This Is How You Lose the Time War

Mr.F reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Cute romance with a disappointing sci-fi setting.

3 stars

Amal El-Mothar and Max Gladsonte's "This is How You Lose the Time War" follows two agents, Red and Blue, on opposite sides of a war that spans all of time and (some of?) space across multiple universes.

Each chapter starts with a snapshot of what each agent is doing to advance their side's cause, whether that's taking part in major historical events or planting the seeds for 'coincidences' in the future, and ends with the discovery of a letter from their counterpart. What begins as acknowledgements of respect, nods across the battlefield, gradually grow into something more.

Fans of science fiction may be disappointed by the lack of focus on the time-traveling, universe-hopping backdrop to this story of star-crossing lovers. Details are sparse, and little is disclosed about the factions or why they are at war other than hints and impressions throughout the book.

The gradual, tip-toeing romance between Red …

Amal El-Mothar and Max Gladsonte's "This is How You Lose the Time War" follows two agents, Red and Blue, on opposite sides of a war that spans all of time and (some of?) space across multiple universes.

Each chapter starts with a snapshot of what each agent is doing to advance their side's cause, whether that's taking part in major historical events or planting the seeds for 'coincidences' in the future, and ends with the discovery of a letter from their counterpart. What begins as acknowledgements of respect, nods across the battlefield, gradually grow into something more.

Fans of science fiction may be disappointed by the lack of focus on the time-traveling, universe-hopping backdrop to this story of star-crossing lovers. Details are sparse, and little is disclosed about the factions or why they are at war other than hints and impressions throughout the book.

The gradual, tip-toeing romance between Red and Blue via their elegantly composed letters is the strength of this book. There is a sweetness as the characters, hovering just beyond what one might call "human", discover that they are capable of such love, and for who should be their mortal enemy, no less. Readers who never tire of "Romeo and Juliette" will find much to love in "This is How You Lose the Time War".

Marina reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

A piece of art

5 stars

If you like books where you don't get all the answers, that aren't necessarily linear, and are more about prose and gut-wrenching heartache, you'll enjoy this book. It's art. If you don't like artsy books, you probably should pick something else to read.

I loved it.

📚torstein📚 reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Either too short, or too long.

No rating

I can't decide if this would have worked better (for me) as a short story, or a full length book. If it was longer, it could have expanded on it's ideas. If it had been shorter, it wouldn't have felt so repetetive.

There is some good ideas here, but they deserve better than being hand waved away. How do Red and Blue target their letters to each other across strands of time? If there are certain contested junctures in time, shouldn't they be swarmed with agents, and multiple aspects of the same agents? If the protagonists are just cogs in two massive opposing machines battling for supremacy over all time - why does it seems like they are the only two operators in the field?

I'm not saying this is a bad book, there is a lot good writing here. But it didn't work for me. Two highly subjective stars. …

I can't decide if this would have worked better (for me) as a short story, or a full length book. If it was longer, it could have expanded on it's ideas. If it had been shorter, it wouldn't have felt so repetetive.

There is some good ideas here, but they deserve better than being hand waved away. How do Red and Blue target their letters to each other across strands of time? If there are certain contested junctures in time, shouldn't they be swarmed with agents, and multiple aspects of the same agents? If the protagonists are just cogs in two massive opposing machines battling for supremacy over all time - why does it seems like they are the only two operators in the field?

I'm not saying this is a bad book, there is a lot good writing here. But it didn't work for me. Two highly subjective stars. (I'm going to hold of actually rating as there are so few reviews here yet)

Nix Kelley (they/them) reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

The beautiful violence of love

5 stars

I could not stop listening. This book is SO good. Intricate and lovely. Prose this delicious is rarely written.

Hirvox reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

A meeting of minds

4 stars

How do you have a love story between two beings separated by war, time and dimensions? With covert letters. They may be written in seeds or lava flows, but letters nevertheless.

penwing reviewed This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Wonderful, my Blue and Red

5 stars

I love this book so much. Just gorgeous in execution, and a story delightful in its telling.

Nickbwalking@ramblingreaders.org reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Review of 'This Is How You Lose the Time War' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I've had this sitting on my Kindle for a while, but I'm glad I waited in a way as it was the perfect choice for my last book of the year. Somewhere between a simple love story (but see Blue's thoughts on Romeo and Juliet) and the saving of the entire universe, it fits so much in such a small space and creates so many thoughts and images. A wonderful book, heartily recommended.

moving to outside.ofa.dog reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Weird and beautiful but not always up to its own ambition

4 stars

The letters that make up about half of this book are gorgeously written, and I love the story they tell. The basic idea of the time war is clever, and the descriptions of placetimes the characters find themselves in evocative, sometimes reminiscent of Calvino's Invisible Cities. I devoured this book in a few days.

And yet... something about it felt a little thin or hollow behind its fireworks. I think it was a good artistic choice to leave all technical details out, but I couldn't help but get hung up on the time paradoxes. Not that it's the authors' responsibility to necessarily avoid or solve them, but for me personally they intruded on the suspension of disbelief.

Tak! reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

5 stars

The first quarter reminded me of Doomsday Book and One Day All This Will Be Yours, and the last quarter reminded me of that Iain M. Banks book (I won't say which one because it would spoil either this or that if you haven't read both, but go read Culture (except for Consider Phlebas)).

The prose was everything I've come to expect from Max Gladstone, and now I'll have to try something else by El-Mohtar.

Brian Plunkett reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Review of 'This Is How You Lose the Time War' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This was a fresh take on time travel for me and I enjoyed it. Also, the word play and epistolary format were fun.

Merovius reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Review of 'This Is How You Lose the Time War' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Hauntingly beautiful. A love-letter to the written word.

bookafnd reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

probably not for everyone, but it's very good

5 stars

it's a magical realist (?) romance in a science fiction Time War setting, an unusual choice, but one that works well, given how strange the consequences of warping causality would be. If you can get ahold of the audio book, it's pretty good, has different readers for Blue and Red.

This Is How You Lose the Time War

Mr.F reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Cute romance with a disappointing sci-fi setting.

3 stars

Marina reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

A piece of art

5 stars

📚torstein📚 reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Either too short, or too long.

No rating

Nix Kelley (they/them) reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

The beautiful violence of love

5 stars

Hirvox reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

A meeting of minds

4 stars

penwing reviewed This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Wonderful, my Blue and Red

5 stars

Nickbwalking@ramblingreaders.org reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Review of 'This Is How You Lose the Time War' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

moving to outside.ofa.dog reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone

Weird and beautiful but not always up to its own ambition

4 stars

Tak! reviewed This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone