This Is How You Lose the Time War

This Is How You Lose the Time War follows two agents, Red and Blue, who serve opposing factions in a war that spans multiple timelines and universes. The agents manipulate events throughout history to ensure victory for their respective sides, each representing radically different visions for humanity's future. The story takes the form of letters exchanged between Red and Blue, hidden in creative ways across time and space. What begins as rivalry evolves as the two agents discover unexpected common ground through their correspondence, despite serving causes that cannot coexist. The novel combines elements of science fiction, romance, and spy thriller within its compact 208 pages. Authors El-Mohtar and Gladstone alternate between the perspectives of Red and Blue, crafting distinct voices for each character. The narrative explores themes of duty versus desire, the nature of choice and destiny, and the possibility of connection across seemingly insurmountable divides. The book's structure itself reflects questions about how relationships and identity persist across time and change.

Readers describe the book as a poetic love story told through letters, with intense and lyrical prose that some find beautiful while others call pretentious. The experimental format and non-linear narrative create strong reactions. Likes: - Complex, intricate writing style that rewards close reading - Unique approach to time travel concepts - LGBTQ+ representation that feels organic to the story - Short length that works well for the format Dislikes: - Dense, abstract prose that can be hard to follow - Limited world-building and context - Too much focus on style over substance - Plot takes time to gain momentum Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (117,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (12,000+ ratings) LibraryThing: 4.1/5 (2,000+ ratings) Common reader comment: "Either you'll love the flowery, poetic writing or you'll hate it - there's not much middle ground." Multiple reviews note it requires patience through the first third before the story clicks.

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🕒 The novel was co-written through an actual exchange of letters between El-Mohtar and Gladstone, mirroring their characters' correspondence in the story. 🏆 This Is How You Lose the Time War won multiple prestigious awards in 2020, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards for Best Novella. 📝 Despite being categorized as a novel, the book is technically a novella at around 200 pages, making it one of the shorter works to win major science fiction awards. 🌈 The book's unique approach to pronouns and gender identity - with both protagonists using she/her pronouns - has been praised for its contribution to LGBTQ+ representation in science fiction. 🎭 Author Max Gladstone created the Craft Sequence role-playing game series, while Amal El-Mohtar is also an acclaimed poet and critic, bringing different storytelling strengths to their collaboration.