This was a different feeling from the first one. Book one has us in a classic school scenario/genderbent stereotypes and a controlled academic setting. Not so here. Robert has been pulled to the front lines to be a part of an elite R&E squad and pulled into a plot to bring the end of the war sooner rather than later.

This was a novel and a world I loved. I loved his take on reversing the genders again. Loved seeing how the world could look from that angle. I love sigilry as a magic system and he did a great job of fleshing that out further. I loved the women in this story.

I read it in about 2 sittings and was wanting more. At this point I don't know if we will hear anything else from Mr. MIller in this world, but I really would like to.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I am so glad that I was able to continue on with the story of Weekes and his efforts to uphold the standards of the US Sigilry Corps’s Rescue and Evacuation unit. The story goes more into Weekes'relationsip with his squad mates and what he is willing to do for them and how they have become a family. Weekes is tasked with many dangerous missions going into enemy lines to save troops. I greatly enjoyed this one as well and loved following Weekes along as life changes him through his experiences. 4 stars. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC.

This is by far one of the most interesting settings in a book I have ever read. I don't often read alternative history or magic based books but am so happy I gave this one a try. Tom Miller's writing is fantastic and his descriptions really submerged me into his steampunk world where I could easily envision the equipment being used. I really loved this book so I'm hoping there is a third installation to this fun and imaginative series.

Oops, didn't realize this was second in a series. Lots of aerial antics as the hero, Weekes, is able to join an all female flying group. He earns their trust and the book provides many good moments.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A sequel to the philosophers flight and what a sequel! I wasn't sure if I was interested in this at first because I struggle with historical fiction, but the introduction of science/magic makes all the difference in this series. The book starts up right where it left off, bringing us into a war. The characters were fantastic and you can't help but connect with them. Would totally recommend!!

Like the preceding book, this one's got great characters, impressively complex gender dynamics, and a well thought out [don't call it magic!] system fully enmeshed in a refreshing Alternate History -- but this time very specifically of WWI. Where The Philosopher's Flight was largely a novel of college life, this one is a capital W War novel, and the intensity of the war rarely lets up.

The experience of the main POV character, Robert A. Canderelli Weekes, is vividly depicted. He is now a rookie officer in "Rescue and Evac," tasked with flying the wounded out of the field in Europe. He's the only male flier, surrounded by some extremely colorful, amazing women. I wish every single one of them had been real, but at least this book brings them to life! As they're all put through the trauma of the war, and put into place as pawns in more shadowy battles, the reader knows a bit of what's going to happen -- both immediately and well into the decades after WWI -- but is still surprised by the details.

I love these books, and look forward to whatever Tom Miller decides to write next.

-- DISCLAIMER: I received a free eARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity. --

Tom Miller's Philosopher's series is highly imaginative and continuously plays with history, magic, and gendered expectations. In his alternate early 20th century history, there is a kind of magic, largely limited to women, allowing things like flying or transporting supplies and people, used both in war and peace. Young Robert A. Weekes, very unusually for a man, has his heart set on becoming a rescue and evacuation flyer in what is the equivalent to World War I, and this second volume starts with him beating all odds and being sent to the front in France. It follows his experiences proving his worth as a man (a refreshing perspective), trying to juggle career and relationship, and his experiences of war and loss. Miller manages to write all this in a well nuanced, gripping tale with many twists and turns, and I would wholeheartedly recommend this series!

I enjoyed the first book in this series, The Philosopher's Flight, and this second book was much the same. In The Philosopher's War, the characters from the first book return, this time actively participating in the War (World War II). I like this alternative history, and find it both fantastical and realistic. The gifts and talents of the characters are well thought out, and the stakes are much higher in this book. 4 solid stars.

The Philosopher's War is a wonderful follow-up to The Philosopher's Flight, and there aren't any second-book issues like you sometimes see with debut authors.

A bit of time has passed, and Robert is off to serve as flight support in the alternate history version of World War I. He's the first man, again, and continues to face discrimination about it. The gender politics are even more interesting in this book than in the first, as the gender binary is still very much a thing, with "men's work" and "women's work" and so how Robert moves in this world is definitely a good exploration.

The regular politics are also much more in evidence, and Robert is very obviously a mostly clueless pawn. But he seems to like it that way, and the way the larger picture unravels, it makes sense that this would be the case. How it affects his romantic relationships is also skillfully handled.

I continue to love the magic/philosophy in these novels. It's well crafted without being overly explained, and it's impacts are definitely explored well in the context of history.

The other thing this book handles superbly is PTSD. The depictions of the front could well be triggering, but overall I think Miller handled both the soldiers and evacuators responses to trauma deftly.

I highly recommend the book, and its predecessor (I suppose you could read this one first but you'll definitely be a bit confused on some of the intrigue-y bits). Good for folks who love alternate history, those who want an exploration of war that isn't from the warrior's POV, people eager to read about gender norms upended, and anyone who likes great worldbuilding.

Just as interesting as the first book, the world building and character development are completely on point. The author has taken the time to suss out and give us a greater understanding of the protagonist and I really enjoyed reading this book.

I enjoyed The Philosopher’s Flight immensely. Everything about was fun, from the characters to the story, to the amazing world building and alternate history. Tom Miller is one talented guy. So of course, I had to read this installment of Robert A’s story. It’s even better than the first. I absolutely loved it. It’s incredibly original and I can’t wait for the next one!

I loved the first book in the series but just couldn’t get into this second installment. There was definitely plenty of excitement and solid fantasy elements, but I had a lot of trouble connecting again with the characters and the overarching conflict of the series.

There are a lot of pitfalls when it comes to choosing to dig into a literary series. The truth is that a lot of these series, while perfectly OK, are just that – OK. And if you’re OK with OK, well … OK. But if you’re someone who wants something more, someone who is looking for a much richer experience than you can get from the standard-issue sci-fi or fantasy series, taking the plunge can be tough.

Tom Miller’s latest is “The Philosopher’s War.” It’s the second installment in a series begun last year with “The Philosopher’s Flight.” It is also a book that strives for that richness of experience, one replete with interesting ideas, compelling characters and an ambitious world. And while it might not quite reach the heights to which it ultimately aspires, it still soars plenty high indeed.

In this world, magic – known as empirical philosophy – is real, dictated by a complex system of sigils and runes. Different people share affinity with different symbols – and each symbol generates its own sort of power. The sigils can be used to create fire and shape smoke. They can be used to teleport over great distances and to fly. They can be used to heal … and to kill.

It wasn’t long ago that Robert Canderelli Weekes was a college student at Radcliffe, one of the few male philosophers out there – and the only one able to fly. In the midst of the Great War, circumstances have led him to enlist in the armed forces, the first-ever man to join the Rescue & Evacuation service of the U.S. Sigilry Corps. He’s the first male Sigilwoman.

Past atrocities have led the world to agree to a defense-and-rescue-only policy on the battlefield – weaponized empirical philosophy resulted in the most horrific moments in some horrifying wars. But as Robert joins his new division in France, it soon becomes clear that there are some who would end that prohibition so that they might win the war – and damned be the consequences.

Without fully realizing it, Robert is swept up into the roiling swirl of danger and intrigue. He is being pulled from all sides – a mother with a wartime history she’d rather forget, a girlfriend with political sway who’d rather remove him from the field altogether, a commanding officer who demands more of him and a division of comrades who gradually, begrudgingly come to trust him. All of these people with their own goals and their own motivations, all seeking Robert’s help.

But what does HE want? He has to choose – and his choices will have wide-ranging consequences, up to and including ending the war … or escalating it.

The best part of “The Philosopher’s War” – and the best part of the series as a whole – is the world that Tom Miller has created. There’s a real sense of historicity here, a veracity to the manner in which the whole thing has been constructed. The degree of close consideration given to the particulars of empirical philosophy is apparent throughout, lending a depth to the proceedings that contributes mightily to the story’s immersive nature.

One of Miller’s most ingenious choices – carried forward from the first book – is opting to headline each chapter with a quote pulled from the history of this world. These quotes range some way into the future at times, giving the grander arc a historical foundation even as the story itself plays out very much in the present.

There are some issues, however, the main one being a general flatness to many of the characters. It’s understandable – Miller has put together a large cast, and with this many featured players, it can sometimes be tough to give everyone a shot at real development. The end result is that while Robert and a handful of others are fleshed out nicely, there are some characters that feel more or less interchangeable. There’s a generic vibe to them that doesn’t fully click with the complexity of the deeper dramatis personae or the of the world itself.

Please note that this is a relatively minor flaw; the central journey – Robert’s journey – is clearly, cleanly characterized. The pros definitely outweigh the cons as far as the overall experience is concerned.

“The Philosopher’s War” is not without flaws, but it’s an undeniably enjoyable read. The world that Tom Miller has created is as detailed and compelling as anything you’ll find in contemporary fantasy, packed with meticulously-constructed elements that are well worth exploring.

In the Philosopher's War, the follow up to the Philosopher's Flight, Robert heads off to war and accomplishes his goal in serving as an Rescue and Evacuation soldier. Then it's off to fight in World War 1. Robert has developed in this book, and is finally accepted by his R&E peers. The Philosopher's Flight took me awhile to get into, but I loved the Philosopher's War.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the second book of Tom Miller’s Philosophers series, The Philosopher’s War in which Robert Weekes, after having proven many doubters wrong by showing the female-dominated world of Philosophy that males could, in fact, fly fast and well has joined R&E and is sent to Europe to rescue the injured on the battlefields of World War I.
I had some issues with the first novel, The Philosopher’s Flight pertaining to the characterization of the female philosophers and, I’ll admit, I had the same issues with this book but that has more to do with my personal experience than with the writing. Despite this being the second of the series, a lot of explanation is still required of the rules of this world especially of the missions and the special equipment that the flyers and other branches of philosophy use and those passages tended to get tedious to me. Also, I’m not much of a war story fan and, as it is set in France at the end of WWI, there are several passages with detailed descriptions of casualties and dangerous missions. However, the action sequences did read more quickly than most of the rest of the book. What Miller does especially well is to delve into Robert’s evolution from excited/nervous young man ready to prove himself in the war to the battle-tested and battle-scarred man torn between two loyalties.
The Philosopher’s War is yet another book with an interesting and unique concept that explores pertinent ideas it just wasn’t necessarily for me.

Loved The Philosopher’s Flight, but I’ve been struggling to get through this one. Putting it down at 40% for now.

The Philosopher's War is the second book in Tom Miller's alt-history WW1 timeline novel. Released 16th July by Simon & Schuster, it's 416 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

I reviewed the first installment last year and admit to some trepidation on reading this, the second. I was afraid it couldn't possibly live up to my remembered opinions about the quality and depth of the writing. I worried needlessly; this book is quite wonderful in its own right and felt to me like a worthy successor to the previous book. I did not re-read the first book in preparation for the second. I had no trouble following the plot or remembering returning characters, so I do think this book could work as a standalone without necessitating a reading of the previous content. I would certainly recommend hunting down the 1st book, it's a wonderful read, but it's not absolutely necessary.

The story follows the further adventures of Robert Canderelli Weekes, son of a very famous family of female fliers in a magical air corps fighting in WW1. In fact, his family are so famous for their sigilry (magic use) that he adopts his father's name as a surname to avoid politicization of his joining the flying corps (elite troops who have hitherto been female only).

This book could so easily have simply devolved into a morality play about patriarchy and sexism and crossing gender boundaries, and the author resisted that, and the book is stronger for it, in my opinion. There's very little stridency or preachiness in this book. It's a solid, entertaining, good read and I would recommend it heartily to lovers of speculative fiction, adventure fiction, historical fiction, and the like. It would also make a good book club selection or buddy-read.

The author weaves real history with fantasy so skillfully, it's very difficult to winnow out what's real and what isn't; I stopped trying. He's a wonderfully talented author and the fact that his other day job is as a physician in emergency services gives a lot of the book an unusually vivid verisimilitude. Also included in the back of the book are 'excerpts' from other fictive history books which include illustrations (by Michael Gellatly) and back story.

Really well written and a thoroughly enjoyable read. Five stars. I am looking forward to future installments.

I didn't realize this was the second in a series when I read The Philosopher's War. The author did a great job of giving all the background information needed. It was a great spin on history.