This Is How You Lose the Time War (Hardcover)

This is How You Lose the Time War is poetry disguised as science fiction, a lyrical masterclass in how a story can successfully take a sweeping span of times, places and elements that only briefly appear once and link them into the larger braid that orbits around the nexus of two people. The alternating points of view work very well, and offer a balanced look into the psyche of both Blue and Red. We open with Red discovering a letter from Blue, then we see the letter, then we see Blue discovering the response, we read the response, and so on. The characters are all that link the many settings and time frames these exchanges take place in. Some historical, some fantastical, some lovely and some brutal, it really captures the feeling of the agents' roaming. Likewise, the letters are delivered in every fashion imaginable - in the embers of a dying planet, the rings of a tree, the movements of a bee, the taste of a berry. If you enjoy the diverse array of settings, the brief glimpses into a life, I'd also recommend Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore, and fans of Doctor Who will appreciate the time travel/cause-and-effect concepts. There are a lot of smart references packed into This is How You Lose the Time War, probably tons that I missed, but they're like a cherry on top - if you notice and understand them, it adds to it, but if not, it won't detract from what is one of the most unique concepts I've ever read.