Let’s start by saying that I didn’t fully know what this book was going to be when I went in, and I’m glad that this was the case. I don’t tend to read romance novels. I enjoy romance as part of a novel, but as a genre, it’s never been one that’s particularly appealed to me. This is very much a romance novel, to at least the same degree that you would call it a sci-fi novel. The story manages to transcend the boundaries of genre, weaving together elements of romance, sci-fi, and comedy into a compelling tapestry of brilliance that overcame any prejudice I might naturally (and perhaps unfairly) have against the romance genre.

Set in a near-future London, the novel introduces us to an unnamed British-Cambodian woman who works as a “bridge” in a top-secret government department. The department’s mission is to extract individuals (referred to euphemistically as “ex-pats”) from different historical eras and bring them to modern-day London. The purpose of this mission remains intriguingly ambiguous throughout the novel, leaving readers to ponder whether these time travelers are scientific experiments, historical refugees, or something else entirely.

The novel’s most compelling character is Commander Graham Gore, a real naval officer and polar explorer from the 19th century. The real-life Gore was an officer on a doomed Arctic expedition. Gore’s character is beautifully crafted, embodying a blend of earnestness, formality, and curiosity that is really quite endearing. His interactions with modern technology, from Spotify to dating apps, provide moments of humour and insight, highlighting the absurdity of our modern life through the eyes of a man from the past. There are big Mr. Darcy vibes, here…

At its core, The Ministry of Time is a deeply original love story and an examination of otherness, heritage, and identity. It explores the lingering effects of colonialism and the environmental crisis, all while maintaining a sharp wit and a keen eye for the absurdities of modern life.

Bradley’s writing is really quite exquisite, and I found myself constantly surprised that this was her debut novel. It is filled with smart observations and a unique voice that makes the novel a joy to read (or indeed, to listen to). The novel is not just a gripping, high-octane spy thriller but also a dark workplace comedy and a powerful meditation on climate crisis and displacement. Above all, it is a love story that manages to fold so many genres and themes into one smooth package.

The Ministry of Time is a surprisingly funny, thought-provoking, and genre-defying debut that promises to leave a lasting impression on its readers. It’s no wonder that this novel has already been commissioned as a BBC series. Kaliane Bradley has truly made a mark with this debut, and I eagerly anticipate what she will bring us next.

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.

Time travel scenario manages hypothetical and theatrical.

4.5 stars

A debut? Very impressive! I found myself wondering why this hadn't been done before - an in-depth look at the emotional/psychological repercussions of time travel, from the past to the present.

In this dystopic our-world-not-quite, we have a 1984-sounding Ministry of Time which packs a range of genres and themes into one story of several humans catapulted from their own impending deaths to contemporary England.

One of these 'ex pats' as they are termed is observed/tutored as the rest are, and through this pair we see the effects on both of the attitudes, personality, experiences and cultural contexts as they clash over a period of many months. This in itself is fascinating. But then a Hollywood-esque time travel adventure also begins to raise its head.

I loved seeing General Gore's own history and time period, among the other men caught in the Arctic ice, doomed to a slow and painful death, interspersed with his new life in the 21st century and how the many missed events catch up with him.

This was the part I liked best really, the growing relationship between 'Bridge' and Ex-Pat, though the last act was quite exciting it almost felt as though it came from another book.

Gotta love a book with the ultimate Odd Couple, the time travel side of things made this doubly compelling. I managed to keep track of where I was with the audiobook, thought the last third last me sometimes with the time travel jiggery pokery, not as much my cup of Cream Soda.

Fascinating concept, one to relish.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio copy.

Well I FOR ONE did not anticipate this having several sexual scenes LOL. It's not bad, it was just.. Strange for me personally to read via audiobook. ANYWAY. I devoured the first half of the book SUPER easily - it was a lot of fun and the characters were so developed that I could see them easily in my minds eye. But the second half went a bit too fast for my liking. Like, the mystery was revealed and solved so easily?? I feel like Kaliane probably is not a SFF person as the weak points were def the time travel aspects. But I still super enjoyed it. :) Love to see a tumblr girlie use her The Terror tv show obsession for good lol.

**I'd like to give this 3.75 but I'm not able to, so I'm just rounding it off.

I absolutely love this book and have already recommended it to many people. The concept of bringing people from the past into the near future./ ‘Current time zone’’ ,as this book Is set in the near future, Is absolutely brilliant.

This book is part history, spy novel, social commentary, and love story

The secret government ministry have discovered a time door and venture into the past to collect several humans from different time zones, to bring into the current day, Allegedly as a historical project.

Characters from 1916, 1847 , a woman from the period of the black death in England, are several of the main characters in this book. Our main protagonist Is a historian who act as the ‘ Bridge’ for her ‘charge’ Graham. Gore Graham was an Antarctic explorer.

How the Characters from the past try to assimilate and learn about the nuances of life in ‘the now’ Is both amusing and concerning. Social niceties, norms, technology, and transport are all. areas for social discovery.

This book reads as a historical transcript or diary written by the protagonist whose name we never really learn, About their job, About the project, About the intrigue of the department members. There are also excerpts From the Antarctic expedition to show depth and character as well as situation of Graham Gore.

Issues such a slavery, human in humanity, war, peace, courting, love, relationships, history are all explored and confronted face. on

I give this book 5 stars Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication and exchange for an honest review

I was granted access to the digital copy as well as the Audiobook, which gave me the opportunity to pick and stop and pick up again whenever I liked. I particularly enjoyed the voices and the narration on the Audiobook.

The Ministry of Time is a fascinating and original read, blending science fiction, thriller and romance. It starts relatively slowly, but the idea of a historical figure living in a modern world caught my attention, and the pace picked up later. Especially once we discover that the Ministry has different plans for the “expats” from what they initially revealed. There is more to this book than the romantic plot the blurb suggests.

What I liked most about this book was the wide cast of characters. They all have distinct personalities and their own stories. The author brought together a modern civil servant and “expats” from different historical periods who do not share experiences or values, creating many comic situations and an unexpectedly close-knit group of friends. I found this book to be a surprising blend of cosy, heartwarming, and funny, with some really sad scenes.

First and foremost Id like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and the author for this ARC audiobook. I really enjoyed the performances of the narrators. Katie Leung in particular was great at playing the different characters and changing her tone so you knew just who was speaking without question.

The story itself was beautiful. I was hooked in by the description and I wasn't disappointed. I find with books like these its best to go in without much knowledge but what I will say is if you enjoy time travel and historical sci fi -esque stories with some romance thrown in for good measure you will love this.

I loved Graham Gores character and the fact that he was a real person in history was so clever. I have thought about him since finishing reading. I highly recommend this book and the audio version in particular is fantastic. Such a clever use of historical figures and story telling. I will be checking out this authors work in future for sure.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this one, time travel is not a theme I usually read so I was stepping into the unknown somewhat. However I needn’t have been apprehensive. Although this novel features time travel it’s about so much more than that.

The story is told from the perspective of the ‘bridge’ but features excerpts from Gore’s doomed expedition to the Arctic in 1847. This is well done in the audio version with two narrators; Katie Leung and George Weightman. I enjoyed the inclusion of these excerpts - which the author confirms in the afterward are based on real accounts - as they offered a comparison to the life Gore now faces as an ex-pat as well as providing background on this former self.

Gore’s adjustment to life in the ‘modern world’ brings humour to the story as he encounters technology, plumbing and shifts in social attitude and acceptability. As readers, it makes us look at our own world from a different perspective and reflect on how our lives appear to an outsider.

It’s a story which defies any particular genre; it’s science-fiction meets spy thriller meets romance meets human interest. It’s a story that emphasises the importance of history, how it shapes us, what we can learn from it and how we can use it to hope for a better future.

This book took me by surprise with its blend of humor and thought-provoking themes, made even more enjoyable by its excellent narration in the audiobook format.

The story follows a biracial British-Cambodian translator working for the Ministry of Time, tasked with guiding historical figures into the present. Assigned to assist Commander Graham Gore from the failed Franklin expedition, she embarks on a journey filled with laughter and reflection.

Narrated with skill and flair, the audiobook seamlessly blends elements of romantic comedy, sci-fi, and speculative fiction. As a slow-burning romance unfolds, it also tackles weighty subjects like colonialism, slavery, and racial identity.

The initial chapters are a riot of laughter, as historical figures navigate the complexities of modern life. The narrator's delivery brings their antics to life, evoking genuine laughter form me. Yet, as the story progresses, it takes on a more introspective tone, delving into deeper social issues with sensitivity and depth.

While the characters are well-developed and the narration enhances their portrayal, I occasionally found myself struggling to navigate the past segments. Despite this, the audiobook remains a captivating listen, offering both entertainment and food for thought.

Overall, though, "The Ministry of Time" audiobook is a must-listen for fans of romantic comedy with substance. Its blend of humor, reflection, and excellent narration make it a truly enjoyable experience.

When this book boasts that it has all the genres, it really does! Conspiracy x time travel x romance x cozy HEA. It reminded me slightly of a more playful version of Great Circle but also completely different. If you want hard sci-fi, don't pick this up, but if you're looking for something "just right", this is she.

Time travel is one of my favourite subgenres, so I was excited to read this one. Sadly it just didn't work for me and I found myself questioning too much instead if just suspending my belief and enjoying it as I have with other similar style novels.

History records that in 1845, Captain Sir John Franklin led a British expedition to find the Northwest Passage through Canada. It turned out to be one of the worst disasters in the history of polar exploration. In all, 129 officers and crew members were lost – that is, everyone on board the two ships that sailed. One of the officers was Graham Gore, who in this story has been plucked from the ice (shortly before it’s presumed everyone starved to death) and transported to London. Set in the near future, a UK ministry has discovered a time travel door and has managed to bring a small group of people, from various years, back through it. Each was transferred shortly before the date they were believed to have been due to die, this being an attempt to minimise the likely impact of their removal.

Gore and the others are each supported by a ministry employee known as a Bridge. The job of the Bridge is to live with the time traveller, control and monitor their movements, and generally help them adjust to this new world they find themselves in. We will meet all of these characters, but the main emphasis here is on the relationship between Gore (a man in his mid-thirties) and his young female Bridge. In effect, this is a convoluted love story.

The time travel methodology is never really explored, the focus being on the people and how they adjust to this modern world, and also on the mystery surrounding the ministry itself: both its purpose and it’s rather overbearing senior personnel. In typical time travel novel style, quite a bit of coverage is given to the incongruities of modern life for these people who have all travelled from more primitive times. For me, this repetitive theme quickly became rather trite and uninteresting. Also, aside from the budding romance, very little else was actually happening. Then, it started to get very confusing. The narrative, initially slow and somewhat dull, suddenly becomes fast-moving and jumpy. My mind couldn’t follow the series of seemingly random happenings. It transpires that there is some logic here and even an interesting surprise, but it takes some time for things to become clear.

A time travel story provides an almost unlimited licence to introduce strange and sometimes wonderful twists. But in so doing, there is a need to engage the reader/listener and make them part of the journey. Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveller's Wife is a confusing jumble saved by the most wonderful ending imaginable and Stephen King’s 11/22/63 is an imaginative exploration of a major event in American history – these stories are amongst my most memorable audiobook experiences. But despite being competently narrated, this novel just failed to engage me, nor did it deliver the level of excitement or eye watering surprises I was hoping for. In truth, I found it all a bit of a mess, and in the end, a disappointment.

The Ministry of Time is sure to be my favourite book of 2024, despite being only a third of the way through the year when I read it. It may be cliche to say, but it really is a book that has everything, crossing genres and written with such a huge amount of heart.

Speculative fiction at its finest, this book has enough science-fiction tropes to be of interest to sci-fi fans, whilst being realistic enough to be perfect for people who aren't drawn to this genre.

Our unnamed protagonist and the commander and the perfect characters, I was drawn to them in such a strong, compelling way, that I felt utterly bereft when the book was finished. Perfectly flawed, enigmatic and entertaining, they are characters who's story will continue in my mind for a long time. You really know that you are drawn to characters in a book when their misguided actions make you weep as much as if they had been directed at you.

Bradley captures the beauty of pain like no other and I genuinely look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

I have also read this book (see review below). I thought the audiobook was really well done and the two narrators were great.

I enjoyed the novel and whilst the premise was engaging, interesting and made me want to explore further, there were parts that either went on for too long or seemed somewhat out of keeping with rest of the book. I'm no prude but found that the sex scenes were cumbersome and went on too long; if you're positioning the book as an Outlander-esque speculative romance, then I guess this in keeping with that direction, but didn't really work for me. I did really enjoy how the historic characters had to familiarise themselves with the modern world and felt this was the strongest part of the book. On occasion, some of the writing lacked something, with lines such as the acne on someone's breasts resembling crumbs from a pink wafer? Didn't work for me. I do feel that the middle third lacks much engagement and let the rest of the novel down and the twists - whilst not overbearing - were fairly predictable.

This was good fun. After reading 'In Ascension' last year and loving it, I wanted to read more 'literary' science fiction novels. This is less scientific and a bit lighter, but it certainly fits the bill.

It is set in our time and the British government has somehow acquired a time travel device (we learn later how, and it's quite funny) and our main character - a young translator - is tasked to act as 'bridge' for one of the time travelers that is brought in from the past: a Commander in the British Navy teleported from 1847 during the lost Erebus expedition.

It is in fact the charming and quite brilliant Commander who carries this novel, as he gets used to (and appalled by) the 21st century with its lack of manners, dubious morals and mind-blowing technology.

When the Commander accidentally discovers a mysterious device, things take a dark turn and it appears they are part of a plot that involves multiple generations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sceptre for the review copy of this audiobook.

The narrator is a British civil servant employed as a "bridge" to Graham Gore, who was a real person and member of the disastrous Franklin expedition, as part of a secretive mission to supposedly test if a group of "expats" can survive for 1 year under close supervision then eventually assimilate into modern Britain.

I loved Graham and the other “expat” characters! I was moved by the sense of community which developed between these time travellers (or kidnapping victims, depending on your perspective), and how they each explored what the 21st century could offer them. All from wildly different eras but forced together by the Ministry, they felt fully alive to me with hilarious idiosyncrasies and I cried over them more than once.

Unfortunately the actual plot fell short of my expectations. There were a lot of truly delightful surprises throughout but too many sudden twists in the last few chapters that were random, confusing, or both.

Ultimately the biggest disappointment was the romance - I enjoyed the slow burn and their friendship but towards the end of the book I just couldn’t root for the narrator and Graham to stay together.

The narrator was also bizarrely incurious about the Ministry's machinations, and since she barely wondered why or how the British government had graciously saved these characters from certain death in their own time periods I found it was a struggle to even care myself or fully understand once I finally got to the hurriedly revealed answer.

This book is being marketed as “a time travel romance, a speculative spy thriller, a workplace comedy” but it doesn’t successfully juggle all those genres.

I still recommend The Ministry of Time, because some of the characters were unbelievably fun and I can't remember the last time I laughed this much while reading a book, but if you’re mainly looking for a spy thriller then you might be disappointed by this.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley is an unputdownable, superbly executed, book. With beautifully well-drawn characters who slip into your heart. Historical, while being time travel, and romantic, while being a thriller. You have to read it! I’ve never read a time travel book so effective as this at showing the differences between people of different centuries! Just brilliant.
Also, I couldn't help but smile at the descriptions. “I made a noise like a slapped canary” and a protagonist who doesn’t like Guinness describes it as “angry marmite”! :))

I LOVED this book! Time travel, romance, thriller, comedy. It seriously is the everything of books! In fact you can tell how much I loved it by how many times I tweeted about it :)
It's up there in my top ten books of all time, it's that good. I listened to the audiobook and it was beautifully narrated. The narrator brought these wonderful characters to life. I could listen again!

As the title indicates, this is a travel time related story. The UK Government has discovered a way to bring back people from other times. Those people are called refugees, because of the needs they have once they are in our time. Soon, our MC gets too involved in this for her own good.
I found the story interesting, although the time travelling method itself is not explained. Of course.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this title.

This is such a fun concept and it delivered.

I absolutely loved the characters in this book and their dynamic, they are both likable and had a lot of chemistry.

I liked that it didn't over explain anything, it wasn't trying to be sci-fi in that sense and I think it being more character driven paid off.

I had lots of moments where I laughed out loud and my attention was captured throughout. I would highly recommend this if the synopsis sounds interesting to you, as it is everything it says it is.

Thank you!

The audiobook is narrated by two people - one for each of the dual timelines. The main narrator who tells the present story does voices and accents of characters, which I think they managed quite well - it’s always a worry that when voice acting different genders it’s going to be cringy or distract from the story but I think this was done well considering all the different accents required.

The book is about a civil servant who finds out that she’s going to be looking after a ‘refugee’ and living with them whilst they get settled into the country. But the ministry informs her that she’s going to be paired with a man from the 1800s who was saved from death and brought to the current day. His name is Commander Graham Gore (a real person c.1809-c.1847), who was on the doomed Franklin Expedition. This was a book that really got in my head and I couldn't stop thinking about after. I loved the romance aspects even though I’m not a huge romance fan, and it was such an enjoyable book to read. My only criticism is that the ending seemed really rushed - so much happened in a short space that I had to read it twice and I wished the book had just been longer and fully fleshed out the ending!