What a genre-bending delight! I didn’t know exactly what to expect with this book, but I’m certainly glad I finally picked it up. Hard to put down, the type that keeps you up past your bedtime! An easy handsell when customers ask me to recommend “a good page turner that’s different.”

The Ministry of Time is a book with all of the promise and none of the editing. The first half or so is fantastic. I was completely engaged and actively planning who I was going to recommend it to. I loved the premise of a group of people from different periods in history being "saved" by being pulled into modern+a few years Britain. All of the Franklin expedition material is incredibly well done. Unfortunately, the whole spy vs. spy plot, etc., doesn't really work. It makes sense as such, but I didn't care. This book promises a happy ending at the start and just degrades into utter misery by the end. I really wish an editor had worked harder on this.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley is a smart, genre-bending blend of time travel, bureaucracy, and slow-burn romance, wrapped in sharp wit and emotional depth. Inventive, poignant, and refreshingly original.

Literary gold with the the balance of compelling characters, gripping storytelling, and the most romantic love story. I try to describe this book but it is so difficult and one you just need to experience for yourself.

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.

I loved this book so so much. The perfect blend of science fiction with incredibly heartfelt, real character relationships. Every character was so vividly brought to life and I was swooning at the relationship between the two leads.
It’s one of those books where it’s bittersweet as it has the perfect ending but I would also read a million sequels to find out what’s next for these characters.

Bradley's text has become an instant classic for a reason--it's a fascinating blend of genres, a deft navigation of literary techniques, and an insightful indictment of empire.

Unfortunately DNF'd this at ~25%.... not my cup of tea. Painfully bland and boring characters, and honestly I'm not sure what else to say. This felt like I was intruding on a teenagers over-descriptive diary of their fantasies... and I was NOT enjoying it. I don't get why this novel has done so well???

Hmm. This was an intriguing read. I honestly felt like the blurb set my expectations pretty high and I was excited. And then the book…fizzled a bit. It’s much slower paced than I expected it to be. And while very interesting, I just didn’t grab me. The chapters from the MMC POV felt disjointed. And I just didn’t care about these characters enough. The book is slower until the final chunk which speeds by at a careening pace and it’s where all the twists of a time travel story hit at once. It made me think and had great points and said so much…in a slightly slow way. But this quote was the money maker. "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. They are time-travel."

Having recently enjoyed Elly Griffiths' "The Frozen People," which explores a similar concept of individuals displaced in time, I found "The Ministry of Time" somewhat underwhelming. While the idea of historical witnesses living together held promise, it didn't quite captivate me in the same way. Perhaps the similarities in premise made it harder for this particular story to stand out, and ultimately, it didn't leave a lasting positive impression.

Loved this book and have already recommended it to several! Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read it.

The Ministry of Time isn’t the kind of book I’d usually reach for - science fiction has never really been my genre - but the premise caught my eye, and I’m so, so glad I gave it a chance. Stepping out of my comfort zone with this one turned out to be one of the best reading decisions I’ve made in a while.

I devoured it in under 48 hours and genuinely wish I could experience it all over again for the first time. It’s clever, sharp, and full of surprises. I especially loved the relationship between the narrator and Graham - it felt layered and real - and the dynamic with the other expats added so much charm and humour to the story. It made me laugh out loud more than once, but there were also moments that had the pace and intrigue of a spy novel, and others that were moving, almost tragic. It was also a very thought provoking read, leaving me questioning topics as broad as climate change, racism, power and trauma.

It’s a rare book that can balance wit, warmth, and emotional depth while still being so wildly entertaining. I can’t recommend it enough - even if, like me, you don’t normally think of yourself as a sci-fi reader.

4⭐️
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

this story was a roller coaster! but in a good way, i promise!

we essentially are following our unnamed narrator through her time working as a Bridge with The Ministry. now, The Ministry has possession of a device that allows time travel to exist. the narrator’s job - as a Bridge - is to live with, document, and report on the adjustment cycle of one of the individuals they bring from a random time period of the past, to the present day. reasons for this experiment slowly unfold, and we discover that there’s more to the story behind these examinations and time traveling (as there typically is when the government is involved), than we are being let on to know.

there were moments where i was left confused and felt slightly dumb (researching what many of the words meant lol) but it really was just a story of time travel, and our conflict of past, present, and future selves. there was really solid commentary on what the “would’ve, could’ve, should’ve” mindset as it pertains to avoiding the destruction we are in and currently heading towards as a society, and how we can learn from our past selves and the now, to right the path we are forging for the future generations. topics of government corruption, race, genocide, climate change, etc., are all explored throughout. there was also a bittersweet love story intertwined as well, which really did add the depth of understanding the characters motives in my opinion.

overall, this was totally not what i was expecting it to be but i found myself really entranced with the writing and plot!

I absolutley loved this book! I was gripped into the story as soon as I started and finished it in one sitting. I loved the authors writing style because it made it very easy to read and follow the plot. The characters were very unique but there journey was amazing and extremely satisfying to read. I will be recommending this book to all of my family and friends.

I really enjoyed the book, but I have to admit, there were moments when I felt a little confused. The concept of time travel was fascinating, but I struggled to fully grasp how it all worked. It may have been me not quite catching on, or perhaps it wasn’t explained as clearly as I’d hoped. Regardless, the mix of genres was something I’ve always wanted to try, and it definitely kept me intrigued. The blending of romance with time travel and whatever other elements were thrown in created an exciting, unique experience. I may have been a bit lost at times, but I still appreciated the creativity and the twisty plotlines. Overall, it was a fun read, and even though some parts were a bit hard to follow, I’m glad I gave it a shot!

4 stars

I’m thinking this was available as an ARC again because the paperback is likely coming out? This was so popular I decided to take a chance on it even though time travel books are not usually my thing, up to and including the widely loved THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE.

You’ve probably heard about this one already but just in case, an unnamed female narrator is a translator for the British government when she gets a job as one of the first “bridges,” that is a constant minder for one of the first time travelers to ho have come forward in time to live in modern day England. She is responsible for “1847” or Commander Graham Gore, late of Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic (and, oddly, the very next book I read after this one also referenced the Franklin expedition. Weird.)

To say that Gore is suffering from culture shock is mild. He’s living with an unmarried, “half-caste” (his term) woman in a world of “washing machines,” music on demand and nine million people in London (a fact he’ll thank you not to mention again.). How will the two survive their first year?

Gore is a wonderfully witty character and I loved the other time travelers. The relationship between Gore and the bridge was fine but the stuff with all the intrigue was a little confusing and all jammed together. Still, I quite enjoyed the book.

What a mix of genres! The plot is sci fi, many of the characters are historical, and add in a love story. The author's writing style is so enjoyable.

The time travel was explained in way that is believable.

I neither loved nor hated The Ministry of Time. It was a perfectly fine, adequate book. I don't have major problems with it. But unfortunately (admittedly through no fault of its own) it got read in the midst of several other time travel/multiverse stories, otherwise I may have enjoyed it more. I DID appreciate how much humor there was; I genuinely laughed out loud when Guinness was described as "angry Marmite".

This is such a fun read! Smart premise, made me laugh, made me cry and also left satisfied!

Love how I can’t describe which genre this falls under! It felt a little Outlander and a little Loki and I loved it!

One of my favorite reads of the year, The Ministry of Time is a surprising read that grabs you and takes on a wonderful rollercoaster of emotion and suspense. While a broader plot looms, the core of the story is focused on the two main characters: Commander Graham Gore and his bridge. The two must navigate living together in ways that they both find unexpected, all while... something happens in the background.

In some ways the less said the better with this one. It's a charming, impactful story with a heart of gold, wrapped in a mystery you're drip-fed to keep you questioning what will happen next.