A review by littlefreeinterrobang
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I enjoyed the fundamental concept of this book: people pulled out of the past into our present, with designated guides to help them adjust to their new place in time. It’s a fun thought experiment, and the fish-out-of-water, slice-of-life, romance sorta thing is a cozy kind of story to curl up with. The pace is a bit meandering at first, which I personally didn’t mind, but it picks up towards the end when the story morphs into more of a mystery spy thriller. This is where it started to lose me, however — it felt like it was trying to be too many genres in one book, and it didn’t quite stick the landing with any of them. 

The author also uses a lot of creative and amusing turns of phrase, that, for the most part, I really appreciated, although at times they started to feel overdone or didn’t always make sense. 

Flawed, but a fun read regardless.