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

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I always enjoy any creativity when it comes to structure, and exchanging letters is a simple yet fairly uncommon tool. Gladstone and El-Mohtar twist between exchanges and traditional prose to tell a story of two enemy agents on opposite sites of a grand war. Enemies to lovers in brief, there is a lyricism and beauty to the evolution of both Blue and Red throughout. I’ve increasingly come to appreciate novella length reads over time (one too many over-bloated, over-exposition filled book in the past, perhaps) and “Time War” utilises every word wisely. A swift, beautiful and thrilling read.