Weekly Read: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

This is another read that was recommended to me as a sci-fi romance without graphic sex. And unlike some of the other recs, This Is How You Lose the Time War is a true romance. But it’s not your run-of-the-mill guilty pleasure quick-read. This little novella presents its love story in a unique epistolary format, and its gorgeous, poetic prose pack lifetimes of experience into moments and piquant truths into a word.

This one is truly a treat to savour.

Imagine you’re in on a romantic long-distance correspondence between two thinking types from another era–writers maybe, or the kinds of artists who pen philosophical manifestos–except that philosophizing in cafes is only their cover. Really they’re high-tech time travelling assassins. And their enemy bosses don’t know they’re writing each other love letters.

That’s not exactly the plot, but it’s the feel.

I want you to know what you’re getting into, because this is one of those books that uses so many vocab list worthy words, historical references and literary allusions that under normal circumstances it might come across as a little pretentious. At least to public school educated, potato chip romance reading layperson like me. But if you’re like me, keep reading, because in this book the highbrow stuff totally works. These characters have lived thousands of lifetimes and schmoozed with the likes of Socrates and Genghis Khan, and their communication style makes that seem real.

I promise you will not be denied cool sci-fi tech, pacing that builds to an edge-of-your-seat climax, or a swoon-worthy ending.

The actual plot goes more like this: Red and Blue are secret agents from two possible futures at war throughout time, each weaving the strands of history that will make their reality possible, at the exclusion of the other.

Slinking through a network of caves to ensure a pilgrim hears a particular sound at the right moment, or living an entire lifetime as a weaver’s apprentice to make sure an indigenous woman ties a certain kind of knot are as much part of their mission as destroying planets, assassinating world leaders, and spreading plagues. And Red and Blue are the best of the best, one always on the other’s heels, thwarting each other at every turn.

But when Blue leaves a taunting note for Red, the two agents begin a correspondence throughout time that will develop into a love that challenges their belief in their commanders and the purpose of the war.

Perspective alternates between Red and Blue, and in each chapter, you get a snippet of the time-travel mission the agent is on at the moment when she finds and reads the next letter. Then you get to read the letter.

It’s a fun way to experience world building, as these two agents slowly reveal bits and pieces of what their origin timeline is like through their letters to each other. And through the ways they deliver these letters. And the worlds are cool enough to satisfy any sci-fi/fantasy aficionado.

But the sweetest treat is seeing these two lonely warriors grow from enemies who hide their truth behind jokes and taunts, to lovers willing to bare their most naked selves through words. And yet still, as the romance builds, both Red and Blue and you as the reader continue to wonder–is this true love, or is it the long con that will finally win the war for the enemy?

I highly recommend This Is How You lose the Time War to all sci-fi romance readers. It’s one of the best and most unique examples of everything great about the genre we love.