This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Reviewed by Sam!

What I drank prior: Yo….tonight was the first presidential debate of 2020…. for those of yyou who watched i am so so sorry. that was a nightmare. I wish this was a political blog because i have so much to say. it’s not though, it’s a boook blog and i’ve had over a bottle of wine and i am READY to talk about this book.

Goodreads Overview:

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war. 

Drunk Overview: Red and Blue are foe spies in this sci fi time war. They have been fighting for what seems like an eternity to win this war, but idk what for, to be honest. Anyway, one of them sends a coded eltter to the other and their friendship and romance begins….

Spoiler-free Thoughts: I fucking adored this. I’m gonna do bullets cause this book is short.

• The characters here are amazing. We never get their full names, but these two (apparent) women are just trying to win and then all of a sudden they get in contact with each other. Their letters continuously become more and more intimate and it was awesome.
• The plot was also amazing. It was so delicate, to be honest, and it required that sort of delicacy. Some of the subtelties were just perfection.
• I love these two women more than anything, the way that they care for each other having never met is astounding.
• LISTEN whoever comes for my women can fight me cause, at one point Blue was in trouble and Red goes in to probably the most extreme lengths to fix it is the best acase of love i think i’ve ever read. Just READ IT.
• THe world here is also incredibly well built, like, i know that this time war is literally a time war. Not Doctor Who only gonna look at Britain, it was ALL humanity and I loved it

What to pair it with: Fireball. There are people who openly love it and people who openly but secretly hate it, but no one actively hates it.

Rating: 4/5

Until next time, we remain forever drunkenly yours,
Sam