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Kaliane Bradley: The Ministry of Time (Hardcover, 2024, Simon & Schuster) 4 stars

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and …

A love story at heart that uses time travel to illuminate a critique of empire

4 stars

This reminded me somewhat of "The Echo Wife" by Sarah Gailey in that it's science fiction turned inwards rather than outwards, focused on the individual rather than the grand sweep of history. Considering that time travel is a central part of the story, that's an interesting choice, but honestly I think it's a bit inspired, because it's a reflection of the main character's myopia regarding her place in her society and in history. A couple elements weren't inspired: there's a lack of explanations about certain characters and events and there's a twist that's probably obvious to those who pay attention to the signs of such things. Still, thought-provoking overall, and sad and sweet in equal measure.