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

adventurous mysterious medium-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

2.0

i have so much to say about this book. i read the first 100 pages on trains and in stations and was completely convinced that i’d be giving this book one star, two was inconceivable. there was so much world building and context that had to be teased out of the narrative that i thought it would never end in such a short book but low and behold it did. when i sat at the foot of the cliffs watching the tide approach to finish the second half of this i was pleasantly surprised. the authors ability cannot be overlooked but i fear it was lost amongst the world building  in the first half - in the second half this came to life, the metaphors were both tidy and eloquently written that they kept me hooked despite the incoming tide! i would not go so far as to say this is a piece of narrative genius nor is it for everyone but if you’re more interested in dystopia than i am then this story of the intertwining lives of two individuals, who despite every perceivable difference, find solace and common ground, with each other, as a result of the simple humanity that the authors have so articulately depicted.