This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone is one of those books that always lives up to your sky-high expectations no matter how many times you reread it. El-Mohtar and Gladstone are nothing short of literary geniuses when it comes to spinning beautiful prose. Out of perhaps hundreds of books I’ve read and reread, this one is without a doubt my favorite.
It’s a sapphic love story between Red and Blue, two mastermind time travelers on opposite sides of a war, told through brief encounters and love letters. Red belongs to the Agency (representing technological advancement) and Blue from the Garden (representing nature). Red receives Blue’s first letter on a barren battlefield after Red had slaughtered all of the Agency’s opponents, with a note that says “Burn before reading.” From there on out, it’s a whole lot of beautiful prose and well-written yearning from two enemies who have never experienced love before, stretched throughout hundreds of years in history.
The first time I read This Is How You Lose the Time War, I was skeptical. It was recommended to me by a friend but ended up putting off reading it for a long time because I wasn’t all that into the science fiction genre. In my first read, I had no clue what was happening or why they were being stalked, but I did know that I loved the author’s writing. However, after rereading the book and figuring out the plot, I found out just how well-done the entire book was. This Is How You Lose the Time War is bursting with detailed imagery that transports you to Red and Blue’s world and allows you to experience their love story firsthand. Their chemistry was undeniable, and they remain my favorite couple throughout all the books I’ve read.
My favorite parts in the book though, are the unique nicknames they refer to each other by. At the start of each letter, they’ll both refer to the other by a new name. Among my favorites are “Dear Red, in Tooth, in Claw”, “Dear Red Sky at Morning”, “My dear Miskowaanzhe” (Anishinaabemwin for ‘red light’), and “My Heart’s Own Blood”, all from Blue, since Red is rather unoriginal. The only notable mention from her is “My Dear Mood Indigo.”
In addition, the ending was extremely well done. Hints are spread throughout the book, but subtle enough that you question it but remain unsure. I was rooting for Red and Blue to finally confess throughout the entire book, and when it finally happened, I remember being ecstatic. Although the story started out slow, it began building up fast near the middle, and snowballed into a beautiful end to a beautiful story. This Is How You Lose the Time War is a must-read, brilliantly crafted masterpiece.
