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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you like Piranesi and Good Omens this is 100% a must read for you!
Right now, I really wouldn't know how to rate This Is How You Lose the Time War.
The story in itself is beautiful without a doubt. The language is extremely thick and poetic and while I like that most of the time, it's also what leaves me confused and frustrated at other times.
It may be the setting, to be fair. The whole premise of a war of time, two factions that aren't human at all but are something else that I still can't quite grasp and that I think are not supposed to be fully grasped, is utterly confusing by design. And while that can paint a beautiful picture at times and stir my imagination, unfortunately for me, it also is too abstract to even allow me to begin with a single brushstroke to paint any picture in mind at all.
It may just be my general distaste for science fiction which this would probably classify as, if you wanted to do so. I kept yearning for pictures or more colorful descriptions - just to finally get a chance to ground this story with a visual in my head. See the ground the characters move on. See the characters at all. They remain a mystery to me, which is again, very likely intended.
I just kept wishing for something to hang on to, so I could really imagine what is happening.
If the story was 1,5 times longer and the descriptions not based on a small amount of words with a plethora of meaning attached to them, maybe I'd have struggled less. The short, snappy style and descriptions, for me, didn't serve a faster pacing but lost clarity since what I'm reading could mean a million things and I would be too busy to figure out which to choose to follow what was happening. Which I think again, is probably also intended.
Do with this assessment as you will.
Maybe all that is a me-problem.
Maybe during a second, more focussed read a lot of these problems would solve. Maybe this book is just not entirely speaking my language or the level of abstract this offers is something that has to strike me in the right mood. However, I can still appreciate it for what it is and I realize this book would probably lose its very essence if all my wishes of clarity would be accounted for.
But I still enjoyed the ride. Marvelled at beautiful passages. Loved the resolution of it all.
The story in itself is beautiful without a doubt. The language is extremely thick and poetic and while I like that most of the time, it's also what leaves me confused and frustrated at other times.
It may be the setting, to be fair. The whole premise of a war of time, two factions that aren't human at all but are something else that I still can't quite grasp and that I think are not supposed to be fully grasped, is utterly confusing by design. And while that can paint a beautiful picture at times and stir my imagination, unfortunately for me, it also is too abstract to even allow me to begin with a single brushstroke to paint any picture in mind at all.
It may just be my general distaste for science fiction which this would probably classify as, if you wanted to do so. I kept yearning for pictures or more colorful descriptions - just to finally get a chance to ground this story with a visual in my head. See the ground the characters move on. See the characters at all. They remain a mystery to me, which is again, very likely intended.
I just kept wishing for something to hang on to, so I could really imagine what is happening.
If the story was 1,5 times longer and the descriptions not based on a small amount of words with a plethora of meaning attached to them, maybe I'd have struggled less. The short, snappy style and descriptions, for me, didn't serve a faster pacing but lost clarity since what I'm reading could mean a million things and I would be too busy to figure out which to choose to follow what was happening. Which I think again, is probably also intended.
Do with this assessment as you will.
Maybe all that is a me-problem.
Maybe during a second, more focussed read a lot of these problems would solve. Maybe this book is just not entirely speaking my language or the level of abstract this offers is something that has to strike me in the right mood. However, I can still appreciate it for what it is and I realize this book would probably lose its very essence if all my wishes of clarity would be accounted for.
But I still enjoyed the ride. Marvelled at beautiful passages. Loved the resolution of it all.
8.5/10. This was a little more complex that my silly little brain could manage but still very good. I love lesbians AND, mostly importantly, I love lesbians loving each other, pinning for each other and yearning.
I didn't like the writing style and it didn't grip me in the first few pages. Maybe I'll try the audiobook at a different time!
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hard to follow especially at the beginning. Feel like it got it groove toward the end of the book, which is frustrating. Nice imagery, but can lead to complexities at times than clarity.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I always skip inserts in books- this was genuinely the first book where I have both read and enjoyed them. For that reason, and the well written story (and unpredictable twist) it’s a 5
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I need to let this book marinate. Some parts I got and others I felt lost and some of the references were beyond me. I loved the premise and general story.
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated