oh my goodness :')
I often hear books described as "ambitious" without much explanation as to what that really means. So when I tell you that this book was SO ambitious, know that it attempted to do a lot, and wasn't necessarily entirely successful. I don't know if this is pitched correctly, although I don't know how it could be. it's romantic and political and reflective and ACTION-PACKED. oh, and there's time travel, which always complicates things and can ruin a book if you spend too much time thinking about how it actually works.
all that being said, I don't feel comfortable calling this a perfect book and wouldn't claim (in the slightest) to completely understand everything that happened. but I LOVED it. I loved Kaliane Bradley's writing style and I loved piecing together what she was trying to do, even if it slightly missed the mark for me at times. I cannot believe this is a debut in terms of its scope and ideas, but I can slightly believe it's a debut in terms of its execution.
I understand why some people got completely fed up with this one, but if you're interested in it I think it's worth checking out—if only because it will make you SO EXCITED for whatever Kaliane Bradley does next.

The Ministry of Time was a fantastic read. It’s sort of a spy thriller/time travel workplace comedy with a dash of romance.

Time travel has been discovered and now a secretive new government agency is formed in order to work out the effects of time travel on the human body as well as time/space continuum and such. Enter one of their test subjects, Commander Gore, from the year 1847. Our protagonist is newly hired into the “Ministry” and will act a “bridge” between Commaner Gore and his brave new world of the 21st century. The clash of a liberated modern day working woman and the kind but very Victorian explorer gentlemen living as housemates together is very funny and charming.

This books was playful and cozy, heartwarming and even sad at times. The pacing and world building were great. And the author did a fantastic job with her use of dialogue and language when dealing with characters from different centuries. I devoured it. Highly recommend. Cheers!

I'm really not sure how to rate this one because I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's one of those books that you want to talk about with someone after you finish it.

This isn't a book about time travel. It's a book about adaptation, loneliness, colonialism and self-deception. Time travel is just the excuse.

You have to suspend disbelief at the very beginning, and not about the time travel part. Our unnamed narrator is asked by her agency to be a "bridge" for a person who has been brought forward through time. Her unnamed British government office has come across a means to bring people forward (and perhaps backwards but that hasn't been tested yet that we are aware of) in time and they have picked five people to bring forward. Their philosophy in doing this is similar to that of Kage Baker's enigmatic Dr. Zeus agency which chooses children that are about to die, pulls them from the time stream, and turns them into agents. In this case, the chosen are adults, just before they were slated to perish. Graham Gore, our bridge's assignment, was plucked from a doomed Arctic expedition. Other choices were pulled from the trenches in WWI, taken from a plague house in the 1600's, or a trip to the guillotine.

Why would a civil servant be given this assignment instead of a historian, anthropologist, linguist? To move the plot forward. The bridges are expected to be merciless to their assignments. They are to bring these people into 21st century norms, ethics, language, paradigm. It's temporal colonialism. Our bridge's family is from Cambodia- her parents escaped the killing fields. Our narrator has totally assimilated into British culture- it's what will get her the win, she thinks. She wants her assignment to do the same.

Graham has already been indoctrinated into the importance of preserving the British empire, he just needs to get up to speed about how things work in the here and now. Our narrator lusts endlessly after him. But he's a nineteenth century man who's never even seen a woman in pants before, much less one who thinks she's equal to anyone else (or does she?). There's a romance of sorts brewing but the book jumps around in focus a lot. There's also the possibility of a mole in the Agency, a mysterious murder, a new boss who has no patience for our bridge (I sort of don't blame her), and the possibility that if an out-of-time person can't assimilate, they may actually disappear. Turns out that sometimes these displaced people don't show up on electronic instruments like cameras and CT machines. Not too much is made of this, but it's important. A lot of important things just sort of slide through the narrative and it's difficult to filter through them to what the true point of the book is going to be.

I didn't love our bridge. She didn't seem like a very likable or very observant person and I thought less of Graham for his opinion of her, but I guess he didn't have a lot to compare to. My favorite character was Margaret Kimble, our plague survivor, a queer woman who could really turn a phrase and who leaped into her new century without looking back.

The book jumps into focus at the end. It changes from a meditative character study into a spy thriller. Our bridge didn't seem insightful enough to be able to get through this but her survival instincts did kick in in the end. I don't know if clarity came too late to her.

Fun, genre-bending sci-fi romance. I really liked the characters and unique world building, though at times things fell back to familiar tropes of both genres (a plus or a minus, depending on individual tastes, though it was a bit too much for me). Could easily see this making a fun movie or series. Goes down easy and has a fun spark of creativity to it.

This was one of my most anticipated books for this year and I was blown away despite my already high expectations. I could not bring myself to put this down for even a moment. The writing was delectable and unrestricted. I would claim that every range of emotion can be found in this story. Despite the fantastical nature of the plot, the dialogue is grounded in reality that leaves the reader wanting more. I was impressed with how pensive, sexy and realistic this book felt to me and I could not recommend it enough!

"Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley is a unique blend of time travel, romance, and espionage that kept me engaged from start to finish. Bradley expertly weaves together various genres, creating a world where time ex-pats from different eras must navigate modern-day life. The humor and well-developed characters, particularly the interactions between the protagonist and Graham, an Arctic explorer from 1847, add depth and charm to the story. Despite the occasional pacing issues, the plot twists and the richly detailed world-building made this a compelling read.

The book balances serious spy elements with light-hearted moments, making it both thrilling and entertaining. The romance is sweet and the social commentary adds an extra layer of intrigue. While the ending felt a bit rushed, the overall experience was highly enjoyable. If you're looking for a clever and humorous time travel adventure with a touch of romance, "Ministry of Time" is definitely worth picking up

Thank you to the author, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting this review, I had a bit too much going on.

This is an original combination of genres - science fiction, historical fiction, thriller and romance - and offers an interesting twist on the time travel narrative, seeing how people from the past adapt and assimilate to modern culture. Each time traveller is provided with a modern character as a companion, and the story is told from the POV of one of these companions. I can't say much more without revealing more than I would like, I will say I found this engrossing, confusing and unsettling, and would very much recommend it.

You can tell by reading the summary that "The Ministry of Time" is an odd book. It's kinda like if the movie Kate & Leopold was a spy drama instead of a romantic comedy. Don't get me wrong, "The Ministry of Time" has humor and romance, it just has a lot of other things as well. The book is both fun and frivolous while also being thought-provoking and dark. How does this work? I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT DOES. If you're intrigued by the summary, just give it a try because you may like it.

Do you like movies, books, or shows that feature time travel? I love them! The Ministry of Time is a brand-new time travel novel.

An unnamed civil servant works for the new Ministry of Time in London. She is tasked with helping Graham Gore, an artic explorer from 1847, acclimate to modern times. The ministry plucked five individuals that were going to die from different time periods and brought them back to London in modern times. The time travelers form unlikely friendships with each other as well as their handlers. As the shadowy “general” starts to stalk the time travelers, will they be able to survive in this new time?

My thoughts on this novel:

• The Ministry of Time is a unique blend of sci-fi, historical fiction, mystery, and romance.

• Graham Gore is an actual historic figure that was a part of the ill-fated Franklin expedition. He has a parallel story in the novel narrated by him where he details what happened to him on the expedition. This matches what is known about the real-life expedition. A great note at the end discusses Gore.

• I thought it was interesting that the main character was never named in the novel. She has mixed heritage with an English father and Cambodian mother. This brought some depth to her character. I wanted to learn even more about her.

• I enjoy that time travel makes one think through many moral and ethical quandaries. What gives people the right to “save” people from the past from their certain deaths? Is it really saving them? What is the correct timeline if time travel keeps changing what happened? Should you travel back into your own timeline?

• It was also interesting that the narrator had basically fallen in love with a historical figure that she had researched in the past and then had the chance to meet him and get to know him. Graham calls her out on it later in the book.

• Graham and the narrator have a torrid romance towards the end of the novel. It was slightly awkward to listen to it on audiobook, but luckily, I could skip ahead.

• It was interesting that the future has different ways it could end. It’s really a loop from the future to the past that those from the future are trying to alter.

• I enjoyed the friendship between the time travelers.

Overall, I enjoyed The Ministry of Time. It was a unique novel with a great story, characters, romance, and mystery. I felt myself caring for both Graham and the narrator and wishing there was a book two.

The Ministry of Time is one of the most original premises for a book I've read in a long time. It's one of those books you read and you just know it's going to be the book that everyone is talking about this summer. It's a great mix of light science fiction, historical fiction, and romance, so I feel like it has something for almost any reader.

Blessed to be alive at the same time as Kaliane Bradley, and to be able to experience the miracle of this book.

Ministry of Time was a swift kick in the pants for my reading slump—truly, it made me WANT to read again. I finished it in essentially two sittings that were separated by a week of travel, but the distance just made my heart grow fonder. I have a known soft spot for time travel romance (This is How You Lose the Time War, I'm looking at you), but with how funny, smart and well-developed Ministry was, it's still a winner in the broader sci-fi space.

Thank you to Avid Reader Press for the opportunity to read and review, and for sending me a physical copy to annotate to my heart's content! <3

I grew up watching science fiction with my dad. So, I have a soft spot for a good time travel story. Back to the Future anyone? The main character in this one gave me some trouble. She comes across a bit dense and self-centered.

But I enjoyed the characters overall, and personally I did not see the twist at the end coming! I also like that the ending leaves the full conclusion to the imagination.

I've been reading this book for over a week and I've only made it 48% of the way through. I'm finally giving it up because the torture is killing me! Slow story, convoluted writing, words I've never seen before...I'm done. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

dnf.
I wanted to know more about the actual time travel and why they chose the people they did. Instead, the book focuses on one person who doesn't have much information, so we don't either. I tapped out at the sex scene. With less romance and more spy thriller entrigue, I could have liked it, but as-is, it just wasn't for me.

When I first came across the blurb for *The Ministry of Time*, my curiosity was piqued, and it instantly became one of my most eagerly awaited releases of the year. I was not let down! *The Ministry of Time* offers a novel twist on time travel narratives by emphasizing how people from the past adapt and assimilate into modern culture. This setup provides an excellent framework to delve into important topics such as racism, colonization, feminism, gender equality, religion, and climate crises, all while delivering plenty of humour.

The prose was captivating, beautifully crafted, and infused with British wit that had me laughing out loud multiple times. The characters were compelling and lovable, written in a way that made me genuinely care about their successful adaptation and happiness.

This was an outstanding debut, and I look forward to reading more from Kate in the future.

Time travel, espionage, romance, even race and gender relations, this book covers a lot of themes. "The Ministry of Time" is a very original concept. A small group of people from history, on the brink of death, are brought forward to "modern day" London. They are each assigned a bridge to acclimate to their current circumstances. Most of these bridges, especially our unnamed main character, didn't even know what they were applying for until they were accepted because of the extreme secrecy around the project. Every character is flawed and Kaliane Bradley makes her main characters appear so real and human. When two of them fall into a relationship, it is messy and not the air brushed romance typical of so many stories. I love time travel stories, even when they make my brain hurt, and this book is no exception. It took a while for the twists to start coming, but they sure did.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy. My opinion is my own.

The book was chosen purely based on its cover and might possibly be my favorite book of the year. A historical time drama with a mystery wrapped in a romance. I truly did not know what to expect and by the second day could not put it down. I appreciate the author’s note that gives context for the story. It really showed how this idea blossomed into such a beautiful piece of fiction. I am relatively new to the sci-if genre and am sure that there will be many comparisons for time cops, etc. but the end reminded me a lot of Eternal Sunshine, where actions and consequences start to matter exponentially more and every little thing feels precious. Above all, this is a love story. I really enjoyed this book.

I was really looking forward to reading this book, as it was advertised as a rom com meets sci-fi book. I wouldn't call this a rom-com. But it was definitely a sci-fi. Something about the way the book was written was really off-putting, and felt a little passive. However, about 75% into the book, I found myself sucked into what was happening, and by the end I decided that if Bradley wrote another book in this universe, I would buy and read it.

I think I really liked this book, but I might have to give it another read to be sure. It's a mashup of time-travel sci-fi, spy novel, romance, and (I suspect) memoir, held together by a strange, edgy sadness that haunted me beautifully while reading the book and that now, after finishing, feels like its main affect. There are some weird and jarring similes in this one, and the prose is often overwrought. While the amount of historical detail, degree of character development, and immersiveness of the world-building are truly impressive, I'm not giving The Ministry of Time five stars since, well, I had trouble teasing out the implications of the spy-and-time-travel plot due to aforementioned overwrought-ness. I had trouble following the narrator's motives, particularly her relationship to state power--and, by extension, to white supremacy, empire, and, ultimately, Graham--only that she appears to be complicit with it for, like, the whole novel. Mostly, I vibed on her melancholy. The ending felt blurry.

I loved this genre mashup. I was hesitant because I don’t read sci-fi and was pleasantly surprised to find that this was just the perfect blend of fantasy, romance, dystopian fiction. It was a pleasure to read and I’m in love with Graham Gore, as I’m sure anyone who has read this book is as well. Such a gem!