With its poetic and full of beautiful prose, This is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone was my favourite read of 2021. Two women on opposing sides of a war travel through time and leave letters for each other under every flower, seed, and rock. The book is for history lovers, with its ever-shifting settings in various historical locations. Gladstone and El-Mohtar write so poignantly that the ugliness of war is hidden through beautiful metaphors. The writing in this novella is closer to poetry. The suspenseful and refreshing enemies-to-lovers book has a strong following for a reason, despite being a standalone. Though it is less than two-hundred pages, this novella leaves a lasting impression.

The difference between this book and so many other science fiction books is that it abandons world-building for the most part. This book is so hectic that several books could be filled with any piece of its story. Though what we are exposed to is immersive and intriguing, the novella spans so many settings and times that we only get a glimpse of each. Instead, it focuses on a minuscule narrative in an expansive war. The novella never discloses how the war began or why it is occurring, dubbing it simply the “Forever War” and showcasing how senseless war can feel. Most of the setting is given to us without explanation or context, leaving it to the reader’s interpretation. The novella tells the story of Red and Blue, one from a “techy-mechy dystopia” and the other from an all-natural world.

Red and Blue have been working for their sides of the war for almost the entirety of their lives. Closer to spies than soldiers, they are both incredibly intelligent. With cold strategy and immense attention to detail, their creativity expands across the pages. Surprisingly for a book with little real dialogue, the banter balances out its dense description and imagery.

In each chapter, Red or Blue are found in a new spot and time in history, finding each other’s letters hidden in bushes or bricks. Sabotaging plans and finding each other in battles—this book is the poster child for good enemies-to-lovers novels. With each new letter, we get an insight into their sides of the war and the ways their lives slowly intertwine.

Their snarky personalities, jibes, and ever-shifting nicknames make this story even more riveting. From “Blue-Da-Ba-Dee” (27) to “my careful cardinal” (51), this novella uses their simplistic names as metaphors. “I’ve read your last missile and reread it - in memory. I see you as a wave, as a bird, as a wolf. I try not to think of you in the same way twice” (81). The cunning characters make this story that much smarter.