Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Epic fantasy is back, and better than ever! Antonia Hodgson has woven an intricate epic that defies genre constraints, blending political intrigue, murder mystery, and ruthless competition into a narrative that already has me wishing for an on-screen adaptation.

At the heart of this queernormative world is Neema Kraa, a black, socially awkward scholar whose intellect and ambition make her both a tool and a threat. Through her and the omnipresent, delightfully meddlesome POV of a preening raven, we are plunged into an empire teetering on the brink of unrest. The current Emperor Bersun’s peaceful 24-year reign is about to end, and as per tradition, the seven Animal Guardian Houses send their best representative to compete in the trials to become his successor. But when one of them dies before the competition can even start, Neema is forced to find out who the murderer is; chaos, drama and mayhem follow.

The Raven Scholar starts at a slow boil, indulging in drawing out the finer details of its introduction, but I savoured every moment of it. The novel’s deliberate pacing is not a flaw but a feast, its richness unfolding through footnotes, mythos, and a prose style that balances biting humour with breathtaking depth. And while romance lingers in the margins—a lovers-to-rivals-to-lovers thread that teases the reader—it’s the smaller interactions and betrayals that steal the show. Ruko was built in a factory tailored specifically for ME (and anyone else who loves a stoic Zuko-esque character). I also have to reiterate that the narrative voice is a DELIGHT. Even amongst enemies, there is a level of easy rapport and snarky wit that breathed so much life into this rich world and diverse cast, making it easy to fly through the pages.

Hodgson is not simply writing fantasy; she's redefining it. This is the kind of book that lingers in the bones, setting a new standard for what the genre can be. The Raven Scholar is a triumph, and the Eternal Path Trilogy is already shaping up to be, you might say, magnificent.

I had fairly high expectations going into this one, having seen a lot of hype around it. However, I don't feel it ever quite lived up to it, for me.
I enjoyed the premise of the trials overall and I liked quite a few of the characters. My main issue was that I felt the writing was borderline YA at times and I found it hard to remember that the main characters were 30+ as they just didn't come across that way.
The story itself was intriguing with plenty of twists, I just felt it could probably have been a little shorter and the characters more mature to match the political scheming. I am still curious to see how things go in book two though.

Magic and political machinations
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In this debut fantasy series, the people are split into eight houses allied to sacred animals, Dragon, Ox, Bear and so on. The throne is won through competition every generation or so, and we arrive in the capital on the eve of the latest cutthroat race to victory. Our point of view is studious Neema Kraa, the titular Raven Scholar, elevated to the side of the current king Bersun. Bersun himself won his throne fair and square but then had to fight off an insurrection by an ambitious Tiger, Andren Valit. As Neema and Bersun oversee the competition to find his successor, one of the contenders is killed, another Raven, and it’s up to Neema to discover the murderer, even though she’s suspect number one.

This is definitely one for fantasy fans, by being both long and complex, as well as playful in its style. There are shades of Le Guin and even Pratchett in here, but with a direct and engaging style all of Hodgson’s own. The seeming straight line plot is thrown wide open at the beginning of Act Three when the twist comes along, and you will not be prepared for it. Such clever plotting and writing that this was almost a five star review but has to be docked at least half a star because it’s clearly the start of a series and not a thing entire.

I have to admit that I have been disillusioned with the fantasy genre lately. It's been so long, but finally I have found a fantasy book, the first in a planned trilogy, that blew me away!

I liked that the characters in The Raven Scholar were on the older side, although I do have to say the main character, Neema, did not read like a thirty something year old. Don't get me wrong, she was a great mc, easy to root for, and I loved her scholarly nature. However, she was quite naive and wouldn't have felt out of place as an mc in a YA book.

Another positive that I have to mention is how when describing characters the author mentions when they are white, thus not letting us assume they are white by default. I also appreciated that she plainly described the skin colour of POC, there was no food comparisons or ambiguous "bronze" nonsense.

The Raven Scholar was also unexpectedly humourous. The humour came in the form of a Raven whose POV is included throughout. It narrates parts of the story and its sassy tone was so funny, I can imagine it being fun to listen to on audiobook. The main plot involves trails and although I'm not usually the biggest fan of trial storylines I actually enjoyed this one. The plot was very intricate and I honestly did not see the plot twist coming. I'm very curious to see how the story continues.

The only thing that let me down was the romance. Normally I love a good friends to lovers arc (underappreciated, in my opinion), but Neema and her love interest, Cain, read like really good friends rather than lovers. Cain was a lovable and fun character, but there wasn't enough tension or chemistry between him and Neema. That being said it was only a small part of the book, so it can be overlooked.

To summarise, The Raven Scholar, was a welcome surprise, truly a breath of fresh air!

I utterly adored this incredible book and devoured it in 24 hours. I'm desperate to get my hands on book two.

I really wanted to love this book. I’ve picked it up several times, seen all the gorgeous special editions floating around and every time I think: “This is so my thing.” Trials, competition, rich world-building, a compelling lead character – everything I usually fall for.

But for some reason, I just didn’t click with it.

It’s one of those moments where you recognise the ingredients are all there, and plenty of readers are going to absolutely devour this – it just didn’t quite work for me. And that’s okay. Not every book is going to land the same way for every reader.

I’m sure others will find themselves fully swept up in this dark, ambitious tale. I’ll still be keeping an eye on Antonia Hodgson’s work – sometimes it’s just not the right book at the right time.

I was immediately interested in The Raven Scholar because of the whole vibe, dark academia, mysterious magic, family secrets… it just sounded like something I’d love. The blurb gave me high hopes and I was really excited to see how it would all come together.

The atmosphere is definitely one of the strongest parts. It has this quiet, moody tone that fits the story really well, and I really liked the way the magic and history were tied together. The world felt interesting and layered, and the raven magic in particular was such a cool idea. I liked how the magic isn’t just flashy but tied to family secrets and legacy, which adds layers to the plot.

That said, I did feel like he pacing felt a bit uneven for me, some chapters moved slowly, focusing on the school and character dynamics, while others picked up with moments of tension or revelations. I think readers who enjoy immersive worldbuilding more will appreciate the slower moments, but I sometimes wished for a bit more momentum. As for the characters, I found the main character’s struggle with her past and identity interesting. Her relationships with other students and mentors felt realistic, with hints of rivalry and alliances that add complexity. I would have liked a little more depth in some interactions, but I’m hopeful those will develop more in the next book.

Still, there’s definitely a lot of potential in this world and story, and I think people who enjoy slower, more atmospheric fantasy with academic vibes will really enjoy it. I’m actually curious to see where things go next!

Overall, I’m giving this 3.5 stars in my mind, but NetGalley doesn’t do half stars :(

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Now this was a great time!

It had everything I expect from a high fantasy story of this caliber - interesting and complex characters, fun worldbuilding (really loved all the gods!), intriguing politics, and humour that made me laugh out loud at times!

I think this had very compelling commentary on the typical "chosen king" narrative in fantasy as well. Warning for spoilers about the world building, but I think it's interesting how this is kind of critiquing the "one true king" narrative in fantasy. Like, the system here is much better than the more traditional one (the world had it 1500 years ago), but their reform never went far enough. And now they're back to the old issue of having children trying to get their deserved inheritance back. It was very well done I think.

Really eager to get my hands on book two now, if only I had a time machine!

What a great read. This book was giving vibes of a dark academia read. Lots of twits and turns in the plots to keep you guessing and wanting to stay up way past your bed time!

Great and easy to read and perfect for your beach holiday!

such a compelling read despite its size! manages to be both incredibly fun, really thrilling and also quite moving. it does a lot of everything at once and isn't without flaws but is really original, a very ambitious but satisfying blend of genres and narrative structure. interesting/ingenious/imaginative worldbuilding and i loved the entire cast. i always find it really pleasant when an author is able to make a story that is very grim but not without humour. the themes explored speak to me so much i love good fantasy that's easy to read but still very involved and layered. just all around very human story even in its fantastical ways, i am VERY excited for book 2.

An absolute masterclass in epic fantasy! The world building is rich and immersive, with a complex political landscape and a unique system of sacred animal-inspired houses. The murder mystery at the heart of the story adds a compelling layer of intrigue, keeping me hooked from start to finish. What truly sets this book apart is the character of Neema Kraa. As the emperor's high scholar she is brilliant and flawed and deeply human. Her journey through the trials and her quest for truth are both gripping and emotionally resonant. Fantastic!

This was the kind of fantasy story that I love - PLOT TWISTS, GENUINELY INTERESTING CHARACTERS, GREAT WORLD, RISK and DANGER! And books!

The events of the prologue keep you guessing for the rest of the story - and that's immediately some good storytelling right there. Not only that, the events have a genuine affect on the characters as they grow up into the story proper. And that's important - traumatic events should haunt and motivate and change characters (for better or for worse).

I liked that the Imperial competition element was fun, a little dangerous, but didn't really detract from the bigger mystery of who killed the Raven contender and what that might mean. In fact, becoming the next Emperor didn't seem that arduous compared with staying alive outside of the competition...

The magic system of gifts granted by Guardians, and nuanced traits (ie not just being "the fighters" but also traits of loyalty, or empathy etc) ensured that the world felt fresh, but the characters remained interesting, rather than just archetypes.

Most of all - the twist! You think you know and then ... WHAM! This changes everything! And it is GREAT.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this eARC.

*Chef’s kiss* This was absolutely fantastic! Executed beautifully, the world building had such depth and detail, every character was well developed, each possessing such nuance and the plot was paced perfectly. The balance of all three elements was perfect, and I enjoyed the humour effortlessly laced throughout and the romance, which felt natural for the characters and added a lovely touch to the plot. The mystery element was also brilliant and the twists were truly shocking but absolutely brilliant.
A must read fantasy for those who also enjoy a sprinkle of mystery.

The Raven Scholar follows the Empire of Orrun where there is a trial to choose a new ruler every 24 years. This is the year the current emperor will step down and a new emperor is chosen. There are seven contenders, all there to try and win the title of emperor. But then one of them is murdered. Neema is chosen to investigate this murder and with it she falls into a web of lies and has to untangle every piece of evidence she finds in order to unreavel the truth.

I had a hard time getting sucked into the story. The Prologue was intersesting, but when we enter the main story, we are thrown into another time with another character. I had a bit of trouble adjusting to that. Around the 25% mark I found it harder and harder to put the book down and it kept me on the edge of my seat. There were a few curveballs I never saw coming, I have been screaming in disbelief and I am overal flabbergasted.

This book has the right amount of world building, we are slowly learning more and more while the plot goes on. It did not feel like an info dump and snippets of information was released regularly, but not all at once. The overall balance here for me is perfect. The perfect amount of show and tell, the perfect amount of worldbuilding, the right amount of characters, the plot with a pretty much perfect pacing.

I was also lead on wrongfull paths and did not see a lot of twists and turns coming. And the ending, my goodness. There is a lot more coming and I simply cannot wait for this story to continue and I am already stoked to be able to reread this gem when book 2 comes around.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc. All opinions are my own.

Great book!

I really enjoyed it and huge plus is that it had plot that surprised me. It's not easy for books to do that after reading many, and I always love when they do.

I really look forward to the next book!

If you love fantasy, murder mystery, and political games, THE RAVEN SCHOLAR is for you.

Set in an empire on the brink of civil war, this book follows Neema Kraa—a lowborn scholar who’s suddenly framed for murder and thrown into a deadly succession trial between the heirs of seven sacred Houses.

Neema is an incredible lead—socially awkward, academically brilliant, morally grounded. You’re right in her head as she uncovers a conspiracy bigger than anyone expects, while trying to survive the politics, violence, and gods who may or may not be real.

It’s third-person, with an omniscient narrator that adds some humor to the tension. The pacing is steady (it’s 600+ pages), but the payoffs are worth it. The murder mystery is layered and satisfying, and the world-building—based on guardian animals and Houses—is super original.

That said, be ready: it’s dense—world-building, shifting POVs, secret societies galore—and it carries some weight. You’ll want focus and dedication. If you’re okay with layered intrigue and moral grayness over flashy battles, you’re in for a treat.

Epic. Original. Page-turning.

Those would be the three words I would use to describe this book if anyone asked. The Raven Scholar is the first book in a new epic fantasy series following Neema, a high scholar investigating a murder in the midst of a high-stakes competition to compete for the Emperor's throne.
This book had everything I could have asked for: magic, high-stakes, intrigue, murder, plot twist after plot twist and so much more. This book will hands down be one of my top books of the year and I cannot wait for the next instalment.

With grown adult characters, epic world building and a feeling of elements being based in mythology, The Raven Scholar is the best fantasy I’ve read in a long time!
I’m often intimidated by books over 500 pages but I flew through this because I was so invested. I didn’t realise it was actually 650+ pages until I was nearly finished! Please don’t let the size of the book put you off - it’s full of twists and turns, hilarious side characters, thrilling adventure and splashes of sarcasm.
Antonia Hodgson has absolutely become an auto-buy author for me and I really hope I get to meet her at an event one day!

A gripping blend of political intrigue, deadly competition, and a scholar caught in the storm, The Raven Scholar is a fantasy that keeps you hooked with its sharp twists and layered mysteries—especially when experienced in both print and audio.

✨ A scholar forced into a ruthless contest 🖤 A mysterious entity offering dangerous bargains 🔥 A world where knowledge is power—and power is perilous

Hodgson crafts a richly detailed realm where every choice carries weight, and the tension builds with each revelation. Neema’s journey is compelling, her intellect razor-sharp, and the stakes feel impossibly high. The pacing leans into slow-burn intrigue, unravelling secrets with deliberate precision—but at times, I wanted it to push harder, to let the urgency hit faster.

Listening alongside reading heightened the experience, making the world feel even more immersive. The narration brings an extra layer of depth, sharpening the tension and making the Raven’s presence feel even more enigmatic. The voice work adds weight to the political manoeuvring and emotional stakes, making every twist land with impact.

If you love intricate worldbuilding, high-stakes competition, and protagonists who fight with their minds as much as their actions, this is absolutely worth picking up. Just be ready for the slow unravel.

I tried really hard, but ended up DNF this book at 40%, so will not be reviewing it socially, or on GoodReads.

The things I enjoyed were the world-building and the general premise, but the plot development seemed to shift focus. Unfortunately, I could not engage with the characters either, who annoyed the heck out of me. Neema's supposed intelligence was absent too often, and I expected someone more pro-active and able to handle herself, considering her background,

In all, I was expecting something a little more sophisticated, along the of Margaret Rogerson's Vespertine, rather than a rehash of 'Mean Girls', and I accept that my expectations exacerbated my disillusionment in the characters.

The cover design is lovely.