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I was intimidated by this book for a long time. Speculative fiction hasn’t really worked for me in the past. But the author’s note helped a ton and crystallized the plot for me.

Basically, “The Ministry of Time” is based on the premise of, “what if a polar explorer from the 1840s was your roommate?” In the not too distant future, time travel is real — and government regulated, of course. Our protagonist is a civil servant who works for the bureaucracy in charge of time travel, the Ministry of Time. She is a bridge, someone who is assigned a time traveler from the past — an 1840s polar explorer, and it’s her job to help him adjust to this world.

This book also has elements of a spy thriller which created some heart-racing scenes. It’s a very quirky read. It feels impossible to predict who will vibe with it, but if you’re looking for something different, “The Ministry of Time” is a great choice.

So much of this book is genuinely FUNNY, and I feel like that is very hard to pull off. Especially for a quirky book. Sometimes they feel so try-hard. The humor in “The Ministry of Time” is really well done. It’s also a thought-provoking book and would be a fantastic choice for a book club.

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The book has such a great premise, but the writing is awkward and stilted and filled with metaphors that are trying too hard. It reminded me a lot of the episode of Friends where Joey uses a thesaurus to write Chandler and Monica a recommendation letter. It just left me annoyed and confused. There is a twinge of mystery and anticipation but not enough to get me to keep going.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy. All views expressed are my own.

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So I'm spending my holiday break trying to get caught up on my Netgalley reads. "The Ministry of Time" was next up, and man, did it deliver. It's a genre-blending novel, with elements of spy thriller, time-travel, romance, action, a secret government agency. All really quite well done. I didn't expect to like this book as well as I did. As I do.

I will readily admit that I myself have been partially obsessed with the AMC mini-series "The Terror," which I've watched twice. Enough to track down the novel [book:The Terror|3974] by Dan Simmons and relive the tragedy of the Franklin Artic expedition one more time. So learning that one of the main characters rescued from time was a naval officer of the Franklin expedition was pretty exciting.

Aside from the time travel romance, which gets kind of squirrely in the way most time travel stories do, the book also deals with generational trauma, as the nameless narrator is half Cambodian, her mother having survived the Khmer Rouge and eventual escape to London. Colonialism, racism, climate change, the power of love, the power of hope - all of these are touched upon by the author and her sometimes strange use of language, which seems to surround itself with metaphors and strange combinations of nouns as verbs as nouns that somehow seem to work in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Both the unique language style, and the book. Kudos to the author!

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The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley was one of Barack Obama's favorite books of Summer 2024, and I always look to his book list to see what he is reading. This book does not fit neatly into one genre. It mixes sci fi, historical fiction, and romance into one wild narrative that centers on a secret government project that rescues historical figures from their deaths and transports them to the future. It's an ambitious and thought-provoking novel.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

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The Ministry of Time was a fun time (and mind) bending romp. A bit noir, a bit sci-fi, a bit romance. I don't think I've ever read anything like it before.

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How do I even begin to describe this book??? It's like going on a roller coaster ride, not knowing where you are. Just when you think you have your bearings, everything is topsy-turvy again. I admit it did take a while to get going, but once it did, I was hooked. Well deserving of the GR best in Science Fiction award.

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The Ministry of Time had an intriguing premise but ultimately fell flat for me. While I’m not a big sci-fi reader, I was drawn to the concept, yet the slow pacing and lack of connection to the characters made it a tough read. It’s a creative idea, but it didn’t hold my interest.

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I don’t know how I feel about this one. It’s very sci-fi for me and the beginning is slightly confusing and hard to get into and the middle I enjoyed and then the end really got confusing… I think this is another book though that was very over hyped and just didn’t need to be. If you are into time travel and sci-fi stuff and history, I recommend.
I did really enjoy all of the characters and their banter and relationships. It was a little weird the old guys forming a relationship with someone new in the world but then fast forward to the end it makes sense. Idk again the end really made me not enjoy the book because it just got confusing.

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Kaliane Bradley's The Ministry of Time is a captivating blend of historical fiction and time-travel adventure. The novel follows a young archivist who is unexpectedly recruited to work for a secret government agency that protects the timeline.

Bradley's vivid descriptions and meticulous historical research bring the past to life, transporting readers to different eras with ease. The characters are well-developed and endearing, with the protagonist's journey of self-discovery and personal growth forming the heart of the story.

The novel's exploration of time travel paradoxes and the impact of historical events on the present is both thought-provoking and entertaining. While the pacing may vary, the overall plot is engaging and full of surprises.

The Ministry of Time is a delightful read for fans of historical fiction and time-travel adventures. It's a perfect blend of historical accuracy, imaginative storytelling, and heartfelt emotion.

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This book is a captivating and immersive read that hooks you from the first page. The writing is beautifully crafted, with vivid descriptions and strong character development that makes the story come alive. The plot is well-paced, balancing moments of tension with quieter, reflective scenes that allow the characters to grow. The themes explored are deep and thought-provoking, resonating long after the final page. Whether it's the emotional depth, the twists and turns of the plot, or the unforgettable characters, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys rich, engaging stories. Highly recommended.

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Absolutely loved this unique and lovely story! The entire concept was so well-done and the story was un-put-down-able. Highly recomend.

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I read this a while ago and was a little surprised to see that I gave it four stars instead of three. Not that it wasn’t good, but I remember some parts where it felt like a slog to get through it, and I know I didn’t feel as much for the romance… However, the premise is fantastic (that twist!) and I think the end really saved it for me.

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This book did not work for me. IMHD, I'm not a huge sci-fi reader but thought the premise was interesting. The pace was slow and I didn't connect to the characters.

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I loved this book! The time traveling aspect was so interesting and I really loved the idea of the time travelers and their bridges. I loved that it didn’t dip too much into the mechanics behind stuff. I consumed this book in two days.

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I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

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So incredibly boring that I could not finish. I wouldn’t really call this a romantic thriller. Just someone telling an old guy from the past how not to sound racist.

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this started out as such a fun book! I enjoyed seeing Gore adjust to modern life, it’s a fun concept. but about 1/3 of the way in it quickly turns into more of a romance and that’s where it lost me. I didn’t feel the chemistry between them and would’ve preferred it just stay them being friends like in the first part of the bok

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I love reading books with time travel, and was really excited to read this one. I've tried picking it up several times but I just can't get through it. I think this particular time travel adventure is just not for me. Unfortunately, it's a DNF for me, but I'm glad to see from the reviews that so many readers are enjoying it!

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2.5/5
I really wanted to love this, esp since the blurb sounded so interesting. Unfortunately, by trying to do too much I think this story ended up falling short across the board. It reads more like slice of life romance with speculative elements that never quite feel developed or satisfying.

We follow a set of 'time ex-pats' pulled from various points in the past through a time door that the British government has commandeered and is using for...some purpose that we’re never told. We’re also never told why these particular people.

Anyways, our narrator is an unnamed “bridge”, basically a glorified government babysitter to one of the 5 expats, Graham, while he adjusts. Most of this expat’s characterization comes from the classic fish-out-of-water experiences the time travel genre loves: his amusing confusion over things like bikes, current fashion, and pop music. Overall, I did enjoy the characters themselves, esp some of the other expats, and their interactions with each other.

This book was such a let down for several reasons. First, the marketing and description were honestly a bit misleading. I was sold on a wild time travel ride but ended up with a book where very little *actually* happens.

The pacing was also completely off. Over 10 long chapters, we follow Graham and his bridge as they just basically go through regular life. I distinctly remember getting past 50% and asking myself how i was only that far and why this book was so damn long. Suddenly, the last quarter of the book turns into an action spy thriller (more like what i expected) that is completely rushed and then just… ends.

If the pacing had been better, I honestly wouldn’t have minded that the first parts of the book were more character-driven. My issue was that none of that time was used to explore any themes critically. The contrast of the bridge (who is half-Asian if I’m remembering correctly) and Graham (a white explorer who died in 1847 in a failed arctic expedition) could have been used to dive into so many themes that she barely touches on—history, colonialism, racism, gender, etc. Whenever these topics came up with Graham or with her Black coworker, it almost felt performative because they were just kind of left there.

I also hate when a magic system or, in this case, time travel isn’t explained in a way that makes sense because I find it lazy on the author’s part. This book should've devoted even a little time on the sci-fi speculative nature of the time travel bits.

On top of this, the writing itself was awkward and clunky. There were SO many similes/metaphors on every page, many of which did not make any sense when you stopped to read them back (“I was a doll, with no more inner intelligence than a bottle of water.” … what?). If the author just cut back on the amount of metaphors used, the book could’ve been significantly shorter and would’ve felt like less of a chore to read.

There were also a lot of weird word choices or phrases that felt like it was trying really hard to be poetic or deep, when in most cases the simpler word would've been better. These words took me out of the story because of how awkward they sounded

So yea, I wish this book had had much better editing because it really had the potential to be a fun, solid escapist read but instead it just dragged and by halfway through, I was ready for it to be over. I am glad I slogged through because the last quarter of the book where it turned into a spy thriller was the best part.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for this Digital Advanced Readers Copy! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

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