Reviews tagging 'Torture'
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
158 reviews
qteabeans's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
What a stellar book. This is my second time reading This Is How You Lose the Time War and it was worth making time for it. It really embodies that sense that queer people will need to create a world of their own to have a place that supports and celebrates their love and connection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Death
Minor: Blood and War
matteo_rio's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
3.75
very fun premise but i wasn’t particularly drawn to either character? i think if this was longer than a novella i’d have liked it less
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Murder, and Torture
woolgatherer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
3.0
Novellas are tricky, considering their constraints and the author(s) having to do just the right amount of worldbuilding, character development, pacing, and the rest. I often find that many novellas don't quite work for me because I always felt something was missing/lacking. Unfortunately, this was the case for This Is How You Lose the Time War.
The novella heavily relies on the characters to carry the story, which I don't think is entirely an issue. I thought the epistolary approach was a really unique way to reveal the relationship between Red and Blue, as well as to help push the story along. However, I wasn't entirely taken to this romance. I had too many questions that might have been addressed if there was more worldbuilding. I think if the authors fleshed out their dystopian world some more so the reader could follow what was happening and why, the novella would have been far more compelling. It also would have greatly developed Red and Blue as characters because their motives would have been clearer.
Something else that stood out to me about this novella was the prose. It's very purple-y prose, which will work for some, while others will hate it. It was clear that a lot of thought went into each sentence, especially in the letters. Admittedly, I did find the flowery language to be a bit much at times, but it wasn't a negative for me in general.
TIHYLTTW clearly worked for many people, though, with many fans expressing their love for the slow burn sapphic romance. So, there's also the fact that I'm not much of a romance person (as I've probably made clear in many reflections/ramblings), and maybe I just wasn't the target audience.
Overall, I wasn't particularly frustrated with this novella, but I'm not fully understanding the adoration for it either.
The novella heavily relies on the characters to carry the story, which I don't think is entirely an issue. I thought the epistolary approach was a really unique way to reveal the relationship between Red and Blue, as well as to help push the story along. However, I wasn't entirely taken to this romance. I had too many questions that might have been addressed if there was more worldbuilding. I think if the authors fleshed out their dystopian world some more so the reader could follow what was happening and why, the novella would have been far more compelling. It also would have greatly developed Red and Blue as characters because their motives would have been clearer.
Something else that stood out to me about this novella was the prose. It's very purple-y prose, which will work for some, while others will hate it. It was clear that a lot of thought went into each sentence, especially in the letters. Admittedly, I did find the flowery language to be a bit much at times, but it wasn't a negative for me in general.
TIHYLTTW clearly worked for many people, though, with many fans expressing their love for the slow burn sapphic romance. So, there's also the fact that I'm not much of a romance person (as I've probably made clear in many reflections/ramblings), and maybe I just wasn't the target audience.
Overall, I wasn't particularly frustrated with this novella, but I'm not fully understanding the adoration for it either.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, War, Body horror, and Violence
Minor: Torture
theirgracegrace's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
In the endless battle between the dystopian Agency and the utopian Garden, agents battle across time. Travelling up and down the threads of time, Red and Blue come across one another by pure chance...or is it? Red belongs to the Agency and Blue is part of the Garden, but through a series of letters, their relationship turns from rivals, to friends, to something more. I adored the settings of their letters and the ending completely blew me away. I will definitely recommend it to my friends!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Murder, Body horror, Confinement, Grief, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Cursing
Minor: Colonisation, Genocide, and Pandemic/Epidemic
alexalily's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Stalking, Animal death, Torture, Death, and War
alyliann's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book leads you in so many directions and keeps surprising you at every turn. Wholeheartedly an amazing story with amazing characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Violence, Death, Animal death, Torture, Blood, and Gore
Minor: Suicide attempt
paradicsomleves's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Torture, Violence, Animal death, Death, Gore, and Murder
julieyael's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have been nicely surprised by this short book.
Written in an exchange of letters, with a background of time travel and wars, it’s an ode to hope.
I sometimes found the text confusing or a bit difficult to read, very poetic, with peculiar words (I am not an english native-speaker), but I liked the lyrism.
It’s a recommended read, with an interesting world building (we learn the specificities in the course of the story).
Strangely, even if it’s science fiction and peculiar characters, the message of the book feels universal.
Written in an exchange of letters, with a background of time travel and wars, it’s an ode to hope.
I sometimes found the text confusing or a bit difficult to read, very poetic, with peculiar words (I am not an english native-speaker), but I liked the lyrism.
It’s a recommended read, with an interesting world building (we learn the specificities in the course of the story).
Strangely, even if it’s science fiction and peculiar characters, the message of the book feels universal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Murder, Violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Torture
haleymk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, and Murder
Minor: Torture, Physical abuse, Vomit, and Grief
dewugging's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Animal death, War, and Blood
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Torture