When I first joined this site, and took a look at all the books previously featured, I felt like This is How You Lose the Time War was never something I would read. It was a short book, hard sci-fi with time travel, and a pretty confusing plot that would need a reread to fully comprehend. But last winter, I ordered a care package from Mysterious Galaxy, an independent bookstore I've ordered from pretty regularly during the pandemic, and when I saw this book included I finally decided to give it a shot.
The story follows Blue and Red, rival agents on opposite ends of a time war who strike up a written correspondence in the ashes of a dying world. The two share secrets of loneliness childhood, heartbreak, and, despite all of the odds against them, even love. I will admit I was confused, but as the story fell more and more into place I found myself immersed in Red and Blue's letters. I listened to this on audiobook (which has distinct narrators for Red and Blue), and didn't realize I was more than halfway into the story until I had to turn it off and go to bed. This book won't work for everyone - the prose is flowery, and I'll say I'm still not 100% sure what happened, but I think this is a work that I will appreciate even more upon a reread. I'll have to schedule that in soon.
The story follows Blue and Red, rival agents on opposite ends of a time war who strike up a written correspondence in the ashes of a dying world. The two share secrets of loneliness childhood, heartbreak, and, despite all of the odds against them, even love. I will admit I was confused, but as the story fell more and more into place I found myself immersed in Red and Blue's letters. I listened to this on audiobook (which has distinct narrators for Red and Blue), and didn't realize I was more than halfway into the story until I had to turn it off and go to bed. This book won't work for everyone - the prose is flowery, and I'll say I'm still not 100% sure what happened, but I think this is a work that I will appreciate even more upon a reread. I'll have to schedule that in soon.