2.5 stars

I loved the premise of this one but not the implementation- it just was too slow. It could have been edited down a fair amount.

The Ministry of Time is an incredibly fun combination of science fiction, historical fiction, and romance. The characters, though difficult to understand at times are intriguing and the plot includes just enough variety to keep a reader hooked til the end.

I think this is actually more of a 2.5, but I’m rounding up because I loved the backstory of why the book was written (the author’s unhinged obsession with a daguerreotype of a long-dead, very handsome Arctic explorer) and really, really loved the first third or so where Commander Gore and his fellow expats are exposed to modern life. Muppets! Scooters! Spotify! So funny and smart - I had the highest hopes for where this was going…

But then it lost me. The main character was annoying. The love story felt forced and weird. The spy/traitor business was very confusing. The big twisty surprise about one of the characters was very lame. It just kind of went off the rails trying to be too many things and lost all of the fun of the first part.

Also: I listened to some sections of this as an audiobook and have to say the narrator was not my favorite - the girl voice parts were mumbled and hard to understand and the boy voice parts sounded like when me and my friends imitate our husbands saying something dumb. You have a competent male narrator already booked - use him for the boy voices! I am very happy I didn’t listen to any of the sex scenes on audio bc that would have been horrific.

This was Truman Show meets Back To the Future. There was an unexpected connection I wasn't expecting between the main characters, which brought a depth to the story.

I like how it touches on the themes of finding oneself and immigration.

The book was good! I don't usually read sci-fi but it was decently paced and I liked the development of the relationship between our two main characters. I did feel like some parts were unnecessary and over-explained but it was easy to overlook.

The Ministry of Time is an interesting cli-fi novel. Set on the premise of bringing back historical figures to life, the protagonist brings back an explorer from a polar expedition. This brings to light several issues about climate change and the reality of the dire situation. It's captivating writing on a topic that is not normally addressed in such a manner.

This book had a very interesting and unique premise, which is what drew me in. I mostly enjoyed the read, but it did feel a bit long. Went into this expecting to not be able to put it down, but I never felt like it hooked me and it lost me at some points. However, still thought it was good and the premise saved it for me. Loved the bureaucratic drama aspect and wish there had been more of that.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
I LOVED the premise of this— expats from another time? Learning about the modern world as adults with no prior concept of it? Fascinating.

The narrative got a bit complicated with extra characters and additional time travel confusion and conspiracies and I got kind of lost at about two-thirds. The complication detracted from the main plotline but, despite the confusion, the unique and thrilling premise is worth a recommendation.

I really enjoyed this strange little book and it's melancholy, slow-paced memoir-like story of heartache and sadness and figuring out who you are, with a dash of fan fiction-y alternate timeline for a real arctic explorer.

I think the blurb for this one does it a disservice, while yes - sure, it is a spy thriller and time travel romance and workplace comedy. Those words, either stand-alone or in such a string together, are genres in their own rights that feel very different than what this is. This is much more slice-of-life, with a fuzzy narrator who feels ambiguous and far-away and doesn’t come into focus until the very end. It’s much more a string of vignettes to make up a memoir, with an mournful and smudgy air throughout that colors much of the story. The ‘expats’ are the most vibrant aspects of this story and a fun reminder and exploration that people throughout history have always been complex, full humans and not just stereotypes or caricatures of eras that we may think of.

It’s also a story that won’t follow the typical flow and pacing that many will want. I like slow, slice of life things and I even found myself questioning where this was going just over half way through. But this is one of the those books where the last 1/4 really threads and ties the entire first 3/4 together and brings new light to all of it. While I really enjoyed that, I can see why others might not.

I like a lot of the topics being illustrated and brought up throughout - the immigrant experience in Britain (and the complex and individual experiences of all immigrants or marginalized groups), trauma - experienced or inherited, country and empire and fascism, the ways in which history is made or told, survivors guilt, and more.

I was intimidated by this book for a long time. Speculative fiction hasn’t really worked for me in the past. But the author’s note helped a ton and crystallized the plot for me.

Basically, “The Ministry of Time” is based on the premise of, “what if a polar explorer from the 1840s was your roommate?” In the not too distant future, time travel is real — and government regulated, of course. Our protagonist is a civil servant who works for the bureaucracy in charge of time travel, the Ministry of Time. She is a bridge, someone who is assigned a time traveler from the past — an 1840s polar explorer, and it’s her job to help him adjust to this world.

This book also has elements of a spy thriller which created some heart-racing scenes. It’s a very quirky read. It feels impossible to predict who will vibe with it, but if you’re looking for something different, “The Ministry of Time” is a great choice.

So much of this book is genuinely FUNNY, and I feel like that is very hard to pull off. Especially for a quirky book. Sometimes they feel so try-hard. The humor in “The Ministry of Time” is really well done. It’s also a thought-provoking book and would be a fantastic choice for a book club.

The book has such a great premise, but the writing is awkward and stilted and filled with metaphors that are trying too hard. It reminded me a lot of the episode of Friends where Joey uses a thesaurus to write Chandler and Monica a recommendation letter. It just left me annoyed and confused. There is a twinge of mystery and anticipation but not enough to get me to keep going.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy. All views expressed are my own.

So I'm spending my holiday break trying to get caught up on my Netgalley reads. "The Ministry of Time" was next up, and man, did it deliver. It's a genre-blending novel, with elements of spy thriller, time-travel, romance, action, a secret government agency. All really quite well done. I didn't expect to like this book as well as I did. As I do.

I will readily admit that I myself have been partially obsessed with the AMC mini-series "The Terror," which I've watched twice. Enough to track down the novel [book:The Terror|3974] by Dan Simmons and relive the tragedy of the Franklin Artic expedition one more time. So learning that one of the main characters rescued from time was a naval officer of the Franklin expedition was pretty exciting.

Aside from the time travel romance, which gets kind of squirrely in the way most time travel stories do, the book also deals with generational trauma, as the nameless narrator is half Cambodian, her mother having survived the Khmer Rouge and eventual escape to London. Colonialism, racism, climate change, the power of love, the power of hope - all of these are touched upon by the author and her sometimes strange use of language, which seems to surround itself with metaphors and strange combinations of nouns as verbs as nouns that somehow seem to work in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Both the unique language style, and the book. Kudos to the author!

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley was one of Barack Obama's favorite books of Summer 2024, and I always look to his book list to see what he is reading. This book does not fit neatly into one genre. It mixes sci fi, historical fiction, and romance into one wild narrative that centers on a secret government project that rescues historical figures from their deaths and transports them to the future. It's an ambitious and thought-provoking novel.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

The Ministry of Time was a fun time (and mind) bending romp. A bit noir, a bit sci-fi, a bit romance. I don't think I've ever read anything like it before.

How do I even begin to describe this book??? It's like going on a roller coaster ride, not knowing where you are. Just when you think you have your bearings, everything is topsy-turvy again. I admit it did take a while to get going, but once it did, I was hooked. Well deserving of the GR best in Science Fiction award.

The Ministry of Time had an intriguing premise but ultimately fell flat for me. While I’m not a big sci-fi reader, I was drawn to the concept, yet the slow pacing and lack of connection to the characters made it a tough read. It’s a creative idea, but it didn’t hold my interest.

I don’t know how I feel about this one. It’s very sci-fi for me and the beginning is slightly confusing and hard to get into and the middle I enjoyed and then the end really got confusing… I think this is another book though that was very over hyped and just didn’t need to be. If you are into time travel and sci-fi stuff and history, I recommend.
I did really enjoy all of the characters and their banter and relationships. It was a little weird the old guys forming a relationship with someone new in the world but then fast forward to the end it makes sense. Idk again the end really made me not enjoy the book because it just got confusing.

Kaliane Bradley's The Ministry of Time is a captivating blend of historical fiction and time-travel adventure. The novel follows a young archivist who is unexpectedly recruited to work for a secret government agency that protects the timeline.

Bradley's vivid descriptions and meticulous historical research bring the past to life, transporting readers to different eras with ease. The characters are well-developed and endearing, with the protagonist's journey of self-discovery and personal growth forming the heart of the story.

The novel's exploration of time travel paradoxes and the impact of historical events on the present is both thought-provoking and entertaining. While the pacing may vary, the overall plot is engaging and full of surprises.

The Ministry of Time is a delightful read for fans of historical fiction and time-travel adventures. It's a perfect blend of historical accuracy, imaginative storytelling, and heartfelt emotion.

This book is a captivating and immersive read that hooks you from the first page. The writing is beautifully crafted, with vivid descriptions and strong character development that makes the story come alive. The plot is well-paced, balancing moments of tension with quieter, reflective scenes that allow the characters to grow. The themes explored are deep and thought-provoking, resonating long after the final page. Whether it's the emotional depth, the twists and turns of the plot, or the unforgettable characters, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys rich, engaging stories. Highly recommended.

Absolutely loved this unique and lovely story! The entire concept was so well-done and the story was un-put-down-able. Highly recomend.