A HISTORY of WHAT COMES NEXT

A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel. Take Them to the Stars, book one.

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This is a sci-fi thriller based around Germany's WWII rocket program and the subsequent Cold War/Space Race of the US and the Soviets. The narrative is fueled by generations of mother-daughter teams who may be an alien race, and are being pursued across distance and time by the Tracker.

Most of the story follows the Ninety-Eight, the duo consisting of Sarah Freed (mother) and Mia Freed (daughter). They both are prodigies at mathematics and physics and spend much of their time getting their own research and writings into the hands of others, in order that the work fuels getting humanity into outer space.

Much like Neuvel's The Themis Files trilogy, this novel balances the technological and science that underpins the plot with the relationships and stories of the protagonists. And, while most of the narrative is about Sarah and Mia, occasionally we encounter a chapter that follows earlier generations of women, such as the Eighty-Seven in 1608 AD and the Seven and the Eight in 890 BC.

It's a quick and compelling read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.