DNF at 38%

The concept was fantastic, and I enjoyed the first few chapters but slowly lost interest as nothing seemed to happen plotwise.

Glad to see I'm in the minority.

Have never read anything quite like this! A woman from the year 1665 extracted from the Great Plague of London, a lieutenant from 1645 during the Battle of Naseby, an army captain from the battle of The Somme in 1916, someone from Robespierre’s Paris 1793 and Graham Gore, an English officer of the Royal Navy and polar explorer. All of these characters come to life in this extraordinary tale having being transported through time to the present day. They are monitored and taken care of by their ‘bridges’. Graham Gore’s bridge is a young lady from Cambodia. She has history of her own and the two become entwined as their intriguing relationship in the story unfolds. Loved the characters, their individual life stories, their relationships and found the whole experience absolutely fascinating! I was glad I was reading on my Kindle as there were quite a few words and phrases I needed to look up but it certainly did not detract from my page turning! Lessons were also learned and feel this would be an excellent book for teenagers as well as adults. Not to be missed!

Well, I fell head over heels for this book. Absolutely adored the concept, the characters and the high stakes! What a book!

Very interesting concept that lured me in. Conceptually well done, the focus on the "fish out of water" vibe of historical figures being brought forward to the modern day and their trials and tribulations with regards to adapting to the changes. That would have been enough for me without the additional twist of time travel from the future too. To me that felt a little too rushed and wasn't necessary with such a strong initial concept. I was also not too keen on the romance plot. It was an interesting aspect but just too predictable for me.

The concept of this book is fantastic! Graham was such a funny character and had me genuinely laughing out loud at points which almost never happens when I'm reading. It was joyful, tense, sad and so much more all wrapped up in a great story. I wish we had more - the ending had me so deep into the story I just couldn't let it go yet!

This is an interesting premise and certainly not my usual genre. It’s something of a mix of sci-fi, fantasy, historical fiction, and romance. My interest and enjoyment fluctuated throughout the book and I didn’t really feel the need for all the love scenes. Some of the scenes felt predictable and others surprised me, and I did want to know how it ended. I can see that many readers will love this book, and it is well written.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for a review.

The concept of this book was exactly what drew me in and it was definitely what kept me there. I love time travel with a splash of comedy and I love watching people from other times or places navigate the human world because it often exposes all of its unnecessary, arbitrary rules and customs fantastically. I have no idea whether Kaliane Bradley is autistic but I always think that writers who can write about 'aliens' to our modern world must at least understand the autistic perspective because that is very much akin to how neurodiverse people experience the world. To many neurotypicals, it will come across as comedy and to the neurodiverse, it will also come across as social commentary on how ridiculous everything is.

I had never seen the migrant experience depicted in this way and it was really easy to see the parallels between the time travellers and the migrants that we read about all the time. That internal displacement was so strong and it was fascinating to have it presented through what is essentially a comedy sci-fi. Weirdly, it reminded me of the Netflix Christmas movie The Knight Before Christmas, which despite its insanity never fails to make me laugh.

I wasn't expecting to feel emotional at the end but I did. It's not exactly a sad book but I definitely loved most of the characters and they don't all get happy endings unfortunately. It's an interesting choice for the Women's Prize for Fiction but it's certainly unique and a much better sci-fi inclusion than The Big Beautiful World of last year's list.

Bradley's "Ministry of Time" is an exquisite blend of historical drama and science fiction, crafted with finesse and creativity. The narrative revolves around a secret government agency tasked with guarding the doors of time, ensuring that history remains unaltered by unauthorized time travellers from the past or future.
the main character is Commander Graham Gorefrom the 1840's and a woman known only as the bridge. As their relationship turns from the strictly professional into something more and uneasy truths begin to emerge, they are forced to face the reality of the project that brought them together..

The plot and the characters are well-written and I would recommend this book as an engrossing read.

The Ministry of Time is very good. In the not to distant future a civil servant is chosen as small group tasked with reintegrating people plucked out of their time and transported to the present. They are essentially babysitters guiding their chargers through modern life to see if they can become modern citizens. Commander Graham Gore should have died on a Victorian polar expedition but he was plucked out of his time and given a second chance. So how does a Victorian adventurer deal with washing machines, the internet and world wars? It’s classic fish out of water stuff but Gore is an intelligent, adaptable not to mention hot dude he copes pretty well so when the real goals of the assignment begin to come to light our narrator has an ethical and personal dilemma. I love ethical and personal dilemmas, they are totally my jam. This was a wonderful book executed in an intelligent and entertaining way. It took itself just seriously enough and the characters were really engaging. The ending was more than satisfactory. 👏👏

I was sent a copy of The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley to read and review by NetGalley. I loved this book! I am not at all surprized that it made the Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist. This is a beautifully written novel, interesting and quite compelling. The characters are so well drawn that they are totally believable, as is the premise of the story. While this is classed as Sci-Fi I think that it will appeal to a wide audience, all of whom I feel would enjoy it. A definite 5 stars from me – I hope it reaches the shortlist!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to The Ministry of Time on Audible.

The story is unique, interesting and engaging. The concept is creative and is executed beautifully. I enjoyed the characters and their stories.

Time, place and character are at the heart of this story but it’s the eloquent writing that ties it all together and kept this reader engaged.

Because I listened to this story I feel it may need to be revisited in print form. As I listened I felt I may enjoy it more. So I’ll be rereading this one at some point

A very unique mix on literary book, but also a very sweet love story. It is incredible to find out this is a debut!
This book has an appeal to a wide audience, while covering difficult topics like colonialism, climate change and facing the historical discourse.

I loved the idea of this book, but found it very difficult to get into and connect with the characters. Fortunately we are all different and other readers may find it easier to read.

I really really loved this book! The premise is great, and hooked me from the very first page, and I thought it was an interesting way to view our own world and ways of perceiving things through a new lens. I was particularly charmed by the friendships between the 'expats' - I'd read an entire book of that if I could. Really recommend!

Loved this book - thought that the plot was really clever and the pace of the book kept me interested throughout the entire read.

I really wanted to love this book and maybe it just wasn't the right timings for me this to. E round. I would like to give this another try at some point in the future as I found the characters really engaging and humorous. I also found the writing style entertaining and appreciated the dry wit and humour.

It wasn’t really my style but I did read it and I can see why it ended up being a top seller! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley was an exhilarating journey that seamlessly blends elements of time travel, romance, and espionage. Bradley’s debut novel is a testament to her storytelling prowess, offering a narrative that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant.

The story follows an unnamed British-Cambodian civil servant who becomes a “bridge” for historical figures—referred to as “expats”—brought into a near-future London by a clandestine government agency. Her primary charge is Commander Graham Gore, a Victorian naval officer presumed lost during the 1845 Franklin Expedition. Bradley masterfully portrays Gore’s acclimation to the 21st century, capturing his awe and bewilderment at modern technology and societal norms. The evolving relationship between the protagonist and Gore is both captivating and nuanced, exploring themes of cultural identity, imperialism, and personal connection.

Bradley’s prose is both witty and evocative, bringing to life a richly detailed world where past and present collide. The novel’s structure, alternating between the protagonist’s perspective and third-person accounts of Gore’s experiences, adds depth and complexity to the narrative. The supporting cast of fellow expats and civil servants further enriches the story, each character contributing to the novel’s exploration of humanity, love, and the ethical implications of time manipulation.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I saw the blurb for this book, I HAD to request it was was so delighted to be accepted for an advanced copy! The concept was just soooo intriguing - a real life historical figure plunged into modern day, struggling to get their head around all our new-fangled technology and adjust to 21st century life? A romance with the person guiding them through this crazy situation? Time travel AND rebellion? SIGN ME UP!!!

I read the first third of the book feverishly. I really like Bradley's writing style and the pacing was good. However, as the plot unfolded and I got further in, I found myself becoming frustrated. I'm all for exploring different genres within the same book but I felt like we got lost. I can forgive handwaving away the how of time travel because I just don't really care too much about the mechanics. I also wouldn't mind if we skated over the why if this book was nothing more than just a fun, romantic romp and I was really just there for a good time. But, with all the other elements Bradley introduces, it's clear that she was aiming for more than just a bit of silly fun.

Bradley tentatively explores themes of race, colonialism and oppression but I felt like she just scratched the surface and it never really came to forefront or offered any kind of statement or moment where everything clicked.

I kept reading for the romance but that eventually started to fall flat too and I found myself getting frustrated by the increasingly convoluted mystery/action/thriller elements that were introduced. Someone else said that they lost the 'why' of the book which meant that they also stopped caring about the 'what' and this is the perfect way to put how this made me feel.

Overall, it was a promising read and I would definitely be interested to read something else from this author but I think I had really high hopes from the book's blurb and felt sad when they weren't met.

"How do you defy history when history is living in your house?"

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley is a book I've had from Netgalley for ages, but the more reviews I saw, the more I was put off - it seemed to be one of those books that divided people right down the middle. Given my not-too-great history with books about time travel, I was beginning to regret requesting it. Would I love it or hate it?

Reader, I adored it.

This is a book about history, about hope, and about love.

Our female narrator is unnamed. A white-passing British Cambodian woman (as is the author), she works as a civil servant on a very important secret project. Time travel has been nailed - and authorities have brought back a number of figures from different times in the past to see how they assimilate to the present. Our narrator is assigned to watch/help one of those figures, Commander Graham Gore from 1847.

Commander Gore was, in fact, a real person - he was the leader of a failed Arctic exploration. I'm always a bit wary of someone carving out a narrative for a real person (think Lauren Groff's "Matrix" or Colm Tóibín's "The Magician"), but I think Graham Gore was portrayed as an intelligent, witty, admirable character.

The story was a mix of action and history, and while there was an element of romance, it went deeper than the usual subplot and was handled very well. Lovers of pining and stolen glances, this one's for you.

Although certain elements of the actual time travel and the project confused me, I loved this book and I did end up buying a copy after I finished the ARC. A nod to the wonderful side characters - particularly Margaret. They were a joy.

"Forgiveness, which takes you back to the person you were and lets you reset them. Hope, which exists in a future in which you are new. Forgiveness and hope are miracles. They let you change your life."

Sincere thanks to @hodderbooks for the ARC via @netgalley . This was one of my favourite reads of 2024.