Like Umberto Ecos’ Baudolino, Parker’s unnamed narrator is an unique character who’s both the hero and the villain of this novella. When he says, “I have an idea you aren’t going to like me very much.”, it is absolutely correct. But he turns out to be a lovable rogue like so many of Parker’s other characters in other works.
I absolutely loved the ending which was completely out of the blue but a typical KJ Parker ending.

If you had to read one book this year, read this.
It’s just February and I believe this is going to be the best story I’ve read in 2020.
A beautiful epistolary time-travel romance that is full of tiny bits of smart references that if you miss them, you won’t know they exist. I loved the reference to L’esprit de l’escalier. 🙂 Smashing piece of writing.