🏛 Political/Rebellion
⚔️ Trials
🐊 Pink-Pink
💔 Betrayal
🦊🐦‍⬛🐻🐒🐅🐕🐂🐉 Guardians

Whew, this was one heck of a ride. Slow start for me, but it definitely picked up!

I did not expect the beginning of the book to go the way it did so suddenly & then for Neema's story haha. I really grew to like the FMC & I adore Pink-Pink! 🤣 The humor was good. The story is so intricate & there is so much to absorb. Sooooo many twists & turns. So much political stuff to learn. The 8 guardians & their palaces & followers to learn about. The lore & the backstory of everything.

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is my honest feedback about the book as an avid reader.*

I wasn't sure this book was going to be for me in the beginning, but I'm really glad I gave it a chance & stuck it out because it's a wonderful story. It would make one heck of a TV series! 😍

The last 10% of the book, holy crap haha. 😅 So intense. The ending left off a perfect set up for the next book, which I will ABSOLUTELY be picking up.

Huge thank you to the author & NetGalley. 💜

“Magnificent. The word was magnificent.”

This is hands down one of the best books I have ever read. The Raven Scholar is extremely poignant, yet in the same breath, laugh out loud funny. The beautiful and poetic political commentary is served with comedic elements that break it down and adds a levity that makes it so so digestible and entertaining. And the point of view of the Raven? Gold.

“Oh, had you forgotten about us? We’ve been watching and waiting.” 🐦‍⬛

Summary: After twenty-four years of peace, the emperor’s reign has come to a natural end, and a set of contenders from each house (Fox, Raven, Bear, Hound, Ox, Tiger, Monkey, and Dragon) must compete for the throne. After one of the candidates is murdered, the emperor’s High Scholar, Neema, is charged with finding the killer…and replacing the murdered candidate in the fight for the throne. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.

I feel like you walk into the story with this summary, and then you find all the nitty gritty extras, a great cast of characters, the heart (and the stress). I loved it so much - go pick this one up!

To fit with life these days, I did a hybrid of audio and my received e-arc. So know the audio is also fantastically done! The vocalization of the Raven = complete perfection. It’s a beautiful production.

Thank you to Orbit Books, Antonia Hodgson, and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. The Raven Scholar is out everywhere now - and I for one am on my way to order the Waterstones signed exclusive…

Alix Harrow described this as "a labyrinth of a book" and boy she was not kidding. This was long (you know, like epic fantasy long) and twisting with court intrigue to last for days. There are multiple characters woven throughout with Neema Kraa being the primary protagonist, though hers is not where the story starts. If you like The Inheritance Games books, enjoy fantasy, and have some time to invest in reading, I would definitely recommend. Overall, I enjoyed the book. The interweaving stories kept me engaged and I hadn't quite realized what was happening until I read about the cells. Given its length, I was happy to find that I was able to open back up and remember what was happening and get engaged again after taking a pause. I'll certainly be reading the second book in the series!

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my unbiased review!

The Raven Scholar is a magnificent high fantasy novel. There is romance, but this is NOT romantasy. What this is, is literary fantasy perfection. The pacing is excellent. The plot is riveting. The conflicts are tense and high stakes, yet not uncomfortably so. The characters are innately complex from the deity-like Guardians to the people who choose their affiliation. Morally Gray is our favorite, no matter what color a character actually wears on their uniforms. The set up for the next book in this planned trilogy cannot come soon enough. 5/5 stars, must read of 2025, it's worth all the pages.
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit books for this fantastic ARC!

This was easily one of my favourite new fantasies I’ve read in a while. I live for sharp witty narrative and this one instantly caught my attention. It added a lot of character to the story and helped maintain a balance with all the characters being followed.

You can really see the work the author did to layer the different elements of the plot with real, flawed characters at its centre and it is deeply rewarding writing. I felt so satisfied as each character was unravelled slowly and I am DYING for more as soon as possible.

I love to find a new book to obsess over and I’ll be thinking about this one for a while. Love love love.

3/5 Stars – A Slow Burn With a Rich World

I just finished The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson, and while I didn’t love it, I definitely enjoyed parts of it.

First off, the world-building is what really pulled me in. The concept of a deadly competition every 24 years tied to these Animal Guardian Houses (Raven, Fox, Ox, etc.) is super cool, and I loved how much thought was put into the history and politics of the empire. It had a kind of layered, ancient feel that made it easy to get lost in.

Neema Kraa, the main character, was someone I grew to appreciate slowly. She’s not your typical heroine—neurodivergent, quiet, and often unsure of her place—but that made her feel more real to me. I liked how her intelligence wasn’t just book smarts; she has this sharp observational skill that made her stand out in a subtle way.

That said, it’s a pretty slow read. The pacing dragged in spots, especially in the first half. And while the shifting points of view were interesting, I sometimes found them confusing or jarring. It felt like the story was trying to do a lot all at once, and I occasionally wished it would just focus more on Neema’s journey.

There’s definitely diversity in the cast (which I appreciated!), and some of the side characters—like Cain and Benna—really added to the intrigue and emotional tension.

All in all, I think it’s a solid start to a series. Not quite a page-turner for me, but it’s got heart and some strong foundations. I’ll probably pick up the sequel when it comes out, just to see where Neema ends up.

Intriguing epic fantasy!

This book started out slow, but once I got into the flow of the writer’s style, I became deeply immersed in the world she created.

This is a chunky book, but it really needs to be, given the world-building and the deep character studies.

For me, this book was very reminiscent of many of the classics I read in junior and senior high school, most especially the Count of Monte Cristo - another book with an expansive cast of characters and a plot that runs deeply through several years and multiple layers of society - a book that is a particular favorite of mine for just those reasons.

The last 20 chapters were almost like whiplash as the depth of the various plot lines were exposed, and the machinations and motivations of so many supposed minor characters were revealed. I truly can’t wait to see where the author takes this series.

I highly recommend this book for fans of immersive fantasy that keeps them second guessing everything they think they know.

Tropes -
Epic fantasy
Political intrigue
Court politics
Oriental inspired mythology
Found family

Eight years ago, Ruko stabbed his twin sister in the back for the opportunity of a lifetime, forcing her into exile. Now Ruko is back as the Tiger’s champion and his ascension could have dire consequences for the world as we know it. Neema has stumbled into the tournament as the Raven’s champion. Can she use her wits to outsmart the other champions or will the eight return?
I loved Hodgson’s writing style and the way she used the ravens to narrate. It was fast paced from the very beginning. I absolutely loved Neema and Cain. The court politics were intriguing and this take on a deadly tournament felt new and not the same old same old. It’s full of twists and turns, some of them I didn’t see coming. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC!

Are you interested in hearing a legendary tale from a crow god about a political clusterfuck during the succession of a richly written fantasy empire? If so, stick around. The Raven Scholar has exploded out of nowhere from a book that I hadn’t heard of to one of my top contenders for best of 2025. It is the first book in the Eternal Path Trilogy, by Antonia Hodgson, and while it is only the first (700-page) entry in the story, there is enough in this one book to muscle out most other complete fantasy sagas. Hodgson, according to her bio, has been a historical fiction, crime, and mystery writer for many years. She has apparently taken everything she has learned from those genres and brought it to fantasy to explosive success. There is a lot going on with The Raven Scholar, so let me try to sell you on why this should be on your TBR list as soon as possible.

The empire of Orrun is at a point of inflection. Bersun the Brusque has reached the end of his reign. Every twenty-four years, the bylaws of the Empire state that the crown must pass to a new leader in the government. There are strict rules on who can and can’t qualify for the throne, and even if you are nominated, there is a grueling trial process to whittle down the contenders to the new ruler. Seven contenders from different governmental clans compete to replace Bersun in the dizzying heat of summer. There are fights, puzzles, and competitions to identify the most fit to lead Orrun. Usually, the competition is a source of entertainment and a force that shapes the incoming administration, so every citizen keeps an eye on what is happening to see what the new Emperor might do to change their world. Everything is going very well, but then one of the contenders is murdered.

It falls to our main protagonist, Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. But as she digs into the events surrounding the contenders, she finds them inextricably linked to herself and begins to uncover secrets that could undermine the entire Empire.

Where to start with a book this vast and with so many positive qualities? I suspect it will be easiest to focus on the book’s three best in class areas: worldbuilding, characters, and exposition–but don’t yell at me as I meander into multiple other avenues of praise. The worldbuilding in this book is phenomenal. In order to have a compelling political intrigue/mystery story, you need to have readers buy into and believe in the structure of the world the author sets up. Hodgson achieves this on a level up there with the greatest in the genre. The entire Empire is a fascinating beast. The governmental departments are divided into eight animal houses (Raven, Fox, Monkey, Ox, Bear, Tiger, Hound, and Dragon) in that delightful classic fantasy trope of “here are cool teams, don’t you want to be a part of their amazing culture and lore?” The interesting twist here is that each of the animal factions has their own spirit god, but no one is born into or predetermined into any of the departments. They are literal governmental areas with divine mascots that must be petitioned and accepted into. The Ravens, for example, cover most of the jobs that align with the patron deity’s interests: curiosity and organization. The Ravens are often historians, bureaucrats, scholars, investigators, and organizers.

Each of the gods of Orrun is made up of all of the mythical versions of their animal totems, and the gods can fragment themselves into their different elements to affect the world for a myriad of different agendas. This creates this endless tapestry of lore where “The Raven God” is essentially the intersection of a Venn diagram of all of the different myths about ravens from the people-–but the different elements of The Raven God all have their own agendas as well. This results in an infinite number of different competing agendas on both a celestial and terrestrial level.

All of these divine plots are assisted by an absolutely legion of fabulous characters who will each endear or revile themselves to you the second you meet them. Kraa is a young, brilliant black woman from the slums of the Empire, trying to carve out an existence for herself in the heart of the capital. After a truly awful and grueling existence at court and the threat of being banished back to the slums, she is offered the chance for status, respect, and a life if she just bears witness to an awful crime. She takes the deal, and so begins the haunting of her life as the choice ties her to the fate of the competition. She is brilliant, inspiring, funny, stoic, and has a wonderful page presence that I loved every moment of. It helps that she is surrounded by an enormous supporting cast that is each so fleshed out that it makes most genre protagonists look bad. I don’t have time to list them all one by one, but please know that her love interest is possibly one of the wittiest characters of all time (he would be a top contender in our 2024 March Madness bracket), and that I would die for the head of the Ox branch of the Empire.

This world and its characters likely feel so impactful and connected because Hodgson is an absolute master of weaving in exposition to her story without using any awkward info dumps. This is the sort of story that is best going in as little as possible (and I have tried to be as circumspect as possible with what I have already told you vs. what I am holding back). The reason for that is that every single interaction, every single glance that a character has at their surroundings, feels like the perfect delivery of new information and mysteries to keep you glued to the page. Hodgson treats it like a murder mystery, being incredibly thoughtful of how much of her hand she shows, and when she shows it. The result is an immediately powerful connection to the characters, world, and intrigues. There are so many twists and upheavals in this story, and they all feel perfect. Every chapter left me hungry for more. Every piece of the puzzle we find expands the canvas’s boundaries.

The result is a book that I read in two days despite its huge size. I have called the other site reviewers multiple times, each, telling them to buy it. I couldn’t even wait until our end-of-the-year book club to force them to read it then, I want to talk to someone about it now. And the best part? It came out this week. You could have it in your hands right now. The Raven Scholar is absolutely going to be a huge hit once people start noticing it. Its blend of multiple genres, rich world, lovable characters, and gripping plot makes it a top contender for the best science fiction and fantasy of 2025.

Yana absolutely stole the show for me, fierce, flawed, and so achingly real that I found myself holding my breath more than once. Her journey was gripping, layered with quiet strength and moments of raw vulnerability that lingered long after I turned the last page. The world the author began to shape here feels like the edge of something vast and ancient, full of promise and secrets, and I can’t wait to see where it leads. This book didn’t just tell a story—it invited me into it, and then broke my heart in the best possible way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All opinions in this review are my own.

2 stars. DNF'd at 30%/C19. I did tandem read with the eARC provided by the publisher but the audio I purchased myself. While I did like the narrator, she was not the right choice for the vibes and content of the book sadly. Regardless, this review is about the plot of the book itself.

This is unfortunately a case of a strong and intriguing start that squandered itself after the multi chapter prologue. I was very interested in the character we are first introduced to and believed this was setting up for a case of revenge through a fast paced competition with a murderer on the loose. That is not what happened AT ALL. I'll sum up the first 30% of the novel:

16 year old twins are summoned to the capital 8 years after their father’s execution over a failed rebellion. One twin is given the spot to a special school that her twin brother desires. Twin brother doesn't like this and argues with the emperor about it while also revealing that his twin sister has committed the grave sin of keeping their father’s special colours or whatnot. The emperor in an attempt to teach the boy a lesson, tells the twin brother to sit on the throne and decide his sister's punishment. Brother, of course, chooses to exile her which is basically certain death. The POV suddenly shifts to the actual main character who is some lowly scribe that is given the task of writing said exile report of the twin sister and this catapults her to a high status. She becomes the High Scholar. This was part one.

From there it is the High Scholar’s life of setting up the grand tournament for the emperor’s stepping down. Contestants from eight animal related schools will compete to become the next ruler. Before this happens, the High Scholar is taunted with knowledge by the Raven contestant (and former school nemesis) over the fact that the High Scholar was supposedly supposed to be stripped of her status long ago. Then that night, the Raven contestant further taunts the High Scholar by calling her out in front of the emperor and the court over neglecting a key detail of the tournament and the emperor is so mad, he fires the High Scholar in front of everyone and tells her to be on the next boat off the island. Skipping to the next morning (because the talking book and the bath oil poisoning of the now former High Scholar that night really doesn’t matter at this point in the narrative) the now former High Scholar goes to the Raven Contestant’s rooms and finds her dead. How convenient. Despite having all the motive and being lambasted by the emperor in front of the court the night before, said emperor somehow believes that the now former High Scholar couldn’t have possibly killed the Raven contestant and not only is she to take the place of the dead contestant in the trials, but she also has 4 days to solve the murder and is the lead investigator. No one at court likes this, obviously, but the emperor's word is law for the next 8 days or whatnot. The beginnings of the trials happen, nothing of note happens personally and we are almost halfway into part three of eight parts.

I honestly feel like it was a bait and switch. There were so many interesting ideas and should be enthralling characters but none of it was fleshed out in any concrete capacity and none of them held a candle to the first POV character we were introduced to. It was sadly boring, dragged, and was bogged down with unnecessary details. There were random POV's switches with no explanation of the actual POV being experienced and a lot of characters introduced in a short amount of time that it was hard to keep track of it all. Everyone also sounded like they were in their teens and if I remember correctly, most of the characters at the point are in their either late 20's to somewhere in their 30's. It also didn't read like an adult high fantasy either.

Either way I was really excited about this book and those whose reviews I trust highly love this book but this was a complete miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Books and Antonia Hodgson for this ARC of The Raven Scholar.

In exchange for the eARC. I leave my honest review.
The Raven Scholar opens up with an immersive world building and backstory that feeds us important information that creates the foundation of the story. The description is thorough without being too much and doesn't cause any whiplash. It keeps you engaged from the start, which is what makes this book such a fantastical fantasy. Hodgson's writing style created a whirlwind of worldpacked intrigue, while shining light on political statements, mythology, and history. The three aspects are cohesive and blend together nicely. The added murder mystery gave so much suspense that it gets you thinking and digging deep to uncover the mystery yourself.

The characters are so intriguing and carry so much depth that made the story so much more enjoyable. I enjoyed how every character had a purpose that propelled the main character Neema to fulfill her goals. Every character that Neema encounters carries their own weight and their own importance in the narrative, and I absolutely enjoyed that. There are no characters without a purpose.

It is important to note that the pacing can be a bit slow at times. I tend to follow the pacing of a book with a watchful eye and while the story is absolutely interesting the slow paced nature can pull you out of it at times.

Nevertheless, I will continue with the series. I am interested to see how the story unfolds and what is next for our characters.

Amazing 4⭐️

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson has everything an interesting fantasy world, a deadly competition, political intrigue and a very engaging mystery, with a small romantic plot line. The main character Neema, who is tasks with the mystery of who murder the first raven contender. Has to participate in a competition that she is very under prepared for. Her cleverness within the competition is so engaging you want to keep reading to see what happens next. I am so happy this is a series for the ending was extraordinary. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Raven Scholar is true epic fantasy, full of danger and intrigue, meddling gods, talking ravens, and a murder mystery. Despite being a long book, this never felt like a slog and I really tore through it once I got going. The characters were fascinating and enchanting, and I found the writing engaging and lyrical. It's snarky and has a very wry sense of humor; which found it's way out during dire circumstances and made it all the more fun. All the characters feel deeply flawed, but incredibly compelling and I can't wait to see how they grow and progress throughout the series. I really loved the thread of mystery in the book - it kept me guessing until the end and I really can't wait to see what comes next!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for the eARC.

the raven scholar is a brilliant and entertaining work of fiction that keeps you gripped throughout its very long length. it combines murder mystery with the beloved competition/trials trope, with some added questionable religious figures that throw in an almost comedic element. definitely a strong start to a series, although it could’ve pretty easily been a very solid standalone. overall, i would absolutely recommend!

Every 24 years the power changes hands and a competition is held for a new emperor. The main character is a scholar but when her sect’s champion is murdered she is tasked with not only solving the murder but taking her place in the competition. This is the most surface level synopsis for a story that took hold of me and would not let go. It has a wide collection of characters, all well thought out and intricate. Excellent political intrigue and maneuvering.

Neema was such an interesting choice of a main character. You as the reader really like her but for some reason in her life, she is just one of those people who no one likes, no matter how hard she tries, or what she does. She’s a bit of a know it all but she’s generally decent and hardworking and isn’t afraid to just be herself and doesn’t let the way the world treats her change who she is.

I can normally take or leave a map in a fantasy book. I don’t generally care about them but I really liked this one.

7% in and it had already surprised me twice! I was absolutely loving it. This story pretty instantly subverted my expectations and then continued to keep me on my toes.

I did not want to stop reading it. I was so drawn in. I loved how unique the narrator was at time, and all the footnotes. I liked how you got insights into more minds than just your main character with the third person, sometimes second person narration.

I haven’t liked a book so instantaneously since I read Gideon the 9th.

This is like the rook and rose trilogy meets game of thrones meets the between earth and sky trilogy. It’s doesn’t take itself as dire and serious as Game of thrones and yet the stakes are still present and very high

It’s a beefy book but I was just flying through it. The end was so great and the pacing was stellar throughout. I’m so intrigued to see where the rest of the series takes us

6 ⭐️
1 🔥❤️‍🔥

I thought I had written this review a couple of weeks ago. Ugh. So, let's get on with the rave review! I've read one other book this year that I would call a 6 ⭐️ read. What makes the Raven Scholar even more exceptional is that it is a debut! Fantastic world building, characters you cared about who were very real and had baggage that affected the way they made decisions, classicism, politics, a cool religious/magic system, and more. It was complex, but the pacing was perfect, and the book didn't drag. Not. At. All. Neema, Cain, and the rest of the characters were multi-faceted and gave you a good foundation to either love them or hate them. The e-book was nearly 700 pages, and I couldn't believe how quickly I read it. I devoured it. And the uniqueness of the POVs sealed the deal. Now I must wait while the sequel gestates with the author, but I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in this unique world.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eArc. These horribly late opinions are mine,

An amazing adventure fantasy that is perfect for lovers of trials, morally grey characters, and high stakes. I can’t wait to read the next installment!

This book was a pleasant surprise. I had only heard great things going into it, so my expectations were high, which always makes me a little nervous that I might ultimately end up disappointed. However, this book very much did not disappoint!

The writing and world were both incredibly digestible for high fantasy. And, even with the high page count, this book still felt fresh throughout and it never dragged. Weirdly, I didn't find that the plot moved as fast as I might normally like. But somehow it worked here. I really enjoyed all the characters (especially Neema) and the execution of the omnipresent narrator was really well done. The reader was given information our main character didn't have only sometimes but each time it enhanced the story rather than hindering it. I also liked the take on a competition with trials - very different from the way they our normally handled in my opinion.

I'm really looking forward to the next book already and I'm super curious to see who our narrator will be this time around (maybe the same one? But the title has Fox in it so I am very curious to see if we get a new narrator!)

The Raven Scholar primarily follows Neema, a High Scholar for the emperor of Orrun. After a 24 year run, the time has come for a new emperor. One person from each of the eight monasteries (Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, Hound and Dragon) must go through a series of battles and trials to win the throne. Everything changes when one of the contenders is murdered, and Neema must figure out what happened.

This book was sooo good! It was just what I needed. I cannot wait to continue this fantasy trilogy. Every time I thought I knew something, my idea of the book was turned upside (in the best way). I think this is book is going to be the next big trilogy, and I highly recommend it. Neema has great growth throughout the novel, realizing that despite being a Raven, there is still much she has to learn. I loved her little quirks and found her character flaws to be relatable. It took me a bit to get into it, but once it takes off (somewhere between 50-100 pages), it doesn't stop. I stayed up way too late reading this because I couldn't put it down. I thought it had a good balance of fantasy, action and mystery. I enjoyed the complexities of each character, and even though there were sooo many side characters, the author did a good job of making each one memorable. There were rarely times I was confused on who was who, which is rare for fantasies. While this is a long book, especially for the first in a series, it was worth the 656 pages.