DNF - I am very grateful for the publisher to provide me the audiobook ARC. However, unfortunately the audiobook didnt work for me. Even though I loved the premise and concept of time travellings expats reintegration, the humor of certain scenes and confusion of these people didnt really work with the audiobook narration.
It felt too dry and serious in tone, whereas I would have liked these interactions to have a bit more spunk.
I will try a physical copy when the book comes out as I absolutely love the themes explored in this book!

The Ministry of Time is supposed to be everything I like. Time traveler's Wife meets tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow was the tagline. Unfortunately halfway through I realised that I have no idea what the goal of this novel was. I am sure the author must have said at one point why the ministry was doing what it does, taking people out of their timeline and educating them in the 21st century, I couldn't tell you why. It feels as if the time travel element was just the gimmick to rant about politics and social issues. The hinted at love story was really not there most of the novel and it felt really out of place for me personally. Unfortunately this one story wise is a miss for me. The audio quality was great, the reader was really engaging. Thank you for approving me this audio.

I kept seeing this pop up on the most anticipated reads of 2024 lists and the designer in me is obsessed with ✨that✨ typography on the cover so I was <i>thrilled</i> to get the chance to listen to the audiobook ahead of its 7th May publishing date.

It’s worth noting that I usually avoid time travelling stories because it’s usually set in the future and I tend to avoid historical fiction when it’s set so far in the past, but after reading the blurb for The Ministry of Time I was fascinated with the fresh take on time travel x historical fiction mash up.

The expatriate characters are well developed and I could have read an entire book on them navigating modern life because they coped remarkably well. I loved their interactions. The story is well paced and engaging from the start. I found myself laughing at the dialogue in the first interaction between FMC and Commander Graham Gore.

A solid 4 star read for me and an epic debut from Kaliane Bradley ✨

Katie Leung brought the story to life and I could listen to her for hours. George Weightman brought Gore to life in his alternate chapters. I’m adding them both to my auto-listen list of narrators from now on.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton Audio, Sceptre + NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook before it’s released. The Ministry of Time is out on 7th May 2024 #TheMinistryOfTime #NetGalley

Wowowow this book was so much fun. Comedy, romance, time travel, spies, the whole thing was so entertaining from start to end.

In a near future, a UK government Ministry of Time gathers a range of expats from different time periods to understand whether time travel is possible - both for the people themselves and the fabric of the universe. Our main character is a ‘bridge’, whose job is to live with and monitor one of these expats, and help them acclimatise to 21st century life. She is placed with Commander Graham Gore, a polar explorer from 1847.

It might sound strange, but parts of this felt very reminiscent of Ghosts UK, with people from different times learning to exist in proximity to one another and forming strong bonds despite their differences. Graham Gore IMMEDIATELY made me think of the Captain, probably one of my favourite characters from anything ever, which I’m not sure was a result of the narrator or the writing, but just made this even better for me.

Although elements are light, breezy and fun, this book also offers commentary on colonialism and race, and highlights parallels between the time expats and migrants, which I think is done well.

I enjoyed the audio, but feel like this might have been one of those books that you get more out of in physical format, as I sometimes felt like the humour and tone didn’t always come across as effortlessly as they should have. I might come back for a reread when the physical version is released.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review

A historical fiction novel about time travel - I was immediately hooked on this concept. I loved the characterisation and relationships between the characters and the juxtaposition of the’ ex-pats’ (the unwitting time travelers) in a completely new world, and the way that they, and the present day characters, interact with heritage. I did struggle with Gore’s chapters, but I understand why they were there’.

"The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley, narrated by George Weightman and Katie Leung, is a multidimensional story that blends elements of science fiction, comedy, romance, and historical fiction. The novel follows a civil servant who becomes a bridge in an experimental project that brings expatriates from the past into the present day.
As the narrative unfolds, we are introduced to Commander Graham Gore and the bridge, whose professional relationship evolves deeper as they navigate the complexities of time travel and the consequences of their actions. The story explores themes of love, identity, and societal issues, particularly through the bridge's realisation of her own internalised racism as a mixed Cambodian-British woman.
While the book offers an engaging and cinematic reading experience, I found that the story struggled to fully realise its potential due to its ambitious scope. The novel attempts to encompass a wide range of genres and themes, resulting in a narrative that may sometimes feel fragmented. However, Bradley's meticulous research incorporating real historical figures like Commander Gore adds depth and authenticity to the plot.
One of the highlights of the book is the central romance between the bridge and Commander Gore, which is compelling and heartfelt against the backdrop of time travel and societal challenges. Despite some pacing issues, the emotional depth of their relationship and the exploration of complex issues elevate the novel and draw readers in.

Overall, "The Ministry of Time" is a thought-provoking and immersive read that offers a unique blend of genres and themes. While the story may feel like a jack of all trades at times, the strong character development and engaging romance make it a captivating tale with the potential for further exploration.

was drawn to this by the title. I was intrigued as to whether it was connected to the Spanish TV series of a similar name, from the synopsis I deduced it was not, the title is coincidental.

Chapters are introduced by a short piece set in the past and the main chapter is set in the book’s present.

The Narration is from the lead character. Her name is referred to but I can’t recall it actually being said outloud.

Part set in the past the secondary character is Commander Graham Gore, a real historical character. Avoid googling him until after you’ve heard (or read) this book.

The main character is recruited by a new Ministry of the UK Government. She is recruited to assist an ‘Expatriate’.

The term here is not using it’s dictionary and customary use. These are people expatriated from History.

At or near the time of their death a number of people were rescued from the past. Each assigned to someone to help them adjust, and report back to the Ministry. The Civil Servant assigned to them referred to as a Bridge.

There are a selection of characters from different eras. I’ve not checked them all to see if they too are historic characters.

The story is well paced and engaging.

There are a few words used that are often considered inappropriate. Words once in common use now considered slurs. They are used to show differences in culture over time. The main character is mixed race – British and Cambodian. For me the way the words used is not contentious. Others may feel different.

Characters, those from the current era and those from the past, are varied. Katie Leung gives each a distinctive sound, the author has given them their own voice.

The plot reveals real information, and some fictional gap filling, about Commander Gore over the short introductions to each chapter.

Slowly the plot in current time is also revealed. A few parts I guessed but there was enough behind the veil for surprise along the way.

There are many witty parts along with drama. There’s some romance and sex scenes that are not overly described, yet it is clear what is going on.

I found this story engaging and entertaining.

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 for me when listening to the audiobook, as I often lost track of who was speaking. I wasn't a fan of the narrator, who made reeeeeealy loooong pauses between sentences, as if she was moving to the next chapter when in fact she was not.
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.

This is novel of the year for me. I was obsessed with this story from start to finish - as soon as I got to the end I went back to the beginning. It’s a wonderful time-travel story full of intrigue, history, romance and stunningly written. I was swept into the world of the Expats and the Bridges - as compulsive as a film noir thriller and beautifully written. I listened to the audio book and it was so expertly narrated by Katie Leung I felt I was there, in the world. The historical sections about the expedition were so fascinating and tragic. The romance between the two main characters is just gorgeous. If I could give it 10 stars I would.

Unfortunately, this was a big fat DNF for me at about the 20% mark. I sort of blame reading some of the reviews (none of them were below a three, but what they were describing was just NOT something I wanted to continue reading). I was so enthused by the beginning of this book - it's a fascinating concept and the author's writing is quite sparse and straightforward, which I normally really enjoy. Unfortunately, as the narrative began to change and formulate into one what one review described as 'self insert fanfiction with a real historical figure' (and is quite accurate), I became increasingly icky towards it. I felt the lead female character wasn't written well (it is quite fanfiction-y cool girl look at how unique I am). There are some good ideas in this book, but they're not particularly well executed - the general pacing and structure of the novel isn't particularly strong and with as intriguing a concept as this, there were so many better ways to put it to paper. Not for me.

This is a review in two parts. I enjoyed listening to The Ministry of Time because I like contemporary romance and spy novels including ministries. I suspended disbelief and went with it. I warmed to lots of the characters we met along the way. The writing is very readable. I was interested in what might happen. In mood, I'd situate it as "If Ali Hazlewood wrote Dr Who fan fiction". However, Ali Hazlewood's books are much more evenly paced than this is.

The minute I thought about it for more than a second, the whole thing fell apart. The characters are (generally) likeable and fun. The romance is fairly sweet. The intrigue is there although not as substantially developed as I'd expected but I was surprised by The Twist when it came. If you are into proper time travel, this book does not deal with it well at all. If you are looking for truly complex characters, I don't think this is for you either. The book hasn't quite committed to what it is and it gets torn between romance, workplace drama, lost characters in a new world, time travel, rompy thriller, and adventure story. In general, the characters are all as they seem to be and they also explain to you how they exist beyond stereotypes and character tropes repeatedly in the book.

I didn't like the writing of Simellia, a minor character who I initially loved, who talked a lot about being Black and about racism. I was hopeful that the early, and promising scenes, were going to lead to some sort of romance but she is largely written out of the middle of the plot. The emphasis on Simellia's race was also uncomfortable as the author highlights instances of racism (including out of time slurs) a lot in the book while also seeming to sympathise with one of her main characters who begins as a racist, is revealed to have participated in slave trafficking, and briefly exoticises her. Some of the other explorations of the author's own hertiage, and experiences of being racialised, were richer. I am personally very tired of the new trend of writing historical characters who have interacted with the slave trade and them all being sorry and rueful about their participation. I think we have to accept that some of these people weren't good guys and that it's not interesting to rehabilitate them or to "love them despite what they may have done". In a fantasy universe, we can ask for more.

I was so unsure at the start, but it draws you in and you’ll end up loving it. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to The ministry of time by Kaliane Bradley and would definitely recommend.

I started this with a lot of scepticism, this is not my genre you see. So I definitely wasn’t going to love it, infact I’d probably not even like it.

Reader: I LOVED IT

The downside of loving it, is that I’m now also in love with a 200(ish) year dead fictional character, so that’s nice for me. I was absolutely captivated by the aspect of time travel, of collecting people from the past and training them for the future. The characters simply just should never have merged let alone worked but they did and it was fabulous. Absolutely Brilliant!

A well deserved 4 star 🌟 review, the Audio was really well performed too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

This is huge fun! Bradley has taken a rather tired concept of time travel and given it a fresh shake-up: a shady government ministry is bringing people from various pasts into the present where they are allocated a 'bridge' to help them orient themselves and the main narrator is one of these 'bridges' - a biracial young woman whose Cambodian mother still carries the scars of trauma and who suffers microaggressions her 'passing' daughter is aware of but doesn't usually experience herself.

For most of the first half though these political concerns are shelved: the best part of the book is the character-driven subtle comedy of the narrator's relationships with Commander Graham Gore, a real Royal Navy officer who disappeared on the ill-fated Franklin polar expedition (yes, the one detailed in [book:The Terror|3974]!), Margaret, a hilarious and brash woman from the seventeenth century allowed to own her lesbian sexuality for the first time, and the more melancholy WW1 officer who is in love with Graham. The everyday details of these cross-pollinated historical friendships are both deliciously funny and moving. I could have read a whole book centred on these characters navigating the twenty-first century with delight.

But, of course, things are not all sunny: what is the ministry really up to? What is the mysterious weapon? Why is another bridge assassinated? And then the standard tropes of time travel narratives kick in: <spoiler>how to manipulate the present to achieve the necessary future outcome, travellers coming back from the future to change the past, that old chestnut of the future version of a self meeting the present version of the same person</spoiler> ray guns (or something) and people on the run from mysterious enemies are not really my thing and I sort of lost the head-spinning plot.

Nevertheless, there is so much that I enjoyed about this book despite the genre trappings that took over: Bradley's writing is engaging (though I was a bit bored by the short interspersed chapters from Gore's perspective of the Franklin expedition), genuinely funny and sharp, though never overstated, on a kind of adopted naivety that our narrator uses to fit in. There is light commentary on issues around refugees and assimilation, on how ideas have evolved across history, and the almost necessary diatribe on power differentials and who controls the narrative.

In the end my adoration for the characters is what I'll take from this book: Bradley has real empathy here and an imaginative ability to make these people 'real'. The time-travel plot? I loved the premise to get these characters together and as the basis of much of the humour, but as a driver it sort of left me cold, something I had to go with in order to enjoy the stellar characterization.

I listened to the audio book which is nicely done: the only thing I'd say is that Gore's voice sounds a bit old for a thirty something, even a Victorian one, which was a bit awkward when things got sexy! All the same, this is an audio - and world - I was eager to get back to even if, at times, the drive for plot slightly overwhelms Bradley's strengths at creating characters I adored.

the ministry of time is a lot of things: a sci-fi story with time travel, a comedy about a man trying to learn about current times, a romance about two very different people who are drawn together across all odds, and more. however, as a result, this novel feels more like a jack of all trades instead of something fully realized. this is made apparent in bradley's depiction of the main character's revelations about her own internalized racism as a mixed cambodian-british woman. if as much research was done to write fleshed out characters dealing with racism, misogyny, homophobia, etc. as bradley clearly did in bringing commander gore (a real life figure) into the story, this could've been a masterpiece in the making given how cinematic the reading experience was. i'm not surprised this already has a tv deal as a result and will admit to being swept up by the main romance even though getting there had pacing issues.