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This Is How You Lose the Time War

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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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About this listen

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 Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Time Travel Heartfelt War
All stars
Most relevant
Compelling, poetic and exciting. A great concept executed beautifully. Also, not overly long. Not just for scifi fans either.

Fantastic

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The writing, the story, the interaction. I can't wait to relisten. One of my favourite audio books!

Truly Divine

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I found myself lost a lot, I also felt no connection to the characters. I can't tell if that's because the story just wasn't for me, or the performance just lacked the emotion it definitely seemed to require. Overall, so glad it was this short otherwise I would have given up on it much sooner.

I'm still torn about how I feel with this one

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The plot is window dressing. Once you let go of that element and just too with the flow of it, the book is excellent. Plus the narrators bring so much to the back and forth nature of it.

A book genuinely engaged by the audio format

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Loved the story, Great reading from the narrators, had trouble putting it down. A great sci-fi read.

A great listen.

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Apparently this book has been narrated by two people, but they are so similar that it's impossible to tell them apart, which is a real indictment of the producer. More concerning, most of the book sounds like it's been done by text to voice, or maybe Siri. This is a huge shame as the book has some really interesting alternative history ideas, some lovely writing and a story - if told with care - would be poetic and emotional. Unfortunately this is not what we get. The narration is bland, hard to follow due to lack of inflection and just a cadence that doesn't match the story at all. Affection, sense of danger or tension, worry etc is not conveyed at all - even if you can hear the poetry in the words.
Honestly this was a big disappointment and even if there was a further exploration of the universe, I won't be looking into it.

Interesting Idea, TERRIBLE performance

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Utterly fantastic from start to finish. A great premise and the voice acting is superb. Would recommend it to anyone.

Absolutely enthralling

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Enjoyable and unique love story. It's short but the tale benefits from a second listen, even though not everyone will end the story wanting to give it another go. At times it flutters between inconsequential details and very important lore like a flag in the breeze.

Good, recommend multiple readings/listens.

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The narrators bring new life to the characters, I've listened to this audiobook more times than I've ever read the book, because it's amazing

Incredible story read by incredible actors

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Superbly written. The literary fiction end of sci fi.
Poetic. Luscious emotional tones. Yet sitting squarely in the genre.
Deserved winner of awards.
I will read anything i now find by them.

Writing to die for

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