My mind is still boggled by this book!
Overall, I enjoyed this story. Our narrator is a Ministry employee brought into the folds of a secret UK government project involving time travel. It kept me on my toes - throughout the novel, I didn’t know where the story would go next. This book is part sci-fi, part spy thriller, and part romance in a really unique way.

The author uses descriptive language and interesting metaphors, and I found myself using the “Look up” dictionary function on my Kindle more often than usual with this one!

The mix of genres did leave me wanting a bit MORE - at some points more spy thriller, at others more sci-fi elements with the time travel. I also would have loved to know more about the antagonists of this story and less about the day-to-day life of our main character. However, I did love getting to know our time-travelling ‘expats.'

I’ve learned that the BBC has acquired the rights to this book for TV production; I’ll definitely tune in! Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley is a debut novel which has generated a lot of buzz this year. Set in the near future, it sees an unnamed British-Cambodian civil servant recruited by the government as a time travel agent or handler known as a “bridge” to Commander Graham Gore, who was a real-life Victorian naval officer aboard HMS Erebus. There are a lot of fun ideas here about how to acclimatise Gore and the other “expats” from different historical eras to cope with life in 21st century Britain, although the quirky genre-mashing ultimately does try to be too many things at once. I think I was more invested in the humorous consequences introduced earlier in the story, rather than the latter half which veers more towards dark thriller territory. It will be interesting to see how ‘The Ministry of Time’ is adapted for TV by the BBC and how those tonal shifts are handled. Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me a review copy via NetGalley.

The Ministry of Time made a splash as one of the buzziest 2024 debuts and it certainly did not miss. Merging sci-fi with contemporary romance and dry British humour, it's a heady genre blend of escapist fun.

A man who died 200 years ago on a polar expedition is wrenched forward in time and assigned a someone who is all but a babysitter for their first months in contemporary London while they acclimatize. Yet all is not simple and even the narrator does not wish to think too hard about the greater stakes.

I loved this novel and I was glad to see more themes start to unpick as the story unfurled, though these could have benefitted from a more sustained exploration - the end felt a little rushed. Nonetheless, it's one I'll be recommending far and wide!

Kaliane Bradley’s debut novel, The Ministry of Time, promises a thrilling mix of genres, including time travel romance, spy thriller, and workplace comedy. While the premise is intriguing and ambitious, the execution leaves much to be desired. Set in a near future where a civil servant is tasked with working alongside a time-traveling Commander Graham Gore, the story has the potential for rich narrative depth. Unfortunately, it falls short in delivering a coherent and engaging plot. The novel’s pacing is inconsistent, and the storyline often feels muddled and directionless.

While the concept of historical figures adjusting to modern life is fascinating, the execution here feels superficial. The novel touches on interesting ideas, such as the nature of power and the impact of love, but it fails to explore these themes in a meaningful way. Instead, it often feels like a collection of loosely connected scenes rather than a cohesive story.

In conclusion, The Ministry of Time is a novel with an intriguing premise that ultimately fails to deliver. The lack of a strong narrative, coupled with confusing writing, makes it a frustrating read. For those seeking a well-crafted fusion of genres and an engaging storyline, this book may prove disappointing. Despite its potential, The Ministry of Time falls short of its promises, leaving readers unsatisfied and struggling to connect with its characters and plot.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

I am a sucker for time travel stories, not so much into the lovey-dovey stuff, which I think is important to mentioned before the review itself.

I did enjoy the book, but at the same time I feel like part of the potential was lost somewhere along the way. There have been a lot of stories about time travel, especially in the last decade or so, yet Kaliane Bradley manage to give it her own twist and make it into something that is different to the masses of stories...

***** contains spoilers *****

having an actual historical person, being brought here and having to adjust not only to the modern technologies but ways of life. I was honestly quite happy that although there was some obvious sexual tension, the characters didn't act on it and it was not an integral part of the story, so I was disapointed when it turned out that this was not the case. I skimmed through some of the scenes, because I really didn't feel like they helped or were needed in the story in any way.
I also found the pacing a bit odd, with things happening super slow in some moments and things that felt quite rushed at others.
Over all I did enjoy it and by the looks of the ending am looking forward to the second book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

Our unnamed narrator is a bridge for the ministry, the title given to those chosen to look after “expats” who have been rescued from other timelines.

Time travel, government and romance collide in this novel.

It was very well written and weaved in diverse characters without feeling preachy or forced.

However, I didn’t love this book as much as some people have. I found the pacing a little slow at times and parts of the timeline and characters a little hard to follow. Bradley did a great job of creating a compelling and insightful novel which asks interesting societal questions.

There were a lot of things to like about this book. Mostly the developing relationship between the narrator and Graham. I fell for it wholeheartedly, and also developed a bit of crush on him myself.
It’s a tiny bit of a slog though - long chapters didn’t help - and I didn’t really get my head round the spy elements of the story. High hopes which didn’t really live up to the book itself sadly
3.5 ⭐️

The genre-mixing here is at times fun, it does put a different spin on a sci-fi, time travel narrative. Part comedy, part romance, part historical fiction too with its base in the disaster voyage of the Terror and Erebus expedition.

A real-life character (Graham Gore) is the love interest of our main character. Their encounter is somewhat fascinating. I picked the book for the romance as I needed something a bit lighter, something heartwarming. But I was often confused. Perhaps the plot went over my head? I didn’t really get why these specific characters were handpicked from the past - what was their purpose?

If you can get your head around time-travel with a bit of political spin and side-eye criticism of our modern times seen through the lens of someone who lived in the past - well, it has got some entertaining moments.
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I guess it just wasn’t the book for me, but I am intrigued by the Arctic Voyage of Terror and Erebus and the fate of the crew onboard - I’d say this is its most interesting part.
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3/5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Debut novel by this author and I really enjoyed it. A time travel romance, spy thriller and work comedy. A great funny read

Such an unusual book, almost wanted to pick it up and read it straight away again. Loved all the flawed characters and intricacies of what makes them tick, there were so many layers to this if someone asked what the book was about I'm not even sure I'd be able to explain.. in essence about time travel and yet none of it was about time travel, part love story part analysis of the empire, an investigation into what it means to rebel and play by the rules.

This novel fits into so many different genres, sci-fi, romance, fantasy and thriller, but for me, somehow, it just fails to find its niche in any of them. I was so excited by the premise of the novel and may be as a result immense amount of pre-publication hype it was getting I ended up disappointed and left with a feeling of a missed opportunity. I did enjoy the authors writing, and there were some absolutely absurd moments when the time travellers were trying to adapt to modern life. It was a book of two halves - the first part was quite a slow burn, but the ending was all action. I will be interested to read this authors future books. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced copy of this novel in return for an honest review

Bueno, bueno... Después de toda la polémica por la evidente similitud a todos los niveles con la serie de televisión española del mismo nombre, llega el momento de juzgar esta obra. ¿Es realmente un plagio o copia disimulada?

Ojalá hubiera llegado a ser un debate. THE MINISTRY OF TIME es una obra sobre un hombre recuperado del pasado viviendo en la actualidad junto a una mujer que hace de "puente" para que no se pierda en el nuevo mundo. Y con eso, pues ya tenemos trescientas páginas de anécdotas y las típicas cosas graciosas. ¿Spotify? ¿Coches? ¿Feminismo? El listado habitual que podrías pensar.

Más allá de eso hay una trama conspiranoica en la segunda mitad de la novela tan simple como un chupete y con una revelación final que podría tener más impacto sino fuese porque la novela no vale más.

En fin, que si copió o no a la serie española es lo de menos porque el libro no pasa, con suerte, de un divertimento para un rato tonto. Y gracias.

One of the best sci-fi debuts I've read recently - I love how the discourse around it has deemed it an extension of fan-fic with a self-insert main character, but it's so much more than that!

A time travel love story focused on a woman whose name you never find out who becomes a civil servant 'bridge' to a man brought into the 21st century from the past.

I loved it.

An ambitious and fun debut from an exciting new voice in fiction which follows a secret government department responsible for bringing people from the past to the future.

'The Ministry of Time' by Kaliane Bradley is a unique novel that takes you on a journey through time.

A civil servant is given an upgraded job in a top secret project that even she does not expect. The Ministry has transported characters from the past into modern day and it is the basis for a great story.

It is ingenious of the author to consider placing historical figures into our time and what the consequences might be. How the different characters interact together is well written and will make you laugh at times.

This novel will not just make you laugh though; it will keep you on the edge of your seat and also charm you.

It's a definite page turned and an amazing debut novel.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley in allowing me to read in return for a review.

This is one hell of a ride! It wasn't anything like I expected and tbh time travel and historical aren't my fav genres but I got sucked in by the hype around this book and it didn't disappoint. The two main characters are loveable and the concept is very interesting!

I received this book from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton | Sceptre in exchange for a free and honest review.

This book was a pleasant surprise and I throughly enjoyed it. The story is set in two time lines one in the past and another in the present. In the past the story follows Graham (a man brought from the past to the future) and in the present it follows an unnamed protagonist of mixed British and Cambodian descent. She is in-charge of Grahams assimilation and along this process she must deal with her issues regarding her ethnicity and place in society. This book was quite interesting and it had lots of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. I would highly recommend.

New author to me but what a find, the story is delicate and well written, I was lost in the pages and finding my imagination engaged. It's an easy to follow page turner with well defined characters.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

5/5 ✨

For how quickly I basically inhaled the words in this book, I’ve decided that I must give it 5 stars. It’s weird because I started off thinking this is a ridiculous premise but then a few pages later I was utterly hooked. It’s a fascinating concept - take historical characters out of their time and think about how you would assimilate them into the twenty first century. What would they need to know, what would they be confused by? Our nameless protagonist is a ‘bridge’ for just such a character - Commander Graham Gore has been ‘rescued’ from a gruesome Victorian-era death aboard the ill-fated lost Franklin expedition to discover the northwest sea passage. Suddenly finding himself in twenty first century England is quite a mind boggle. Cue romantic spy thriller time travel escapades. Sounds quite the hodgepodge I know, but trust me, it works. I didn’t love the latter chapters so much but it had a good ending.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Sceptre, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Deserves all the hype it’s been getting! I was completely swept away and lost in the world of this book. I have definitely been recommending it to friends!