One of the best reading experiences – and one that is increasingly rare in our oversaturated media age – is where you go into a book cold and it takes you so completely by surprise that, for a couple of days, it consumes you totally. Prior to this I had no idea who Sylvain Neuvel was.

‘A History of What Comes Next’ was one of those books I requested in a fit of pique from NetGalley, annoyed at being constantly ignored by publishers. You know what happens next, of course. Suddenly you get a spate of ‘accepted’ requests from NetGalley that pushes down your reader rating and leaves you with a lurking pile of arcs to get to that you barely remember enquiring after in the first place, let alone what they are about.

A caveat is that I have yet to read ‘The Lady Astronaut’ sequence by Mary Robinette Kowal, which I am now curious enough about to at least pick up the first book just to see how it stacks up against Sylvain Neuvel. Then I also have ‘V2’ by Robert Harris on my list, who is no stranger to that SF sub-genre of ‘alternative history’ with his superlative ‘Fatherland’.

What really intrigued me about ‘A History of What Comes Next’ is that the actual Kindle text ends at 88%, leaving a goodly chunk of ‘Further Reading’. The first line of this section is: ‘(Not as boring as it sounds, I swear)’. And it really isn’t. Not to mention one of the best parts of the book for me, particularly as it is intricately connected with the narrative itself. Neuvel explains: I learned a ton writing this book. I knew little of the space race when I began, nothing of rocket science. Writing in the past was the biggest challenge. Basically, nothing exists and women can’t do anything.

Neuvel proceeds to give his highly readable (and often very funny and irreverent) take on many of the major elements in the book. These range from the OSS (the Office of Strategic Services, which Indiana Jones worked for, according to ‘The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’), the famous Operation Paperclip, and actual personages such as Wernher von Braun, Sergei Korolev and the particularly odious Lavrentiy Beria, who cosied up with Stalin in 1926. We also learn about Hsue-Shen Tsien, the genius behind the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who was sent to debrief von Braun and his team after they had surrendered to the Americans. And who was eventually labelled a Communist under the Red Scare and spent five years under house arrest. Go, America!

Neuvel notes further: There’s been so much written on the [American space program], lots of movies seen, that I chose to focus on smaller, lesser-known events. It’s also why the book ends in 1961, before Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. This means that Act IV, for example, focuses on Mia going to Kasputin Yar, established in 1946 to test captured German V2s, and often referred to by conspiracy theorists as the ‘Russian Roswell’. There’s a lovely section on Russian space dogs, as part of the story is Mia trying to rescue Dezik and Tsygan. (We learn that between 1951 and 1960 at least 20 dogs made suborbital flights).

I could go on and on … This kind of factual background is manna for SF fans, and I must say it is a section that endeared me most to Neuvel. He understands intimately what makes the average SF nerd’s brain tick. And the brilliance of this section is the level of detail it adds to the main narrative, without being superfluous at all. If you’re thinking that a book which needs an explanatory appendix is fundamentally flawed, you’re missing the point entirely. Just read the damn thing, and you’ll be entranced as I was.

As for the plot? Neuvel himself describes his book as “my weird slightly-homicidal-alien-clone-space-race-story”, which is as good a summary as any. For me, the smartest kind of genre fiction is where the speculative component or the world-building is so deftly intertwined with the actual narrative that you cannot even see the seams. Clearly, a huge amount of research went into this. It is equally clear that, despite the fantastic elements of the Tracker and the Kibsu, a lot of this is depressingly true.

There is a popular, romanticised idea of the birth of the US Space Race effectively turning swords into ploughshares by recruiting the best of Nazi Germany’s scientists. The truth, as always, is much darker (if not greyer), as this included a lot of very morally dubious people, despite their supposed scientific credentials. And a lot of the less savoury Nazi R&D was simply taken over, and refined, by the Americans.

A note on the text: Neuvel takes the interesting step of blocking out all of the spoken dialogue as if it were speech in a play. At first this takes some getting used to, as it seems a bit jumpy and jarring, but the cumulative effect is that it makes for a much faster and more immersive read, which I also have to add contains a surprisingly vigorous quantity of violence, bloodshed and assorted mayhem.

If you think the idea of the Kibsu sounds familiar, like me you are probably reminded of the ‘Destiny’s Children’ series by Stephen Baxter. This is simply one of the best SF thrillers I have read in a long time. Yes, the plot elements have been recycled countless times before, and history is history. But it is what Neuvel does with all of this, and the story he tells of what happens next, that makes this such an extraordinary book.

I'm so excited that Sylvain Neuvel is writing a new series! I loved the Themis files, and "take them to the stars" sounds like a really promising series!

'A History of What Comes Next" is an interesting take on the space race. It's a mix of sci-fi and historical fiction. I was definitely expecting time travel of some sort when I read the synopsis. I was pleasantly surprised that this book WASN'T about time travelling, but rather of an "alien" race influencing the humans so that they're eventually able to leave Earth for space. I LOVED the plot, the character development, and the amount of research that went into this book. It was really awesome to see Neuvel's research notes at the end of the book. I usually have issues with male authors writing from the perspective of woman main characters, but this was done sooooo well. LOVED LOVED LOVED all aspects of this book. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

Thanks so much for the e-ARC!

I enjoyed the Themis Files and The Test, but A History of What Comes Next almost missed the mark for me. It's well written and I liked it, but... I couldn't quite connect emotionally with the characters or the story as much as I should have. That's not to say it's a bad book, it's just not one I would call amazing. Still worth reading, though.

I’ll be honest, the only thing I really took away from this book was confusion.
I didn’t get much (read: any) of the science stuff, but I loved how the narrative was woven into real historical events. It could feel a bit like an info-dump at times, however, which felt like reading a textbook instead of a novel.
I didn’t have an emotional connection with the characters, which made it feel like: why am I reading this book? But then something interesting would happen and keep me reading a little more. The cycle repeated until I eventually finished the book.
I wouldn’t necessarily say I recommend this book, but I’ll probably read the second book just because I’m curious.

It took me four tries and a couple of months to finally get through A History of What Comes Next. At times, I only persevered because I wanted to like this book so much. But ultimately, this one was just wasn’t for me.

It’s obvious that Sylvain Neuvel has done a massive amount of research for this book and it was definitely interesting to read at times. However, it makes this book read more like a history text sandwiched between some science fiction aspects. I found it hard to get caught up in the story, although that was likely exacerbated by how slowly the plot moved overall. It also felt as if Neuvel focused so much on including the historical aspects of this novel that the science fiction aspects, namely details surrounding the Kibsu and the Hunters, were somewhat left by the wayside for the majority of the book. Unfortunately, those aspects were why I had originally picked up this book so having almost everything about them be shrouded in mystery didn’t exactly work for me.

I also found it difficult to connect with the main characters, particularly Mia. This novel exists on such a cerebral level that I never really felt like I understand who the characters were. Which made it difficult to care about them. This was really a surprise because Neuvel had done such a great job of creating vibrant characters in The Themis Files. Without a strong emotional core to balance out the excess of historical and scientific details, the plot ended up dragging quite a bit.

Overall, this one wasn’t for me. But, I do think that there are some readers out there who will really enjoy this one. If historical fiction with a side of science fiction sounds good, it’s worth checking this one out.

I love Sylvain Neuvel's books. I always recommend his Themis Files series to my patrons. I did enjoy this book, but not quite as much as Themis files. I enjoyed the bits about building rockets and the history behind the main characters' race, but got a little bored with the historical parts. Since it looks like this will be a trilogy as well the next book will probably delve deeper into the Sci-Fi part of the story which is my favorite part. I also listened to some of the audio book and the narration is excellent. It was like listening to a radio show, but not as distracting. This is probably a good segue from historical fiction to science fiction for those readers that are more reluctant to try the science fiction genre. I will definitely be reading the next installment.

In A History of What Comes Next, Sylvain Neuvel recasts history with a science fictional element, inserting a chain of mysterious mother-daughter teams who manipulate key events and powerful men through the ages to try to get the human race to reach toward the stars. Other than taking humans to space, “before Evil comes and kills them all,” the purpose of these women, the Kibsu, is pretty murky, even to themselves; most of their original knowledge, including about their own origins, has been lost. But they have an apparently inviolable rule that there can never be more than three Kibsu living at one time … and that many, not for long. And they know that they need to avoid drawing attention to themselves — difficult to do when they have some unusual physical and mental attributes, including that each daughter looks like a clone of her mother. They especially need to evade an equally shadowy group of men they call the Trackers, who are mercilessly hunting the Kibsu and killing them.

The main plotline follows two of the Kibsu women, Sarah and her daughter Mia. In 1945, Mia, who is then nineteen, is tasked by her mother with helping German rocket engineer Wernher von Braun to escape from Nazi Germany and get him into the hands of the Americans, to help them develop their rocketry science and bring humanity closer to space travel. Neuvel delves into the details of von Braun’s escapades during the waning days of World War II, helped along by Mia, who masquerades as his niece. This part of the plot takes almost a third of the book, too long for my taste, though it’s broken up by flashbacks that tell above lives of some of Mia’s Kibsu ancestors in ancient and medieval times.

After the war ends, Mia and Sarah make their way to the USSR and elsewhere, all in the service of their ultimate goal of fostering space travel. As Mia falls in love with Billie, a black girl living in Moscow, she has more difficulty accepting the Kibsu rules passed down to her and the way she’s expected to live her life.

Neuvel has an interesting gimmick here, following actual history, particularly the early days of the space race, quite closely, but weaving the Kibsu into it — which sheds new light on every historical event, and highlights the way women have been treated as secondary citizens through much of history. Personally, I also learned a lot about WWII and postwar rocketry history, and about monsters like Lavrentiy Beria, the influential Soviet politician who moonlighted as a sexual predator and (very likely) murderer. But WWII history isn’t my primary literary interest, so my interest flagged after a while, especially since the science fiction aspects relating to the Kibsu and the Tracker are disclosed only in small dribbles, and the flashes of humor that helped to make the THEMIS FILES books so appealing are absent here. The flashbacks were the most intriguing parts of A History of What Comes Next, but there are only a very limited number of those.

There are also a few chapters from the Tracker point of view, which tend to raise more questions than answers. Both groups, the Kibsu and the Tracker, are ruthless killers in pursuit of their goals, so it’s hard to really sympathize with anyone here. Complete answers about these people are never given, and the novel ends with the overall plot entirely unresolved. I was deeply disappointed at the time I finished the book (I really should have taken better notice of the “#1 in a new series” blurb). Neuvel also uses a quirky method of showing dialogue between characters, shades of the style he used in Sleeping Giants, but it fit better and made more sense there than it does here.

With the benefit of a little distance since I finished reading it, I’ve grown more forgiving of this book’s shortcomings, and more impressed with the amount of historic research Neuvel put into A History of What Comes Next. I don’t expect to ever love this series as much as I did the THEMIS FILES trilogy, but I’m quite curious about seeing where Neuvel goes with the next book in this new series.

This was a mostly enjoyable read. For fans of mid-20th century historical fiction, and especially of the space race, Sylvain Neuvel's "A History of What Comes Next" offers a fun, fast-paced take on a fictional storyline that ties together many interesting factual tidbits and historical figures in the realm of WWII- and Cold War-era rocket development.

Readers who enjoyed Neuvel's interview transcript-based narrative structure from his 'Themis Files' novels will find a familiar dialogue-heavy format here; it's a different narrative structure, in that "A History..." uses an almost entirely first-person, present tense, dialogue/internal monologue-based form (save for occasional third-person backstory segments), but with a similar effect. That effect being that the structure is limiting, and at times awkward and weak. Because there is so little in the way of third-person exposition or description, the first-person voice sometimes feels forced, or awkwardly over-the-top, as is the case with action scenes.

As for the writing itself, it is rather plain and utilitarian, with short sentences, and short chapters. This yields a
breezy pace and easy readability, as well as a general lack of depth, though Neuvel did develop the relationship between the main protagonist and her mother fairly well. Some readers will likely appreciate this style, others will be turned off or underwhelmed.

The overall impression on this reader is that of a neat premise and fun story that suffers a bit for its execution.
Three stars; worth a try

I know Neuvel from the Themis books (which I haven’t read yet incidentally so can’t make a comparison) and I can see from the quality of the writing and narrative in this particular title that his popularity is not amiss!

I found this to be a pretty engrossing read - quite enjoyed it and loved to see the real world parallels (especially with the very detailed appendix at the end) - I got a real Assassin’s Creed vibe from it (just not the way you think) and it read a bit like an historical fiction crossed with some space race stuff and some apex level alien species shenanigans thrown in (just not the way you think).

Have to admit that my interest flagged a bit towards the end as it does seem to be a bit meandering plot wise but pretty much looking forward to the next installment.

This scifi thriller was a tautly written, suspenseful examination of the ideas of progress, innovation and what must happen for these movements forward. In A History of What Comes Next, we meet the Kibsu, 99 generations of identical women who have shaped and pushed human history, bringing us to the age of rocketry and the dawn of the space age. This is a retelling of Operation Paperclip—Mia is to lure Wernher Von Braun from the Nazi party to the Americans.

Interwoven between Sara and Mia’s narratives are entr’actes, describing the Kibsu through the ages—which added a lot of depth and tragedy to the story of Mia’s historical family. There is also a mysterious force that is working against the Kibsu throughout its history, and Mia and Sara in particular. This book didn't need the additional nailbiting suspense, but Mia and Sara being chased around the world by the Tracker adds an extra something (good) to this complicated book.

I absolutely loved this book—I’m a huge fan of Neuvel’s and this one does not disappoint at all. And I was thrilled to see that it was the first in a trilogy. Mia is our protagonist and she is different from her mother, but as we see in the historical flashbacks, she is not the only one who has bucked what is tradition for her people. This is perfect blend of historical fiction, scifi and straight-up adventure. High recommend!

2.5 stars
It pains me to rate this book so low because I really loved the Themis Files and The Test. A History of What Comes Next did not hit the right notes and I was left slightly disappointed.

I commend Neuvel for the amount of research he has done. The book incorporated real-life historical figures, such as Von Braun and Korolev and I enjoyed how he weaved Mia and Sarah’s narratives seamlessly into history. I also found it interesting to see WW2 from the Soviet side. Not many know what the Soviets did and I found this little history lesson enlightening!

The plot was mostly told through dialogue. This worked really well with the Themis files, unfortunately, it did not work here. The writing felt stilted and choppy. I was disconnected from the plot and characters as a whole.

Additionally, the plot was repetitive. Mia and Sarah would push the scientists to discover something, they achieve their goals, someone finds them out, they run. And repeat. There wasn’t a lot of progression plot-wise.
However, I did really enjoy the flashbacks. It was fascinating to see how the Kibsu operated and their fight for survival. I do hope some of my questions regarding the animosity between the Kibsu and Trackers are revealed in future installments because I found it so interesting.

Overall, this was a solid read. I can forgive the slow plot progression since this is the first of a series and I will definitely still read the sequel.

OK, this is the second non-Themis Files book of Neuvel's that I've tried, and unfortunately the second that I've not been able to finish... I LOVED the Themis books. The pacing, the characterizations, the plot - they were original and entertaining and engaging from start to finish. But with this book, as with my previous experience with The Test, I simply could not find my way into the story. It felt like things were all over the place, without the crisper focus of Themis. I couldn't connect to the characters, and even the wholly original plot construct failed to keep my attention. I gave it the old college try, but simply couldn't stick with it and ultimately did not finish.

This book felt a little lukewarm for me for the majority of following Mia's adventures through Germany. I had expected a little more sci-fi but i had heard this one focuses more on the characters. I suppose this was similarly the case with the Themis Files. This whole time we're following the Kipsu vs The Tracker which was the part of the story i enjoyed the most. Who were this 'race' of people and where did they come from. Why are they here and what are they looking for. It was great to learn about the previous 'iterations' that came before them.
Good story.

A History of What Comes Next is an interesting perspective on the space race. Told through the stories of three women, the advancement of the space programs were helped along by an alien race with a vested interest in putting humans in amongst the stars. While I found the story interesting and the concept fascinating, the book moves along slower than I care for and I was finding myself drifting away from the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

This was a really neat premise, with some cool historical fiction/allohistory type action, but it just took too long to grab me. Now that I’ve finished it, I’m definitely interested to see more in the series. I liked Billie and Korolev, and I was rooting for the star-crossed triangle.

What if an alien race was responsible for the advancement of rocketry and the space race between the US and the Soviet Union? This is the basis for Sylvain Neuval’s latest work of speculative fiction.

Sarah and her daughter Mia are the Kibsu, an ancient alien race living as humans on earth and procreating for the last three thousand years. They have specific rules they live by. There can only be three for a short while (Grandmother, Mother, and Daughter), leave no trace, and get them (humans) to the stars. They are also being hunted by another ancient whom they refer to only as The Tracker.

While this first book sets up an interesting background behind the space race, the characters themselves felt very two dimensional The relationships that they form with lovers felt rushed and almost forced. I enjoyed the history lessons, but hope in future books if the series that I get more insight into the mind of the Kibsu and how their memories/knowledge is obtained and subsequently passed down from generation to generation.

This wasn't a book necessarily for me, but it was still a book that I think a lot of readers will love. Science fiction fans should definitely consider it and it is definitely a page turner!

A History of What Comes Next is one part historical fiction, spy espionage novel and one part sci-fi. The story follows a mother-daughter duo who we very quickly realize aren’t necessarily normal and have a mission to take them to the stars. The them apparently being us.

The concept here in my opinion is a five star one, I love the idea behind an other worldly female spy infiltrating the space race. Another positive is that the plot moves at rapid pace; short chapters, quick dialogue.

Unfortunately it wasn’t executed in a way that I loved. The quick fire dialogue made for a fast pace, but removed much depth in regard to characters and growth. The historical aspect was done well at introducing things and people I had never heard of but didn’t go too far into them either.

All this said, the story leaves me intrigued enough to check out the second novel.

They are the 98. This is a story about the 99.

This book is filled with three things I love about science fiction. Big questions, ethical dilemmas, action, & curiosity. My only complaint is that I want to know what happens next? So definitely hoping for a sequel.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Macmillan-Tor/Forge

I wanted to like this more than I did. The concept is remarkably strong; the opening as well. But by the middle it honestly starts to drag a little bit and while I finished the last half in a single sitting it didn't really stick with me in a substantial way.

This may ultimately come down to personal preference, but I felt like the nature of the story made it so that it was ultimately very repetitive with themes and emotional beats struck multiple times. Additionally this was a book that felt a lot like being invited into someone's 2 AM research deep dive and with those kinds of books, your mileage will often vary. So if you're really into (or could be into) mostly American, European and Russian history surrounding the early 1900's specifically focused on the rocket programs then this might be for you? The notes at the end confirmed that a lot of the names and situations are highly specific for a reason -- they are literally references to actual people and events. But the interest in that is kind of lost in the telling.

I enjoyed the way that the author included a soundtrack with their work - it honestly helped to set the tone for the work.

I may still check out the future books in this series; I could see it going interesting places. But I'm honestly a bit iffy on this initial outing.