Consider a plan to bring back people from the past - one from each century from 17th-20th - to see how they assimilate and survive in modern Britain (although one suspects much darker motives are at work). Each 'expat' is assigned a 'bridge' person for the year to help and guide them.

We follow the bridge assigned to Lt Graham Gore, a 19th century naval officer assigned to the doomed Franklin expedition (all the expats were at the point of death when taken, so not to upset the timelines). And while we smile at his efforts to process this new world, we also build up great admiration for the man himself. As does his bridge.

However, other factors are at work; the handler Quentin disappears, the expats seem to lose substance and are no longer visible on electronic scans, and Gore and the bridge have a high level of sexual tension to cope with.

Its a very interesting concept and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The characters are well defined - I loved the traumatised WW1 expat Arthur and Margaret from the 17th century, for whom everything is a revelation.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Sceptre for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all thanks to Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book, dead thrilled to have been dropped on it's proverbial doorstep.
This was a highly interesting read, a multitude of genres and a fascinating central cast of characters. I felt the author built trust very effectively, and used her narrative fairly well to create the necessary level of understanding. I'm a lover of fantasy and sci-fi, and am so glad I was given the opportunity to read this.
Additionally, I had so much fun with the metaphors she used throughout, they were arresting and exciting, invoking imagery in a way simple words could not. I have picked out one just to illustrate my point but I loved too many to count - 'It was like she had hung up her sense of self in a cupboard somewhere'
I can understand that this use of language and other elements of the story could be frustrating but, to be frank, I loved it.

The Ministry of Time arrives with much fanfare, a huge bidding war between publishers and a BBC series already planned. I can see why; it’s enormous fun and incredibly visual, rather like a modern day Douglas Adams. The premise is that 5 people have been pulled into the future by the Ministry, supposedly to observe them and see if time travel is survivable. Junior staff have been promoted into the job of bridges - they will live with the subjects as they learn to navigate modern day. Our narrator is one of these bridges, a half Cambodian woman disaffected with her life and job, she leaps for this new opportunity. She isn’t expected Graham Gore, a dashing Arctic explorer from the 1840s who will turn her life upside down.
Kaliane Bradley has a lot of fun with the time travellers as they explore the modern day. The other 2 travellers - a 17th century woman and a 1st world war captain provide some of the most entertaining and charming parts of the book. The romance that slowly develops between Graham and his bridge throws up many issues about how romance and relationships have changed over the years.
The book is part comedy, part time travel thriller, part romance - sometimes it doesn’t quite work and feels a bit rushed with some plot points and characters glossed over or not developed properly. Ceratainly you aren’t going to learn anything much about time travel at a scientific level.
However, it’s undeniably a fantastic and original novel. I raced through it and can’t wait to see how successful it transfers to the screen.

"The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley offers readers a captivating blend of science fiction, romance, and historical intrigue. Set in the near future, the novel follows a disaffected civil servant who is offered a lucrative job in a mysterious government ministry tasked with gathering 'expats' from across history to test the limits of time-travel. Her role as a 'bridge' leads her to Commander Graham Gore, an expat from 1847 who was believed to have died on Sir John Franklin's doomed Arctic expedition. As Gore navigates the unfamiliar world of the future, he and his bridge move from awkwardness to genuine friendship, and eventually to something more.

Bradley's writing is immersive and evocative, transporting readers to a world where past and present collide in unexpected ways. The relationship between Commander Gore and his bridge is at the heart of the novel, offering a poignant exploration of love, friendship, and the complexities of navigating different time periods. As the true nature of the project that brought them together is revealed, Gore and his bridge are forced to confront their past choices and imagined futures, leading to a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of destiny, free will, and the power of love to defy the constraints of history.

However, while "The Ministry of Time" offers an engaging premise and well-developed characters, some readers may find the pacing uneven at times, with certain plot points feeling rushed or underdeveloped. Additionally, the novel's exploration of its central themes may feel somewhat surface-level, leaving readers wanting more depth and complexity in its examination of time-travel and its implications. Despite these minor drawbacks, "The Ministry of Time" is a captivating and imaginative read that will appeal to fans of speculative fiction and romance, offering a thrilling journey through time and love.

I love time travel fiction - romcom, historical, literary, sci-fi - i'm just such a big fan. Kaliane did such a great job of meshing identity and government and immigration and love and humanity together to make this masterpiece.

This is such a clever novel. The way the author plays with the idea of time-travel as a form of immigration and the similarities between the two is such an original and unique concept. As well as this, each time-traveller embodies the period they came from to create a cast of varied characters that agree and disagree in nuanced ways. A really smart novel and well worth a read!

Sometimes a book just isn’t for you and that’s ok. That was the case for me. I was always hesitant because of the sci go and fantasy tags but I’d seen so much hype that I thought I might be able to read beyond that.
I liked the concept. Expats from another time are time transported to the present day and given guides / helpers / bridges to help them navigate their new lives and to monitor the effects of time travel.
But the scope and ambition of this book went way beyond that and I ended up confused by what was happening.
Liked the start, liked the concept, but I struggled with the execution.

This book caught my attention quite a bit and I enjoyed it undoubtedly. It's a combination of sci-fi, historical fiction, spy thriller with romance as a subplot. I haven't read a similar book, but I must say that this one is quite delightful. The approach of time-travel in this was intriguing. I don't think I was the only one who thought at first it would be a light romance when I read it, but I must admit that this book is full of surprises. The surface of the plot goes from how our unnamed language specialist works as a “bridge” at the Ministry, in which the British government developed the means to travel through time. There, in order not to mess up with the future, they start to gather expatriates “expats” to the twenty-first century. She is assigned the task of acclimatizing and monitoring Commander Graham Gore. This book shows how brilliant and witty the author is in combining so many genres and doing such research in order to achieve this effective plot. Post-colonialism, fascism, genocide, racism, and immigration are key themes that are explored and make you reflect on many things. Even so, the book goes further with the inclusion of topics such as gender, race and sexuality, above all, showing the contrast between then and now. Last but not least, as the main character reflects on her identity throughout, the book is quite relatable and moving. I was stunned as everything comes full circle with her and makes sense with the ending as she's confronting the past that shaped her choices and the choices that will shape the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this unusual and very original twist on the popular time travel trope. With some superb characters and a great storyline with plenty of twists, it is written with an amusing and imaginative vocabulary. This is an author I will certainly look out for in the future.

Time travel and Arctic exploration and a smoking habit.

I wanted to love this, especially with all the hype. I have even booked to attend an author talk by Kaliane Bradley. Sadly, I was overwhelmingly disappointed. It all seemed a bit 'Men in Black-esque' .

The aspect I enjoyed most was the reaction of people from a different time to modern life. That must have been fun to write!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I really wanted to love this book and was so looking forward to reading my favourite genre of time travel. It just didn't flow for me at all. I liked the beginning and the end - which I think I understood. Getting from the beginning to the end just took far too many words for me. It was very clever writing, perhaps too clever for me?

I was disappointed after all the hype this book received but I’m afraid it was just not for me.
The premise of time travelling did not phase me and I did find an odd bit comedic such as learning to bike ride .

I ordered The Ministry Of Time based on glowing reviews I read online. The marketing/PR department of the publisher have done a great job hyping the book. However, I found it a bit of a slog to get through. I couldn't really suspend my disbelief and just go with the premise of taking people "who wouldn't be missed" (as they would have died at that point in time anyway) from the past and bringing them to the future where they have to be given a "bridge" helper to navigate life in a hush, hush government programme. Really? and why? I thought the story would be a tight mystery or espionage drama but it mostly settled into a light romcom about cultural differences and misunderstandings. I just found it all a bit strange.

I enjoyed this spy-thriller-time travel-romance and thought the author had really found a unique way of approaching the story. The interaction of time travel with the UK civil service was particularly well done - of course time travel would be subject to bureaucracy like everything else in the world.

I found myself researching the history of the real Graham Gore and becoming a little bewitched by his dimpled smile in the daguerreotype, so I think I can see where the romance aspect might have come from!

A recommended read. I can't wait to see what this debut writer comes up with next.

A very well researched book originally intended for an audience of five but I am sure the readership will far exceed that. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

I have mixed feelings towards that book. On one hand, I really appreciate the inclusion of commentary of a few important topics, but the plot has honestly lost me a few times.

I've liked the characters but I've never felt like I really knew them, and I've never became truly immersed in the book. I think the plot was interesting but also, for me, not really well paced.

Overall, it was a nice read, but it didn't really wow me. I'll be interested to see what this author does in the future though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sceptre for providing me with an e-ARC for this book.

This book exceeded my expectations. From the concept I knew it’d be hit or miss for me and for the most part this was great! Really this felt like two books in one and I definitely preferred one side of it. The main romance here worked really well for me but the highlight was the small found family that formed of these characters from across time. Scenes of them just together and navigating their new world were excellent and in general all the characters here were fantastic and kept me reading!

The other half of the book revolves around the ministry conspiracy and this generally didn’t really grip me. I understand its place in the story and it was executed well, but I feel it could’ve been better integrated into the character interactions, especially earlier in the story!

Overall, this book was a really good read. I found the setting and its consideration of the future of the climate crisis very interesting. I also loved how the book handled its queer characters; it was a great surprise! The book has such great discussions and themes and it’s definitely worth the read.

REVIEW
cw: trauma, PTSD, death, racism, fascism, anxiety, depression, queerphobia, brief mention of suspected r*pe

In the near future, a linguistic civil servant earns a place on a top-secret project, though she has no idea just how much her life will change. A new government ministry is extracting 'expats' from across historical epidemics, warzones, and natural disasters. Places where they won't be missed, and would otherwise have died. She is tasked with being a 'bridge' for Commander Graham Gore (a member of the doomed Franklin Arctic expedition of 1845) assisting his assimilation into the 21st Century, living with, and recording his progress for the ministry. But over the course of a year, their dynamic develops, and she finds herself falling in love. But there are higher stakes than love at play.

What a debut! This was such a darkly funny, yet often heartbreakingly poignant story that hooked me immediately. The author seamlessly blended all the necessary elements of a spy novel with political intrigue and the potential of environmental disaster, alongside an exquisite slow-burn love story. There's also the sensitive retelling of a real-life historical event. If you've seen the TV series 'The Terror' (and if not, I highly recommend watching it) you'll know just how horrifying the Arctic expedition that Gore was part of became. His recollections of the expedition are retold in each chapter in diary form, and give the reader another dimension to the expat version of Gore. Graham was such an interesting and fully formed character. I loved his stoicism, his sassy humour, his sharp brain, but also his charisma. It was easy to see how his bridge would fall in love with him, and there were some truly delightful moments between the two of them. His response to 'germs' was hilarious and I loved the scene where he learnt to ride a bike. The romance was so wonderfully interwoven, and Graham's nickname for his bridge was adorable. I found his final diary entry to be so profoundly beautiful.
We never learn Graham's bridge's name, but I loved her fallibility, as well as her sense of humour. I found her hopes, fears, and imposter syndrome well-written and her memories of her family were incorporated perfectly into the overall story. I promise not to spoil the details, but it was at its most impactful when it dealt with the very real reminders of our past and the eerily prescient forecasts for our future. It also raised so many ethical questions, as well as confronted some of the most shameful moments in history, including slavery, the Killing Fields of Cambodia, and the Holocaust. I couldn't help but wonder what Graham would have said about the current horrors unfolding in our world. While the book dealt with many heavy themes, there was also so much humour. Some of my favourite moments were centred around Graham and his bridge's interactions.
But the supporting characters only made this story better. My two favourites (by far) were two of the other expats: Margaret and Arthur. Arthur was a WW1 captain brought from 1916, and I found his PTSD well-observed, I loved how Gore was able to talk him down, especially during his scans, but my heart broke for Arthur so many times. He was such a sweetheart. My favourite expat was Margaret, who came from the 17th Century and loved Tinder and cinema. I adored her gregarious nature and her colloquialisms were both obscure and hilarious. I particularly enjoyed her friendship with 'bridge', and how she was able to flourish in the 21st century. Arthur's bridge, Simellia, was such an interesting character, and her conversations with the FMC about racism and The British Empire were sadly accurate. I also loved Adela's sass, whenever she became exasperated with Graham's bridge. Again, no spoilers, but chapter nine absolutely broke my heart, and I have still not recovered (I might never, particularly regarding one specific event). There's a truly satisfying ending, and this book will make you laugh and cry. But it will also (hopefully) leave you hopeful.
A truly original, hilarious but also deeply moving debut.

Overall Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Heat Rating: 🔥.5

p.s. Graham would HATE all of this effusion over social media (IYKYK) 😉

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own*

Favourite Quotes:

The Empire regarded the world the way my dad regards the elastic bands that the postman drops on his round: This is handy, it’s just lying here, now it’s mine.

‘I should warn you that these days, blowing up an Arabian port because you want to claim it for the Empire is generally frowned upon.’

‘Some charming young women – out on the heath – addressed me quite boisterously – what is a “dilf”?’

Ah, love, life’s greatest catastrophe.’

‘Apparently I can pass as an eccentric. I suggested that somewhere like Scotland, Arthur and I might simply pass as Englishmen. One of the panel was a Scotsman, and I think he liked that.’

You can’t trauma-proof life and you can’t hurt-proof your relationships. You have to accept you will cause harm to yourself and others. But you can also f**k up, really badly, and not learn anything from it except that you f**ked up. It’s the same with oppression. You don’t gain any special knowledge from being marginalised. But you do gain something from stepping outside your hurt and examining the scaffolding of your oppression.

God, he was a dreadful dancer. Stiff and keyless. Victims of hangings kicked with more vim. I’d never in my life wanted anyone as badly as I wanted him.

It was a teaching moment that I fumbled; worse, it was a moment I’d created and my actions had consequences. But what could I have said? That the Holocaust was one of the most appalling, most shameful stains on the history of humanity, and it could have been prevented? Everything that has ever been could have been prevented, and none of it was. The only thing you can mend is the future.

'...you know, you can make yourself feel lonely and miserable and out of joint just by falling in love with someone who can’t or won’t love you back. Perhaps they’ll fix that in another two hundred years.'

‘You asked the lesbian from the seventeenth century about modern-day dating.’
'Yes. I am aware of the irony of the situation.’

Forgiveness and hope are miracles. They let you change your life. They are time-travel.

I was OBSESSED with this book. It broke a significant reading slump with it's inventive and thought provoking plot and engaging characters. I had no expectations going in but have seen so much justified hype since finishing. Personally enjoyed the speculative approach to the future (climate change, tech etc), deep research into the various time periods that pays off in a natural way throughout without feeling "educational" and really didn't anticipate being so enamoured with a dead polar explorer. Beautifully done, can't wait to recommend to anyone who will listen and reread later in the year. Can't wait for their next book.

Despite the intriguing premise and the enormous potential to create either an engaging sci fi plot or a character-based story around the "what happens when you throw people from the past in the 21st century", the author opted to spend most of the book trying to tie everyday life scenes with her main character's struggled with her identity (which is self inserted for the author herself).

The result was quite dull for my expectations.

Thank you NetGalley and Sceptre for the ARC!