What have I read this week?
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
This is a science-fiction novel set in the near future. It is written as a series of interviews, reports and diary entries with various characters, including scientists, military pilots and politicians. The interviews are conducted by a shadowy unnamed figure who wields a great deal of power and influence but doesn’t seem to be associated with any government agency. The basic premise is that a giant robot hand has been found buried on earth. The lead scientist believes that it’s part of an entire robot and the US government begins searching for the rest of it.
I enjoyed this. It was a quick read, exciting and interesting. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes this type of book.
Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel
This is the sequel to Sleeping Giants, set 10 years later. It’s written in a similar way, but with fewer interviews and more transcripts of conversations. In this one, another giant robot appears on earth and the characters have to deal with that and also the aftermath of events that occurred in the first book.
I found this one slower going initially than Sleeping Giants, but it did eventually click for me and I would say that I enjoyed it overall. If there’s a third, I will probably read it.
A Glimmer of Hope (The Avalon Chronicles Book 1) by Steve McHugh
This is a contemporary fantasy novel set mainly in the UK. It’s about a young woman who is being sought by supernatural forces because her father has special abilities and they want to use her for leverage on him. It was okay, not great, and I probably won’t read any more in the series.
