Reviews with content warning for Animal death - The Ministry of Time

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest unedited review.

The "Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley is "A time travel romance, a speculative spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingeniously constructed exploration of the nature of truth and power and the potential for love to change it."

The plot centres around a biracial British-Cambodian translator who is employed by the Ministry of Time, becoming one of 4 other officers responsible for facilitating the integration of historical figures into the modern day world. Specifically, she is assigned to manage Commander Graham Gore, who was part of the failed Franklin expedition to the Arctic in 1847.

The story follows a genre-bending tale that seamlessly merges elements of romantic comedy, sci-fi, and speculative fiction. Central to the plot is a slow-burning romance that addresses and explores topics such as colonialism, slavery, inherited trauma, and racial identity within the narrative.

With the amalgamation of the two worlds, the historical figures from the past acclimatising to present day, there were so many moments where I would burst out into laughter at their bemusement, curiosity an often shock at just how much the world had changed from how they once knew it.

As the story progresses it does take on a more introspective tone and reflects poignantly on life and society.

The use of characters to bring sensitive issues to the fore was well handled and not preachy/crude in any way. The characters all felt relateable, their motivations and apprehensions were understandable and I love how they were fleshed out in the book - Margaret and Arthur, despite supporting characters made up some of my favourite moments in the book.

The aspects I struggled with was the background/history. Although in this book, it is basic education and readers can read up on it, from a purely subjective POV, where I did not have previous knowledge of the event/an understanding of the consequences, it felt like some concepts of the book went over my head and would feel jarring. The dual timeline with Gore during the Expedition made for great and valuable.insight into the experienc of the character but again, sometimes disrupted the flow of the book for me.

Overall, this was such a delightful read and at no point did I want to put it down. "The Ministry of Time" does not disappoint and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys time-travel, romantic comedy, with a underlying tone of substance and reflection. It definitely made for a hilarious and yet thought-provoking read. I applaud Bradley on a fantastic debut!

Content Warnings

marywahlmeierbracciano's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I adore this book. A British-Cambodian government translator finds herself working as a sort of mentor to a historical time traveler as part of an experimental program. Her subject—Graham Gore—would have died amid a doomed Arctic expedition from which no man returned had he not been pulled from the year 1847. She befriends him, along with a ragtag crew of other “expats,” while keeping secret most details about her job, which, unbeknownst to her, has been plagued by corruption from the start.

This book explores what happens when what you thought was right turns out to be very wrong, and Bradley accomplishes this in a way that is funny, surprising, and profoundly moving. The slow burn love story crackles with chemistry which surpasses anything I’ve read before, and, most importantly, humanizes the beloved. The Ministry of Time is counted among my few most favorite books.

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