3.5

The Ministry of Time is a truly genre bending book. Here we have a thriller, with a time travel plot taking central stage, with comedy, romance, and tragedy sprinkled in alongside. Does it work? That’s debatable.

At some point in the near future, our unnamed protagonist has been hired by the British goverment as a ‘bridge’. Essentially, they’ve discovered time travel and they’re going to test it out by yoinking six people out from various points in history, to see how - and if - they’d adapt to living in the modern day. They pick people who were destined to die, and wouldn’t be missed from their timeline - a woman from the plague era, men from various wars ect. Our protagonist is teamed up with Graham Gore, a Royal Navy commander who’s been pulled out from the doomed 1847 Franklin expedition.

Now, being pulled out of the 1800s artic into 2000-something London is a shock. There’s a lot to learn - what’s now considered a racial slur, for instance. Oh, and Spotify.

If you’ve seen the BBC comedy ‘Ghosts’ the vibes here are quite similar, especially when the humorous aspects shine through. I feel this is when the book is at its best - genuinely witty conversations between these displaced expats and their bridges. Margaret, a women pulled from the plague era, was by far and away my favourite character, and I loved when she appeared.

Obviously most of our time is spent with our main character, as she adapts to living with Graham - and Graham adapts to the knowledge that living alone with an unmarried woman is no longer seen as a scandal. Over time they strike up a camaraderie, which eventually evolves into a romance. I feel this was also done quite well, and I found myself rooting for this unconventional couple.

However, as this is such a shaken up cocktail of a book, we also have the political thriller aspect alongside the romance and humour - and while it was mostly fast paced, thought provoking, and kept me guessing, I also felt like it dragged the book down for me slightly. There are also many big topics, which are just seemingly loosely thrown around, banded about because they have to be. That’s not to say the topics aren’t important, and should be acknowledged - but I feel like it was a case of too many being lightly thrown in, rather than being explored at a deeper level. However, when there’s so much going on, this isn’t to be unexpected.

It all got a tad mind-bendy and complex by the end, which tends to be the case for these sorts of novels, but I still quite enjoyed the ride. I think many others will as well, and can see this book being quite the genre-defying hit, even if there are areas where it crumbles slightly under the pressure.

I’ll also always think of this book whenever I happen to see a chicken shaped bag. So, there’s that too.

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review.

Thoroughly enjoyable!

Romance, time travel and spies! All the good things in life.

Throw in real historic events, a good dose of realism around the British imperial history and life as a non white British person and this was a wonderful concoction of laughs, tears and love.

It is slow paced. It is wordy. But I read it quicker than I expected to.

I enjoyed the novel and whilst the premise was engaging, interesting and made me want to explore further, there were parts that either went on for too long or seemed somewhat out of keeping with rest of the book. I'm no prude but found that the sex scenes were cumbersome and went on too long; if you're positioning the book as an Outlander-esque speculative romance, then I guess this in keeping with that direction, but didn't really work for me. I did really enjoy how the historic characters had to familiarise themselves with the modern world and felt this was the strongest part of the book. On occasion, some of the writing lacked something, with lines such as the acne on someone's breasts resembling crumbs from a pink wafer? Didn't work for me. I do feel that the middle third lacks much engagement and let the rest of the novel down and the twists - whilst not overbearing - were fairly predictable.

The writing is warm and inviting - taking us into the not-too-distant future and on a journey of discovery and romance for its protagonist. It's not afraid also to explore more serious themes such as generational trauma and the complexity of racialised identities in Britain. However for me the focus on romance in the mid-section of the novel slowed down the pace of the plot and stretched belief that our protagonists really could be quite so naïve. It's an assured debut and I look forward to reading more from this author. Overall four stars

The Ministry of Time “picks up” people from the past who were doomed in their own timeline and time-travels them (if that’s a transitive verb) into a near-future UK. These people from the past (called “expats”) are given governmental chaperones (called “bridges”): “To know whether they had truly adjusted to the future, the expats needed to live in it, monitored by a full-time companion, which was, it transpired, the job I’d successfully interviewed for.”

So far, so intriguing.

The author is half-Cambodian. Sadly, the topic of race is shoehorned into every aspect of this slightly confusing plot - even if it has zero relevance to the actual storyline. In fact, most of nowadays’ favourite tick boxes were ticked in passing: misogyny, racism, climate change, refugees, Colonialism et al., all mixed into a romance-fantasy-history-spy thriller-fanfiction maelstrom.

As several of my fellow reviewers have said already, this book reads like a less funny adaptation of the BBC series “Ghosts”.

To juxtapose life ancient versus modern there are more diverting explorations, like Herbert Rosendorfer’s “Letters Back to Ancient China” or indeed Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”.

3 stars for the idea, the occasional pretty flashes of pathetic fallacies and similes, the voice of Margaret Kemble and the diary excerpts based on the doomed Franklin Expedition notes.

What a strange yet interesting read. A story of past, present and an apocalyptic future. The fact the author used a real life character from a real life expedition in the 1800s I found quite intriguing. The story includes, hope, love and action in a way that I wouldn't have thought would work, but it did! I would definitely recommend this book as a must read

Somewhere in The Ministry of Time is a great story. Meticulously researched and well-thought throughout, the novel is a good attempt at refreshing the time travel concept. The characters brought from the past and living in the modern era were well constructed and enjoyable. However, the book falls victim of its format, as I feel it would've been better served with a third-person narrator and not confined to the linear experiences of the main character. I understand this is being developed into a TV show, and believe it could make for great viewing. Alas, the print form just feels a bit flat. Chalk this as one that could've been great, but ended up just ok. Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. 3 out of 5 stars for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

I really enjoyed most of this book. I quite like time travel things where people attempt to go back to the past to right future wrongs. I love secret government departments with dubious agendas and misinformation.

I enjoyed all of the characters, especially of course our hero, Navy man Graham Gore and the narrator who is his "bridge" helping him to navigate (see what I did there) the new ways of the new era he finds himself in. The book is very funny in places and the other "ex pats" are good characters too, especially poor, dear Arthur, I liked the nod to Wilfred Owen and it was sobering to realise that Maggie's acne is actually plague scarring from her own era where she would have died. One of the expats is entirely unreconstructed and generally not liked and i think I would have liked to learn more about him and why he was, in so many ways, unable to adapt - was that why he was chosen?

Graham Gore was a real person who was on ships in the Arctic explorations and the book is interspersed with stories about his ill fated journeys. I wasnt that keen on those bits and mostly skimmed them.

There is a fabulous reveal near the end of the book which I did not even dream of but it explains a bit about the set up and background to the ex pats and bridges projects and gives the reader a tantalising look at the future, or one of the possible futures,.

Generally the book zips along, full of humour and plot and mystery but I felt the pace slipped a great deal round about 75% ish after they all moved to different safe houses and I could easily have done without all the sex scenes with their mild undercurrent of violence. It all picks up again though after that interlude and we hurtle to the conclusion which, as in all time travel things, gives one pause for thought about roads not taken.

I was surprised that the book is set in such a near future though, How worrying!

i also got a huge shock when I got to the last page as dear Graham was not at all as I imagined him.

An original, funny and very enjoyable read.

Kaliane Bradley's "The Ministry of Time" is a remarkable literary journey that seamlessly weaves together elements of romance, time travel, and societal commentary into an unforgettable narrative. From the very first page, I was captivated by the inventive premise and richly-drawn characters that inhabited this world.

The story revolves around The Ministry's ambitious experiment in time travel, rescuing individuals from pivotal historical moments just before their demise. This concept alone is intriguing, but Bradley's execution elevates it to something extraordinary. Commander Graham Gore, plucked from a 19th-century Arctic expedition, finds himself amidst a diverse ensemble of figures from various time periods, each grappling with the complexities of the 21st century under the guidance of their "bridge".

What struck me most about this novel is its profound exploration of social issues within the framework of time travel. Bradley fearlessly tackles themes of racism, colonialism, homophobia, immigration, and environmental concerns, using the lens of displaced historical figures to reflect on our contemporary world. This narrative depth adds layers of meaning to the adventure, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking.

The characters in *The Ministry of Time* are the true heart of the story. They are crafted with such authenticity that they leap off the page. Commander Gore and his bridge share a delightful camaraderie, navigating the bewildering changes of the modern era with humour and grace. Even the supporting cast, like Arthur and Maggie, leave a lasting impression, adding texture and emotional resonance to the unfolding drama.

The plot is expertly paced, with unexpected twists that kept me eagerly turning pages. The slow-burn romance between Commander Gore and his bridge is a testament to Bradley's skillful storytelling, building anticipation and emotional investment throughout the narrative.

What truly sets this book apart is its emotional impact. Bradley doesn't shy away from exploring the profound human experiences of loss, adaptation, and resilience. The historical context, particularly the inclusion of Commander Gore's perspective based on real-life accounts, adds a poignant layer to the storytelling, grounding the fantastical elements in a tangible reality.

In conclusion, *The Ministry of Time* is a gem of a novel that will resonate with readers who enjoy immersive storytelling and complex characters. It's a book that not only entertains but also challenges perspectives and stirs the heart. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a captivating blend of history, romance, and intrigue. Kaliane Bradley has crafted a masterpiece of a debut that lingers in the mind long after the final page.

Ok, I am officially in love with Commander Graham Gore, and I need you all to read this book so you can fall in love with him too. The Ministry of Time is a... hard book to talk about. It's a true mix of genres, at it's heart it's a romance, but it's also got time travel elements, spy thriller style scenes, as well as delving into some pretty hard hitting topics; racism, colonialism and blind fealty. It's not a fun story, it's got it's own kind of HEA, but it takes you on one hell of a journey to get there and let me tell you, the journey was 100% worth it.

The MC works for The Ministry, a kind of UK version of the State Department and, when looking for a promotion comes across the job for a 'bridge.' A job that turns out to be a babysitter for 'travelers' who have been taken from their time and brought into the future, people who would have died in their own time so wouldn't be missed. Enter Commander Graham Gore. Her job is to help acclimate him to the future, to report on his movements, his questions & behavioir. She is someone who follows The Ministry's orders without question, without ever really thinking there was anything wrong with reporting on another human being, whether they were out of their own time or not. But as she starts to fall for Graham, as the line between babysitter and lover start to merge.

I loved our MC, the intricacy of her character, her inner monologue, but it was our time travelers that stole this one for me. I mentioned my love for Commander Graham Gore and I wasn't exaggerating, I defy you to not read this book and fall a little in love with him. But alongside him we have soft spoken Arthur who was ripped from the battle of the Somme and brash Margaret from the seventeenth century, both of which are finally in a place in time that allows them to explore their sexuality. These three absolutely make this book as special as it is, their interactions are both hilarious and heartwarming and they stole whatever scenes they were in.

It's a truly character driven story and by far my favourite parts where the MC's interactions with Graham. Slowly but surely introducing him to the modern world, watching him trying to fit his body into a time it was not made for. These moments where hilarious in parts, but also heart wrenching in others, especially when Graham finds out what happened to the people he left behind. It is without a doubt a love story, we get to see these two people forced together slowly but surely fall in love with one another, and the fact we only get it from the MC's POV was infuriating in parts because, thanks to the time Graham was from, it was so bloody hard to see if he reciprocated her feelings. I was on tenterhooks alongside the MC, sure that he didn't feel the same for her, but when the inevitable crash happened, it did with a boom, and I loved seeing their relationship bloom into something more, something that got a little smutty in parts.

So yes, at it's heart it's a romance. A story of two people from completely different worlds learning how to live with each other, how to love one another. But it's also a time travel novel, one filled with dark themes and spy thriller style moments. Where exactly did the 'bridge' come from? How did they learn to use it? What are the Ministry's goals when it comes to the people they plucked from History?It's a dark story, filled with dark themes. The author takes a deep look an institutional racism through both our MC, as well as other characters that we meet. And the time travel aspects cause the readers to ask a lot of questions. What right do we have to take someone from their time, whether they were 'due to die' or not, and what right do we have to dispose of them once they prove useless?

Bradley's writing style took this book to a whole new level for me, engaging, prosaic without being overly flowery, descriptive and emotional enough to drag you into the story and make you fall head over heels in love with her characters. It's hard not to almost embody the MC in a way, I also felt myself slowly but surely falling in love with Graham, and a large reason for that was how the writing just dragged you into the story. Bradley's use of plot twists is another thing that keep you as the reader engaged, but she also uses these to give us some big emotional whaps throughout. Is it happy? In parts, but for me it just came across as so incredibly realistic, which is impressive considering it's a book about time travel, but it just has that authentic feel.

In case you can't tell, I loved this book! I can see it being one that polarises reviewers, it's not going to be for everyone. It's quirky in it's mix of genres, and the MC can get a little infuriating in her blind belief in the ministry, but the more you learn about her and her family history the more you realise why she is the way she is. If you're looking for a romance between a modern women and a Victorian man that gets exactly as humorous as you are imagining, a story that makes you question your right to exist, one filled with unforgettable characters, and a story that will break your heart in 20 ways and then start to mend it, I can't recommend this one enough.

I enjoyed this, really interesting premise done well. The slow burn romance was great, now I’m in love with a Victorian navel officer!
Great insight in likening time travellers to refugees, a unique take I’d not seen before. Would like to read more from this author.

Much like time travel itself, this book is absolute magic. I'm not usually one for the fantastical, but I'd heard a lot about this from my bookish peers, and so jumped at the chance to read it. The voice was immediately compelling, and while the rules of time travel took a lot of getting my head around, I trusted the author enough, and trusted that I would understand what I needed to, when I needed to, that I was able to relax in to the experience of reading it in a completely immersive way. Like some other reviewers have said, the past sections did pull me out of the narrative at time, and at first I wasn't a fan of those, but by the end even they felt completely right. I didn't see the twist coming at all, and sat up so quickly in the bath when it came that water ended up all over the floor - that's how you know it's a good one. It made me laugh, it made me cry, the final line was absolutely perfect. God, I just really loved it.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the first half of the year and it did not disappoint in any way, shape, or form.
The writing was phenomenal, and I found myself at 1am at 50% when I picked it up to just sample the first chapter. It was just so moreish, it was easy to read (I am not a Sci Fi reader, so I was a little anxious about this read), and I fell in love with the characters almost immediately.

The author wrote about generational trauma from colonialism (specifically Cambodia) and how it affects the whole family, and everyone it touches, as well as the British Empire being like a toddler grabbing all the countries so no one else can play with them. It was just so well done and I CANNOT RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH YOU GUYS!!

Can we talk about Graham Gore?! He's giving Darcy a run for his money in the charming man department.

There are a few trigger warnings including:
loss of loved ones, colonialism and the trauma that comes with it, climate change is a big one, racism, misogyny, and homophobia.

4.5* The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley is immersive and thoughtful but more importantly utterly bonkers and great fun.

A career civil servant is given the role of a lifetime. The opportunity to move from a post in the 'languages department' to a top secret department, on a large salary with her accommodation provided. The Ministry of Time has created time travel, but it doesn't know how well it will work or how it might impact on individuals and history. So it extracts a small group of people whose number is almost up and transports them to the present day just before they die in their time. Known as the expats, Commander Graham Gore, artic explorer who should have died in 1947, is joined by other expats from the WWI trenches, great battles and the plague. Supported to assimilate into modern life by their personal civil servants (known as bridges), a great experiment begins but living in close quarters for 12 months was always going to be fraught with emotion, friendship and potentially more.

The premise of The Ministry of Time is smart and it is incredibly well written. The characters are all well cast and written, with the language and culture of bygone ages often leading to thoughtful musings and/or humorous consequences. As the book develops the plot starts to zip along and it becomes an engrossing page turner.

I had heard great things about this book and it certainly didn't disappoint. I would thoroughly recommend it as an immersive, smart and witty thrill ride.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

I started reading this book… I went on a walk reading this book… I stayed up til midnight to finish this book. Utterly absorbing and fascinating, with such rich and wonderful characters.

I enjoyed this, but not as much as I expected or hoped. Maybe I took too long reading it, but even though it was interesting, fascinating at times seeing how the characters pulled out of their time into another adjusted, I got a bit bogged down in the narrative.

Cracking debut novel that melds time travel with government bureaucracy to thrillingly funny and thought-provoking effect. Love the conceit of plucking people from the past and pairing them with a “bridge” civil servant to help them acclimatise / observe them - seeing how to manage the impact of time travel rather than time travelling themselves. Complex enough to feel suitably ‘real’, but not so complex that any reasonably au fait reader of science fiction / viewer of doctor who would struggle.

As a bonus for me, I’ve not long read the terror, so was initially bemused to find a new fictional representation of Lt Gore from the doomed Franklin expedition to find the north west passage…

In short: this novel is a gem, and I absolutely adore it!!!
To elaborate: When I first heard about this book, I wasn't sure if it would be my cup of tea as it was marketed as sci-fi, a genre that typically isn't my favorite. However, upon discovering that the novel tells a story of a crew member from the Franklin's lost expedition of 1845, who time-jumps to our times, I knew I had to read it. I'm so glad I requested an ARC because the book turned out to be so much more than expected—I absolutely loved it.

"The Ministry of Time” is not an Outlander-style time travel novel, but rather a story showing the practicalities of adjusting time travelers to living in our times. It was done exceptionally well—I enjoyed following Commander Gore and his fellow time expats' struggles to adjust to living in the 21st century. The characters are very likable and realistically written, which is a huge advantage of the book, as the narrative is strongly based on characters and their behavior in everyday life situations.

The book is rather difficult to classify within genres, as it encompasses speculative elements, a romantic plotline, and even some spy thriller. The romance is an extremely slow-burn and doesn't fully develop until later in the story. However, I found it both utterly charming and bittersweetly heartbreaking. I loved the dynamic between the main character and Commander Gore. The portrayal of the relationship between a 21st-century woman and a man from the Victorian era was spot-on, and I loved it!

Speaking of this book, one should not fail to mention that apart from being a charming read with many amusing elements, it also deals with more serious topics. As the main character comes from a British-Cambodian family, themes of colonialism, racism, exoticism, and attitudes toward migrants in modern Western countries are present in the novel. This is an important aspect of the book, as it provides valuable social commentary, adding depth to the overall narrative.

At the end of the day, I'm thrilled that something that began as a fanfic idea of a romance between a modern woman and a Victorian Royal Navy officer turned into such a good, fast-paced, and enjoyable read. While I have some critiques about the editing style (for example, I was annoyed by the way the dialogues were written sometimes, as there was no narration with them and it didn't always indicate who was speaking), they don't diminish my overall rating.

I must also address the ridiculous allegations appearing on the Internet that the book is a plagiarism of a Spanish TV series. It is simply not true, and anyone who reads this book will easily recognize that. I encourage everyone to read this novel and provide an honest review because unfortunately, the book is bombarded with 1-star ratings by people who haven't even read it.

A time travel story with a twist - instead of just traveling back to study people in the past, the Ministry have brought the people back to the future. A fantastic read, with lots of twists and turns that will keep the reader engaged to the last page.

Engaging and witty read with a perfect genre mash-up.
It's a time travel story without a real time travel - characters only deal with the aftermath of bringing someone across time, but we never really go with them to another era. That's because the focus of this book is on showing the corporate side of supervising the adjustment to a foreign world, rather than typical time-jumping related action and themes (although the story definitely delivers on the classical twists in this department). Apart from being simply fun, it also draws deeper parallels between the time expats and real-life migrants in UK and social commentary is precisely what earns my books an extra star.
The romance starts happening only a halfway through the book and Gore is such a charming character, I really enjoyed it, even though I don't read love stories.
In the beginning had some difficulties with the plot structure. The blurb describes this book as part "work-place comedy" and it's on point here, as jumpy scenes really looked like shot changes from a tv show, ending abruptly and in random places. Also, there are many dialogues with no narration, which was an issue, as I often lost track of who was speaking.
But putting this aside, I adored the whole story.
Also, I would like to note that I'm aware of the "controversies" related to the Spanish TV show of the same name and for anyone who actually read this book, and is not simply jumping on the bandwagon of internet hate, it will be instantly obvious that these stories are entirely different and the whole drama is just typical, silly drama for twitter mob.