This is a great fantasy, with excellent world-building and full of political intrigue. The narrator is unique and witty. Neema's investigation into the murder mystery reveals complex political machinations, all the while blending a bit of mythology into the story. Neema is a very compelling character, and a refreshing change from the clueless 17-year-olds who are not like other girls. She's a grown woman, of colour, on the spectrum, who has difficulties dealing with social skills, and she has great character development. There's some romance, but it's pretty minimal, so it doesn't take the focus away from the plot. I feel like with the rise of romantasy, I've been struggling to find good fantasy books without huge romance storylines, so I liked that it wasn't at all the most important thing here. I really don't have much criticism about this book, besides that it was a bit too long at times. I saw so many friends giving it 5 stars and I can totally understand why; the only reason I'm not is that I think I'm growing out of this genre and don't enjoy it as much as I used to. But I still liked this book enough that I think I'll pick up the second one!

Takes a minute to get in to but when I was in it, I was in it!! I laughed, I gasped, couldn’t put it down.

Emperor Bersun is stepping down after his full term of 24 years and as ancient tradition demands, each of the 7 guardian houses put up a contender to compete for the throne. Unpopular house of the Raven Scholar and imperial advisor Neema, is looking forward to a quiet life outside of court once her emperor steps aside. Nothing quite goes to plan when a contender is murdered. As Neema looks in to this, the person who thinks she knows everything finds that things aren’t as they seem.

It is sooooo good. Very long but I don’t mind. Patrick Rothfuss fans this will ease the (long) ache in between the Kingkiller chronicles!

It’s been ages since I’ve read fantasy, not romantasy, and this has everything! Superb world building, really multifaceted characters, a tight tight plot and humour! It’s actually really funny in places. I feel like sometimes humour can detract from the seriousness of the plot and almost break you out of it, but that doesn’t happen here! Everything in the world created is as it should be, I was fully walking around immersed in the space and the rules the author had created.

Just read it, please.

Thank you #netgalley and #hodderbooks for my #arc

What a fantastic read this was! I’d been so hyped to get to it after seeing friends rave about it, and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. Over 650 pages - and it read so smoothly the entire time. Wow!

The Raven Scholar is the first book in a new high fantasy trilogy, filled with compelling political intrigue, trials for the throne, and a (teeny tiny but oh-so-precious) touch of romance. It's written in a witty, occasionally humorous tone, narrated by an interesting, if sometimes unreliable, narrator (the Raven).

As per tradition, the Emperor is about to step down after 24 years on the throne, and seven contenders are competing to take his place. But when the Raven contender is murdered the night before the trials begin, High Scholar Neema is forced to take her place and solve the murder at the same time. Given her history with the victim, many suspect Neema herself, and she becomes determined to uncover the real killer. Her investigation pulls her into a web of intrigue far more dangerous than she bargained for. With the help of a contender with ties to her past and a rising mythical power trying to reach her, Neema must survive the trials and bring the truth to light.

I absolutely loved the layers of intrigue and political machinations that unfold throughout the novel. And the twists - wow! While I suspected a couple of things, the way the plot twisted and turned still caught me off guard in the best way. The author has crafted a brilliant, multilayered story, and the way this world's mythology is woven into the narrative is great!

The constantly shifting character dynamics kept me guessing who to trust right until the end. Neema’s development as a protagonist, and as an unwilling contender for the throne, was both believable and engaging. A couple of characters really stole my heart (though I won’t say who to avoid spoilers!), and that tiny hint of romance was so sweet and promising. I'm rooting for more of it in future books!

Overall, this is an excellent fantasy novel I’d recommend to anyone who loves high fantasy with a side of murder mystery. I already can’t wait to read the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free review copy.

What I loved right away: the protagonist is over 30, highly intelligent, on the autism spectrum, and a person of color. Social interaction isn't her strong suit—she often rubs people the wrong way, really just wants to do her job at the emperor’s court well, and be left alone. Naturally, that’s not how things go…

After 24 years, the emperor wants to abdicate and organizes a competition to choose his successor. Among seven candidates from different houses, a winner is to be determined. Unfortunately, the representative of the House of the Raven (which Neema belongs to) dies the day before the competition. Since Neema finds the body, she’s tasked with investigating what happened—and at the same time, representing the deceased in the competition…

With lots of dry humor, sensitivity, and perfect timing, Hodgson tells a story that is incredibly fun to read. Both plot and characters are equally central here. Neema might not come across as likable at first, but she is always disciplined and focused on her work. I especially loved her character development—she has to push herself out of her comfort zone, but stays true to who she is, and what seem like weaknesses often turn out to be strengths. This is exactly how I love seeing people on the autism spectrum portrayed!

As a subplot, there's a romance on equal footing that always felt believable to me and never overshadowed the main plot. Cain is Neema’s ex-boyfriend—they’ve known each other since childhood and are comfortable with each other, even if they don’t always agree. Their love is based on a deep friendship, which you can feel in every interaction between them.

I don’t want to reveal too much about the animal companion—only that he’s one of the best and most entertaining companions I’ve ever come across.

The fast-paced story had me hooked from start to finish, with emotional moments that hit just right and humor that kept things from ever getting too dark.

The Raven Scholar is the first book in the Eternal Path Trilogy—I truly hope the author writes quickly so I won’t have to wait long for the sequel.

This book was an absolute highlight for me: 5 stars plus!

The Raven Scholar takes place in the empire of Orrun, where the empire is bringing his reign to an end. To choose the next ruler, seven contenders will compete in a series of trials. Trained at rival monasteries, each contender is inspired by a sacred animal - Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Hound. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists - the best of the best. When one of them is murdered, it falls to the brilliant but idiosyncratic Neema Kraa to investigate. But as she hunts for a killer, darker forces are gathering. If Neema succeeds, she could win the throne - whether she wants it or not. But if she fails, she will sentence herself to death, and doom the empire.

The Raven Scholar is what I would call a perfect fantasy book. It had everything I could want in an epic fantasy, and any moment that I was not reading this book, I was thinking about reading this book.

Firstly, the world-building was fantastic and not overly complicated. The gods being eight different animals/mythical creatures was really interesting, and the lore surrounding them was fascinating. The history of the empire was sprinkled into the prose in a way that didn’t feel overly dense or like a big info dump.

I also loved the writing style. It’s witty and sometimes humorous, and this book plays with different points of view in a really fun and unique way. There is a certain (magnificent) point of view from a character that I just adored. Their point of view created fluidity in the narrative, and allowed the reader to glimpse scenes and characters that would have otherwise been closed off.

Despite being almost 700 pages, there is zero filler in this book. The plot does not let up for a second. There’s a murder to solve, a deadly competition, meddling gods, and political intrigue and conspiracies to unravel. There were twists upon twists, reveals and betrayals, and I could not tell where the story was going.

I loved the FMC, Neema. She was brilliant, intelligent, ambitious, and a little socially awkward. I was rooting for her throughout the whole book, and her growth was great. The side characters all had detailed backstories and their own motivations. The character dynamics were ever shifting, and I found it very interesting how many of the characters were tied together by an event that happened in the prologue, eight years previously, and how it had shaped them all in different ways.

There was a sprinkling of romance in this book. I would not even call it a subplot as it was such a small part of the story, but I really enjoyed the crumbs we got!

The ending of this book was explosive, and I am so excited to read the second instalment in this trilogy and find out what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. for some parts, I absolutely loved it, but others I felt that it DRAGGED. I'm rating it three stars to begin with as I am unsure how I feel and whether I think that I will continue with this series. Part of me thinks that this book could've been a little shorter and I think that the formatting on my kindle didn't help with the reading and getting into the book.

I do feel like the odd one out as the vast majority of the reviews I have seen for this book have been absolutely glowing so I am more than willing to reread this in the future to see if my thoughts change - I could've read it at the wrong time and just wasn't vibing with it because of that. The first perspective of Yana at the very start of the book set my expectations HIGH. Like I was completely gripped and wanted to keep reading, but as the novel progressed, my interest kept piquing and then falling. The world building was brilliant nonetheless and thought it was so brilliantly crafted.

This book is LOOOOOONG and I think that this could have been a bit shorter and some aspects cut and edited to be shorter. I am willing to read the finished copy to see if there are any differences. The trials didn't feel as important as they should've been for me. They felt kinda low-stakes?? I'm not sure if anyone else had the same feeling or if I have been reading a lot of trial-based books recently and I am comparing to that.

This book has a lot of potential and I still highly recommend it, but I think there is just slightly too much going on in here. But, it is still a good fantasy book! Thank you for the chance to read it.

⤷ 4.75✩

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with this E-ARC via NetGalley

This book was an unexpected read that I absolutely loved. This has the potential to become one of my favourite fantasy series. My emotions were all over the place: from nearly crying to laughing out loud, to utter shock.

The character work is excellent. Both main and side characters have intricate backgrounds to the extent that you find yourself empathising with the villainous characters. You fully understand their motivations.

The plottwists are perfectly executed. All the various subplots build toward one reveal that tiss everything together in a stunning way.

I am already highly anticipating the next book. I cannot wait!

I have to admit that requesting this arc was a bit of a gamble. The cover looked amazing. I liked the sound of a scholar starring in a book. I love mysteries in whatever form. But, I'm not always a fan of epic fantasies. Quite often they are too slow for me, not emotional enough or that complicated that I lose track of what happens. However, I took a leap of fate and requested this digital copy from Netgalley and Hodderscape granted me a copy.

I was really positively surprised by this book! I've been reading about 12% of the book per day and not once was I dreading it. I was always looking forward to reading it. I was always curious what was going to happen next. And whenever I started it was so easy to just keep on reading. It does help that the chapters, especially for this genre, are relatively short. It also does help that all the main characters and key players are introduced gradually. 

What surprised me the most is how emotional this book was. Quite often epic fantasy is more about the plot and the story and less about how the characters feel. This book manages to combine both, which is even more surprising when you keep in mind whose point of view we're actually reading. I don't wanna give that away, because the point of view starting to make sense was for sure one of my highlights while reading this novel.

I also love how everything comes together in the finale. At first it feels a little strange. We get a very long prologue, at least, it feels like a prologue, before we meet our scholar. Then we jump in time and a whole new story starts. But, the more is revealed, the more starting the book the way it started makes sense. We needed that story. We need it to understand everything that comes after. And now that I finished the book I already can't wait for the sequel.

I loved the writing and the plot of this book. But I don’t think I’m in the right headspace for this at the minute. So I’m planing a reread later on in the year and will do a full review then :)

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Picture this: You’re the empire’s High Scholar—basically the fantasy equivalent of that one straight-A kid who’d rather alphabetize their bookshelf than go to a party—and then boom, someone goes and gets themselves murdered in your archives. And now you might be blamed? Yeah. That’s Neema Kraa’s Tuesday.

The Raven Scholar opens with a murder, tosses you into the middle of a deadly imperial competition, and then politely refuses to let you breathe for 500 pages. It's like The Hunger Games had a very dramatic baby with The West Wing, and then gave it a Cluedo board and told it to start solving crimes.

Let’s talk about Neema, our protagonist. She’s the kind of bookish academic who would 1000% organize her notes by color-coded tabs and can quote obscure historical documents like some people quote memes. She’s awkward, brilliant, and completely unprepared for politics (or feelings) and I adored her for it. Give me the grumpy intellectual girl caught in a high-stakes conspiracy any day!

The empire of Orrun is diverse in a way that feels effortless and authentic, like it was built with care instead of tacked on with a diversity checklist. Oh, and did I mention the plot? It's a twisty, political, slow-burn whodunit where every chapter peels back another layer of secrets, lies, and simmering ambition. Just when I thought I’d mapped it all out, BAM!, another plot twist strutted in like it owned the place.

If you're into morally gray politics, characters who think their way out of danger (instead of sword-swinging through it), and rich, lived-in fantasy worlds, The Raven Scholar delivers. It’s smart, layered, slow in a “savor every chapter” kind of way, and filled with enough twists to keep even the most seasoned fantasy reader on their toes.

A terrible decision, court politics, and secrets all come to a head when the guardians of separate clans fight to become the next ruler... only there are much darker games at play and everyone is looking out for themselves. The story begins in a land where there are seven guardians, who all have their own clans and believers... and when the reign of Bersun the Bear warrior over Orrun is coming to an end, seven warriors, thinkers, and strategist must compete to replace him. Yet 24 years before a different story begun, the story of Yana the daughter of Adrienn, the traitor who tried to usurp Bersun but was caught, was exiled ( a fate worse than death) by her own brother Roruk because he wanted the throne and to be chosen by the Tiger clan rather than give it to her. Aiding in the fate and exile of Yana was the Raven Scholar Neema, a lonely girl who is outcast by her own Raven clan who dreams of being acknowledged and loved... who thought she was doing the right thing by aiding in the punishment and exile of Yana... who got fame for what she did and a promotion. Then there was Shal Worthy, a captain who Yana was in love with... who also played a role in her exile... yet now years later the competition has begun and a new conspiracy has taken place as contestants are being killed off and others are being framed... who knows who is really behind ti and what it means for the throne... but the story is only beginning and everyone must pay for what they've done. The first book in a trilogy and while it was an extremely long read, I had a lot of fun with the constant twist and turns of the plot and the various threads that were being pulled. The story had a lot of characters but it was easy to follow and to get immersed in their story. I definitely can't wait for the second book and to see what happens next!
Release Date: April 15, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Orbit Books | Orbit for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

(4/5⭐️) 📚/🎧 Thank you NetGalley for the eARC and Audiobook of ‘The Raven Scholar’. I didn’t have any expectations going into this, all I knew was that it was fantasy and hyped! It definitely is correctly hyped because I enjoyed it a lot. The beginning was hard to get into which is why it ended up taking me a while to finish (I originally had the audio but requested the ebook as well to help get through the start). This is not to say the beginning was bad, it was information overload and took me a bit to adjust to the world and characters, especially when it came to understanding what was happening and its significance. Once the plot begun, I was in the loop and all for it. The synopsis definitely doesn’t cover at all what you’re in for!

I’m excited for this book to release now! Also…this is a trilogy?? Another series I have to wait (impatiently) for it to finish!

The Raven Scholar is the first book in the Eternal Path Trilogy series and a captivating epic fantasy novel. While the point of view shifts throughout the story, it focuses on Neema Kraa, the reluctant contender for the throne and the High Scholar.

The strongest asset of this story is the layered and complex world-building, complete with legends, religion and complicated history that affects the present. It took me a while to grasp the main concepts, the lore, all the characters and the relationships between them. While most of the plot takes place on a relatively small island, we explore the world created by the author through stories and flashbacks. The novel is filled with politics, secrets, intrigues and plot twists.

On the other hand, I would like to see a bit more foreshadowing for the main plot twists. They seemed to come out of nowhere. Also, the characters change only slightly despite undergoing multiple challenging trials. I would love to see more character development.

To sum up, as the first book in a trilogy, The Raven Scholar opens a fascinating story that I will definitely follow through the next books.

This made me love political fantasy trope even more, there was just enough romance to satisfy even a die hard romantasy reader and a high fantasy reader. The premise was engaging from page one and the world building was immersive. Loved it and I hate that I have to wait for more

A fantasy world where a new Emperor is chosen through a contest of eight (well seven) warriors - one for each sacred animal. But this isn't just a magical contest. This also a murder mystery and political conspiracy.

Neema Kraa, a commoner, has risen through the ranks in the imperial court thanks to her scholarly work. But her first stepping-stone was one that is hard to forget - Neema, with her beautiful penmanship, was the one to write the Order of Exile for a girl betrayed by her brother.
Years later, the contest for a new emperor is due to take place and Neema is dreaming of her future away from the palace. But when the Raven contender is found murdered, Neema is thrown into a contest she isn't prepared for and she must find the killer before the blame is pinned on her.

There's a lot going on this book: an interesting mythology and magical world revolving around an almost religious worship of eight sacred animals, each with their own monasteries and factions; a murder mystery leading into a vast political conspiracy; a gruelling and cutthroat tournament; a touch of romance; and a lot of complex characters and motivations. And I loved all of it!

It is a long book, and it does need the page count, but it doesn't feel like a slog to read. Neema's pedantic and scholarly ways are a great way to allow a bit of info-dumping without it feeling like an info-dump. The plotting and twists really kept my attention and made it hard for me to put the book down.

A brilliant start to the trilogy and I can't wait to see where the story and characters go next.

I loved this book. The world building was richly detailed but never felt too much or overwhelming. The characters were engaging and relatable and well realised. I cannot wait for book two

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the E-ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!

This book had me shocked, confused, sad, happy, squealing like a donkey—you name it. I am SO SO SO excited for the official release because I will have all the editions. I am the consumer and I want to consume more. The second book in the series needs to come faster because I don’t think I can wait at all. This book scores a full five stars.

First: The writing. It’s so unique, and it really sticks with you! The different fonts to show the different speakers is such a unique twist that most often doesn’t work in books. Yet still, the fonts chosen here don’t feel like they break up the flow at all. I really love the extra touch of the personalities you get to see, too!

Besides the writing, I really grew to love the characters. The start is somewhat rough and misleading, but it only takes a chapter or two to really get hooked. I had an issue where I was thinking that most of the side characters around the mc were written like caricatures—though in hindsight, it was a brilliant literary device to show Neema’s growth—it just had me a little put off.

I love the representation in this book! Most of the characters are poc, and throughout the book I felt as though being queer was the normal. Cain—the resident chaotic bisexual—is so fun to read and I think he might be one of my favorites, besides Benna and Ruko. They develop really well throughout the book, and characters that I initially was thinking poorly of, became some of the characters I cried for.

The plot is what had me hooked for the most part—I genuinely felt like I was clever for figuring out some of the plot twists, only to get hit with a twist I didn’t expect at all. My jaw dropped and stayed dropped from about 60% and all the way to the final page. I was so in shock, I couldn’t stop reading and ended staying up past my bedtime. I don’t regret sacrificing sleep over it.

I’m surprised I also don’t have any complaints about the pacing. So much happens in the span of only a week, but it feels much longer than that. None of the events feel squashed together or too spaced apart, it flows extremely well.

I can’t recommend this book enough. Albeit it had a slow start, this book sticks with you and stays interesting all the way to the end.

The Raven Scholar is a fantasy whodunnit that plays a brilliant game of switcheroo with the reader. Just when you think you’ve figured out a character’s path or role in the story, it flips your assumptions on their head—and that’s a huge part of the fun. It subverted my expectations several times in such a satisfying way.

The world is rich with magic and intrigue, and characters are aligned with animal guardians—a touch that adds both depth and danger to the story. There are trials, secrets, and genuine moments where characters feel truly at risk. While the tone is generally light and very readable, it’s not afraid to go dark in places, adding an edge that I really appreciated.

After reading the initial 10%, I immediately bought a physical copy—which says a lot. This is clearly the beginning of something bigger, and I get the sense we’ve only just scratched the surface of the world and its possibilities. A series I’m definitely excited to continue.

This book was the adult fantasy read that I did not know I needed. It was AMAZING! I enjoyed following Neema as she took on challenges and tried to solve the mystery at the centre of the story. I enjoyed all the characters in this book, especially Sol. This book had amazing world building and politics, as well as being laugh out loud funny at times. I enjoyed how the author provided us with some back stories around characters, so that we got a deeper understanding of them and the world. This is an exceptional first book in a new adult fantasy trilogy and I cannot wait to read the next book. If you love fantasy, I highly recommend this one, as it is the best fantasy book I have read in a while. This book is released on the 29th April and I have already pre-ordered my physical copy.
Thank you to @hachetteaus and @netgalley for my copy of this book to read and review.

The Raven Scholar was EPIC. No exaggeration, no hyperbole, just the truth. At no point was I bored. Not even a flicker of a yawn, unless it was way past midnight and my eyelids were rebelling against me, because I did NOT want to put this book down.

Antonia Hodgson took us on a ride, scratch that, it was a full blown, high speed chase through a gorgeously crafted trial in a world brimming with secrets, shadows, and searing moments of brilliance. The world-building? Lush. The characters? So vivid and real they might as well have walked out of the pages and joined me in mace training.

From page one, I was gobsmacked. The opening pulled me in like a riptide, and suddenly I was side-by-side with Neema, investigating mysteries, dodging danger, and trying to piece together the truth in a world where nothing is quite what it seems.

I am so happy that this is a trilogy because I cannot wait to get more.