This novel fits into so many different genres, sci-fi, romance, fantasy and thriller, but for me, somehow, it just fails to find its niche in any of them. I was so excited by the premise of the novel and may be as a result immense amount of pre-publication hype it was getting I ended up disappointed and left with a feeling of a missed opportunity. I did enjoy the authors writing, and there were some absolutely absurd moments when the time travellers were trying to adapt to modern life. It was a book of two halves - the first part was quite a slow burn, but the ending was all action. I will be interested to read this authors future books. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced copy of this novel in return for an honest review

Bueno, bueno... Después de toda la polémica por la evidente similitud a todos los niveles con la serie de televisión española del mismo nombre, llega el momento de juzgar esta obra. ¿Es realmente un plagio o copia disimulada?

Ojalá hubiera llegado a ser un debate. THE MINISTRY OF TIME es una obra sobre un hombre recuperado del pasado viviendo en la actualidad junto a una mujer que hace de "puente" para que no se pierda en el nuevo mundo. Y con eso, pues ya tenemos trescientas páginas de anécdotas y las típicas cosas graciosas. ¿Spotify? ¿Coches? ¿Feminismo? El listado habitual que podrías pensar.

Más allá de eso hay una trama conspiranoica en la segunda mitad de la novela tan simple como un chupete y con una revelación final que podría tener más impacto sino fuese porque la novela no vale más.

En fin, que si copió o no a la serie española es lo de menos porque el libro no pasa, con suerte, de un divertimento para un rato tonto. Y gracias.

One of the best sci-fi debuts I've read recently - I love how the discourse around it has deemed it an extension of fan-fic with a self-insert main character, but it's so much more than that!

A time travel love story focused on a woman whose name you never find out who becomes a civil servant 'bridge' to a man brought into the 21st century from the past.

I loved it.

An ambitious and fun debut from an exciting new voice in fiction which follows a secret government department responsible for bringing people from the past to the future.

'The Ministry of Time' by Kaliane Bradley is a unique novel that takes you on a journey through time.

A civil servant is given an upgraded job in a top secret project that even she does not expect. The Ministry has transported characters from the past into modern day and it is the basis for a great story.

It is ingenious of the author to consider placing historical figures into our time and what the consequences might be. How the different characters interact together is well written and will make you laugh at times.

This novel will not just make you laugh though; it will keep you on the edge of your seat and also charm you.

It's a definite page turned and an amazing debut novel.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley in allowing me to read in return for a review.

This is one hell of a ride! It wasn't anything like I expected and tbh time travel and historical aren't my fav genres but I got sucked in by the hype around this book and it didn't disappoint. The two main characters are loveable and the concept is very interesting!

I received this book from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton | Sceptre in exchange for a free and honest review.

This book was a pleasant surprise and I throughly enjoyed it. The story is set in two time lines one in the past and another in the present. In the past the story follows Graham (a man brought from the past to the future) and in the present it follows an unnamed protagonist of mixed British and Cambodian descent. She is in-charge of Grahams assimilation and along this process she must deal with her issues regarding her ethnicity and place in society. This book was quite interesting and it had lots of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. I would highly recommend.

New author to me but what a find, the story is delicate and well written, I was lost in the pages and finding my imagination engaged. It's an easy to follow page turner with well defined characters.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

5/5 ✨

For how quickly I basically inhaled the words in this book, I’ve decided that I must give it 5 stars. It’s weird because I started off thinking this is a ridiculous premise but then a few pages later I was utterly hooked. It’s a fascinating concept - take historical characters out of their time and think about how you would assimilate them into the twenty first century. What would they need to know, what would they be confused by? Our nameless protagonist is a ‘bridge’ for just such a character - Commander Graham Gore has been ‘rescued’ from a gruesome Victorian-era death aboard the ill-fated lost Franklin expedition to discover the northwest sea passage. Suddenly finding himself in twenty first century England is quite a mind boggle. Cue romantic spy thriller time travel escapades. Sounds quite the hodgepodge I know, but trust me, it works. I didn’t love the latter chapters so much but it had a good ending.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Sceptre, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Deserves all the hype it’s been getting! I was completely swept away and lost in the world of this book. I have definitely been recommending it to friends!

This one caught me by surprise. It’s intelligent, witty, able to engage with difficult topics with humour and grace. It’s incredibly well written and completely compelling. The main character is an interesting mixture of striving to be true to her own sense of morality and a tangle of personal insecurities, some of which are related to her mixed-race heritage and her struggle to reconcile her desire to be British with her understanding of her family’s background. I just ate this up and was completely immersed, however if you are someone who wants action packed time travel or time travel romance, this may not be for you. It’s instead a deep meditation on ethical dilemmas and where the weight of responsibility truly lies. Nuanced, clever and very readable, this is a bittersweet favourite for 2024.

I really liked this one. I think the combination of time travel, historical reference and thriller like tension made it really compelling. I found the references to what is acceptable now vs in the past also really interesting. A great read I can see appealing to a lot of different readers.

Time travel books are generally not my thing but I had seen a lot of hype around this one and luckily it didn't disappoint. There is A LOT going on in this book so you need to just throw caution to the wind and go with it ! You have to abandon all sense of reality when reading and it ends up being such a fun entertaining ride ! Sometimes we all need to read something out of our comfort zone and far away from reality so if you're after some PURE escapism then go pick this up!

Liked this one. It’s very charming, and a pretty rare bird as a mix of romance novel, grubby spy thriller and near future dystopia. It’s a lot of things all at once, much like the main characters!

The Ministry of Time is an odd book! It starts well, with confident prose and engaging characters that develop nicely, and then things take a turn. A bit of tension is added near the start, then very little happens until the 80% mark, when the plot kicks in. The writing becomes sloppier, with odd turns of phrases that jar, and please please please, never feel obliged to write a sex scene ever again… The ending curiously felt rushed, given how little had happened in the proceeding 60% or so! That said, it's an interesting take on the time travel genre, just don't expect anything revelationary.

Delightful funny time travel based romp with dry (and not so dry) humour with a cast of credible characters against a well built worldscape.. Recommended

I received an advanced reading copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and the author Kaliane Bradley.
I really enjoyed this book. Such an interesting premise and as other reviewers have noted, the relationship and banter between the narrator and Commander Gore is beautifully written and heart-warming. Bradley does an incredible job at making the 'expats' seem very vivid and real, interestingly the modern day characters aren't as well-rounded. I also had some laugh out loud moments as a civil servant.
Would really recommend as an entertaining read.

I enjoyed the start of this book, but struggled a little in the middle before it got a bit edgier towards the end. I liked the idea more than the actual book. It never seemed to quite build up to what I was hoping - perhaps too many trips to The Ministry but not enough actual time travel.

A very interesting concept for a novel. A ministry of time. Those who control time travel. Guinea pigs are characters from a bygone era. Interesting results putting them into modern society and their sensual relationships.

I’d you’re looking for something unique, romantic and probing, this is one for you. Or if you just love stunning covers this is a good one to get reeled in by - look at it!

Set in modern day England, we’re launched straight into the action. The British government are conducting secretive time travel experiments, whereby unwitting citizens of various historical eras are brought into our present day. Guiding them through this are translators, employees who, 24/7, aide our displaced ‘expats’ through the transition to modern day England.

This plot often requires a little bit of contemplation. It is a super examination of colonialism, class, sexism, and more beyond. At its heart, this mad sci-fi is really a romance. There’s a lot going on in this book, our central couple include an English translator of Cambodian descent vs an Arctic explorer from the mid 1800s. There’s plenty of dry humour and much to chew over.

I loved it. I thought the ending was inspired. I’d really recommend if you’re looking for something a bit different. Thanks so much to @netgalley for the advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review.