The Ministry of TIme definitely starts with an interesting premise: the British government has time travel technology and has pulled several people who would have died anyway out of the past and into the modern day. Each is assigned a companion called a "bridge" who will help them assimilate. The story is told through the eyes of one of the bridges. I definitely enjoyed the creativity of the idea, but the story starts extremely slowly. The first two-thirds of the book is all character development with absolutely no action, before events start picking up.

Special thanks to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for an ARC of The Ministry of Time in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. It’s unlike any story from this genre that I’ve read before, and I honestly haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I can’t believe Bradley made me fall in love with the romanticised version of a real-life man who has been dead for hundreds of years. (I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about this).

The plot of The Ministry of Time is so interesting. I'm actually grateful that it wasn’t over-explained at the beginning, which definitely added an aura of mystery that complemented its subject matter. It just made the entire experience so engaging. There were some technical aspects that probably went over my head, but I enjoyed this so much that I wouldn’t even mind reading through it again. I was constantly being ambushed by plot points and twists in the best possible way, and there were a lot of developments that I didn’t expect at all. Maybe this is because I missed a few things on my first read, but I just loved that the plot leaves you guessing and makes you really think.

Most of all, I fell in love with the characters and how the author’s captivating writing style made them bloom. The personalities and relationship dynamics were beautifully written, and there are so many quotes that I have bookmarked already. Almost all of them are probably regarding the narrator’s descriptions and feelings about Graham, but that’s neither here nor there (I don't blame her, and I wholeheartedly support her cause).

There’s no doubt that Bradley can write slow burn and write it well. I think this book just had that heart-wrenching quality that I often miss in other sci-fi/fantasy romances.

So many little details are incorporated into this novel that make it stand out as a really interesting, engaging story. However, there are still some aspects of it that I’m not really sure how to feel about—namely, the reimagining of Graham Gore, among some other issues. I think once I have another read, I’ll be able to articulate better why my gut feeling is to give this novel a tentative 3.75 stars and not 4 or even 5.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book, and I’m very much enamoured by Kaliane Bradley’s writing. I’m definitely eager to read more of her works in the future, and I’m curious to see how The Ministry of Time is received when it’s released.

DNF @35%. I kept waiting to understand half of what is being talked about but have reached my limit on caring. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book is entirely different from what I expected. (And in the loveliest of ways.) Exploitative time travel, forbidden romance and deadly espionage all show up in this poignant story that explores what it means to be different in spaces and places where everyone else aspires to be the same. THE MINISTRY OF TIME is a gritty, unique take on the complicated dynamics of belonging; one that still masterfully manages a light-hearted feel.

What more could you want from a book? I absolutely loved this!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.