The Ministry of Time

I hated the first few pages. So much purple prose. Something was described as “Sisyphean” and I had to roll my eyes.

But the book redeemed itself, with the plot and characters. I loved Graham and the expats and the concept of the ministry. I loved learning about the arctic expeditions.

Loved the writing. Really liked the framing device. Plot wasn't incredible. Want to read when she writes next. Very good.

It was an interesting read. The premise was certainly intriguing: What would someone from the past think if they were thrust into our modern world? But I feel as though the other had too many ideas that she tried to execute, and wasn’t able to satisfy all of them. A third of the book just felt like the narrator’s sexual musings about the man she’s been forced to live with. The conclusion of the book was decent though, and I enjoyed the read.

Maybe a 3.5 if I’m being generous? While the story is intriguing, the execution is muddy. It is never really clear what anybody’s motivations are, and the on-the-brink-of-collapse world-building is depressing. It feels like the author had a goal in mind, but I could never work out what that was (something about refugees and colonialist attitudes?). The authors also had a very odd turn of phrase when it comes to similes; they sound poetically original, but fall apart if you think about them too long...

This was the January read for the Sword and Laser podcast. What a great book! In the near future, the UK has discovered time travel, and use it to bring “expats” from the past to the present. Our protagonist is a “bridge” (a person whose job it is to acclimate the expats to the present). This is part sci-fi, part thriller, part romance, and all really well done.

Also - I think it wills one of the more challenging prompts for Popsugar this year - A dystopian book with a happy ending

So this won Goodreads scifi award for 2024. I was a bit iffy at first, since Goodreads is the kind of place where ACOTAR wins awards, and so I wasn't sure if this book just won the scifi award on a technicality because although it has time travel it didn't sound very scifi-y. But I was pleasantly surprised!

The story centres around people who were destined to die in their original timeline, but instead brought out before this happens to live in 21st century London. The secretive Ministry that brings them out obviously doesn't have altruism in mind when they do this, though. As they struggle to adjust, the Ministry also comes under fire from enemy spies. And there's a (good) romance side plot too.

There's a lot happening in this book, and I almost feel like it could have been simplified a bit by removing a side plot or two. Also time travel is always a confusing topic to write about with changing timelines and the like. But overall a really great read.

I hail from the future, as I've already finished the January book—in December!

The first half of this book felt like a slog. It was slow, uninspiring, and honestly didn't fill me with much hope for what was to come. But then, everything changed. I didn't see the twist coming at all, and it completely caught me off guard. I'm curious—did anyone else see it coming?

Ultimately, the ending redeemed the book for me, but it's still not something I'd consider an “Obama book.” Just saying. If I could, I'd love to ask him, “Wuuuut?”

Will this be my last book of 2024? Hmmm...what does my book reading future hold for the next 3 days.

4.5 rounded up
The way this book reads felt very reminiscent of A Series of Unfortunate Events, but for adults. The narration style, the dark, dry humor, the lovely prose, and many metaphors all felt very nostalgic for me while fresh and enticing at the same time. The half mark is docked only because I felt something was missing from the ending. Maybe I wanted the farewells to be just a little more drawn out, just a little more emotional stabbing? I'm not sure. I'll probably bump it to a full 5 should I ever read this again.

I listened to the audiobook version and was immediately ecstatic the moment I heard “Chapter One” in Caitlyn Kiramman's (from the show Arcane) voice! Katie Leung was a phenomenal choice to voice the FMC! Even when I read a hard copy instead of listening in the future, I know I will hear only her as the FMC. And honestly, I even found myself picturing Cait as The Bridge. Experiencing this story via audiobook is already a great choice given the narration style, Leung's talent makes it a fantastic one.

Now that I've reached the end, I don't know if I want to immediately reread it or read the most heart warming fan-fiction set in Alaska that I can find.

This was a generally terrible book held up only by the many different aspects of potential it had. Interesting sci-fi, but no real delving into it. Romance, but its an odd author self-insert and not that interesting or deserved. Possible commentary on the progress of modern society, but its kind of preachy. Intrigue, but its just shallow "government program is actually the problem". I was ready to DNF this book 4 to 5 times during reading but for some reason wanted to see how it finished. Wasn't worth it.

4.5.

I didn't realize this book had such a romance heavy plot because I came in blind. I kept waiting for more things to happen, for more characters to come into focus. But once I realized the relationships were the story, I really enjoyed it.

This started strong but fizzled out around midway. I think the author tried to go in too many different directions and nothing was properly fleshed out because of it.

I was really enjoying this book, and then my attention span evaporated. I'll return to it eventually.

I loved it. It takes a steady hand to write a book so charming, yet curious, yet suspenseful and yet still tender. A novel that is bursting at the seams to be turned into a blockbuster film.

Very entertaining cheeky romp featuring time travel, Victorian gentlemen, found family, cross-century teasing, and the most charming English dialects from previous and future centuries. Could have done without some of the typical time travel tropes that come in at the end, but all in all this was fun!

This is one of those books for which I really wish GoodReads had a .5 star. It is a 3.5 for me. It was almost good despite the lovely gentleman commander, but did it really have to take that long for things to happen?

4.5/5 stars

This book was at times discombobulating as all fun time travel stories are. I liked that the MC “Little Cat” was unnamed but Commander Graham Gore gave her one. I liked that Graham Gore was a real person who knew Robert McClure “Robbie” the discoverer of the Northwest Passage. I'm VERY interested in the people who tried to find the Northwest Passage so this was right up my alley. I especially loved the part when Graham called Sesame Street (he doesn't like t.v.) “deformed monstrosities against the will of God”. I was happy about the love story between Graham and Little Cat. I liked that Adela was the main character from the future and the reason the Ministry even had the time machine in the first place. Even though it seems the time portal was not destroyed I have hope that the Ministry of Time will be made obsolete. Even though it was unwritten if the MC finds Graham I feel it in my heart she does. Overall GREAT book would HIGHLY recommend.

premise • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
prose • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
plot • ⭐️⭐️⭐️
personae • ⭐️⭐️⭐️

There is a clear story structure here and things move at a quick pace with brisk dialogue that doesn't overdo the exposition. While some might be surprised that there isn't much time travel involved in the narrative, it does still mostly work as a journey centered around people out of time. The pivot to a central mystery comes just in time and once that element kicks into gear, there are some solid reveals, a strong twist, and proper closure.

I enjoyed the plot, the story and the storytelling. The author, though, kept attempting unique turns of phrases or descriptions but they were not grounded enough to evoke or describe their targets.

The Ministry of Time sits somewhere on the chronal courtship continuum between The Time Traveller's Wife and This is How You Lose the Time War. Apparently I've got a soft spot for timey-wimey romance.

Our protagonist is a “bridge” working for the Ministry of Expatriation. What that means is she's a live-in keeper and guide to the 21st century to one Commander Graham Gore. Instead of dying somewhere in the Arctic in 1847, Gore has been pulled into the present by the British government who have recently discovered time travel.

It's a bit cozy for a secretive government agency. Snatching random folks across history into the present, to hole them up in a lovely flat with a modern day member of the opposite sex is about as convoluted a meet-cute as you're going to get. The sci-fi equivalent of the busy big city executive going back to her home town to meet the chiseled Christmas tree vendor who's had a glow-up since his nerdy high school days. But hey, I'm all for a suspension of disbelief.

And it is interesting to see how these folks adjust to the new world. It's not just Spotify, airplanes, and washing machines, but the Holocaust, Hiroshima and 9/11. And what does it mean to exist centuries out of your own time? How does one maintain a “hereness” so fully removed from your temporal origins?

But that's all speculative window dressing to the slow burn romance on display. Bradley could have just as easily relied on the wonder of the sci-fi conceit, but instead the prose sparkles and Gore is overflowing with old world charm. He's got charisma for days, freed from the constraints and cold of a tireless Arctic expedition. In fact, all the temporally displaced “expatriots” are wonderfully realized eccentrics with a penchant for snappy dialogue. I just love the way Bradley turns a phrase.

There are disappearances and double-crosses, not to mention casualties and conspiracies to ratchet up the tension but in the end it's the characters on the page that won me over. This is made for adaptation and ripe for a sequel. I can't wait to see more from Kaliane Bradley!

 When I picked up the book, I was exited about the plot: a secret governmental agency responsible for managing and safeguarding the course of history through time travel. It promised a blend of historical intrigue, adventure, and a touch of science fiction, all things that I typically love. However, the book fell short in several key areas.
I think that overall I need to agree that it feels a bit like a fanfiction. I will explain more now: First, the narrative felt disjointed and inconsistent (kinda like someone earlier said. Like a 14 year old fanfiction.). While the concept of time travel and historical manipulation is complex, the storytelling often seemed to lack direction. The pacing was uneven, with some sections dragging on unnecessarily while others rushed through potentially fascinating events and encounters. This  made it difficult to stay engaged and fully immersed in the story, again leading it to just drag out.
Character development was another huge issue. The protagonists, came across as underdeveloped and somewhat one-dimensional, ok super one-dimensional honestly. Their motivations and personal backgrounds were not explored in sufficient depth, making it hard to connect with them. Instead of feeling like fully realised individuals, they often seemed to serve as mere vehicles for advancing the plot. Or in a less fancy way, the characters all felt like puppets instead of actual alive people that the author is just guiding in their story.
The historical settings and events sometimes suffered from a lack of authenticity. As someone who enjoys historical fiction, I found myself frustrated by inaccuracies and that just makes me feel less connected as I know it is not actually accurate. I mean do your research properly. The book sometimes took too many liberties with historical facts, which, while maybe intended to help the narrative, ended up destroyingit in some ways.
The prose itself was another sticking point. While there were moments of evocative writing, these were overshadowed by a general sense of inconsistency. Some passages were beautifully crafted, drawing me into the world, while others felt clunky and awkward, pulling me out of the story. Like I felt I was on some kind of awkward rollarcoaster that pulls you back and forth.
Small line that I dont know where to put in the main subjects I like to keep in my reviews: THE ROMACE. I mean, it was not needed and felt all wrong to me. I would be fine without it in any and every way.
Small posetive thing tho since everything before was so negative: The concept remains a compelling one, and there were flashes of brilliance in the way certain historical figures and events were portrayed. The idea of exploring history through the lens of time travel is undeniably fascinating, and there were moments where the book's potential shone through.
Just overall sucks that my expectations and wants in this book were not met at all. The concept was so good, it just was way to inconsistent and not properly written. So in conclusion, it was a 2star for me. Borderline 1.75 but decided to keep it up at 2. 

Rating Description:

1.0 - DNF/Despise

1.5 - Almost DNFed and wish I had

2.0 - Almost DNFed but had redeeming qualities/just boring

2.5 - Alright with lots of notes

3.0 - Alright with notes but I'm not raving about it

3.5 - Technically good but I'm not raving about it

4.0 - Love but with notes

4.5 - Love it so much I want to highlight the book but still with notes

5.0 - Love it so much I want to highlight the book and notes are very positive

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I loved this book. I loved it so much that I took pictures of certain pages and highlighted the lines that really resonated with me. Heck, I even found myself chuckling while reading this.

What made me love the book?

As an immigrant, a good number of the things tackled here resonated with me. Despite being quite western in a non-western country, I did still face some challenges when I migrated. I found myself being more cautious and hesitant. But at the same time, I felt I had more freedoms with regards to a good number of things. These were things that made me relate to the Expats in the story and even the narrator herself.

I also found myself relating to the Bridges when they broached the topic of the LGBTQ+ and political correctness with the Expats. It’s similar to how, I guess, many of us grapple with discussing the same topics with our elderly relatives.

So, if I loved this book so much, why didn’t I rate it 5 stars?

Well, this book was great but not perfect. There were some details that I did not believe. And yes, this was a sci-fi book so I really should suspend my disbelief. However, I really didn’t think a government agency will just let you walk out of the building after being part of an incident and destroying a very valuable tech.

I also believe that there were certain things that I think were important that weren’t stressed enough or certain things would have been come off stronger if they were tied more closely together. For example, below were 3 things that could have made a stronger impact if they were tied more closely together:

1. Graham found it hard to believe people did so little to help when WW2 was ramping up. The narrator explained that people did the things they did because they were blindly following what they thought were good orders from those up the chain in commend.

2. The narrator inadvertently changed the future by doing something different. She also broke certain protocols.

3. At the end of the book, one of the points made was that we don’t need a time machine to change the course of history. We only just need to do better or be better people.

If those 3 things were tied more closely together, I think the message (that we should do better and not just follow things blindly) would have been stronger.

Now, I’ve read a few other reviews on this book and would like to go over some of them.

Prose:

I am aware that the prose was not necessarily some people’s cup of tea. But, quite frankly, I loved it. It was what separated this book from the other books I’ve read in quite some time. It was this weird mix of formal and flowery.

Some have pointed out that the author had a penchant for using highfalutin words that could have possibly made it harder for readers to digest it. But so, what if the reader had to look up some words? There’s Google. Use it. I think we could all use to broaden our vocabulary.

On top of that, the flowery words were in character of narrator whose specialty was languages.

Marketed as a romance when it’s not:

Honestly, I don’t know how this book was marketed. So, whether the marketing was deceitful, I can’t really tell. But there was romance in it. But it’s probably not the kind of romance folks expect these days in books given its contemporaries.

The romance here was subtle. It was a growing affection brought on by time and familiarity.

From the way Graham was described, we can tell that he was passably attractive. Not drop dead gorgeous or eye catching. He was okay looking. The most striking thing about him was his personality or, as they put it, his temperament. He was quite charming.

But this one line from page 108, really sold to me how magnetic he was to the narrator:

- He filled the room like a horizon

One review mentioned that the romance was quite one-sided. In a way it was. Given how the book was written we can only see the story from the POV of the narrator. We don’t really get much inkling of how it was from Graham’s side because the narrator also didn’t know. And it made sense that the narrator would not have seen obvious signs of interest from Graham given how he’s a man from the late 1800s who had been taught to not be forward towards women he deemed respectable.

There wasn’t much time travel:

I agree that there wasn’t much time travel. But I didn’t go into this book expecting them to be jumping back and forth in time often like it was ‘Back to the Future’. The closest comparison I can make is that this is a reverse Outlander. Or maybe that movie ‘Kate and Leopold’ with Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman. The bulk of the story was about how the expats were adjusting to the modern times.

I give this book five stars not because it was amazingly enjoyable - I am on holiday and it required more attention than I can give. But it has a VERY good plot, a bit quirky without being cringe, romance without awful relationship dynamics, and a good dose of history without being boring. Will reread in a few years.

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!