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A review by andiehales
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I’m not usually one to be influenced by blurbs on book covers, but this one having eight on the cover and more inside (from big-name outlets) caught my eye. It kinda ended up being the downfall of my reading experience, though.
This book is described on the cover (mashing up the blurbs here) as a sexy, escapist sci-fi romcom. I even read articles after finishing the book to see if full reviews were using the same language (they were). Also, I specifically want to note that Emily Henry holds the spot of the singular author’s blurb. So, I don’t feel like I was delusional in thinking this would be… more romantic?
There are definitely swoon-worthy parts to this story, but (to me at least) it literally didn’t feel like romance was at all a notable aspect of the book until around the 75% mark. I think this was intentional in trying to build a slow-burn of sorts but, as a big slow-burn girl… I was not into it.
Now, the reason I brought up the blurbs, is because if I had gone into this book expecting a sci-fi and also happened to get a little romance, it would have been a pleasant surprise within an otherwise interesting story. Because this is markets so heavily as a Romance though, I just kept looking for something that wasn’t there. Or at least, I couldn’t find it.
To the book’s credit, I found the three lead expats very endearing and the social commentary very engaging, especially in the context of time travel. The expat’s relationships and mundane navigation of the 21st century was maybe the most enjoyable part of the book for me.
I just didn’t always love the writing (so many bizarre similes), and I’d definitely recommend going into it not expecting a complete time travel rom-com lol.
This book is described on the cover (mashing up the blurbs here) as a sexy, escapist sci-fi romcom. I even read articles after finishing the book to see if full reviews were using the same language (they were). Also, I specifically want to note that Emily Henry holds the spot of the singular author’s blurb. So, I don’t feel like I was delusional in thinking this would be… more romantic?
There are definitely swoon-worthy parts to this story, but (to me at least) it literally didn’t feel like romance was at all a notable aspect of the book until around the 75% mark. I think this was intentional in trying to build a slow-burn of sorts but, as a big slow-burn girl… I was not into it.
Now, the reason I brought up the blurbs, is because if I had gone into this book expecting a sci-fi and also happened to get a little romance, it would have been a pleasant surprise within an otherwise interesting story. Because this is markets so heavily as a Romance though, I just kept looking for something that wasn’t there. Or at least, I couldn’t find it.
To the book’s credit, I found the three lead expats very endearing and the social commentary very engaging, especially in the context of time travel. The expat’s relationships and mundane navigation of the 21st century was maybe the most enjoyable part of the book for me.
I just didn’t always love the writing (so many bizarre similes), and I’d definitely recommend going into it not expecting a complete time travel rom-com lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence
Minor: Gun violence