{Book Review}
The Philosopher’s War
By Tom Miller
The second book in the series, The Philosopher’s War picks up where The Philosopher’s flight left off. (Haven’t read my summary and review of The Philosopher’s Flight? Do so here.)
Robert Weekes is off to war. After only a year of schooling at the all-woman Radcliffe University, he is off to France to serve in WWI as a Rescue and Evacuation flier, transporting critically wounded Allied soldiers to field hospitals. The work is challenging, but being the only man in a woman-driven field is even more challenging. Robert has everything to prove.
But before long, Robert becomes neck-deep in conspiracy and betrayal. There is a conspiracy to end the war using philosophical means (which legally can only be used on humanitarian missions) – Can they stop it? Who can be trusted? The women standing among him? Which of his leaders?
Review/Recommendation: As I started this book, I worried that I wouldn’t remember enough details of the sigilry world that Miller created, that I would have to reread The Philosopher’s Flight again before reading this one. Nope. Within 2 pages, it all came flooding back to me. That being said, if you have not already read The Philosopher’s Flight, I’d recommend it – I don’t think there is enough explanation of the fantastical steam punk world that Miller created, and the details of sigilry, to pick this book up without that background.
Like it’s predecessor, The Philosopher’s War is a fun, creative blend of historical fiction and fantasy, this time with a little more adventure and a little less love story. I actually thought that because of the increased adventure – especially starting midway through the book – it was an even quicker read than the first.
There were a number of new and old characters, another place where reading the first in the series comes in handy – you have more context about some of the characters and their experiences. That being said, there was a large number of new characters in the second book, and I really enjoyed the variety of characters – some sisterly, some sassy, some harsh. All are strong female characters, which I love. But their personalities were a great mix and kept things interesting.
If you like fantasy or alternative history, I’d recommend this series – but I would recommend starting with The Philosopher’s Flight before picking up The Philosopher’s War. (Affiliate links to purchase the books on Amazon below, and the link to my review of the first in the series is at the top of this post.)