This is How You Lose the Time War: The epic time-travelling love story and Twitter sensation

Like many people, I first heard about this book when legitimate and professional news readers had to repeatedly say the username "Bigolas Dickolas Wolfwood" on TV and over radio. I remember finding the whole thing utterly hilarious back then, and mentally added the book to my 'to read' list. It was actually much later that a close friend mentioned the book again as something she thought I would like that I actually went out and bought a copy to read. I wish I hadn't waited so long honestly, because I think this might now be one of my absolute favourite books. The story is a scifi, written in the epistolary style between two agents of rival factions in a time war. It starts with them taunting one another, then the language begins to soften, and it's done so artfully that sometimes you don't notice and have to go back a letter and read it again to see the subtle changes in language. It's so poetically written as well, truly lyrical by the end, and the idea and themes are so clever and well executed throughout, I feel like I'm going to re-read this book hundreds of times and still fall in love with it all over again. I've got to admit, usually when I write book reviews I tend not to worry too much about spoilers, simply because I tend to read books that have been out for a few years already. This time I'm being deliberately vague though, because I really think this book is better if you go into it with no expectations. It takes so many twists and turns in the narrative and the ending honestly broke me - I genuinely sobbed all through the last forty pages, I'm not kidding. It's a true enemies to lovers sapphic romance, written in the most dazzling way, with so much poignant yearning dripping from the pages that it destroyed me and healed me over and over again as I read it. It's not a big book, by the way. I think it took me four or so hours to read? I would recommend this book to anyone really, but especially people who enjoy clever narration and beautiful wordplay. I'm excited to read it again!

The book is a bit hard to get into at first. The world is very very difficult to imagine and the sci-fi elements are not explained until much further on so they can be very confusing. The prose, while extremely beautiful and poetic, can add to this confusion. That being said, I feel that once you get used to it and just accept the impossibilities of a world much more advanced than our own, the story is incredibly enjoyable. I eagerly anticipated each letter, falling in love with the characters with each one. Despite the mind-bending sci-fi elements, the romance is believable and incredibly human. We really don't learn much about the characters, their worlds, the war. And yet watching the love grow between red and blue is so convincing and heart warming. Ive already mentioned the prose, but I really want to emphasise how beautiful they are. I feel totally inspired to become a better writer. The language evoked such emotion out of me, I was tearful, inspired, elated, scared, desperate along with the characters. I really enjoyed this book, despite not being a big fan of romance or fantasy/sci-fi. It's a great read for getting out of a reading slump.

“You’ve always been the hunger at the heart of me, Red—my teeth, my claws, my poisoned apple.” My brain hurts. I've read sci-fi before but this made me question my intelligence. I'm struggling to process this book never mind try and write a coherent review. First of all this is a story of how Blue and Red are rivals of different sides from different multiverses?? The best I can explain it is that Red represents technology and Blue the earth. Or at least that's the world's in which they respectively come from, were grown as weapons etc. They are worthy opponents and thus their story grows through the letters in which they send over many timelines. It's hard to say how many years that their story unfolds over but I would guess it's over a couple of centuries. With each letter and each life time these two rival assassin time travellers fall in love. Amidst lots of casual murder and a time war. Now why is this time war happening? Who knows! Do I grasp the concept of power and how it can apply here to events that unfold and how each timeline impacts the world therefore giving that power to the "winners"? Absolutely. But the authors don't really give depth to that here. This book is written mostly in letters which I had no issue with actually. It is also a love story that unfolds slowly. Then there's the non existent world building; you get details here and there to try put it together but overall I'm still very confused. I don't often seek out books that I feel will hit me emotionally, that will pack a punch. However, I wanted that with this book but I didn't get that. This book is written in a way which is to be understood as attempting to be beautiful and philosophical and to pull certain emotions out of the reader. However the prose were too much so much so that they read as pretentious to me. It offered lots of imagery and potential for swooning but when I.actually stood back and tried to understand the flowery writing it would be nonsensical. I was so busy trying to understand what was happening, what was being said, trying to decipher meaning from it that I couldn't actually feel the connection with the book and with Blue and Red and their love story. And that was the issue for me besides it being overwhelming to read was that there was too much reliance on the flowery writing itself, to get so trapped up in the confusion that it sounded pretty but what was actually happening?? How were they falling in love? How does this world work from timeline to timeline? Don't get me wrong, the yearning and the pining between these two women was so good but beyond that? I was just confused. I was hoping by the end it would all click for me. That I'd have understanding and clarity on what the story was. That I'd feel this book in my chest. And while some things slowly came to light, for the most part I was confused. Still am. Perhaps that's the point. Maybe the over poetic writing is for a very particular group of readers and I'll just be over here being dumb for not getting it. Also I think your perception on the world and on love and time could dictate how you connect with this story. But I have to be completely honest at times I wondered if the authors themselves even fully understand the world in which they created and maybe it's more about the characters and this supposedly other worldly love. I also went into this expecting more antagonism but didn't get that. I have no qualms about quitting on a book. Clearly even though this book was stressing me out and even now my brain feels like it has melted for trying to understand how this world works, I enjoyed the concept and finished the book. I wanted to actually feel this love story and while that didn't happen and I still don't know what I read really, it certainly was an intriguing read and it's probably gonna make me have weird dreams now. *Read e-book & Audio

I loved this. It was,quite hard to get into initally; some of the early descriptions are quite abstract. That saud, the prose is beautiful,and I quickly got to feel for Red and Blue. Their letters convey a developing relationship so well. There is a great twist, and an emotional final third. Excellent.

Op tijd geleverd en in goede staat, dankjewel.

As all State: beautiful prose, a terrific story, romance and love. But that’s not it. I read it in one go; easy, as it’s not a big book. But I’m unsure if I got it, first time round. Most of it, sure. But there’s a feeling of ... nah. Not 100%. Good reading, you will start to live red en blue, no doubt. Why do I have the feeling this is about just one person?

Came great. No stains, the print is clear and readable, and it doesn't have any weird smells.

This was a unique and poetic love story. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this. It was abstract and beautiful. It was dangerous and suspenseful.

Un regalo molto gradito!