[Steeplechase] This is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone - 3 stars

[Shelly]

I agree with many who have reviewed this book. The prose is beautiful and often feels like reading poetry. I can see where the audio version would be a great experience for many readers. My sole complaint about this book is I found it very difficult to follow. I almost gave up early on, but the book has received a great deal of praise so I soldiered on. It is less than 200 pages and not very dense, so that factored into my decision as well. I am glad I finished it. The book has a bit of a modern feminist Romeo and Juliet vibe and I definitely enjoyed that. Now I feel like I need to reread it to truly understand how Blue and Red fall in love despite being on opposite sides of the time war. In fact, I may reread it on audio.

[NancyJ]

I loved it on audio. I reread it this year and I think I liked it even more. It’s not easy at first to make sense of the fantastical format of their “letters,” or to figure out who is following one of the characters. I think the first time I listened to it, I just let the language wash over me. I pick up something new each time. I love when a book is short enough to do this.

[Sue]

I listened to the audio, and it probably did make a difference. The narrator really brought the writing to life.