It’s books like This Is How You Lose the Time War that make me glad that I don’t give books a star rating on my blog. This is a book that is unique and kinda defies a rating. It may be a book that you either love or hate. Or, you could be in the middle and appreciate it’s brilliance, but the story didn’t have you at the edge of your seat. That is where I am on this book.
I have to thank Bookish First and Saga Press for providing me with an ARC!
Red and Blue are time travelers, fighting on two different sides of the same time war. They start to write letters to each other. First, the letters are taunting. Then, they start to develop a mutual respect for each other. That respect grows into love. Of course, since they are on opposite sides of the war, so their bosses cannot find out. If they do, that would be a mess. I can’t say much more of the plot without giving away spoilers.
Its Brilliance
First, the good: This Is How You Lose the Time War is a brilliant book. As Red and Blue travel through time, you get to see snippets of history which the time travelers sometimes change, sometimes keep the same. We see the Mongols, Atlantis, ancient Rome… as someone who loves history, I really enjoyed this aspect of the story. I think my favorite line in this whole book is the tongue-twister about the Mongols found on page 35 of the ARC.
This book is smart in several other ways. Red and Blue are constantly trying to find new things to call each other, such as “My careful Cardinal” for Red, and “Dearest 0000FF” for Blue. It was fun to see the new words they’d call each other. There were several words I ended up looking up in the dictionary. Also, the way the plot resolves itself was lovely. I think there would be a lot of things you’d catch if you reread this book.
The Downsides to this Book
Yes, this book is brilliant. That in itself is a pro and a con. The book can be confusing, especially in the beginning. It took me a while to really start to understand what was going on. Even then, the book didn’t have me hanging at the edge of my seat, needing to know what was going to happen next, until close to the very end.
Conclusion
This Is How You Lose the Time War may be a book that you love, or it could be a book that you hate. I’m sorry I can’t be more specific, but it really is that type of book. While it is brilliantly executed, it’s also a book that won’t be for everyone, or for every mood. If you’re looking for a beach read that you can just enjoy and wash over you, this won’t be it; however, if you’re looking for an intelligent book that will get you thinking, you might enjoy this one.