The Philosopher's Flight

Robert Weekes is just a boy. He’s like many another boy growing up in Montana at the outset of the 20th century. With the slight rarity that he can fly. He’s not especially good at it, as his older sisters and mother regularly remind him. Yet when evil times force him to rescue his mother and two others in the middle of a tremendous storm by flying them to the hospital in Billings, he dreams of doing the same on the front line as part of the US Sigilry Corps’ Rescue and Evacuation team. He knows there’s never been a man in R&E. But a young boy can dream. His heroics in Montana win him a Contingency placement at Radcliffe College where he will be trained by some of the best sigilrists in America. One step closer to his dream, show more perhaps. Or maybe it will be the end of him. Can he survive the rigours of the training, the humiliations heaped upon him by the young women who can all (or nearly all) fly the pants off him, the loneliness of life in Boston, and the personal dangers of the anti-sigilrist movement, which also happens to be headquartered in Boston?

Tom Miller has added a wealth of attractive and intriguing elements to the stew he is brewing in his narrative cauldron. Apart from Robert’s individual story, Miller has to present a plausible alternative American history filled with sigilrists, or smoke carvers, the vast majority of whom are women. It’s a robustly imagined world, with no small amount of violence, death, arson, sexual flowering, and politics. Nasty! But it doesn’t take long for Miller to gain our sympathies for young Robert and the very real dangers he faces. All with telling echoes, if not parallels, in real America. Plus, it’s a page turner. Almost begging to be continued in a series.

Gently recommended. show less

You know that thing where you start reading a book and, almost from word one, it grabs you in that way that lets you know it is absolutely going to be one of your favorite books ever but then you get nervous and you back off of that assessment because you don't want to be disappointed since you aren't certain where the plot is going and what if the author ruins what is essentially a perfect-for-you novel with something ridiculously out of character but then, as you are speeding to the end, you find that everything unfolds in an acceptable way and now you have turned the last page and can certify that you are indeed satisfied and that this was an amazing read? Yeah. That.

The Philosopher's Flight starts with Tom Miller's dedication:
For show more Abby--
Who once asked why there were so few women in my stories
And For My Mom--
Who read to me every night when I was young
This sets up an amazing alternate history where (mostly) women have discovered a way to harness the powers of the natural world in order to do things like grow crops faster, teleport, fly, and control smoke. These things are not done with magic but simply with elemental powders, hand movements, and natural ability. This is, of course, resented by some and declared to be devilry by others. And yet the women have established themselves as soldiers, problem solvers, and so much more. Now it is the early 1900s and Robert Weekes, son of an empirical philosopher, finds that he has enough talent that is worth exploring that he decides to apply for college -- unorthodoxly to Radcliffe, a women's college in Boston, incredibly far from his Montana home. He is accepted and begins his year of proving his talents in order to land the job he has always felt destined to do--one that a man has never done before.

There was so much to love in this story. My absolute favorite thing was that this was not an alternate history where women just have power and so they rule the world. The men in this story begrudgingly accept the worth of what the women do but, at the same time, resent that they are sometimes dependent and therefore try their hardest to trivialize women by, for example, taking away their right to vote. None of this was actually in the story itself but rather in the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, as historical records from both the past and future. This complexity is felt in the story though in the way that Robert is treated when he begins to enter the very feminine realm of empirical philosophy. He is polite and humble and careful but it doesn't matter because he is an outsider. And yet he still finds connections with staff and students and takes just about everything as a learning experience. He makes mistakes and has successes and learns more than just the techniques of his art. This book was just so thoughtful and complex and yet a bit innocent in that endearing way that a first novel sometimes is. Sigh. Yes, I loved it.

https://webereading.com/2018/05/new-release-philosophers-flight.html show less

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley, but my opinions are my own...

...And my opinion is: Mr. Tom Miller needs to write more books in this world!

This is a 4.5 rounded up. The only reason it isn't a solid 5.0 is because I wanted the plot and story to cover a little bit more ground, but I expect that this is the first in a projected series.

If you liked the depth and texture of Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, then this is the book for you. The character's are realistic and the world is like a marvelous tapestry with tidbits of worldbuilding woven into every bit.

Check this book out, you'll love it.

The Philosopher’s Flight drops readers right into it, beginning with a terrifying attack on a philosopher family and a daring rescue. In this alternate history, the philosophy of magic runs parallel to science and is studied as carefully and rigorously. Ability is gendered, though, with women being better able to master the craft of creating sigils. Philosophers specialize in many areas, increasing the size and speed of harvests, transporting, and hovering (flying) are just a few of the most popular. Traditionalists see all this magic as deeply offensive to traditional values and these Trenchers resort to violence and domestic terrorism as well as political lobbying to restrict and even outlaw philosophy.

Robert Weekes dreams of doing show more Rescue and Evacuation in the War, the World War that people still think will end all wars. He would be the first man to do so since it’s a skill only women really excel at. He gets a scholarship to Radcliffe, a contingency scholarship which means if he fails, he will owe tuition. The Philosopher’s Flight tells the story of his time at school, the conflicts that arise from women who object to a man invading their turf, resistance to his study, and his friendships, conflicts, and romance while he pursues his improbable dream of joining the most elite of the philosophical careers.

I expected to enjoy The Philosopher’s Flight. But I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Tom Miller created a credible alternate history that closely mirrors our own, with the same politicians and wars, but with the added complication of this new art. Miller imagines how it would be used in war, the political implications and how they all work together to create social and cultural conflicts. His speculative history holds together.

I like Robert. I liked his easy-going empathy, but I also like that despite understanding why some people may behave badly, he isn’t a pushover. He has a strong moral center, but he is developing his understanding of himself. He can imagine revenge, but when revenge is possible, he learns what kind of man he is. The decisions he makes are not easy and his decision-making and reflection make for an interesting, involving story. I look forward to the sequel.

I received an e-galley of The Philosopher’s Flight from the publisher through NetGalley

The Philosopher’s Flight at Simon & Schuster
The Philosopher’s War will be released in July 2019.
Tom Miller interview at The Qwillery show less

"And what is empirical philosophy – what is sigilry – except a branch of science that we don’t yet fully understand? There’s no dark art to it; it’s nothing more than the movement of energy to produce a physical effect."

Robert Weekes dreams of being the first male in the US Sigilry Corps Rescue and Evacuation Service, a team of flying medics serving in World War I. Instead, he’s stuck in Montana, helping his mother – a former soldier in several previous wars and the County Philosopher – serve the locals. When a local family is tragically murdered, Robert gets to put his skills to the test and earns a scholarship to study at Radcliffe, an all-female school in Boston. There, he will have to prove his mettle to the women show more who don’t believe men have the ability – or the right – to be in their exclusive field.

The Philosopher's Flight was a fun genre mash-up of fantasy and historical fiction. Although it took me a little longer than normal to immerse myself in this world of empirical philosophy, it was well worth the journey.

One of most fascinating aspects of this book is that it takes gender roles and stands them on their heads. It was not a perfect reversal, nor was it supposed to be; that would be boring. Instead, Tom Miller created this interesting power dynamic where women were superior in the field of empirical philosophy – they were powerful smokecarvers and hoverers, doctors, and generals – to the exclusion of men. Not that men weren’t inherently lesser in society – the president of the United States was a man, and even the president of Radcliffe was a male philosophical cartographer – but they were seen as absolutely inept at anything that could be construed as “practical” philosophy (i.e. hovering and smokecarving).

Although I felt that this book was a little light in terms of gender equality because men still seemed to have a large role in society as a whole, it still has the ability to open the dialogue for interesting conversations. For me, one the most powerful aspects of this book was the way it made me reverse “traditionally” male titles in my mind. Whenever there was mention of a Doctor or a General or a Professor, the first unconscious inclination (even for me, a female) was to picture a male, but that’s not true in this book. Instead, the doctors and generals and professors were all female. It was an interesting test of conditioning, and I might just have to apply it to everyday life.

I didn't realize that this was going to be the first book in a series. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for the sequel(s) in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

https://allisonsadventuresintowonderlands.wordpress.com/2018/03/15/tom-millers-t... show less

We’re only half way through the year, but hands down, best book so far! Miller has created a truly unique world of magic, war, alternate history, and struggle that I couldn’t help but be absorbed by. I enjoyed all his characters, the politicking of the Philosopher/Trencher movements, and his magical system. And oh the alternate history! He’s created a seamless blend of historical change and relevant themes, a perfect mixture for anyone’s reading pleasure.

One of the ideas that drew me to this title was the idea of the role reversal. A man trying to make his way in a woman’s world/field is a great mirror for how women have struggled in school and work during the same time frame, WWI. It could also be used as a foil to explore show more discrimination of any sort. The struggles and obstacles Robert faces in his chosen profession/career path are the same, I felt, that any victim of discrimination would face and so relate to.

Philosophy is thought of as mainly a woman’s art in this series. Yet, there’s still a strong misogynistic movement in the Trenchers, whom feel that all sigilry is anathema and that women should be subjugated to men. The Trencher movement reminded me of the KKK, and scarily enough, certain Christian fundamentalist movements around today. Some of the ideas explored by Miller gave me pause while reading and made me shiver at the implications.

Like the cover states, the magic system is really half magic, half science. The power of sigilry seems to grow more powerful with study and practice; both Danielle and Robert have been doing their respective aspects since childhood. Yet, there are also cases like Unger whom practice and study until their eyes fall out and still can’t achieve all that they want in the field. Either way, Miller has created a truly unique magical system with its various sigils, their uses, and how they impact the world in which they’re used.

I adore how the author used his magical system to change the course of history. With different events during the Civil War, especially the Battle of Petersburg, the author shows how women started to balance the struggle of power, winning the vote in 1864 and gaining many milestones in the later 19th century and beyond. I loved exploring how the flow of history changed given this new course. Given the implications hinted at in the prologue, that flow of history could take a tragic and unexpected turn. I look forward to exploring that in future volumes.

This next aspect might be due to the author’s profession as an ER provider, but I appreciated his minute attention to detail and all the little tidbits he added to his world. The readings at the beginning of each chapter was one such lovely detail. Each added something to his world, be it some history, build-up to the current tension, visions of what was to come, or characterizations for our current characters. Being a Montana gal, I also appreciate the time spent in getting locales and distances right. He even got the small hospital’s name in Helena right. I loved that attention to detail.

Then of course there is our lead, Robert. I don’t think Miller could have done a better job in creating a young man trying to find a path to his dream, being a part of the Rescue & Evac division of the military philosophers. Despite being told again and again to be practical and give up his dream, he never does. He faces extreme versions of bullying and societal pressure from all sides to reach his dreams. He also has an incredible empathic side that lets him feel for others, even men with contacts out on his girlfriend and family members. This great blend of empathic vulnerability and strong will in the face of overwhelming odds makes for a fantastic lead to tell the story through.

I know this review comes off as gushing, but I seriously cannot find one thing to criticize. The author has created an amazing read filled with adventure, emotion, and a fight against all odds to reach a dream. When you mix in alternate history and magic, I just can’t find any faults. I eagerly awaited this release and my expectations were not let down. I’ll be first in line for book two; keep ‘em coming, Mr. Miller!!!

Note: Book received for free via GoodReads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. show less

Imagine a world where the patriarchy is flipped. Where women who have unusuual skills (think those traditonally associated with “witches” like flying, healing, and magic) have shaped the world and women have power. Now imagine that the son of one of the most decorated “Philosophers” wants to join what seems to be the equivalent of the Air Force, but to do so he must graduate from the Philosopher program at Radcliffe, where he one of only 3 men.

And that’s only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Miller has built a world that is at once familiar and topsy-turvy, and made that world a whole lot of fun. There’s unbounded humor and imagination here along with plenty of breathtaking excitement. Recommended.