THE PHILOSOPHER’S FLIGHT has a great opening scene, gripping, compelling and smart, with a world that is historically similar but fantastical enough to feed readers’ magical desires. With gender biases turned upside down, boys are less desirable for leadership roles than girls, magic and science are melded together in philosophy and serve peaceful and wartime purposes. Our protagonist is an under-appreciated young man, desperate to follow in his mother’s laudable footsteps, and serve in the military. But first he is accepted into an almost-all girls college for training; where he struggles to prove his worth. While the rest of the book fails to reach the heights of the opening scene, the world-building is fascinating and deep. The characters will appeal to young adult readers with ease, especially since the topics mostly deal with rites of passage set against various political issues reminiscent of our own age. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

What a fantastic read! I’d describe it as as mixture of Harry Potter, Grossman’s The Magicians and History. Hopefully we’ll see more stories from this universe.

I was worried this book would be a whiny-boy-feeling-discriminated-against, but that is not the case at all.

Robert is a wonderfully written main character. He's charming, sweet, and isn’t afraid to stand up for himself or his friends. Robert also begins to learn just how tough the woman philosophers have it when he encounters members of “The Trenchers”--a group of aggressive men, mad at the upset of power and looking to put woman back “in their place." I couldn't help but root for Robert and laugh at his small blunders along the way.

Miller did a fantastic job showing the struggle that the Philosopher's were facing and discussing the issues that arose when women became the stronger sex in a thoughtful and appropriate way. He also included just enough humor and fun situations that occur in college (like the Cock and Hen showdown!!) to level the seriousness this book had.

The women in this book were phenomenal, and I wanted more of each of them, especially Jake (I really hope we haven't seen the last of her!). Miller included woman from all walks of life, all types of personalities, and I loved each one more than the last. The other men in the story were well placed, and each added something to the story that would have been lacking without them (I love Freddy--you've got to admire that kid's passion).

A fascinating read. In some ways, similar to reading "Wicked," I knew the history but wasn't sure where the author was taking it. It was fun and thought provoking. At times, it was to drag a little but overall I really enjoyed it.

I'm still reading the book but it is so good that I want to review it now.
A wonderful mix of alternative history, fantasy, and some steampunk in between. The mix works wonderfully and the book hooked since the beginning and kept me calling back to keep on reading.
I am sure this will be one of those books you're sad to end.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley

I'm really impressed. I normally don't read fantasy type books but this one was amazing. I can't imagine how much time it took to invent such unique characters or such an interesting world and then pair it alongside historic events. Everything about this book was so different that I really have never read anything else like it. The only downside was perhaps the middle of the book. It took a while to really get into it and understand the mechanisms behind sigils and hovering. I wish things were explained a little more clearly so that I could have grasped the concept faster.

The ending of this book was bittersweet. I wish this was book one of an entire series because I was sad to finish it. I will be recommending this book to friends as I thoroughly enjoyed it.

First, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised to see this as a Book of the Month pick for February, as it's a little different and a lot of fun! I was on a streak of books that were dark in tone recently, and the description of this story sounded like the perfect reprieve.
Robert's character quickly wormed his way into my heart and is an underdog worth rooting for - in a world of magic dominated by women, this sole male prodigy is humble and quite obviously in a situation that would apply mainly to women or minorities in the real world. Miller holds a mirror to many familiar situations and really made me think about how things might be different if it were a 'woman's world.' Much of the book reads like a campus novel, where Robert has to manage ridicule, derision and perform twice as well as the women to get half the credit. Imagine!
I was also won over by the world building and the amount of detail that the author imbues into this story. The way society is impacted by 'empirical philosophers' affects how we approach medicine, war, travel, the economy, and of course, politics: there is a thinly veiled comparison to white nationalists in the so called 'trenchers' who are radically against this practice dominated by women. And although it touches on many layered and heavy subjects (sexism, racism, class, civil rights), the tone is very light and it's a quick read with something for everyone: humor, action and adventure, family and friendship, and romance.
If I had one complaint, I think that Miller tried to pack in a bit too much. There are so many sub plots and I would have liked him to pay closer attention to one, rather than a little bit to several. Since it's the beginning of a series, however, I think it sets the stage nicely for more in depth narratives.
I've seen this novel compared to The Magicians, which I didn't love - so, if that's holding you back, I'd still give this novel a try. I think they are similar in that it's a year at a magical school, mainly setting the stage for future stories. Yet the tone of The Philosopher's Flight is so much brighter and it also appeals to those who enjoy historical fiction.

The Philosopher's Flight is the first book by Tom Miller so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was a well written alternate universe story set in the early 1900's. It is an interesting novel that includes elements of fantasy and SciFi.

The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat that all of that info here. The characters are well written and multidimensional. The author does a good job of keeping a steady pace throughout the book to keep this reader interested. While the storyline is somewhat different, it is worth reading.

One could argue that the idea of a world where magic works has been done to death in the realm of fantasy fiction. Whether you’re talking about urban fantasy set in the present day or fiction with a more historical bent, it’s a creative vein that has been pretty thoroughly mined.

And yet, when it works, it REALLY works. And Tom Miller’s “The Philosopher’s Flight” (Simon & Schuster, $26) REALLY works.

Set in the early part of the 20th century, it takes place in a world where magic – here dubbed “empirical philosophy” and considered a branch of scientific practice – is a very real, very controversial part of the societal fabric. Through the use of sigils (drawn designs of varying intricacy), astounding feats can be done: some good, others less so. And at its highest level, it is practiced almost exclusively by women, a fact that is less than well-received by the male half of the population.

Despite the good that has been done through empirical philosophy, there are many – mostly of the male persuasion – who distrust and fear it. Chief among them are the Trenchers, a collective of hateful, angry men who are willing to do whatever it takes – up to and including murder – to try and eliminate the practice entirely.

Robert Weekes is 18 years old. He lives in Montana and works as an assistant to his mother, a powerful empirical philosopher whose efforts during various wars are the stuff of legends. He himself is a practitioner, one who is considered to be quite talented … for a man.

His dream is to become a member of the elite U.S. Sigilry Corps Rescue and Evacuation Service – or R&E. It is the sole accepted way for empirical philosophy to be utilized in the theater of war due to agreements made following the commission of some monstrous acts during the Civil War and other fights. There has never been a male member of R&E; Robert would be the first.

To that end, he wins a scholarship to attend Radcliffe College, an all-women’s school in Boston that is one of the premier institutions of higher learning with regards to empirical philosophy. It is there that his abilities will be truly put to the test. And all the while, he’s also left to navigate through a world where he is viewed with disgust by his classmates and disdain by everyone else. There are precious few allies.

There’s his roommate and fellow male enrollee Fred Unger, a brilliant theoretician who nevertheless can’t manage to get even the simplest sigils to actually work. There’s Gloxinia Jacobi – Jake if you’re smart – who meets Robert right off the train and sees him for who he is. And there’s Danielle Hardin, a war hero in her own right who has returned to Radcliffe and with whom Robert finds a truly powerful connection. A handful more, but mostly, it’s Robert against the world. No matter where he turns, he faces an uphill battle.

Lucky for him, however – he knows how to fly.

“The Philosopher’s Flight” is a wonderful blend of fantasy and historical fiction. Miller has created a rich and textured world in which to operate. The dynamics of empirical philosophy well-considered and nuanced; the rules, capabilities and limitations of the practice are consistent and complex while still being easy to understand. All this is folded into the early 19th century era cleanly and concisely, with all of the social dynamics that that time period entails.

Each chapter is led by a quote – sometimes attributed to a real historical figure, sometimes to an invented one – that lends context to the world in which these characters live. Some are from the past, others are from the future, but it all contributes to a layered engagement that is simply wonderful to read.

Of course, none of it really matters without a compelling narrative. Miller delivers here as well, giving us characters with complicated motivations and imperfections. Robert is an engaging hero, one whose reach exceeds his grasp in many ways. And the secondary cast – heroic and villainous alike – offers a depth of characterization that makes for a quality reading experience.

“The Philosopher’s Flight” was an unexpected delight for me – I had no expectations going in, but what I got was a top-notch piece of fiction. Blending fantasy and history doesn’t always work, but it sure works here. This might be Tom Miller’s first novel, but I feel confident that it won’t be his last. If we’re lucky, maybe he’ll allow us to take flight with his philosophers again. The sooner the better.

Many historical eras ― particularly the Regency and Victorian, with World War II in the mix as well ― have been reimagined through the lens of fantasy and science fiction: alternative history, with magic or superpowers as the focus for recasting historical events. World War I has, I think, been underserved in this genre. Tom Miller’s The Philosopher’s Flight does a creditable job of shedding new light on the Great War era. Miller uses not only magic (here thinly veiled as a branch of science called empirical philosophy), but also the fact that these powers are primarily controlled by women, to enrich the story. Men are at a profound disadvantage in this science, with the women by and large extremely reluctant to allow men into their ranks, if not actively hostile.

Robert Canderelli Weekes is the eighteen year old son of Emmaline Weeks, a war hero and now a county philosopher in rural Montana. Philosophers in this world are not merely academics who study the nature of existence and knowledge; they are people who actually warp the laws of probability using sigilry, magical symbols that enable human flight, teleporting of groups, and other extraordinary powers. Robert has inherited the power of using sigils to fly, assisting his mother in her day-to-day work of responding to accidents and other local problems that require her services. He’s a decent flyer, not nearly as powerful or fast as his mother, but good enough to dream of following in her footsteps and joining the US Sigilry Corps, which assist in wartime evacuations and rescues. Emmaline is dead set against it; not only will the women in the R&E Department almost certainly reject Robert just because he’s a man, but the R&E wartime work has an extremely high death rate.

Robert finds a path that may lead him to his goal of joining R&E: the Contingency Act pays for philosophers to go to college, provided you serve an equal number of years afterwards in an area of the U.S. that’s short on philosophers. He applies and is accepted to Radcliffe College, a woman’s college that is now accepting a limited number of men as Contingency Act students.

So Robert heads off to Radcliffe in September 1917, joining a large group of women ― and a scant handful of men ― who are studying the philosophy and practice of flight. During his time at Radcliffe, Robert makes new friends, falls in love, and diligently works on improving his flight skills. He’s better than all but the fastest women, but still is faced with rejection and persecution from many women who don’t want men to join their ranks. This reverse sexism is a running theme in The Philosopher’s Flight, adding an unusual twist to the tale, particularly since women are the more militant group in this discipline.

On the flip side are the Trenchers, a stubbornly fundamentalist and bigoted group that rejects all brands of philosophical science and insists that women should return to hearth and home, leaving jobs to the men. The Trencher movement has gained power over the years since the Civil War, and its members are now engaged in a bitter and murderous feud with the philosophers. I would have preferred Christianity being left out of the Trencher’s belief system ― religion is too often used as a convenient punching bag in speculative fiction.

Miller makes liberal use of actual historical events throughout The Philosopher’s Flight, weaving them into Robert’s family history and as a backdrop for current events in the novel, sometimes with a few changes to fit the story. The Civil War’s Battle of Petersburg becomes a watershed event in the development of philosophical science and using it (and women) in wartime, when Lucretia Cadawaller used her powers to create a poisonous gas to kill 40,000 defenders of Petersburg. She intended to quickly win the war with a single, fearful blow … but she also inspired the rise of the Trenchers. I appreciated the way history informs the events of this story, with Miller frequently giving them a half-twist to shed new light on topics such as women’s rights and warfare practices. As gung-ho as Richard is to join the Sigilry Corps and the war effort, there are other characters cautioning him against the horrors of war and the likelihood of death or disability.

The Philosopher’s Flight is a well-paced tale, with the blend of magic and science giving it a somewhat retro feel that fits the time setting. Robert’s varied adventures and his developing relationships with others make this an engaging and original read. As far as I can tell this is currently a stand-alone read, but Miller has left the door wide open for a sequel.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is a unique book. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book from the description. I have to say that I wasn’t delightfully surprised. This book is the story of a male philosopher and his family and friends. Philosophers are a group of people that fly, transport, and bunch of other things (using magicical sigils and a mixture of powders). Roberts Weekes is the main character and the story is told from his perspective. He goes off to college, makes friends, finds a girlfriend, teaches flying, competes in a race, learns about himself, and is one of the few male philosophers in the world! Once I got into this book, I didn’t want it to end. This is an engaging book, the characters are extremely entertaining and I had a hard time putting it down!

Author Tom Miller's debut novel The Philosopher's Flight is a genre-bending steampunk wild ride. In this world, witches or wizards are philosophers and all the best ones are female. In spite of their amazing prowess in military campaigns, philosophers are feared. Trenchers, a sort of evangelical set comprised largely of men who fear and despise these powerful women, continually oppose and threaten the philosophers in ways both physical and legal. The harrowing opening passages evoke lynchings and the witch trials, while throughout the book we see Trenchers attack these women for everything from their use of birth control to their refusal to bow to the patriarchy. (We also see that these women are vulnerable to mistreatment by a military that quite literally exploits them.)

Set during World War I, the story follows a rare male philosopher, Robert Weekes, as he is taken on as a contingency student at Radcliffe College, one of only a few token men training with women. Most of the men are merely theoretical philosophers, but Robert, or Boober, as his Montana family lovingly calls him, is an empirical philosopher, raised to fly. Encouraged and cajoled into his skills by his mother and older sisters, he is a truly unusual man and not just because he's an expert sigilist.

Giving us the experience of role reversal, with a sole male prodigy among women encountering the derision, discrimination, and abuse that was usually heaped on women entering largely male educational settings during this era and too long after, Miller offers an accessible story about gender constraints perceived about talent and wrongly placed on education.

All of that sounds almost preachy and this book was anything but that- it was great fun to read. We have a wonderful set of secondary characters and a lot of humor to soften the blows of Robert's progress in the philosophical ranks. A renaissance man himself, Tom Miller is a practicing ER doctor with an MFA in writing. He's also going at the top of my Campbell Award nominations next year. A wonderful new voice.

*3.5 stars

A unique reimagining of history that blends science fiction, fantasy as well as historical fiction.

In this story, sigilry, or empirical philosophy, is a branch of science which came into widespread use in 1750. Since women have always been much better at this powerful technique than men, a group of fanatics calling themselves Trenchers seek to eliminate it as being witchcraft or some other dark art.

But just what is empirical philosophy? "It's nothing more than the movement of energy to produce a physical effect. The human body provides the power, while the sigil, drawn sometimes with beads of water, sometimes with cornmeal or sand, catalyzes the movement." You can do a thousand useful things with it...including fly!

"To the men the earth, to the women the sky, as God willed it." Yes, it is a woman-dominated field, but in Montana in 1917, there is an eighteen-year-old man named Robert Canderelli Weekes who can fly and dearly wants to perform rescue and evacuation in the war effort. Here is "a man, self-taught, all natural ability and raw power," and that ability as well as his fierce desire to serve is recognized and he is awarded a scholarship to study at Radcliffe, a virtually all-women college in Boston.

From the start, he is the brunt of jokes, insults, and other forms of sexual prejudice, so he not only has to study hard but must prove over and over that he is worthy to be there. Sound familiar, ladies?

Even his hero says: " A rescue flier? Don't be ridiculous. A man's place is on the ground. In the army a man in R&E would be an abomination. Not in my corps." And when his goal is in sight, will he have to choose between love and a career?

A delightful twist on what women face in our society when they go for a dream that is unusual for their gender, and the choices that must be made. There is lots of humor as well as friendship, romance, adventure and danger. A little bit here for every reader. This book cannot help but remind you of the Harry Potter series, Lev Grossman's The Magicians, and others of a similar type.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an arc of this new book.

Anyone who's on Netgalley knows that the books there are a hit or miss. This one, I'm pleased to say, was an instant hit.

Reading it, you would have never guessed that The Philosopher's Flight is a debut novel. The sheer amount of detail and research that went into it is astounding, and as a result, has helped weave together the fictional philosophical world with the real world events seamlessly. Unfortunately, at times this can translate into an info dump as the author is world-building. Those that don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of the events during WWI will occasionally find themselves confused, overwhelmed, and eventually just give up trying to absorb every single detail and just try to remember the important names and events mentioned.

Despite this, one of my favourite parts of the book is the world-building. It's well-developed, engaging, and reflects a world and societal dynamic changed by philosophy that seems realistic (you'd think the whole women-have-superpowers-now has abolished gender norms and advanced gender equality, but no, apparently men are still in charge!). The art (or perhaps I should say science) of philosophy is deeply intriguing and has been thoroughly thought out by the author. Like most magic-portrayed-as-science powers, philosophy still seems a bit out there, but it is used and explained so logically that you can almost believe you can hover just by learning the right sigil. Throughout the book I found myself questioning some technicalities of philosophy and wanting to know more about it. I particularly liked the small snippets of physics that made philosophy sound entirely scientific. I didn't understand every part of it, of course, but the parts that I did understand definitely made sense.

Another aspect of the book that won me over is the characters. Not only are the characters complicated just like people are in real life, they also undergo character development and don't give in to the stupid impulses like you so often see characters do. In other words, there's no impulse to scream and pull your hair out at the stupidity of the main characters. Miller has successfully created realistic, lovable, complicated characters that are still able to carry the plot along even without making reckless choices. The characters are also very different from each other (although admittedly a few minor characters were indistinguishable) and I can appreciate the pokes at diversity in race and sexuality despite the deeply sexist and racist society during that time. This is more than we normally see in books set in historical times. Of course, I realise that still more representation could have been made.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest weaknesses that I saw in the book was the inability to stick to one plot. The book read more like how a season of a TV show would have played out rather than a 2-hour movie. There were a lot of subplots and things going on in the background that we were told of, but ultimately didn't play a big part in the story. Furthermore, there was no one plot from beginning to end. This seems a bit more realistic in hindsight, as a world at war would be complicated, but it just means that you would have to be invested in the characters enough to read through to the end, especially if you're a plot-driven reader (which I am).

There are some minor aspects in the book that I really enjoyed though, such as the short snippets of philosophical texts in the beginning of every chapter that I think helped set the tone for the chapter and helped familiarise readers with the world of philosophy just a little bit more.

Fair warning, the book discusses Christianity as for and against philosophy, and this might offend some. Personally, I think the debate was quite interesting and not at all serious. If anything, I thought it was more symbolic of how religion is often used to justify the opposition and estrangement of various things.

The Philosophers Flight 
by, Tom Miller
4/5

I recieved this title through NetGalley, on behalf of Publisher Simon and Shuster. In return for my honest review of the title. 

Although it was slower in parts of the reading, I found a very intriguing read. The plot was something both my son and I were able to enjoy. The writing was very well jointed, flowing nicely between pages and chapters. It was a very artful reimagaining of a Great War era, and lots of World History. 

It tells the story of a science, a magic, not yet understood by the common people. It was feared in large, and therefore termed as witchcraft. Empirical Philosophy, the movement of energy to produce a physical effect. Using Glyphs, and a sigil as a catalyst- such as sand. For the Women who contained the art of the science knew that the threat of war meant more than violence, they could cease to exist entirely. Ah, yes women were more apt in the philosophy then were men. 

That is until we meet our, most unlikely hero, Robert Weekes. Having study beside his mother, at home only, he become vastly more improved than other men that had tried. After all, he had went school, leaving his mother and home, to study and become the best he could. Through his adventures and schooling, we learn more about the study of this philosophy, how it used and maintained. Also, what makes techniques, like smoke cutting, dangerous. Eventually, he wanted to be apart of the Rescue and Evac. team as was his mother. 

This book never sat still, it is not a specific genre. It is quite the opposite, it is a mixture of sci-fi and fantasy fiction, as well as historical fiction. The world building is simply amazing, and the characters are as well. Robert and Emmaline are favorites of mine!! This story is truly an imaginative ride, with major characters from history also!! I think everyone could enjoy something from this book. An artful reimagining. Releases on the 13th, February 2018.

Wow! I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did! The blurb did not grab my attention, but I decided to read The Philosopher's Flight after I saw that it was a Book of the Month Selection. I am so glad I did!

I enjoy books about alternate history, if they are done right. And the (male) author takes a risk with his storyline, which involves a gender flip. In this world, women are the best at philosophy (think magic, but more scientifically based), and it is a young male who is trying to break the gender barriers to become the first man to be accepted into the elite Rescue and Evacuation Military Corps.

There are so many ways this could have gone wrong. But I liked his approach. Robert faces many of the same arguments that women have dealt with over the years. He would be too much of a distraction to the women. Bathroom and housing accommodations would be too difficult to provide. He won't fit in. He doesn't have the ability to do THAT kind of work. Yet, even though philosophy is a female-dominated field, the author kept the rest of this world quite misogynist, and somehow, it works.

This was a case of the set-up and idea working better for me than the characters and plot. Empirical philosophers or sigilrists are people who can move energy in small ways to produce larger physical effects. It's a magical science dominated by women, and our main character Robert Weekes is an 18-year-old man who is trying to find his place in the field as he wants to be part of the war effort in World War I. Robert seems so flat because most of the book is focused on setting up the history and explaining empirical philosophy. Maybe the next book in the series will have some room to breathe more. I'm definitely interested in reading the next one to check it out because I see potential even though I enjoyed but didn't love this one.

I enjoyed reading this so much that after I finished it, I re-read most of it again. It is some of the best genre-bending fantasy that I've ever read, mixing a thoroughly conceived of magical system with history and emergency medicine practices. The world was thoroughly realized in a way that only the best fantasy books are: where they no longer feel like fantasy, but simply as an alternative reality. I was continually impressed while reading at how great an allegory it was for our current political climate and events.

I picked up this book with no idea what it was about; just going off the title. It's so well written that I was convinced for the first few pages that it was a real historical documentation (perhaps embarrassing to me, but please take it as a reflection of the book's quality). Unusual to fantasy books, I was motivated to research the historical events further, including that of Radcliffe College.

I was a bit concerned at points at the positioning of the narrative as sort of a man's rights message since Robert is a white man who does magic in the woman-dominated profession of sigilry. Given current events, I was nervous that at points this would play out to convey the a fantasy in response to the perceived threat to male supremacy in which the man would overcome the terrible females who were trying to assert themselves at his expense. Thankfully, Mr. Miller is a sensitive a author, able to subtly navigate a story where the man needs to prove himself in a women's profession, without presenting him as underprivileged. Robert is presented as an ally to the strong women in his life; standing with them as they combat men who try to push them back to traditional gender roles. At the same time, Robert is given his own story. The presence of fully-realized female characters in this book made it a book about feminists (and by extension, intersectional causes) as told from the point of view of a man is supporting their cause while also asserting his agency.

If you like fantasy that blends other genres or just concerns innovative magical systems, then I would recommend this to you as a reader. It reminded me of Lev Grossman's THE MAGICIANS and Susannah Clarke's JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL.

“It’s never mattered that I can’t do it. What the heart loves, the will chooses and the mind justifies.”

The Philosopher’s Flight is an interesting mix of historical science fantasy, where in our past, we discover the use of empirical philosophy, the merging of magic and science. This particular branch of study is female dominated, and so we get an interesting exploration of gender.

Robert Weekes wants to study empirical philosophy. His mother is a famous war veteran and county practitioner, so he has been an avid student his entire life. In fact, he can actually fly, a feat not many men can achieve. But in this female dominated science, he has little hope of actually being able to achieve his dreams.

But a twist of fate lands him at a scholarship at Radcliffe College. One of four men allowed to study at the school, and he realizes how difficult achieving a station in the legendary Rescue & Evacuation Service will be. Through hard work, the support of his roommate Unger, and a bit of luck, Robert earns the respect of his female peers and professors.

“That must be what made you so brave — a lot of women beating courage into you.”

I finished this book a few days ago and am still working through how I felt about it. I wanted to like it. Hell, I wanted to love it. But I find myself feeling rather indifferent about it.

The idea behind the story is incredibly creative. The smoke carving, the idea of writing sigils to communicate and fly, among other feats is a fun concept. Rewriting history and using real events to examine how these changes would impact the turn of events is also a fun idea and interesting exploration.

I liked the idea that women were the ones who were the experienced practitioners of this practice. Yet even with this power, or maybe because of it, they are a focus of vile hate and the target of political enemies. The level of hate and prejudice raised against them because of this ability seemed to highlight the struggles women actually went through in those time periods. How different would history be if women had a power men didn’t really have, and were afraid of? How similar?

“The causes were bound together from the first days: civil rights, women’s rights, and philosophical rights.”

However, it was hard for me to really relate or identify with the characters themselves. Unger felt the most well developed to me and he is only a side character. Some of the reactions and dialogue felt very satirical to me. Their reactions varied wildly and didn’t feel real. Like when Robert discovers he’s been miswriting an important sigil his entire life, his response didn’t come across as dramatic as I think it was supposed to.

Rachel is another example of a character that just felt very two dimensional to me. She was his biggest threat and his main opponent really, outside of the Trenchers. But she felt very childish and wooden. She felt more like an idea of a bully and blowhard rather than a real threat to Robert. I just didn’t really feel an emotional connection to any of them. Except Unger. He was the only one who showed heart and genuine depth.

All of that would have been fine, but the way the book started compared to how it ended was a problem of pacing for me. We begin with Robert looking back on his life, so we know this is a memoir of sorts. But the entire duration of the book is him at school. One year. I understand we are being set up for a series, but it felt like maybe this could have been introduced better at the onset. Getting 400 pages of school was a bit tedious in parts, and I found myself bored. I was expecting a more complete story, not the focus of a single year.

I also hated the ending. It was so abstractly abrupt I thought I was missing pages in the book. Especially with how detailed we got in the school portion, it felt like the author just needed to end and picked a chapter to stop writing. It didn’t feel planned. It didn’t feel, other than the hint at the beginning that there was a bigger story, that there would even be more to the story. There is nothing that really makes me close the pages and say, wow, what next. It was a bit frustrating, because when you tell me you’re an exile in Mexico, I really want to know what happened. Not a 400 page memoir of one year.

Overall the book was creative enough that I liked it. And while I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it either. I think for someone who enjoys historical fantasy, this is creative and fun book. I was left with questions of what happened when it ended, but no desire for the next book, if that makes sense. It just didn’t hit all the marks with me, and I don’t think I would rush to read the next one. Especially if they are going to be as slow paced as this one was.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for approving a copy to read and review!

I love books about alternate history. But The Philosopher's Flight is something more....a combination of fantasy, sci-fi, alternate history...and pure magic.

The Basics: Certain symbols, called sigils, can be used to focus power. That power can be used for mundane things like making plants grow larger, curing illness or even flying, but also for more destructive actions like killing 40,000 enemy soldiers in one battle during the Civil War. Although some men can wield the power, women are much more talented at being Empirical Philosophers and using sigils. Most counties in the United States have a resident philosopher to help with emergencies. Maj. Emmaline Weekes is a county philosopher in Montana in 1917. Her son Robert helps by ordering supplies, cooking and being support for his mother. America is entering the Great War in Europe. President Wilson has just announced a declaration of war against The German Empire. Robert;s dream is to fly Rescue & Evac, but women are much more talented at flying than men. The elite unit has never accepted a man into their ranks. After a emergency rescue following an attack by Trenchers, a group of vigilantes against sygilists, Robert proves that a male just might be able to make it in R & E. When he's accepted into college to become a philosopher, he realizes his dream might just come true!

OMG! I love this book!! The mix of real history with the fantasy of sigils and philosophers! Such a creative and awesome story! The book is filled with action and excitement -- trencher attacks, rescues, training and war -- and kept my attention from beginning to end. Reverse sexism adds an interesting angle to the plot as well. Robert goes through a lot being a male in college studying philosophy and wanting to join R&E when they don't accept males.

The Philosopher's Flight is Tom Miller's debut novel. I loved the story and his writing style. I will definitely be reading more by this author!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**