They say love waits for no man, but does that still apply if you are a time-travelling soldier?
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar is a SciFi novel starring star-crossed lovers, Red and Blue.
Red and Blue are enemies. They belong to the waring factions manipulating time to serve their interests. The agents are tasked with travelling throughout time to alter the timelines. However, on one fateful mission, the two meet and begin to taunt one another through notes. What starts as antagonistic comments turns into friendly banter, from friendly banter to romantic conversation. However, they are still on two different sides of a war. If their superiors ever find out, it will not be pretty.
Red and Blue, just like their names, are polar opposites. The only thing they have in common, at least on the surface, is that they are both good at their jobs: manipulating time and events, taking down their enemies, and surviving. Even then, they have different approaches. Red is brutal and fast, while Blue plays the long game efficiently.
Call me cheesy, but I love the concept of love letters. Also, I do enjoy the enemies to lovers trope more than I care to admit. Throw in some sapphic SciFi, and I am sold. I would describe the writing style as experimental. It plays into the enemies to lovers trope, but plays it straight (ha), focusing on the budding bond between the characters.
When the letters turned romantic, they were so passionate and tender that you end up really rooting for these two to win despite the looming dread.
Overall, this was a bold novel that my gay heart adored. It’s dynamic, lyrical and at times tense. Perfect if you want a queer version of The Time Traveller’s Wife with a bit of violence on the side.
Nerd Rambles 