A review by make_believer
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a frustrating review to write. Mostly because it’s a frustrating book. On the one hand, I have some issues with the world building and writing style. At first those issues clouded my feelings about this story. But then there’s the fact that I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I read it.

My issue is that the writing is borderline pretentious. It’s hard to follow. Maybe I’m just not into sci-fi enough to follow some of the aspects of this book, but who knows? I just wish there were better world building. It’s as though the authors specifically left out the world building on purpose so that the reader could form their own idea in their heads, but in my experience, that kind of hindered my understanding of the story. 

It feels like we were dropped into a futuristic world in which time and space does not operate in the ways that we are accustomed to. Which would be great. What we are told about this world is fascinating. The problem is that Red and Blue talk to each other in their letters from their own point of view having grown up in this new world. They understand how time and space works in this world. We don’t. 

All of that is frustrating. Very much so. But the thing is, it’s also romantic as hell. Like, wow. There are lines in this book that will ruin you. I love Red and Blue so much that after finishing the book, I don’t even care that it’s confusing and hard to follow. Because their chemistry is not. It’s abundant and it’s romantic and the ending is truly spectacular. 

So basically, this is one of the most frustrating books I’ve ever read, and also one of my favorites. I don’t know.
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