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Philomena
An alternate cover edition can be found here.
When the Sovereign ruled Cor Nova, the shipmasters ruled the sky. But now that the Imperium Titus has taken over, every ship sails on the edge of a knife. Young airman Cyprian Fields isn't one to turn away from danger. During his service as the deckmaster of an old freighter named Philomena, the arrival of mysterious young physician Basil Black and alluring stowaway Veronica Stromm turn the intrepid boy officer's world upside-down.
Suddenly, Cyprian and Philomena's ragtag crew are thrown into a wonderful and perilous adventure that will take them to the furthest reaches of air, land, and sea. In the midst of whispering Silverspoons and murderous admirals, printing presses and aetherolabes, fleets and fortresses, Cyprian, Veronica, and Basil must decide whether they will face down the might of the Imperium or allow the doom descending on Cor Nova to overwhelm them all.
When the Sovereign ruled Cor Nova, the shipmasters ruled the sky. But now that the Imperium Titus has taken over, every ship sails on the edge of a knife. Young airman Cyprian Fields isn't one to turn away from danger. During his service as the deckmaster of an old freighter named Philomena, the arrival of mysterious young physician Basil Black and alluring stowaway Veronica Stromm turn the intrepid boy officer's world upside-down.
Suddenly, Cyprian and Philomena's ragtag crew are thrown into a wonderful and perilous adventure that will take them to the furthest reaches of air, land, and sea. In the midst of whispering Silverspoons and murderous admirals, printing presses and aetherolabes, fleets and fortresses, Cyprian, Veronica, and Basil must decide whether they will face down the might of the Imperium or allow the doom descending on Cor Nova to overwhelm them all.
390 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2013
10 people are currently reading
360 people want to read
About the author
Mark Guiney
1 book12 followers Mark Guiney is the author of "Philomena", which was completed when he was twenty-two. He is currently working on more stories that take place in the Sovereign Nation of Cor Nova, as well as other writing projects. He lives in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 6, 2017
A Thrilling Adventure for the Young at Heart
If you crossed a modern version of Sabatini's brilliant swashbuckling adventures: Scaramouche or Captain Blood, with the epic fantasy of someone like Brandon Sanderson, you would have Mark R. Guiney's writing in Philomena.
This is a cinematic, swashbuckling, fantasy adventure tale that is as good as many of the modern classics - such as LoTR, WoT and HP - with flying ships, man-eating animals, a self-warring dynasty, a vile villain, vibrant characters and driving action that will keep you turning pages.
I dare you to put it down.
Its high velocity, intricately detailed plot makes the story a joy to read. The writing makes every action in the book come to life, and be so PRESENT, I was able to see every scene in my imagination, as if the book were a movie in my head, instead of words on a page. Scenes left me breathless, laughing, crushed, or dying to find out how trouble was overcome. I was ten or eleven years old when I began reading this type of book, and I know Philomena would have found a special place in my young heart, had it been available along time ago.
The only downside: book two is not out yet.
Join Caspian, Veronica and Basil on their trip aboard Philomena. It's time to save the world...
Highly Recommended for YA reading, for reading by parents to younger children. Great for adults who remember what it's like to be young. Good clean adventure with no gratuitous violence.
If you crossed a modern version of Sabatini's brilliant swashbuckling adventures: Scaramouche or Captain Blood, with the epic fantasy of someone like Brandon Sanderson, you would have Mark R. Guiney's writing in Philomena.
This is a cinematic, swashbuckling, fantasy adventure tale that is as good as many of the modern classics - such as LoTR, WoT and HP - with flying ships, man-eating animals, a self-warring dynasty, a vile villain, vibrant characters and driving action that will keep you turning pages.
I dare you to put it down.
Its high velocity, intricately detailed plot makes the story a joy to read. The writing makes every action in the book come to life, and be so PRESENT, I was able to see every scene in my imagination, as if the book were a movie in my head, instead of words on a page. Scenes left me breathless, laughing, crushed, or dying to find out how trouble was overcome. I was ten or eleven years old when I began reading this type of book, and I know Philomena would have found a special place in my young heart, had it been available along time ago.
The only downside: book two is not out yet.
Join Caspian, Veronica and Basil on their trip aboard Philomena. It's time to save the world...
Highly Recommended for YA reading, for reading by parents to younger children. Great for adults who remember what it's like to be young. Good clean adventure with no gratuitous violence.
August 20, 2016
What a fabulous first novel. Philomena is filled with action and adventure and is truly an exhilarating ride. At times the fast pace seemed rushed and left me longing to learn more about the characters. However, it builds to a very satisfying ending. Weak beginnings and disappointing endings can ruin a book regardless of how good the in between is. Mark Guiney's exciting ending lived up to its build up. Well done Mr. Guiney.
July 14, 2024
Steam punk space opera meets LOTR. This young adult fantasy will be enjoyable for both boys and girls. A few plot holes here and there, but a fast paced fun novel overall. I vetted this book for my teenage son. Clean read.
November 5, 2025
AMAZING BOOK
A page-turner. So soundly written with attention to detail. A heart-warming story of good triumphing over evil. It is the kind of story that will lift your day and rekindle your hope.
A page-turner. So soundly written with attention to detail. A heart-warming story of good triumphing over evil. It is the kind of story that will lift your day and rekindle your hope.
April 21, 2014
[Disclaimer: I have no idea how I got a copy of this book. I may have gotten it from the author and completely forgotten, because I didn't win it in a giveaway, but in all honesty I have no clue. So in the event the author sent it to me for a review, here's a disclaimer that I didn't pay for this book, but my opinion is my own.]
For a first novel this was mostly enjoyable. There were the obvious first-novel problems with plot, pacing, details, etc. I noticed a lot of typos in the PDF, although that could just be the edition, and for all I know it's been polished in print. There were a few plot holes/things I didn't quite "get" about the book, some of the character dynamics didn't really make sense (Veronica/Forthright's dislike of each other is obvious, but it's not obvious as to why, even with the back story scene halfway through). I thought maybe the author was working up to a love triangle (which I would have disliked even more so thank goodness that wasn't it).
Basil as a character is pretty much inherently good. He doesn't seem to have a flaw, aside from self-doubt and selflessness. Cyprian is a good guy too, but he doesn't really seem realistic to me. He's a great person and seems to be a good ships captain, but what else?
The "magic" in this book isn't really magic as most people think of it, and I give some props to the author for developing something unusual at the least. It was interesting how the people who can use Words (with a capital "W") are limited and the Words aren't necessarily "words" or even explicitly stated at all times. A lot of it was that "Basil started speaking and Words poured from his mouth" kind of stuff which is great, but what exactly the Words did wasn't clear until the very end of the book. It didn't really make much sense, though, and left me with more questions than there were answers provided. I get that it's sort of hereditary, and only the rulers of Cor Nova are able to wield the Words, but Basil's sudden ability and ability to control it without really thinking about it seems like it came on too quickly.
The battles were well-written and the adventure was interesting, although I think it was a bit too easy for the characters to get where they were going. Maybe that's just because most of the confrontations were wrapped up in a chapter or two, as opposed to any lengthy derailing of the plans they kept making. And at the end,
The last thing that really stuck in my craw throughout the read was how the author kept referring to characters by their whole names, instead of a first or last name, except Cyprian, Basil and Veronica. By the end of the book I had forgotten Basil's last name! But Clip McElhaney and Burt Spacklebrook (who I don't think was ever referred to as simply a first or last name) were almost always mentioned by first and last name. It is a method of naming that doesn't quite sit right with me, because I feel that if we're going to learn to love these characters, we should be familiar enough with them to know them by first or last name only. Most books I've read do it that way, and that's the way I prefer it.
As an overall experience the book was a fun fantasy novel that ends very solidly, with the potential for more, but which works as a stand-alone. I LOVE that it's technically a stand-alone because it's not another first-in-a-series that I have to worry about not getting everything out of it. I see that the author is writing more stories about Cor Nova, which is nice, but I can say I am satisfied with the way this ended.
Also, Lilith is stinking adorable and while a lot of people hate the "precocious child" character, personally I found her to be hilarious and completely believable. I also liked Forthright better than most of the other characters, despite being abrasive and rude at times (or maybe because of it).
For a first novel this was mostly enjoyable. There were the obvious first-novel problems with plot, pacing, details, etc. I noticed a lot of typos in the PDF, although that could just be the edition, and for all I know it's been polished in print. There were a few plot holes/things I didn't quite "get" about the book, some of the character dynamics didn't really make sense (Veronica/Forthright's dislike of each other is obvious, but it's not obvious as to why, even with the back story scene halfway through). I thought maybe the author was working up to a love triangle (which I would have disliked even more so thank goodness that wasn't it).
Basil as a character is pretty much inherently good. He doesn't seem to have a flaw, aside from self-doubt and selflessness. Cyprian is a good guy too, but he doesn't really seem realistic to me. He's a great person and seems to be a good ships captain, but what else?
The "magic" in this book isn't really magic as most people think of it, and I give some props to the author for developing something unusual at the least. It was interesting how the people who can use Words (with a capital "W") are limited and the Words aren't necessarily "words" or even explicitly stated at all times. A lot of it was that "Basil started speaking and Words poured from his mouth" kind of stuff which is great, but what exactly the Words did wasn't clear until the very end of the book. It didn't really make much sense, though, and left me with more questions than there were answers provided. I get that it's sort of hereditary, and only the rulers of Cor Nova are able to wield the Words, but Basil's sudden ability and ability to control it without really thinking about it seems like it came on too quickly.
The battles were well-written and the adventure was interesting, although I think it was a bit too easy for the characters to get where they were going. Maybe that's just because most of the confrontations were wrapped up in a chapter or two, as opposed to any lengthy derailing of the plans they kept making. And at the end,
The last thing that really stuck in my craw throughout the read was how the author kept referring to characters by their whole names, instead of a first or last name, except Cyprian, Basil and Veronica. By the end of the book I had forgotten Basil's last name! But Clip McElhaney and Burt Spacklebrook (who I don't think was ever referred to as simply a first or last name) were almost always mentioned by first and last name. It is a method of naming that doesn't quite sit right with me, because I feel that if we're going to learn to love these characters, we should be familiar enough with them to know them by first or last name only. Most books I've read do it that way, and that's the way I prefer it.
As an overall experience the book was a fun fantasy novel that ends very solidly, with the potential for more, but which works as a stand-alone. I LOVE that it's technically a stand-alone because it's not another first-in-a-series that I have to worry about not getting everything out of it. I see that the author is writing more stories about Cor Nova, which is nice, but I can say I am satisfied with the way this ended.
Also, Lilith is stinking adorable and while a lot of people hate the "precocious child" character, personally I found her to be hilarious and completely believable. I also liked Forthright better than most of the other characters, despite being abrasive and rude at times (or maybe because of it).
July 6, 2019
Philomena: A Tale from the Cor Novan Sky Almanac, the debut novel of Mark Guiney, is a few hundred pages of flying through the sky under lighter-than-air envelopes of aether; meeting charming, quirky, and treacherous, characters; and journeying to mesmerizing and increasingly perilous places. The story’s world-building and fast-paced action rivals series like Redwall, books by Brandon Mull, or Wayne Thomas Batson’s wonderful Isle of Swords series.
There’s a dash of magic, a boatload of imagination, and a large helping of adventurous fun in this beautifully written story. Cyprian, a talented young airman, is gathering a motley crew with plans no more ambitious than to use his father’s old airship Philomena to deliver some cargo. He becomes involved in more than he bargained for with the arrivals of Veronica, a girl who’s as quick and sharp as her pearl-handled rapier, and Basil, a timid, bookish boy who is carrying a dangerous secret. As luck will have it, the crew of the Philomena are swept up on a journey to save the world from disaster by bringing back the rule of the rightful Sovereign and thwarting the tyrannical Imperium Titus’s plans.
Read the rest of my review: https://thesilverpencil.com/2019/07/0...
There’s a dash of magic, a boatload of imagination, and a large helping of adventurous fun in this beautifully written story. Cyprian, a talented young airman, is gathering a motley crew with plans no more ambitious than to use his father’s old airship Philomena to deliver some cargo. He becomes involved in more than he bargained for with the arrivals of Veronica, a girl who’s as quick and sharp as her pearl-handled rapier, and Basil, a timid, bookish boy who is carrying a dangerous secret. As luck will have it, the crew of the Philomena are swept up on a journey to save the world from disaster by bringing back the rule of the rightful Sovereign and thwarting the tyrannical Imperium Titus’s plans.
Read the rest of my review: https://thesilverpencil.com/2019/07/0...
June 25, 2013
I received this book through the Goodreads First-reads giveaway.
Wow. What a book. This is a well thought out and gripping adventure novel. While there were a few things in the structure of the novel itself which were a little common to this type of book, the story itself really drew you in and made you root for the crew of the Philomena. The ending was really nice where Basil never ever went back on his beliefs. Human lives were always very important to him. While he wouldn't put up a fuss at the idea of people giving their lives for him, he cared for every person who put their trust in him and he never allowed death if he could help it, even at the (Assumed) risk of having to leave his friends behind for a time.
Great book.
Wow. What a book. This is a well thought out and gripping adventure novel. While there were a few things in the structure of the novel itself which were a little common to this type of book, the story itself really drew you in and made you root for the crew of the Philomena. The ending was really nice where Basil never ever went back on his beliefs. Human lives were always very important to him. While he wouldn't put up a fuss at the idea of people giving their lives for him, he cared for every person who put their trust in him and he never allowed death if he could help it, even at the (Assumed) risk of having to leave his friends behind for a time.
Great book.
December 19, 2013
Philomena is a story quite unlike any other. At times it’s a classic adventure story, at others a brilliantly realised fantasy. It can enthral young readers with its buoyant fun, and still entice adults with its depth and themes. It’s like The Lord of the Ringsby J.R.R. Tolkien, but more innocent; similar to Ready Player Oneby Ernest Cline, but way more Catholic; almost a Pirates of the Caribbean in book-form, but more hopeful and less wet!
Read more: http://catholicfiction.net/book-revie...
Read more: http://catholicfiction.net/book-revie...
April 17, 2015
(It took me a while to get to this book; blame my huge Kindle library.)
At first it seems a pretty straightforward adventure tale, yet there's much more to it. The details are just enough to keep the pace up, but rich enough to make me want to know more about Cor Nova.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but... I can has sequel?
At first it seems a pretty straightforward adventure tale, yet there's much more to it. The details are just enough to keep the pace up, but rich enough to make me want to know more about Cor Nova.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but... I can has sequel?
January 15, 2014
Very good adventure story. I really liked the characters; especially Forthright Stanton, Cyprian Fields, Veroninca, and Basil.
Read
August 6, 2014 wrong book
August 8, 2016
Very good twist on the fantasy genre. It was an engaging read, and the action kept the plot moving right along. Definitely a worthwhile read!
April 22, 2014
I didn,t enjoy this very much.
July 18, 2016
Great story and good writing. I loved this book and the characters.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews