Originally self-published as The Museum of Second Chances before being re-released by Del Rey, A.E. Warren’s debut novel Subject Twenty One – book one in the Tomorrow’s Ancestors series – is a post-apocalyptic tale of repopulation, genetic engineering and tightly controlled societal structures. Elise is a Sapien, one of the lowest class of humans, condemned to forever be paying reparations for the actions of previous generations in devastating the Earth. Keen to escape a life of tedium, she takes a job at the Museum of Evolution as the companion to Twenty One (otherwise known as Kit), one of a handful of Neanderthals returned from extinction through the marvels of genetic engineering. With her own secrets to keep, Elise has to be careful how she goes, however the more she gets to know Kit, the more she learns about the real history of her world and her place within it.
Warren’s post-pandemic world is based around disparate outposts of humanity, a rigid caste hierarchy, and oppression dressed up as necessity, all of which is familiarly post-apocalyptic, but taken together feels fresh and interesting. The genetic engineering angle fits perfectly into the setting, populating the museum’s exhibits with once-extinct species and providing a worryingly believable explanation for the three classes of humans – Sapiens, Medius and Potiors – and the way they interact. As Sapiens, Elise and her family belong to the lowest caste, restricted in virtually every aspect of life, looked down upon by the ambitious Medius with their relatively low level genetic enhancements, and virtually ignored by the powerful and distant Potiors. Though taught that the Sapiens were the cause of all the planet’s woes and should be content with their lowly place in society, Elise’s own unusual abilities (no spoilers) and general unwillingness to accept things as the way they’ve always been means it’s almost inevitable that she should find herself curious about different experiences and in conflict with the status quo.
As the sole viewpoint character the focus is very much on Elise, but as the book progresses it widens out from a tale of a girl trying to find her own identity to a broader story encompassing an entire population’s burden of oppression, and the desire for freedom felt by not just Elise and the other Sapiens but also Neanderthal Kit. There’s a nice balance between scenes in the Museum, seeing Elise get to know Kit and interact with other Sapiens, a handful of Medius and a single aloof Potior, and her regular visits back home with her family, which help break things up and introduce that broader perspective on what’s happening. She’s an instantly engaging character, fastidiously careful to keep her own secrets while at the same time determined to find a new path in life, but it’s in her dealings with Kit that she really comes alive. The idea of repopulating neanderthals is deeply compelling both from a scientific and narrative perspective, but while Kit is very different to Elise and the other Sapiens in some ways, in others he’s remarkably human and very relatable.
Both the setting and the story itself are cleverly established and consistently entertaining, brought to life by some excellent characters – not just Elise and Kit, but also her family and some of her fellow Museum workers, including a range of Medius with very different attitudes. There’s a really interesting dynamic established between the Sapiens and Medius, which means it’s a bit of a shame that the Potiors don’t get anything like as much development, and Fintorian – the head of the Museum – comes across as a touch one dimensional. Hopefully there will be more about the Potiors in the next book. With much of the first half taken up establishing the core ideas and characters, the second half sometimes feels a little rushed, but by the time the climactic finale comes around it all comes together nicely, leaving plenty of questions about this world for future books to answer, but providing a satisfying conclusion to this particular story. Pacy, characterful and imaginative, it’s a book that should have good crossover appeal between YA and adult readers, and the start of a series with a lot of promise.
Many thanks to Del Rey and A.E. Warren for providing me with an advance copy of Subject Twenty One in exchange for my honest review, and for inviting me to be part of the Subject Twenty One blog tour!
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