Every so often a book comes around that makes me remember why I love reading so much. Reading the first few lines of a book and knowing you are going to love it is a magical feeling and when the book turns out to be inventive, clever, witty, romantic and sexy against a backdrop of dystopia. sci-fi and historical fiction then it is a very special thing indeed. I've never read anything like this before, I loved it so much. An absolute page turner with moments of real peril and heightened emotions. Fabulous.

An effective mélange of speculative thriller (near-future time-travel) with buddy comedy, political commentary, and slow-burn romance. Our unnamed narrator is a British-Cambodian woman whose job as a "bridge" involves acclimatising RN Lt. Cdr. Graham Gore—killed, in our timeline, on the ill-fated Arctic expedition of Sir John Franklin in 1847—to the twenty-first century. The Ministry for which she works, however, is not telling her or the "expats" (their word for people plucked out of time) everything, or even most of the things, about the project's rationale and ultimate goals. Bradley manages something quite brilliant: she shows how sickeningly easy it can be to become an apologist for fascism through your desire to belong—a phenomenon that accounts for the persistent right-wing voting habits of socially disenfranchised people, and the existence of Priti Patel—whilst also writing extraordinarily funny, wry dialogue that turns on the incongruity of being displaced from time. Margaret Kemble, a seventeenth-century Londoner who dies of plague in our timeline, is a particular bright spot (living in a future where her wit, skills and lesbianism don't have to be buried under misogyny and poverty in quite the same way, she gets Tinder and Instagram as soon as the Ministry allows it). A book of glorious fun that also passes the Kindred test of seriously considering the racial/social implications of time travel tech; superb.

Time travel is possible, and of course, the UK Government first needs to create a shady, slightly shambolic-run department to deal with it! The Ministry of Time hits on a range of themes, blending genres well. Part sci-fi, spy thriller, romance, and historical fiction, with a powerful commentary on post-colonialism, genocide, and refugees throughout. The plot follows a language specialist hired by an obscure new department, where ‘refugees’ from the past who were destined to die are brought to our present and looked after by a Bridge. The Bridge helps them to acclimatise to the twenty-first century and scientific research is carried out on them to see the lasting effects of time-travel. The end spiralled a bit for me and there was a slightly heavy-handed approach to the discussion around gender, sexuality, and race, but in a way that felt fitting to the often clumsy approach expected by the civil service. But overall well-paced, witty, unique, and highly entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I really wanted to like this book, but in the end I felt it was just ok. Maybe I was expecting a little bit more on the romance, as that was a very slow burn and I personally think if it had started earlier in the book and was highlighted a bit more, I would probably be more invested. I struggled to like the main character, mainly as she felt slightly detached from the recounts of her youth/past. I like the commander as he felt as a realistic figure from the past/his time and the parts recounting his story are probably the ones I enjoyed the most. The premise is quite interesting and the secondary characters quite memorable and successful in carrying the plot and pace of the story. there were points were I had to push through and there were bits were I felt rewarded but overall I don't thing this book was for me. It is worth a read and I think potentially good book club material.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

Writer and editor Kaliane Bradley’s entertaining debut novel’s partly inspired by Dan Simmons’s The Terror his take on the doomed Franklin expedition to the Arctic in the mid-nineteenth century. Bradley’s story imagines a not-so-distant future where Britain has top secret access to time travel technology. This portal between past, present and future is central to a hush-hush government project. The Ministry of Time heads up this mission in which a disparate group of people are grabbed from the past and thrown into the present, each carefully pre-selected because their disappearances seem unlikely to disrupt the current timeline. One of these is Lieutenant Graham Gore, member of the ill-fated Franklin party. Each time travelling-subject’s assigned a handler or “bridge” ostensibly to guide them but also to keep them in check.

Bradley’s narrative’s a retrospective account by Gore’s bridge of how the project played out and her part in its outcome. The narrator’s British-Cambodian, like Bradley herself, and part of her job is to tackle Gore’s outdated values particularly his Victorian colonialist assumptions. But their uncertain interactions slowly morph into a full-blown, love affair that’s then threatened by treacherous individuals operating behind the scenes at the Ministry. All of their lives take a more sinister turn when two mysterious agents try to hunt the time travellers down and assassinate them. But who’s behind this deadly pursuit and why?

Bradley’s novel criss-crosses genre boundaries from speculative fiction to steamy romance, ending up in decidedly murky territory – think Orwell spliced with Graham Greene. Bradley’s narrator’s formative experiences and Gore’s assumption that empire was simply the ‘natural order of things’ opens up a space to tackle issues around race, Britain’s unsavoury past and less-than-stable present. At the same time Gore’s struggles with the aftermath of abrupt temporal displacement enables an oblique exploration of wider experiences of displacement - what it is to be torn from one cultural context and thrust into another. Questions that are linked to Britain’s possible futures especially its likely response to devastating climate change and the mass migrations that will inevitably follow.

I thought Bradley’s story was an inventive vehicle for tackling well-worn topics, often managing to render them fresh and intriguing. Her opening sections were particularly fluid, well-paced, frequently hilarious, as Bradley richly detailed the time travellers’ immersion in this strange new world: from sixteenth-century Maggie finally able to embrace a lesbian identity to Arthur snatched from the battlefields of WW1 who slowly comes out as queer. But, at least for me, this didn’t entirely fulfil its initial promise. Towards the end I was bogged down in a morass of fast-moving plot developments and awkward reveals, and I felt Bradley was trying to cover far too much, far too quickly. And, although their purpose becomes clearer towards the end, I found the sections featuring Gore in the Arctic a little distracting. That said this is a more-than-decent escapist-but-thoughtful read, a great candidate for a travel or beach companion. I can see why it’s already being adapted for television and I’ll definitely be watching.

Rating: 3 to 3.5

I found out about this book on social media where it was being compared with the Spanish tv series "El ministerio del tiempo" and I became curious about the plot of the book. The blurb does make both of them sound very similar, but the book is very different.

The negative part of the blurb is that it is very misleading. Most of the book is not an espionage story with time travel, but a romantic comedy about the daily lives of the main characters. It's funny at first because both characters are from very different time periods, but I was expecting more action and adventure. What kept me reading is that we get small hints that there is something mysterious going on that will be revealed at some point.

All in all, this book is ok as a romcom that shows the daily lives of two very different characters and it has very funny scenes, but it leaves much to be desired as an espionage novel with time travel.

I love Commander Gore.

From the moment I started this, until the moment I finished it, I didn't want to put it down. It felt like the closest I'd ever get to reading about Jamie Fraser in the modern world.

Will be recommending.

Really promising debut from an incredibly talented writer not afraid to break genre boundaries

Is it a time travel story? Romance or sci-fi thriller? It's a bit of everything!

Id say this was a 3.5/5, but I've rounded to 4/5 as 3 is certainly not enough.

Things I loved:

- the use of real historical figures for the time travel elements. So much thought went into the creation of Graham Gore, in particular, and he was a very likeable character, despite being from 1800s. I found myself reading more about Graham Gore and the arctic expedition, this was a really nice touch and gave him depth
- the writing style. Although I am glad I read this on my kindle, so I can highlight a word for a dictionary definition, as there was a lot of vocabulary I was unfamiliar with. I enjoyed learnjng some new words despite being in my 30s! But some may find it OTT. It slows the pace down when constantly defining unknown words.
- some of the twists at the end were really clever and I enjoyed them
- there wasn't over emphasis on the functionality behind the time travel and I found this refreshing, many books and TV shows centre around the concept and how it was created. This is more, time travel exists in this world, this is what could happen as a result.
- the second half of the book was pacey and exciting

Dislikes
- some of the characters at the ministry didn't make sense to me. I won't elaborate as it would spoil the story, but I finished the book feeling like one key character's actions and motives were unexplained
- sometimes the narrator was repetitive and overly descriptive. I love scene setting but I felt the pace between during 30-55% of the book chugged a little. As mentioned, from about 55%, the pace really picked up and I found myself glued to the story
- I wasn't sure of the constant emphasis of the narrator's heritage added anything to the story. Perhaps it was diversity, which is great if so, it just felt like it was going to tie into the story but never did as it continually weaved into the narrative, but maybe I missed something?
- while I enjoyed some of the twists at the end, some were a little convoluted and I didn't get that neat 'wrapping up' satisfying feeling, as without going back and re-reading some elements, they didn't make sense.

I'd love to see what this writer does next. Clearly a promising author, with a strong debut.

Beautiful use of language, and engaging plot, and a great twist on the classic sci-fi time travel trope.

I did find it quite difficult to connect to the narrator. We find out very little about her, other than her conflicting feelings about being mixed race. (which seems to be all she talks about). She did feel like a 'self-insert' character, rather than a fleshed out creation.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and the characters were great fun! I sometimes felt like the narrative was disjointed and I didn’t really understand what was happening sometimes.

It could just be personal preference so I would highly recommend reading it for yourself and making your own opinion .

When I read the blurb for <b>The Ministry of Time</b> I was immediately curious and it become one of my most anticipated releases of the year.

I was not disappointed! The ministry of time brings a new (at least to me) twist on the time travel books, as it focuses on the adaptation, assimilation of culture by people brought from the past. This is an absolutely wonderful set up to explore some very important issues - racism, colonization, feminism, gender equality, religion, climate crises etc - while also giving plenty of opportunities to do it with humor.

The writing was beautiful, engaging, and full of British humor that made me laugh out loud several times. The characters are interesting and sweet, and written in a way that made me absolutely invested in their successful adaptation and hapiness.

And Graham Gore? I fell hard for this gentleman, and I’m not embarrassed about it.

This was a brilliant debut, and I’ll be looking forward for more books by Kate.

<i>I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton | Sceptre and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.</I>

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

I’ve struggled a bit with how to rate this, as there were a lot of things I really loved about this and some that I didn’t. I felt like the overall concept was excellent and a really interesting idea, but not as well executed as I hoped for.

I loved the first 50% of the book, the pacing and build up of the relationships between the characters was great, but I felt it lost its way a bit after this. The last 25% of the book I regularly had to go back and reread passages as I found the storyline overly complicated and like the author was trying to cram too much in.

I was disappointed to see the relationship between the two MC’s break down after a great build up, and the conclusion to this then felt rushed and incomplete.

Also… I consider myself reasonably well read, but there were a large amount of words in this that I had to look up and seemed a bit out of place; a much higher amount than I would expect to need a dictionary for when reading a book! It disturbed my flow of reading quite a bit!

What an enjoyable read! Supremely creative, well-written and hard to put down. This clever book manages to be part love story, part thriller, part comedy, with a fair dose of political commentary thrown in, driven along by the interactions of its very well wrought characters from across the centuries. A unique story unlike any I've read before.

A young woman, working for the government, is appointed for a special mission : being the "bridge" between a man, Commandant Gore (that has been brought back from the past) and the english administration. He's back from english XIXth century, and has to adjust to the modern world.
Along the way, they both become friends, and then more. But suddenly, Gore discovers that bringing him back the past is not only philanthropist, but has a more strategic point. And that he's not sure to agree with it...

There are a lot of good things about this book. First : the time travel. I love a good time travel story, and here, it hits all the right spots ! Then, the romance. Not the main trope of the story, but still there. And finally, the writing. This is fun, and clever, and interesting. And I wanted to know what could happen to our heroes...

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. A spy thriller/time-travel/romance/workplace novel. There is a lot going on here! And it, works?

Graham Gore was on a doomed Arctic excursion in the 1800s and he is lifted from that time period and brought to the 21st century. A civil servant, perhaps a little out of her depth, is assigned to be his ‘bridge’ and they must live together for a year while he acclimates to the present.

This is a lot of fun! It starts out as more of a character study of Gore and the bridge and we learn about the other historical expats that are a part of the project. A lot of ‘what is this crazy thing?!?!’ and it’s a car. Which okay yeah that would be crazy if you were from the 1800s. Very ‘would this modern day thing kill a Victorian child?’ but with adults.

The bridge is British Cambodian and her internal struggles kind of mirror the environment she’s in. Whether she trusts her workplace and by extension really, the British empire.

Absolutely the book for you if you like something that makes you think ‘what is going on in here on this day??’

I really enjoyed this thought-provoking book, it’s clever, funny, and, for a time travel novel, remarkably coherent. Bradley’s book really defies categorisation – there are elements from romance, thrillers, spy dramas, and sci-fi. It’s the ultimate clash of cultures and lifestyles, but what holds it all together is a great cast of diverse characters that you can’t help but find interesting.
The story is well written, charming and captivating. It’s not often you get the chance to read something that feels so fresh and original.
Just days after I finished reading it I had a ‘shiver down your spine’ experience when I found myself for the first time in the Old Naval Chapel at Greenwich. At the entrance to the chapel, I spotted a marble memorial dedicated to the lost Franklin Expedition with lists of those on HMS Erebus and HMS Terror who perished, including Graham Gore and others mentioned in the novel. It was a weird coincidence which made the story I’d just read feel even more poignant.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

'The Ministry of Time' is a brilliantly clever and enjoyable time-travelling novel written from the perspective of a civil servant in the near future who is employed as a 'bridge' working with one of a number of 'expatriates' from the past. Our unnamed narrator is paired up with doomed Arctic explorer Commander Graham Gore from 1846 ('expatriates' have to be people who were going to die anyway so as not to alter history) and we follow their unusual relationship over the course of the novel.

Kaliane Bradley really commits to the social, emotional and ethical complexities of time travel. The five expatriates must adapt to a world which feels unrecognisable to them, not just in terms of technological innovations but in far more profound ways to do with gender and sexuality, race, language, etiquette and much more. There is plenty of humour here - for instance the early modern English which Margaret Kemble (rescued from the Great Plague of London in 1665) uses to describe the modern world - but also real poignancy as Gore must come to terms with the fact that 'Everyone I ever knew in my life is dead. Everything I had in my life is gone.' Bradley likens the experience of these 'expatriates' to that of refugees who are also 'strangers in a strange land', something which the narrator recognises as someone of Cambodian heritage whose mother escaped the Cambodian genocide.

The plot is full of twists and surprises, and paints a bleak picture of the future, but with a deeply touching relationship at its heart. This is bound to be one of the most popular books of 2024 and will appeal to fans of Gabrielle Zevin's 'Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow' and R. F. Kuang's 'Babel'. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an ARC to review.

"The Ministry of Time" is a decent time travel romance that I was very, very excited to read. A professional review described it as time travel adventure with a touch of colonial critique. I'm a mixed-heritage sci-fi nerd myself so loved the idea of reading a time travel adventure with a mixed-heritage protagonist. Bradley's writing style is light, and very easy to devour. However, I personally wouldn't say that it offered much critique in the end and I ultimately felt a little disappointed by the lack of depth some of the characters had. The protagonist's work buddy is Black but seems to only be there as a plot device to justify and/or critique the challenges of time travel.

Again, this is a really well written book and Bradley does clever things with the protagonist. I really didn't like her that much, but it felt like this was intentional. I found myself rolling my eyes and chuckling at her thoughts. She was very well constructed and imperfect! Not something I would normally expect from this genre and it was impressive. Hats off to Bradley for that!

I was really, very gripped with the first 100 pages and very much enjoyed Bradley's writing style. However, the approach and discussion of race and racism ended up sitting pretty uncomfortably with me. I'm not sure the nod to Fanon (immediately dismissed by the protagonist) was quite enough to justify what felt at times like colonial apologist literature.

The Ministry of Time is still a really fun and thoughtful read. Not sure I was quite the right audience for it.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of "The Ministry of Time."

‘The Ministry of Time’ by Kaliane Bradley is a debut novel spanning genres as deftly as its characters span time periods. Told by a civil servant specialising in languages who becomes a “bridge” assigned to an explorer from 1847 as part of a highly classified project led by the mysterious governmental organisation known as the Ministry of Time, this tale gave me ALL the feels and was hard to put down!

I really admired how the author blended sci-fi, romance, mystery and comedy to create an outstanding, all-encompassing story. The first-person narrator was likeable and relatable with a witty inner voice, and Commander Graham Gore (one of the “expats” gathered by the ministry as part of their project, assigned to our storyteller) was a unique character based on his experiences and outlook. I also enjoyed getting to know some of the other expats and their bridges.

The romance subplot had so many tender, hilarious and emotional moments and had my heart pounding, and the thriller elements took my breath away. The thought-provoking reflections on the state of the world in the future will stay with me for a while.

Overall, this book left me swaying between being speechless and wanting to talk to EVERYONE about it, so has to be five stars for me! I’m so excited to discover what this author creates next and would love to know your thoughts if/when you read it.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.