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TL;DR: Red and Blue are elite agents on opposite sides of a vast war fought across time and parallel realities. After Blue leaves a taunting note for Red on a battlefield, the two begin a secret exchange of letters hidden in seeds, tea leaves, lava and birds. Their rivalry turns into love, and they must find a way to survive their own sides.
Table of Contents
This Is How You Lose the Time War at a Glance
| Author | Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone |
| First published | 2019 |
| Type | Science fiction novella |
| Best for | readers who want a short, poetic love story told through letters across time |
This Is How You Lose the Time War is a science fiction novella by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, published in 2019. It won the Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards. Below you will find a part-by-part summary, five key takeaways, ideas worth remembering and a note on who will enjoy it.
Content note: Includes war violence, death and poisoning.
Main Characters
- Red: An agent of the Commandment, a technological empire.
- Blue: An agent of Garden, a vast living network.
- The Commandant: Red's superior.
- The Seeker: A shadowy hunter who tracks Red.
- Garden: Blue's organic, shared-mind faction.
What Happens, Part by Part (Contains Spoilers)
A note
The story opens on a battlefield after Red wins a victory. She finds a letter that says “Burn before reading,” signed by Blue, her rival from the other side. Their factions fight across many “strands” of time, changing history to secure their own futures. The two agents start writing, at first to tease each other, then to share thoughts about books, food and the worlds they visit.
Secret letters
The letters are hidden in creative ways: in the rings of a tree, the pattern of a seal's fur, the taste of tea, the bubbles in a lake or the flight of birds. Each agent must find and destroy them after reading. As their messages grow longer and more personal, they begin to fall in love, even as they continue to fight on opposite sides.
Danger
Red's superiors grow suspicious. A mysterious Seeker follows Red, sensing that she is hiding something. Red fears that her letters will be discovered. Blue, too, faces pressure from Garden, which wants her to win the war at any cost. Both are trapped between love and duty.
The trap
Red is ordered to kill Blue. The plan is to poison Blue through a letter, using their correspondence as a weapon. Red sends a final letter, hiding a warning inside it, and Blue drinks the poison anyway, believing Red wanted her to. Red is devastated. It seems their love has been used to destroy them both.
Saving each other
The Seeker turns out to be someone unexpected, and time itself becomes the tool for rescue. By working across the strands, the two agents rewrite the moment of the poisoning so that Blue survives. The two agents find a way to break free from both sides. They meet in person at last and begin to plan a future together, outside the war.
5 Key Takeaways
- Love can grow across any divide.
- Words can be a form of intimacy and power.
- Loyalty to a side can conflict with personal truth.
- Time travel stories can be deeply emotional.
- Two people can choose a third path.
Ideas Worth Remembering
These are paraphrased, not direct quotes:
- Small, hidden messages can mean the most.
- The enemy may become your greatest ally.
- Love sometimes requires rewriting the rules.
Who Should Read This Is How You Lose the Time War?
Read This Is How You Lose the Time War if you enjoy lyrical writing, love stories and inventive science fiction. It suits teens and adults.
About Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Amal El-Mohtar (born 1984) is a Canadian writer and poet who has won Hugo and Nebula Awards for her short fiction. She also reviews books for The New York Times. Max Gladstone (born 1984) is an American author known for the Craft Sequence, a fantasy series about magic as law and finance. The two wrote this novella by trading chapters, just like Red and Blue.
Questions to Think About After Reading
These prompts work for solo reading, a book club or a classroom discussion of This Is How You Lose the Time War:
- How do the letters reveal each character?
- What do Red and Blue's factions represent?
- How does the ending reflect the title?
How to Use This Summary
Use this page as a quick reference before a book club meeting, an exam, or a decision about whether This Is How You Lose the Time War is worth your time. The takeaways are written to stand on their own. If a point interests you, go back to the book for the author's full story, characters and style, which no short summary can replace.
A Note on Accuracy and Spoilers
This summary is based on the published text of This Is How You Lose the Time War, not on any film, series or stage adaptation, which often change the story. Details are kept at the level of the main events so that nothing is invented. Editions differ slightly in length and wording, so page numbers and small details may vary between copies.
Should You Read the Book?
Yes. It is short, beautiful and emotional, and it rewards a second reading.
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What to Read Next
- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: a love story across time
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: lyrical, connected lives across time
- Murderbot: All Systems Red by Martha Wells: a short, award-winning science fiction story
Frequently Asked Questions
What is This Is How You Lose the Time War about?
Two agents on opposite sides of a time war fall in love through secret letters.
Who wrote it?
Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, in 2019.
Who are Red and Blue?
Agents for two rival factions, the Commandment and Garden.
How do they send letters?
They hide them in nature, food, objects and time.
Is it a novel?
It is a novella, about 200 pages.
Does it have a happy ending?
Yes, though it is bittersweet.
Did it win awards?
Yes, the Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards.
What age is it for?
Teens and adults.
Is it hard to follow?
The settings shift quickly, but the letters are easy to follow.
Is it a romance?
Yes, a love story between two women.
Who writes Red and Blue?
Max Gladstone wrote Red's letters, and Amal El-Mohtar wrote Blue's.
Is there an adaptation?
A TV adaptation has been in development.
Is it worth rereading?
Yes. Many clues about the ending are hidden in the early letters.
Is This Is How You Lose the Time War worth reading?
It depends on what you want. The book is best for readers who want a short, poetic love story told through letters across time. If that describes you, it is likely a good fit. If not, the titles under What to Read Next may suit you better.