The first book in a new series and a thrilling debut from ER doctor turned novelist Tom Miller, The Philosopherâs Flight is an epic historical fantasy set in a World-War-I-era America that â[begins] with rollicking fierceness that grabs readers from its opening lines and doesnât loosen its grip or lessen its hold all the way through. Millerâs writing is intoxicatingâ (Associated Press).
HEâS ALWAYS WANTED TO FLY LIKE A GIRL.
Eighteen-year-old Robert Weekes is one of the few men who practice empirical philosophyâan arcane, female-dominated branch of science used to summon the wind, heal the injured, and even fly. Heâs always dreamed of being the first man to join the US Sigilry Corpsâ Rescue and Evacuation Department, an elite team of flying medics, but everyone knows thatâs impossible: men can barely get off the ground. When a shocking tragedy puts Robertâs philosophical abilities to the test, he rises to the occasion and wins a scholarship to study philosophy at Radcliffe Collegeâan all-womenâs school. At Radcliffe, Robert hones his flying skills and strives to win the respect of his classmates, a host of formidable and unruly women. Robert falls hard for Danielle Hardin, a disillusioned young hero of the Great War turned political radical. But Danielleâs activism and Robertâs recklessness attract the attention of the same fanatical anti-philosophical group that Robertâs mother fought against decades before.
With their lives in mounting danger, Robert and Danielle band together with a team of unlikely heroes to fight for Robertâs place among the next generation of empirical philosophersâand for philosophyâs very survival against the men who would destroy it.
âPart thriller, part romance, part coming-of-age fantasy, The Philosopherâs FlightâŠis as fun a read as youâll come across⊠Miller has already set a high bar for any book vying to be the most entertaining novel of [the year]â (BookPage). Tom Miller writes with unrivaled imagination, ambition, and humor. The Philosopherâs Flight is both a fantastical reimagining of American history and a beautifully composed coming-of-age tale for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider.