With thanks to NetGalley for a copy. Reading about the morally grey Kibsu was a surprisingly easy read even as we go from Nazi Germany to Soviet Russia. Yes, the voice is far too modern but the author clearly had fun too - and says as much in the after notes. It was an easy read with an objective: take them to the stars which keeps the story going even as we see glimpses of past generations. (Maybe don’t read immediately after Themis but it’s not a bad start to a second series.)

I really loved Sylvain Nevuels other trilogy soooo much, so I'm so sad that this wasn't for me. I really wanted to love this but I just couldn't get in to it and I'm starting to think that historical fantasy is not for me. Maybe I'm just so over the stories about the world wars as I read a bunch of historical fiction on that topic a while back.

For thousands of years, a family of women has been gently (and sometimes not-so-gently) nudging scientific advancement forward. They're now on the 99th generation, and in the waning days of World War II, are creeping up on their goal of "sending them to the stars," though who exactly "them" refers to is unclear. Unfortunately, there's a similar competing family of men that has been chasing, and attempting to wipe out, the generations of women for as long as they can remember, and these trackers are getting closer to their goal too.

This is an intriguing take on the post-WWII scientific advances, particularly the Space Race and competing missile innovations of the U.S., Germany, and U.S.S.R. I'm not entirely sure what I think of the clone/spy-vs-spy feel of the not-quite-human men and women, but it's certainly interesting.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

This was a really interesting and unusual alternative history looking at the space race with a science fiction spin. I loved the way the narrative was structured, split into acts which focused on Mia as she attempted to influence various rocket scientists to reach for the stars. The idea that technological breakthroughs are the result of alien manipulation is not a new one, but it is given a fresh go around here to good effect. The constant push and pull between Mia and Sarah and the Trackers kept the tension levels high and overall, I found the plot very compelling. I will be picking up the sequel very soon.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Book Review

Title: A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel (Take Them to the Stars Book 1)

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Rating: 5 Stars

I recently read the Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel and absolutely loved them so I couldn’t wait to get into this new series. However, I don’t typically read or like historical fiction especially when it is set in World War II so I am not sure how I am going to get on with the first book but I’m excited to find out. We are introduced to a line of women who complete scientific research in order to advance the planet for the better and preserve the knowledge at all costs. The beginning of the novel introduces us to one of these women and her daughter, Sara and what they had to go through to escape Germany before the start of the second world war. Now we are following Mia, the granddaughter of that woman as her mother works for the OSS and she has been tasked with securing a scientist, Wernher von Braun before the Russians do which means she’s back in Germany as the war is drawing to a close in 1945.

As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, we learn that Mia and all the women in her family are part of a race known as the Kibsu. Their role is to collect and preserve knowledge for the advancement of the human race and Mia is the 100th generation of their kind but no more than 2 generations can exist at the same time. They are also being hunted by an entity known only as the Tracker and it seeks to wipe them out for some unknown reason and they have often had to flee from it. Mia does end up finding von Braun and posing as his niece, Lili as he plans to flee to the Americans. She convinces him they need to buy time for the Americans to get to them and they also need to avoid the Russians so the Germans are best equipped to help them. The Kibsu also have unique gifts which they call instincts to protect them and this is seen when Mia and von Braun are stopped by an SS patrol and Mia ends up seeing a way to kill all the men in less than 30 seconds which terrifies her but it doesn’t end up happening because von Braun calms the situation down. The Kibsu have very few rules, the two main ones being don’t draw attention to yourself and preserve the knowledge. Mia is breaking the first rule while keeping the second and her mother ends up contacting her letting her know the Tracker is close but there is nothing Mia can do stuck between the Germans, Russians and Americans.

As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, Mia and von Braun manages to make it to their destination but they have been separated and Mia is currently a prisoner of the German army even if they don’t say that. Despite her mother’s warnings about the Tracker, who Mia doubts is even real, she wants to complete the mission given to her no matter the cost and ends up poisoning and killing 27 men in order to get free and find von Braun. Together they have come up with a plan and end up at a lodge in the Alps waiting for the Americans to arrive but something is happening to Mia, like she isn’t in control of her body at times and it is driving her mad. In order to get rid of her cabin fever and return home she leaves only to literally run into the Americans, the very people she wanted to see. We jump to when Mia is home and her mother knows something has happened, that Mia has killed and assures her she did what she had to do but she is also lying to her daughter about many things we don’t know yet and I think Mia can sense this. We do finally get to see the Trackers in a flashback as we learn they are a family like the Kibsu although all male instead of female and their existence is solely tracking down and killing the Kibsu although we don’t know why yet. I’ve got a suspicion at this point since the Trackers experience rage filled blackouts where they kill people and Mia experienced a similar blackout where she hurt herself and this makes me think her father might be a Tracker, maybe even the very one that is currently hunting them.

As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, we get another brief scene from one of the Trackers, Charles, but they are about 13 years behind Mia and her mother. Meanwhile, after the war ends Mia and her mother end up moving to Russia, Mia’s mother explains that the Americans have the V-2 and aren’t doing anything with it so they are there to help the Russians create a space rockets and start the race to space. Mia doesn’t really understand the point of this but when her mother mentions that it is time for her to have a child, Mia panics because that means losing her mother something she isn’t ready for but her mother knows better. We also Mia craving her own identity and she begins a relationship with Billie, another young girl in Russia and is heartbroken when she has to leave to return to Germany but she also isn’t as she is more than Mia, she is the Ninety-Nine and one day the Hundred. Back in Germany, Mia meets with a Colonel, Sergei, and offers him the chance to head a research project into sending a rocket into space and he initially turns it down because he wants to see his family in Russia again but Mia has already planned for this. Now, we can see Mia stepping into her mother’s shoes even if she doesn’t realise it herself and she also gave her mother the key to her grandmother’s research in ice since ice traps air when it freeze meaning to find old air she only has to find old ice and date it back to the period she wants.

As we cross into the second half of the novel, Mia is working on the project but isn’t giving it her all until she collects people from Germany and brings them back to Russia. However, along the way she stops in Bad Saarow to find out what happened there as it has been on her mind since Dieter mentioned it. The second she arrives, she is flooded with memories from her childhood where she brutally murdered two girls who were picking on her and how her mother saved her from that. Mia in this moment realises that they aren’t the good guys and they aren’t any better than the Trackers with the violence they can do and this breaks something inside of Mia that was longing to be normal. Afterwards both her mother and Billie can see there is something wrong with Mia but neither can get it out of her but it is ripping Mia apart. It is her mother who finally breaks through to her and explains despite being different they belong her just as much as everyone else and Mia throws herself back into their work with more determination that ever. Despite this she is hiding things from her mother and this isn’t going to work out well in the end especially since she is going to need a daughter which she can’t get from Billie.

As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, Mia returns home from working on the rocket to learn that Billie has been arrested and sent to psychiatric hospital for her homosexuality which is still a crime in this time. Mia convinces her mother to let her go and see Billie which turns into killing several guards and breaking Billie out although Mia lied about that part and told her mother she killed Billie. Sara realises she wants her daughter to be happy despite breaking the rules because she is asking a lot more of her daughter in return. The rocket is also taking shape and the space race is really ramping up now, however, Stalin’s right hand man attempted to rape Mia and she fought her way out but left him alive to not draw attention to them but her mother is furious with Beria for attempting to hurt her daughter. Sara goes to hunt down Beria and sees him rape another girl who survives and kill another before she settles on poisoning him with warfarin. Meanwhile, Mia wants a normal life and can imagine it with someone like Sergei but she loves Billie. Billie steps in and explains that despite the fact they love each other Mia wants things she can’t have with Billie and Billie wants her to be happy so she encourages Mia to marry Sergei and continue seeing her on the side and Mia eventually agrees.

As we cross into the final section of the novel, I can’t wait to see how Neuvel is going to wrap this book up and what he is going to set up for the sequel. The final section of the book was amazing as we see Sarah’s story wrapped up and that conclusion was absolutely stunning it hit me harder than Kara’s death in the Themis Files which is saying something. We also get to see the true beginning of Mia’s story as she finally realises who she is and what her mission is going forward now that she is going to become a mother herself but the journey to get there was absolutely heart-breaking in places. One thing I loved about this book was how much of it is based on real people and events that took place which made it so much more real to read as you could clearly picture it in your mind. Neuvel is truly becoming a science fiction writer that is going to rival the greats in this genre and if Until the Last of Me has a tenth of the emotional impact then I’m in for a rollercoaster ride and I can’t wait to see what Neuvel brings out next. Highly recommended!

My thanks go out to netgalley and the publisher for granting me early access to this story through an e-arc.

I went into this one only knowing it was gonna talk about the space race and it ended up pleasantly surprising me. The writing style is very interesting as there is almost no dialogue and it reads more like a screenplay written from the perspective of the characters themselves. This resulted in a very immersive reading experience as it put me right there in the thick of it along with our POV character.

In part I feel like this delivered on what I was expecting from 'This Is How You Lose The Time War', an epic contest across time between two deadly enemies. In Time War the writing style is what ended up not working for me, so this one worked much better for my personal reading tastes. However, this one isn't perfect neither. I definitely did start to feel a drag in the second half. So the early ending was actually a bit of a relief (there is a large 'further reading ' section at the end).

I did enjoy seeing the interweaving of real history and alternate reality. The flashbacks to past kibsu were fascinating. As well as just the whole concept of the kibsu and how our understanding of them grows throughout the book. And I guess the drag towards the end is actually linked to the fact that by most of our lack of understanding of the kibsu had been dealt with and so my intrigue went down a bit.

Will I continue? Probably not, just because I'm not really intrigued about how the story will continue. And in my opinion it holds up pretty well as a standalone as well. But, never say never.

I'm hoping this is a series, as Goodreads now has this labeled as if it is one. I went into reading it as though it were a standalone. It ends as if it could go either way. No major cliffhanger, but definitely room for more. I'd especially like to know more about the Kibsu, I felt like we only learned part of their story and there is so much more to it. If there is more to this story I'd gladly read more.
Full review on YouTube

Der „Wettlauf ins All“ zählt zu den bedeutendsten Kapiteln des Kalten Krieges zwischen den beiden Großmächten des 20. Jahrhunderts, den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika und der Sowjetunion. Welcher der beiden erbitterten Rivalen würde es zuerst schaffen, zunächst eine funktionierende Rakete, dann einen Menschen, ins Weltall oder später sogar auf den Mond zu bringen?

Nun, der Ausgang dieses jahrelangen Wettrüstens ist mittlerweile hinlänglich bekannt, geht es nach Sylvain Neuvels Roman „A History of What Comes Next“, dann haben sich die Ereignisse auf dem Weg in die Geschichtsbücher aber vielleicht anders zugetragen, als man bisher annahm. Im spekulativen Science-Fiction-Werk des Kanadiers hat nämlich eine höhere Macht die damaligen Geschehnisse maßgeblich beeinflusst: die Kibsu, eine weibliche Alien-Rasse, die seit Jahrtausenden ihr mächtiges Wissen von Generation zu Generation weiterträgt. Hinter diesem epochalen Unterfangen steht vor allem ein großes Ziel: die Menschheit zu den Sternen zu bringen.

Warum dies für die Kibsu so wichtig ist, darum macht Neuvel in seiner Geschichte aber ebenso ein Geheimnis wie um den Ursprung der als Menschen getarnten Geschöpfe. Dafür gehören aber immerhin die beiden Hauptfiguren zu der mysteriösen außerirdischen Rasse, nämlich die 99. und 100. Generation der Kibsu: die junge Mia und ihre Mutter Sarah. Auch diese beiden arbeiten fieberhaft an der großen Mission, die Menschheit ins Weltall zu bringen, und sie befinden sich dafür in einer alles entscheidenden Epoche: dem Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Das Deutsche Reich der Nationalsozialisten ist zum Zeitpunkt der Handlung bereits dem Untergang geweiht, doch die Nazis verfügen über einige brillante Wissenschaftler, welche die Geschichte der Raumfahrt maßgeblich beeinflussen und vor allem beschleunigen könnten, allen voran der berühmt-berüchtigte Raketentechniker Wernher von Braun. Im Auftrag des amerikanischen OSS, der Vorgängerorganisation der CIA, soll Mia nun alles daran setzen, das deutsche Genie zum Überlaufen zu bewegen, um von dessen Kenntnissen und Fähigkeiten zu profitieren und den Wettlauf gegen die Sowjets zu gewinnen.

Eines muss man Sylvain Neuvel lassen: bisher wusste der Kanadier immer mit originellen Romanideen für Neugier zu sorgen, egal ob bei seiner Roboter-Trilogie „The Themis Files“ oder der Novelle „The Test“, einem nicht weniger kreativen Gedankenexperiment. Allerdings ließ die Ausführung dieser Ideen immer ein wenig zu wünschen übrig – und leider ist das auch bei „A History of What Comes Next“ nicht anders. Auch hier blitzen immer wieder gelungene Momente auf, die das Potenzial dieser Geschichte erahnen lassen, allerdings verläuft die Handlung insgesamt zu schleppend und die wirklich spannenden Episoden spielen sich oft zwischen den vielen Zeitsprüngen ab, ohne das man als Leser:in jedoch direkt dabei ist. So fällt es auch schwer, eine emotionale Bindung zu den beiden Hauptfiguren aufzubauen, eben weil es in der Entwicklung der Charaktere einfach zu viele Lücken gibt.

Das ist schade, denn was Neuvel wirklich hervorragend gelingt, ist die Integration seiner fiktiven Geschichte in die tatsächliche Historie des „Space Race“. So sind viele reale berühmte Persönlichkeiten ein Teil von Mias Abenteuer, neben bereits erwähntem von Braun zum Beispiel sein sowjetischer Gegenpart, Weltraumpionier Sergei Koroljow, oder Stalins langjähriger Geheimdienstchef, der für seine Brutalität berüchtigte Lawrenti Beria. In diesen Passagen erweckt der Autor eine große Lust, sich mit diesen Kapiteln des Kalten Kriegs näher auseinanderzusetzen, und fast folgerichtig ist auch das ausführliche Nachwort mit historischen Erläuterungen eigentlich spannender als die eigentliche Geschichte. Somit bleibt „A History of What Comes Next“ leider hinter den Erwartungen zurück, allerdings soll die Geschichte der Kibsu noch in zwei Folgebänden weitererzählt werden – vielleicht schöpft Sylvain Neuvel ja dort noch mehr vom Potenzial seiner spannenden Grundidee aus.

A great fun read with interesting characters that still maintain a mysterious background. The author does a great job of placing her main characters in the middle of historical events as they help shape the destiny of man in space.

This book unfortunately didn't hit the spot for me which was a big shame as I loved Sylvain Neuvel's other works. Honestly, I think it was just too clever for me but I'm willing to try it again in the future.

This book had a very interesting premise, but I think I am not smart enough to fully enjoy it. There is a LOT of math and science jargon and I am not strong in those subjects. Also, there wasn't enough history into the Kibsu - how did they get here? Why exactly are they here? H0w are the Trackers related to them?

I enjoyed the flashback chapters, and I wish we had gotten more of those. I did enjoy the book, but not enough to continue with the series. It took me a long time to finish this book because I didn't want to pick it up. I think the author is a brillant person, but too brillant for me.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge for allowing me to receive this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A History of What Comes Next by Sylvian Neuvel
(Book 1 in Take Them To The Stars)

A History Of What Comes Next was a book that I was looking forward to reading. I had enjoyed the Sleeping Giants series and was interested in what Neuvel would come up with next. A history of what comes next is compared to Blake Crouch, my favorite Scifi Thriller Action writer. Do I think that is a good comparison? Not really. I understand why the connection was made. Both authors use scientific theories to create these alternate worlds happen. Still, Nuevals was much more of an alternate history that focuses on the history and characters than the mind-bending thriller sci-fi that Crouch writes.
Overall I liked this start to a new series but didn't love it. It felt like so much of the tension was built upon triggers and shock factors, which didn't create the emotional connection to the action and suspense.

So disappointing. I've been wondering why Neuvel's newest release hasn't been more popular but now I think I know why. From the synopsis, I expected this book to be more action packed and science heavy. Instead I got 300 pages of the characters philosophizing over war, race, sexuality and morality. While the themes and discussions weren't necessarily bad, they also weren't what I wanted. So that's on me. This book is also more historical fiction than science fiction, so that really wasn't my thing either.

I don't get why there's a sequel but I might pick it up from the library.

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanusa for this free egalley. Whoa! I'm kind of blown away. I read Neuvel previously in Sleeping Giants, a great premise but it didn't land for me. For one, I love space so I'm in just on that alone for this novel. Neuvel basically took the true history of the space program and added 99 identical generations of women that were basically the driving force behind the space race. They have strict rules and everything they do comes at a cost to someone, but their goal over time is to get men into space. The action was nonstop and you feel like you're there with Mia and all of these women over the 99 generations. This is the start of a series, and I look forward to seeing where it goes next.

A lovely mix of history, action, world-building, and good old fashion sci-fi. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Wow! I have enjoyed Neual’s work before, reading both SLEEPING GIANTS trilogy and THE TEST, and this was just as good!

I absolutely loved the style of this one. Similar to SLEEPING GIANTS, it used a soliloquey type narrative, like the character was talking over the phone with you and found this interesting and fun. I listened to the audiobook which is full cast and was blown away!

I love this concept of all knowledge is held within these two women, well not really women, but female. And of course man is trying to stop them. Love smashing the patriarchy! Sylvain did a great job writing female characters, each nuanced and unique. I enjoyed his inclusion of historical facts/events into the narrative. World War II will always be an era I am intrigued by.

I am really excited to see WHAT COMES NEXT.

I tried really hard to like this book - even tried listening to the audio when it came out. I made it halfway through. It just didn’t click for me. The Waking Gods series was excellent and one of my favorites. This one just may be a miss for me. I struggled to get into the narrator and the storyline.

I am currently reading this. I received a free e-arc in exchange for a review. I have since ordered a physical copy. This follows different perspectives and some seem like better stories than others. I still have a ways to go and am finding it interesting. It did seem to blog down a bit before we got into the 2nd main perspective. I think it will pick back up.

When I found out that Sylvain Neuvel had a new series coming out, especially with this premise, I jumped at the chance. I loved the Themis Files and The Test, unfortunately, A History of What Comes Next might have missed the mark.

The concept was fantastic, I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters. The characters did have many interesting qualities, I loved how the hunter shared his feelings with one of his victims and there was a lot of character development, but I just wasn’t invested in them.

Sylvain Neuvel obviously put a lot of research into this book, and you can really tell. I wish the topic was more up my alley because he really covered all his bases. That being said, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in all the science and hard-core stuff that comes with space. Additionally, if you love the mixture of historical fiction and science fiction then this is the book for you.

Thank You to Sylvain Neuvel and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, for the digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for a candid review!