Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by pewter
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
3.0
This book is, generally speaking, a series of poetic love letters intermixed with short vignettes of story. The world building and context is really a treasure hunt; it's one of those sci-fi styles that explains nothing and just leaves it up to the reader to "figure it out". The romantic letters, and the delivery of them, make for a unique read.
Since it's mostly letters and no linear development (it is a time travel story, after all), it difficult to feel the high stakes of the dangers the two characters are facing. It's not easy to empathize with them individually because they've no history or recognizable cultures (the attempt is a "technology versus the environment"). If I flipped open to a letter right now, I wouldn't be able to distinguish which of the two characters were speaking. They're both written in the same voice, making deciphering the story even more difficult. Their bodies aren't human, their culture isn't explained. The only thing that is relatable for a reader is their love - IF you like romantic musings and poetic waxing and wordplay.
I rated this a Three. I wanted to give it a Two for the "story", but I think there are a few lovely written moments. Perhaps if I was more interested in poetry or love stories, I would have been more invested.
Since it's mostly letters and no linear development (it is a time travel story, after all), it difficult to feel the high stakes of the dangers the two characters are facing. It's not easy to empathize with them individually because they've no history or recognizable cultures (the attempt is a "technology versus the environment"). If I flipped open to a letter right now, I wouldn't be able to distinguish which of the two characters were speaking. They're both written in the same voice, making deciphering the story even more difficult. Their bodies aren't human, their culture isn't explained. The only thing that is relatable for a reader is their love - IF you like romantic musings and poetic waxing and wordplay.
I rated this a Three. I wanted to give it a Two for the "story", but I think there are a few lovely written moments. Perhaps if I was more interested in poetry or love stories, I would have been more invested.