Taming the Perilous Skies by Phil Marshall — Book Review

“When the anti-gravity age stalls mid-air, humanity learns how fragile ‘progress’ really is—and how far a parent will go when a child’s life hangs suspended.”

👇 Keep scrolling for the giveaway.

---

📜 Mission Briefing (Book Details)

Taming the Perilous Skies
By Phil Marshall
Published by Independently Published on September 2025
Genres: Adult Fiction 18+, Hard Sci-fi, Political Psychological Thriller
Formats: eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 516

Anti-gravity could never fail. Until it does.

In the year 2076, humanity's reliance on Brian Medlock's anti-gravity technology, powered by Medlock's unified Theory of Persistence, has brought forth a utopian society. Roads have vanished; energy flows from the very particles around us; and the world thrives under the guidance of a physics-based framework called The Fabric, a theory uniting quantum mechanics and gravity ... and possibly divine order.

But on an otherwise ordinary morning, the impossible happens: aerial vehicles worldwide begin plummeting from the sky. Panic spreads. Caught in the catastrophe is Jack Woods - a mild-mannered bureaucrat, single father, and reluctant hero. When Jack's young son is airborne at the moment of the disaster, Jack is thrust into a race against collapsing infrastructures, hostile government factions, and clashes of faith. Meanwhile, Olivia Martorana, leader of Transportation Technology, uncovers clues pointing toward a secret experiment that may have tampered with the Fabric itself.

As the quantum encryption grid destabilizes, the truth emerges: someone has been using Medlock's theory to peer into the future - and possibly rewrite it.

Taming the Perilous Skies is a fast-paced hard science fiction thriller that weaves scientific discovery, aerial disaster, philosophical stakes, and deep moral dilemmas into a gripping story of survival and hope. As Jack, Olivia, and Medlock confront questions of free will, faith, and the ethics of technological power, they're forced to navigate a world where quantum physics, divine prophecy, and political corruption collide.

With a cast of vivid, often wryly flamboyant characters, and a tone that moves effortlessly between suspense, heartbreak, and scientific wonder, Taming the Perilous Skies is perfect for fans of Andy Weir, Dan Brown, and Arrival (Ted Chiang). This is science fiction at its sharpest - smart, subversive, and, at times, disturbingly prophetic.

Source: iRead Book Tours

---

📚 Where to Find Taming the Perilous Skies

Available on Amazon:

🛒  KINDLE  |  PAPERBACK   |  HARDCOVER

If the above links don’t direct you to your country’s Amazon page, please feel free to contact me—I’m happy to provide the correct link.

Using my Amazon affiliate links doesn’t change the price you pay. Amazon shares a small commission with me, which helps keep this blog running—thank you!

---

Prefer to shop local?
🛍️ You can also purchase Taming the Perilous Skies from your favorite indie bookstore online.

Bookshop.org is an excellent option that supports indie authors—and book bloggers like me—while avoiding the big-box route.

---

✨ My Thoughts on Taming the Perilous Skies ✨

Anti-gravity changed everything… until it didn’t. Taming the Perilous Skies opens with a slower, steady pace as Phil Marshall lays the groundwork: how Persistence powers flight, what The Fabric means to science and faith, and who we’re following when the sky begins to fail. I appreciated that unhurried start; it lets you understand the technology, meet Jack Woods and the people he loves, and feel the weight of what’s at stake.

Then the tension ratchets up—fast. Once aerials freeze mid-air, the story clicks into a propulsive rhythm that had me reading faster and faster. The suspense is heart-stopping at times, but what really gripped me was how the book keeps asking big questions: What do we rely on? What binds us when our certainties collapse? It’s not just a disaster thriller; it’s a thought-provoking blend of technology, science, religion, and family.

Marshall handles the science with a hard sci-fi touch without losing the human center. The moral complexity—political pressure, private grief, public accountability—keeps the pages turning and the mind working. If you enjoy near-future tech that wrestles with meaning as much as mechanics, this is a fascinating read that sticks with you after the final chapter.

---

Review at a Glance

My Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)

• Vibe: Near-future hard sci-fi with emotional and ethical stakes
• Pacing: Deliberate world-building at the start; then a sharp uptick to high tension
• What I loved: Big ideas anchored by family, faith, and responsibility
• Themes: Technology vs. trust, science and spirituality, grief, accountability
• Content considerations: (PG-13) One suicide (distantly witnessed), some F-words, mass-casualty implications; minimal gore

I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review represents my honest and unbiased opinion.

---

📌Save this post to your favorite Pinterest board.

---

✍️ Meet Author Phil Marshall

Phil Marshall is a physician, scientist, and AI technology entrepreneur. Taming the Perilous Skies is his debut novel, inspired by his theory of persistence and a lifelong interest in how breakthrough technologies can transform lives—and how they can go terribly wrong.

Marshall’s work blends rigorous science, political stakes, and deeply human questions about faith, responsibility, and resilience.

Connect with Phil

Website   |  Amazon  |  Goodreads

---

✒️ Q & A with the Author

 

1. What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

If you mean for research on locations:

• Milan: The Milan Duomo, Parco Sempione, Sforza Castle, Via Dante
• The White House
• The National Building, DC
• The Law Enforcement Officer Memorial, DC

2. What is the first book that made you cry?

Charlottes Web

3. Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Energize, for sure.

4. What is your writing Kryptonite?

Unnecessary details that matter SO MUCH to me (but not to readers)

5. Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

Nope. I’m transparent and honest to a fault with my own name and likeness, although I did consider the drag name Shalita Footlong.

6. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

TK Rex, Russ Nickel, Nancy Kress, Walter Jon Williams, Shen Tao, Jas Kirkbride.

7. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

Each book will stand on its own, but based upon the Theory of Persistence, they tie together in unique ways.

8. What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?

Philip K Dick

9. What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

Origin (Dan Brown) which should be celebrated as a sci fi triumph

10. As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

My character Brian Medlock.

11. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Only one.

12. What did you edit out of this book?

OMG. So much. 137,000 words is the MINI version! I got rid of several unnecessary characters. I have several chapters I spun out as their own short stories. I also got rid of my main character having a rare brain ailment. Yeah.

13. If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?

I run technology companies, currently Spoken, the AI Audiobook company.

14. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

Oh goodness yes, hundreds.

“Look at that thing. It’s rotating.”

15. What is your favorite childhood book?

I’m 57, and I don’t have kids, so while I remember something like a witch on a cover of a book I liked as a child, that’s about as far as I can say on that one.

---

🎁 Giveaway!

Enter below for your chance to win an author-signed copy of Taming the Perilous Skies (one winner) (USA and Canada) (ends Oct 6)! Be sure to follow the tour for more chances at every stop.

TAMING THE PERILOUS SKIES Book Tour Giveaway

If the giveaway box has fallen from the sky, click here to enter directly.

---

Tour Stops are listed below!

Official iRead Tour Page 

Blog Stops (click to expand)

• Sep 2 — Liese's Blog
• Sep 16 — FUONLYKNEW
• Sep 17 — Locks, Hooks and Books
• Sep 18 — Gina Rae Mitchell
• Sep 19 — Book Corner News and Reviews
• Sep 25 — fundinmental
• Sep 29 — GetUrBook
• TBD — Deal Sharing Aunt

Social Media Stops (click to expand)

• Sep 2 — @Leannebookstagram
• Sep 2 — @mrs.stormblessed
• Sep 2 — @bearyintobooks
• Sep 3 — @onemorechap
• Sep 6 — @therearenobadbooks
• Sep 9 — @bubbleswrapherbooks
• Sep 10 — @onlyforthebooks
• Sep 11 — @speedreadstagram
• Sep 12 — @ablueboxfullofbooks
• Sep 12 — @nessasbookreviews (TikTok)
• Sep 16 — @readsandmusic
• Sep 18 — Gina Rae Mitchell
• Sep 18 — @reader_ceygo
• Sep 19 — @reading_for_sanity
• Sep 20 — @bookishlife.line
• Sep 22 — @bookreviewsbytaylor
• Sep 22 — @tia.reads (TikTok)
• Sep 23 — @adriftinfictionalworld
• Sep 24 — @michellegodardricher
• Sep 24 — @lizzies.reading.recs
• Sep 25 — @theratherslowreader
• Sep 26 — @kiv_coffeeandpages
• Sep 27 — @jilljemmett
• Sep 29 — @onceuponamaltesereader
• Sep 29 — @this.human.reads
• Sep 29 — @bookarlo
• Sep 29 — @bookscape__

Schedule subject to change. Please check each host for live links and updates.

---

📌 Quick Book Tour Recap:

Book Title: Taming the Perilous Skies by Phil Marshall
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 450 pages
Genre: Hard Sci Fi, Thriller, Political Thriller, Sci Fi Adventure
Publisher: Phil Marshall
Release date: Sep 12, 2025
Content Rating: PG-13: There is one suicide (distantly witnessed), and there are F words, and 47 million people die, but very little gore and no graphic violence.

---

Look for me here ⬇️

Amazon     Goodreads     StoryGraph

#BookSky  💙📚

---

Civil, respectful conversation is always welcome—let’s chat about books, food, or whatever brings you joy.

---

📚 Why Join iRead as a Tour Host?

Free books in your mailbox? Yes, please!
As an iRead tour host, you’ll not only get advance copies of great reads, but your blog will also get extra exposure through tour-wide promotion and backlinks. Authors and publishers often share the tour on their own platforms, too, so it’s a win-win for visibility.

You’ll get the chance to connect with authors through interviews and guest posts, and maybe even discover a new favorite genre along the way.

🎁 iRead Incentive Program

iRead loves to reward its tour hosts! You’ll earn credits for each post you publish—reviews, spotlights, interviews, and more. Every 20 credits earns you a $10 PayPal gift card.
Here’s how it adds up:

• ✅ 1 credit for posting on Goodreads

• ✅ 2 credits each for posting on Amazon or Audible

• ✅ 1 credit for each blog post

Just submit your review links to track your credits. Simple as that—and yes, they really do send the gift cards (hundreds so far!).

---

---