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This Is How You Lose the Time War cover art

This Is How You Lose the Time War

By: Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone
Narrated by: Cynthia Farrell, Emily Woo Zeller
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Summary

Winner of the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novella, the Reddit Stabby Award for Best Novella AND The British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novella

Two time-travelling agents from warring futures, working their way through the past, begin to exchange letters - and fall in love in this thrilling and romantic book from award-winning authors Amal-El Mohtar and Max Gladstone.

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. That's how war works. Right?

©2019 Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (P)2019 Simon & Schuster

What listeners say about This Is How You Lose the Time War

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Time Travelling Romance

Interesting rivalry throughout time. I enjoyed this story and the relationship developing between the two main characters. It was written and read very well. The correspondence style made it seem like an older story whereas the technology/biology was like it was from the future.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

sci fi romance novel

full of references and passion, an exciting exploration of the themes of logic Vs aesthetic, Romeo & Juliet etc. Really enjoyed the conceptualisation but if you prefer a strong narrative you might not like it...

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Too clever for its own good

I don't know, this sort of thing just smacks of smartarsery to me. It's a hollow skeleton of a story clothed in overwrought language. Rarely moving, too clever for its own good.

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5/5

One of my favourite books of last year, when the audiobook came up as a daily deal, I snapped up the chance to relive the story. This Is How You Lose the Time War is a quirky, sci-fi romance which is purple to the point of beauty and deliciously tangled.

- I loved the dynamic of the two characters and the way they communicated and over time changed each other.

- The language at first seems a little over the top but as you delve further into the book, it makes perfect sense to have such rich and complex prose.

- The feelings this book generates as it goes through the story... I loved it as much as I did the first time, if not more.

- The only downside of the audio version: the narrator mispronounces some names and words and each time it broke my immersion.

One of my favourite books and I would recommend it to everyone and anyone but especially those that enjoy meaningful LGBT+ relationships, time travel and gorgeous prose.

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Breathtakingly poetic and enthralling

I went into this book with just a faint idea that it involved time travel. I'm so glad I didn't know any more as this book blew me away. I can't believe so much story was packed into its short runtime. Many authors can learn something here! As I don't wish to spoil anything I will just say this is worth your time, and I will be listening again very soon
Regarding the narration, both narrators are excellent actors and narrators. They do sound somewhat similar to be so I was initially confused as to who was speaking, but that's a very minor issue.
The authors should be proud of themselves.

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Simply…

… amazing.
From the story depth to narration. Don’t miss this one, eventhough it is short for the price of one credit. You won’t be dissapointed.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

abstract poetic sci-fi

This is beautifully written and I've never read anything like it before. But it's also completely unsatisfying in its abstraction. told through letters back and forth between two figures on opposite sides of a Time war. there is barely a plot or sense of character to latch on to. for me, sci-fi is at its best when it is sparse. This is terribly overwritten but mercifully short at least

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating

A fascinating leap of two imaginations! Very clever, deftly told. Two talented narrators too. Thanks to Tim Ferris for recommending

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Beautifully Written Story, brilliantly Narrated

Beautiful writing, imagination and imagery wonderful. Narration absolutely nails it, the characters felt perfectly realised.

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Sit back, actively listen and let the story surround you

Wonderful science fiction / love story novella predominantly in epistolary form. Fabulous narration, really bring the story to come to life. Would love to know more about this world and the war in a separate novella as that intrigued me as much as the core story here. Don’t find out too much about this just sit back and listen and enjoy.

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