This book has been getting a lot of hype lately and I can understand why. It’s an enjoyable and unique read. Best described as part time travel, part spy novel, it’s really so much more.

Ministry of Time takes place in a version of London where time travel has recently been discovered and a handful of “ex-pats” have been taken out of history and placed in modern times. Our narrator’s job is to serve as a “bridge” to help the new arrivals acclimate to modern life. She is assigned to Graham Gore, a 19th century explorer from Franklin’s doomed Arctic expedition. As can be expected, romantic feelings develop and nefarious characters emerge.

The book is full of witty dialogue, especially while Gore and his fellow ex-pats attempt to navigate a new century and culture. The narrator’s own history, as the child of a Cambodian mother, provides interesting commentary on racism and past trauma.

Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read and review this wonderful novel! Highly recommended.

I considered DNFing this early on but persevered and for a brief moment it had potential but really I should've just DNF'd.

It was fine but I just didn't care about it.
It was jarring at parts - I had no concept of what sort of time was passing so everything felt rushed and the character development was non-existent - or rather, they did develop but it felt out of the blue. I have no idea why Graham was joining the ministry and then at the end he seemed to do a 180 and resent out main character who's name I've already forgotten

Also why.. WHY.. did we make him an actual person?
We have pretty much no info on who the real Graham Gore was and it just felt a bit off to me to make the character him and give him traits that could be wildly off rather than a character inspired by the man. I do feel a bit harsh as I'm not 100% against books about/featuring historical figures and telling their stories but typically those are people we have more facts on so we can write with some sort of foundation and not just purely speculate on the beliefs and characteristics of someone. I also fear that it allows us to look at the character and glorify them when in actuality we have no idea if that is a person we would want to portray in any sort of positive light (but equally they may have been an incredible person that we write wrongly and would have offended. Even if they've been dead over a century)

I also have no idea what purpose the alternate POV chapters served. I feel like nothing happened in them and they were just boring, though as I listened to the audiobook and clearly wasn't fully invested in the story, perhaps I just stopped taking them in.

This had such high potential but really fall flat to me. I don't even want to class it as sci-fi as we really don't experience much of that.

The British Government is testing time travel using 'expats' across history to see its effects on the human body, but also the fabric of space-time. A civil servant becomes the 'bridge' to 1847 aka Commander Graham Gore from a failed expedition to the Arctic. This more than awkward living arrangement turns into something more. They could never imagine the consequences of falling in love. And how this program could shape the future...

The 1st person POV is witty with a sarcastic flair, utterly clever and relatable. The reliability is amplified by the fact that the protagonist goes unnamed. I am sure most of us would think the protagonist's thoughts in this unusual situation. The narrative is embellished by random seeming observations that totally help set the scene, sprinkled with enticingly visual, pleasantly novel and emotion-fused figurative speech. And the awkwardness of the situation is so entertaining, the fish out of water aspect done marvelously. You will adore the expats Arthur and Maggie.

1847 has his quirks and is disarmingly charming, plus as an explorer, adapting is in his blood. Meanwhile, the bridge is despite not really wanting to be, the voice of reason. The dependable one. The sense of right and wrong is deeply ingrained in her. But she starts throwing convention to the wind, for the sake of others and the truth.

The growing of feelings is gradual, cautious and depicted quietly with beauty. Their interactions feel natural and the comparison between their two times makes us ponder the rightness of today's world. We also ponder how greed and the desire for power bleeds into everything, how an invention is good or bad depending on how we use it.

Time travel is treated as a social experiment, with lots of bureaucracy involved as it seems in the beginning, before we slip into government control & secrets, ingredients for a conspiracy theory. But there is also so much welcomed and anticipated time travel weirdness.

There were instances where the musings of the protagonist would get carried away, some of it confusing, some of it too long-winded. The interjection of Gore's past just seemed to interrupt the story for the most part.

Humorous and fun, but also pensive with an air of melancholy and then unexpected helpings of danger and gut-wrenching intensity, this is a book like no other.

Ouch 🤕

Before any GMA Book of the Month folks come after me…..

This book was quite messy. It’s a romance but the romance is very awkward and forced, it’s sci-fi but outside of time travel has no other sci-fi elements and seems to trip over itself.

The characters are not very well fleshed out and regarding time travel we are basically told “don’t think about it.”

The humor and romance elements of this book really missed me, and just didn’t hit - I’m sure this book will sell a lot and those that like more light-hearted and easy romances will enjoy this book! I believe the marketing for this one made me think a sci-fi nerd as myself would really find value and I didn’t.

I really wanted to like this book more than this but it just doesn’t feel very well fleshed out and the more I learn about it’s inspiration the less I’m intrigued…

I highly recommend Sea of Tranquility if you’re looking for a beautiful time travel story that is very well-rounded and whimsical!

This book is interesting examination of time travel, culture, science fiction, and romance. I really enjoyed the overall story. Parts of the pacing were a little weird. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Intriguing title, fascinating idea but muddled execution & plotting

Time travel and Time-loop related books are really my sweet spots. A book with the title " The Ministry of Time" seemed quite alluring especially as it plays around with the concept through time transportation. This is a book that is charming in parts. asks important questions regarding displaced people (culturally and temporally) but ultimately struggles to build an engaging coherent narrative.

Ministry of Time transports Commander Graham Grove of the missing HMS Terror to modern-day London as a time expat. His liaison in this world or bridge as they are called 'is our narrator on this journey – a biracial British- Cambodian translator. There are of course other time expats and bridges but our story primarily revolves around our narrator and Gore, a cultural expat and the time expat respectively.

For most parts, the book is a rather pensive exploration of colonialism, slavery, sexism, freedom, identity, immigration, and conformity. The languid pace and man-out-of-time nature lend themselves to very pointed observations; most are point-on and fantastic. The character interactions especially when Graham Gore is on scene is rather charming

However, the book just didn’t work as a coherent narrative. The plot tensions surface abruptly and didn’t have much flow. I think I would have enjoyed the book if it was just character tensions and how they fit into this world rather than the spy elements of it and that completely derailed me in the last 20%. I didn’t enjoy it as much and that was a shame given how much I did want it to be good. The internal conflicts of the lead character were pretty intriguing for the first sections of the book but after a while, it just felt like a massive whine all through

Rating - 2 dubious government operatives on 5

I know everyone is so excited about this book, and obsessed, but I had a really hard time getting into it! And once it started flowing a bit easier for me and my brain, I just found that I wasn't interested anymore. But I would still recommend it to people, as I think this one is just a matter of taste and not at all about writing ability or storytelling.

Fantastic book--my favorite this year by far! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this!

Ministry of Time was a slow start for me. I tried it in print on Netgalley and eventually purchased an audio version. It's a little fish-out of-water, some humor. The plot is slow burn and a bit wry.

THANK YOU, NetGalley and the publisher!
What incredible character development, relationship building, and not-so distant future technology weaved together to create a really unique and interesting story line! I highly recommend!

Time travel, romance, spy story?!? I was absolutely all in! This is an amazing story about a woman going back in time to be a bridge by the UK's government and living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore. The UK is gathering people throughout time (expats) to figure is time travel is possible. This was such a charming story that had me laughing out loud. A millennial meeting a person from the 17th century just cracks me up. Having someone from the past learn of all the new technology was hilarious. I absolutely enjoyed this book!!!

This book is a ride. The premise is fun, the characters endearing and the pacing is propulsive, which kept me turning the pages well past my bedtime. As for the plot, I felt like this book got a little messy toward the end, as the time travel logic started to collapse under its own weight (always a risk with time travel books!), but I liked the characters and the thought experiment so much, I didn’t really care. Plus, time travel! And Arctic explorers! This is lively, thoughtful and charming summer fare.

What a weird and yet delightful book! Never read anything quite like it! Time travel, spies, romance it has everything!!! It does feel like a self indulgent book for the author but she makes it very curious and fun for the audience as well!

THE MINISTRY OF TIME by Kaliane Bradley
Published: May, 7, 2024 by Avid Reader Press
Page Count: 352


An admirable debut novel that transcends the time-travel trope, while evolving into a spy thriller laced with inevitable romance. The British government stumbles upon an open “time door” and decides to study time travel practicality, safety, and possible benefits. They manage to “extract” a cadre of people who were doomed to die … either by war, natural disasters or epidemics. They all arrive in a discombobulated state. … acclimation to the present won’t be easy. They are assigned “bridges” to assist in their integration into present day life. These “expats” will need help in the simplest things, such as: how to dress, speak and behave. Many of modern day devices we take for granted may astound them. The main narrator, is an unnamed female of mixed-race … British father and a Cambodian mother who fled from the horrendous “killing fields” of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. She attained this top-secret job as a “bridge” after extensive interviews regarding her suitability. Her charge will be Lt. Graham Gore, a real-life Victorian naval officer and polar explorer. Extracted from sure death in the frozen tundra of the Canadian Arctic, while his men all perished with their ship trapped in the polar ice, and a dwindling food supply.
Kaliane Bradley proves to be a marvelous storyteller as she weaves together multiple plot lines that demonstrates the wonder of love and friendship developing to aid in the acclimation.
The relationship between Gore and his “bridge” gradually evolves, in spite of their initial reluctance . An element of spy thriller will arise as there is an attempt to murder them. Their banter is a source of inspiration and wonder. This a tale of time, tenderness
and forgiveness. Explored are the themes of evolving feminism and racism.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't for me, but I can see that some people would really like it. I honestly couldn't connect to the characters enough to be interested in It seemed like a quirky fantasy thriller but I didn't get enough of those vibes to excite me into reading. It just made the whole premise really werid.

I mostly loved this, but (as, I think, with most time travel novels) it got a bit knotted up at the end.

Review copy provided by publisher.

This is an interesting book. It seems to be on every list to read! In this book, they bring people to the present that would have died in their own time. The Ministry then helps them to acclimate to this time and how they can help out now that they are here. They have helpers who help them bridge the gap and help them learn what would have happened to them. This is an interesting premise and was a different type of book that was highly enjoyed.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was promised time travel, but all I was left with was an existential crisis.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliana Bradley is a science fiction novel that delves into the concept of time travel. In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.

She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore. As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machines,” “Spotify,” and “the collapse of the British Empire.” But with an appetite for discovery, a seven-a-day cigarette habit, and the support of a charming and chaotic cast of fellow expats, he soon adjusts. Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic, evolves into something much deeper. By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future.

I didn't per say hate this book. Instead I've come to realize that my brain can't fully wrap my head around time travel and all the wibbly wobbly timey wimey bits that go into it. So, I loved all the non-confusing parts of this book.

This was really good!

While sci-fi/fantasy side of it wasn’t prominent, the story is setup upon time travel, and 5 people being extracted from different eras to test the after effects of it. The story focuses on Graham Gore and his bridge (through her POV). I love the fact Graham is actually a real historic figure in arctic expedition.

The romance was also a little subdued but it was good and steady in the background mostly. The dynamic between MCs and their banter was soooo good. I genuinely loved their humor and companionship. Reading Graham smoke THAT much gave me anxiety.

While he was well adjusted on the outside, Graham had insecurities and overwhelmed traveling hundreds of years forward. That was depicted well, I could feel his anxiety through FMC’s eyes. I loved his friendship with Arthur and Margaret. Both were precious. But their bond was truly special.

I loved the plot twists because they were real twists, and good! The slow burn was quite slow until middle or so, and yet it was deliciously built up. I loved how their relationship slowly developed and genuinely became more almost over the course of the year. The ending and twist left me both hurting and speechless.

I loved there were so many good messages in the book, the criticism of colonialism, the trauma of Cambodian genocide and the future of the world with global warming and wars. It was intricately woven into the story.

I loved the messages in the very end so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book started off so strong! The plot already convinced me that I would like this book, and the author’s note cemented that. I also thought it was hilarious- I loved Bradley’s subtle sense of humor. And she wrote such great characters. (Graham, Arthur, and Maggie at least; I got frustrated with the FMC.) However, a bit before halfway in it hit a lull for me, and I had to force myself to finish. I’m definitely glad I did finish, though, because there were a couple of surprises thrown in that I did not predict. So if you read this and experience that same lull, push through because it’s worth it!