A review by ashmagoffin
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley is a difficult book to explain. It doesn’t fall into a genre easily but is described to be ‘speculative fiction’. Part sci-fi thriller and part romcom, this book is fun. So much fun. There is a passage on page three of the book where we are told to simply not worry about the physics of time travel and just go along with it. I took the hint and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Though we are told not to think too deeply about plot holes, Bradley surprised me with some thoughtful points. How the ‘expats’ from the past interact with the modern world and also to each other being from different times. What would bother them and what would excite them (the only thing they can agree on being having music on demand). I thought it was interesting that our protagonist, a unsatisfied civil servant, remains nameless. The action of this book is often a bit slapstick and stylised which added to its charm, think of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy or Umbrella Academy.  

A cast of eccentric characters from throughout history. A tone self-aware in its silliness. Interactions which will make you laugh out loud. A narrative with twists and turns and a love story that is the cherry on top. What an amazing debut!