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dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-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
I really loved the characters in this book, their personalities were really front and center throughout the story. I put that the book is a mix of plot and character driven, because the book kind of has a lot of moving parts going on and some are very character driven and some are very plot driven. It kind of takes a while for the sci-fi aspect to really click into the story and it almost lost me, because it's hard to tell where the story is going for a while. I think the concept of a modern day women, helping a 18th century man adapt to modern times is cool, but the story also has the sci-fi that is kind of like a different story. I like the ideas, I just think they could have blended together better, it was a little chopy with very long chapters that kind of jumped around a lot. I just think the plot kind a missed having a cohesive through point. I kind of felt like a few different ideas thrown together, that each kind of overtake the story at random unannounced times. I honeslty liked the book more because of the characters than the main story. There was a lot of lost potential that could have made the story great. I think it probably should have been two seperate books based on how things went. Overall I thought it was a very cleaver concept.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content
Moderate: Racism, Cannibalism
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cannibalism
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The final third… I thought this book was waffling a bit (the uneven pacing is my biggest knock), but suddenly everything started collapsing into itself in an intricate frenzy. Picture this: the end credits are silent and no one in the theater stands up until they’re prepared to step into the new self they’ve just unlocked.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Stalking, Alcohol, Colonisation
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
Prompt 48 - a book that features a married couple who don't live together - March 25, 2025 - I love a good time travel tale and this one is no exception. The story is unique, told from the point of view of a "bridge", a person employed by the government to help time travellers adjust to our timeline. It has intrigue, romance and adventure. I feel like this book is going to stick with me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Slavery, Cannibalism, War
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was well written, but I felt the plot was lacking and like I just kept waiting for something big to happen and it just never really did? The characters, especially the ex-pats were especially lovable and well fleshed out and diverse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Cannibalism
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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
This one really was a mixed bag for me. Started off so strong, lagged hard in the middle, but the ending almost made me cry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content
Moderate: Racism, Cannibalism, Murder
Minor: Genocide, Slavery, War
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A cute little spy/mystery romance.
I probably wouldn't have read it if I'd realised how much the second half focused on the romance.
I liked the concept behind the time machine and the ex-pats were lovely characters. The testing of the ex-pats was hilariously believable and i liked that there were several queer characters. The big reveal was... interesting, I'm not sure if i believed it though. I liked that the ending wasn't definitive, and left some hope that the main character wasn't just a patsy.
I was deeply disappointed by the photograph at the end. Gore looked NOTHING like what I'd imagined.
I probably wouldn't have read it if I'd realised how much the second half focused on the romance.
I liked the concept behind the time machine and the ex-pats were lovely characters. The testing of the ex-pats was hilariously believable and i liked that there were several queer characters. The big reveal was... interesting, I'm not sure if i believed it though. I liked that the ending wasn't definitive, and left some hope that the main character wasn't just a patsy.
I was deeply disappointed by the photograph at the end. Gore looked NOTHING like what I'd imagined.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief
Minor: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found there was a few times where I felt there was too much foreshadowing. I finished it with a heavy (positive) feeling in my torso. It was interesting and engaging and I love the expats so much. The main character never gets named and I love that choice.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation, Deportation
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think there are several things to like about this book—the heartwarming relationships between the "expats," the often humorous results of walking, talking anachronisms in the modern era, the honest depiction of what it's like to become infatuated with someone.
But overall I think this needed a lot more editing. The story can't quite figure out what it wants to be—I'm all for blending genres, but I think it needs to be done with a bit more intention and finesse than happens here. Similarly, the writing feels inconsistent. Some passages, particularly the dialogue between the protagonist and Graham and the other expats, feel natural, but there are significant portions that feel very overwritten. I think the story could've been a solid 10-15 pages shorter if someone had gone after all the metaphors with a red pen.
Ultimately I'm just not sure The Ministry of Time really succeeds at any of the things it's trying to do, so it felt quite unsatisfying in the end.
But overall I think this needed a lot more editing. The story can't quite figure out what it wants to be—I'm all for blending genres, but I think it needs to be done with a bit more intention and finesse than happens here. Similarly, the writing feels inconsistent. Some passages, particularly the dialogue between the protagonist and Graham and the other expats, feel natural, but there are significant portions that feel very overwritten. I think the story could've been a solid 10-15 pages shorter if someone had gone after all the metaphors with a red pen.
Ultimately I'm just not sure The Ministry of Time really succeeds at any of the things it's trying to do, so it felt quite unsatisfying in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Alcohol