This was a fascinating read. A book that spans centuries in multiple dimensions as two lovers chase after one another on two opposite sides of a war. Such a creative idea and the deliverance did not disappoint. Told through breathtaking prose, it was easy to get swept away.
Red is a spy for the Agency, a technological advanced future, that appears to be in an everlasting time war against Garden, a singe vast consciousness embedded in organic matter, for their respected outcome. Neither future can be clearly understood as details are sparse, and with such loose imagery, imagination is encouraged. It’s enough to draw attention in while keeping the focus of the novel on Red and Blue, each determined to win for their respective sides.
Red and Blue are our two spies. What they are physically is harder to gather. Neither are exactly human. Red seems like some sort of android, and Blue, a living plant person. Both shift like chameleons into time periods and seem to blend in with the scenes playing out. Female pronouns are used for each throughout but the body descriptions here are unconventional to say the least. I enjoyed the way gender wasn’t concrete and how stereotypical presumptions were challenged. The genius, the mathematician, the soldiers – many of which all “she.”
I adore a book that demands use of dictionary and index. I didn’t pay enough attention in global history to read without some assistance, and my vocabulary is not nearly as vast. This is my favorite way of learning.
This story delivered but I wanted more. The ending didn’t satisfy the build up for me. Still more than enough to be worth the ride, but with pacing this fast, I wanted a moment or two to slow down and learn more about Garden, the Agency, and the war. However, I can also understand why the focus didn’t stray far from Blue and Red’s relationship. Above all, this is a love story and it’s a brilliant one. As a huge fan of letter writing, I immensely enjoyed how they were utilized. The letters were so poetic. Knowing that two different authors wrote the two separate sides makes the whole thing even more magical.
If you’re a fan of beautiful writing, time travel, and love stories then This Is How you Lose the Time War could be for you
Follow Amal El-Montar on Twitter: @tithenai
Follow Max Gladsone on Twitter: @maxgladstone