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A review by suchsweetsorrow89
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
queer and weird!
this short and sweet sci-fi book not only captures a love story between red and blue, but in that same breath captures the audience's attention— asking us to think critically about what we know about war, love, and what it means to truly feel and find a sense of belonging in a world that constantly shields you from that. this last point reigns particularly true, especially considering that this is a story about queerness (though this story is not one of coming out). The queerness I refer to here goes beyond the sapphic bounds of the characters to capture and reflect overarching feelings and struggles with feeling a kind of alienation and isolation from society, lying in the non-normativity that pegs the way for self-realization. what i really appreciated about this book was the ode it pays to the lyrical loneliness, one that brings those who go into the book excited back to earth and gives a warm hug to those who struggle with feelings of being lost and lonely, wondering the difference between what it means to be alive and what it means to live— and what to do when you feel utterly alone at the edge of that. paired with (not entirely clear but definitely there) allusions to shakespeare, socrates, plato's symposium, this book was really enjoyable!
this is not to say that this book is perfect. one of the main issues i had was the repetitive writing style, which at times made it hard to get through. in addition, i think at times the language was so flowery and (the poetic ye-old) 'trying too hard' to be meaningful, that, paired with a plotline as strange as this one, failed to deliver. i also think that this book could have done well if it were longer and had more with the concept of the time war. while i think that this concept is really cool, i often felt like it was more of an 'in the background' rather than holding something more concrete. as is the case with me and most novels, i also thought that them falling for each other read a bit rushed at times, though i will admit that i think the twist at the end was done moderately well (one moment where i think the redundant style did the overarching themes and plotlines dirty). despite this, this book was really enjoyable, and in the modern day there aren't many queer romance novellas that really do something like this anymore, so i commemorate the two authors.
this short and sweet sci-fi book not only captures a love story between red and blue, but in that same breath captures the audience's attention— asking us to think critically about what we know about war, love, and what it means to truly feel and find a sense of belonging in a world that constantly shields you from that. this last point reigns particularly true, especially considering that this is a story about queerness (though this story is not one of coming out). The queerness I refer to here goes beyond the sapphic bounds of the characters to capture and reflect overarching feelings and struggles with feeling a kind of alienation and isolation from society, lying in the non-normativity that pegs the way for self-realization. what i really appreciated about this book was the ode it pays to the lyrical loneliness, one that brings those who go into the book excited back to earth and gives a warm hug to those who struggle with feelings of being lost and lonely, wondering the difference between what it means to be alive and what it means to live— and what to do when you feel utterly alone at the edge of that. paired with (not entirely clear but definitely there) allusions to shakespeare, socrates, plato's symposium, this book was really enjoyable!
this is not to say that this book is perfect. one of the main issues i had was the repetitive writing style, which at times made it hard to get through. in addition, i think at times the language was so flowery and (the poetic ye-old) 'trying too hard' to be meaningful, that, paired with a plotline as strange as this one, failed to deliver. i also think that this book could have done well if it were longer and had more with the concept of the time war. while i think that this concept is really cool, i often felt like it was more of an 'in the background' rather than holding something more concrete. as is the case with me and most novels, i also thought that them falling for each other read a bit rushed at times, though i will admit that i think the twist at the end was done moderately well (one moment where i think the redundant style did the overarching themes and plotlines dirty). despite this, this book was really enjoyable, and in the modern day there aren't many queer romance novellas that really do something like this anymore, so i commemorate the two authors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Blood
Moderate: Murder and Physical abuse