclusion is a prime example of why.

[ross91]

A great ending to a great series.

[pamela]

What a perfect end Only Human was to an incredible trilogy. It was emotional, deep and satisfying. Despite the first book being far from perfect, The Themis Files has gone from strength to strength, culminating in a brilliant ending that had so much to say about humanity in the form of absolutely spot-on social commentary.

"You build a revolution on ideas. If the population doesn't buy your ideas, it means they're not ready, or you're wrong...If you're using bombs instead of words, that means you're banking on people giving you what you want out of fear instead of reason. That's never a good sign"

The characters of Vincent and Eva got a lot of love in this instalments. They were fleshed out, and their relationship developed in believable ways. They were individuals, and with the epistolary style giving equal weight to both their thoughts and motivations it was both beautiful and frustrating to see how they interpreted the same events so very differently, neither of them wholly wrong and yet neither of them entirely right, either. Dr. Rose Franklin wasn't quite as fleshed out in this one, but we already had a great sense of her as a character from the previous instalment, and she served as a great way to bring Only Human full circle. Some of the villainous characters once again felt a little contrived and unbelievable, but the rest of the book was strong enough that I could forgive Neuvel for that one, tiny element.

“We’re talking about human beings making a conscious effort…to be ignorant. Willfully stupid. They’re proud of it. They take pride in idiocy. There’s not even an attempt to rationalize things anymore….Our entire race is trying to lobotomize itself.”

The narrative of Only Human exists in two timelines. At the end of Waking Gods Vincent, Eva, Rose and General Eugene Govender find themselves transported to Themis' home planet. Half the book takes place on Esat Ekt, the alien's home planet, and the other half takes place on our protagonists' return to Earth. We see parallels between the political situation of the Ekt, and the state of war Earth finds itself in after the elimination of so many people in Waking Gods. The pacing is perfect, interspersing just enough action with discussions on the nature of democracy and the 'human' condition. We see the parent/child dynamic of Vincent and Eva mirrored in the parent/child dynamic of the Human race and the Ekt.

Only Human was dark and deeply emotional, but still managed to have a sense of humour that made it an absolute joy to read. This will be a story that lingers, and one that really made me think about my place in the world, and what it means to be human.

[shannonmiz]

Ah, I love when a series ends well! Seriously, it is one of the most happy-making bookish things ever. And it so happens to be the case with Only Human, which ends the Themis Files on a very high note. While slightly less action-packed than its predecessors, it delivers with some incredibly thought provoking plot points and characters. Let’s talk about these, while keeping it spoiler-free, shall we?

♦The humor is fabulous. Look, some dark shit happens in this series. Like, dark. But the humor lightens things up a bit, kind of retains the characters’ humanity. And frankly, just makes for an enjoyable read.

♦There’s a time jump that puts even The 100’s to shame, yet… it works just as well. I was shocked that there was a jump from book one to two, and I didn’t necessarily expect it this time, but it happened and it worked. I think it was a good way to be able to tell the whole story without adding a lot of unnecessary information.

♦Lots of great social and political commentary and discussion fodder. Seriously, the thing I have enjoyed most about this series is that it made me ponder the “what-ifs” a lot. Could this situation happen for real? How would we react? In truth, I think the author sadly nailed how human beings would react to such adversity, and it isn’t awesome.

♦Do not fret, there was still giant robot fighting! And plenty of action.

♦Our characters often had to make some tough calls, both in the past and present time, and I found that very compelling. Of course, their own needs and wants drive their decision making, just as it does for all of us, and I loved how the author highlighted that.

Bottom Line: A very solid conclusion to an overall high quality sci-fi series. If you’ve been interested, I can confidently recommend diving in!

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

The Themis Files has been a series that is really out of my comfort zone in a number of ways, but really just worked. This trilogy is written in a series of interviews and journal entries, similar to The Illuminae Files, but based in the nearer future and (mostly) on earth. The first two books of the Themis Files completely blew my mind and I loved every second of them! I was eager to get Only Human, but it actually took me quite a long time to get through it and is a bit different than the first two installments.

Like the first two, this book follows Rose Franklin and Vincent Couture. Unlike the first two books, Eva is a main character in this and she's also nearly an adult, as it takes place a decade after Waking Gods. After spending ten years on an alien planet, Vincent, Rose, and Eva land back on earth - Eva against her will. Having been raised primarily off Earth, it's no wonder that Eva did not have much desire to return, but daddy knows best so back she went.

I found myself struggling with all the characters in this book more so that in the others. Eva was basically a new character and, while she was definitely a strong female character, which I like, she was also a whiny teenager, which I did not. Her rebellious nature caused issues for everyone and, although I understood her feelings, I found myself becoming very frustrated with her as a character. Similarly, while I understood Vincent's decisions as a parent, there were moments that I would have liked to knock him over the head with something. Still, he remains my favorite character in this series. As always, I love his attitude and snark. Rose was just Rose for me, but I've never been particularly fond of her.

Sadly, my favorite part of the first two books was largely missing from Only Human. The conspiracy aspect is all but gone and instead this book focuses on various countries trying to outmaneuver each other and steal each others' robots. Although there is still some action in this book, it's much more spread out than in previous books. There also wasn't any big twist that I've come to expect from Neuvel. Simply put, it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat like Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods.

One thing I did greatly enjoy was the interactions between the main characters and the alien species they lived with! I liked learning more about their government and moral code. I also appreciated the social commentary on racism and the us vs. them mentality.

Only Human is a good ending to a fantastic series. It's without question the weakest of the three books and I wish it had packed more of a punch, but at the end of the day I'm happy with it. This series has conspiracy, action, and aliens and I am definitely glad I read it!

Actual rating: 3.5 stars