This book captured me from page 1. I am so excited for this book to come out. I haven’t even officially finished reading it yet, but damn it’s so good!

The Raven Scholar is a knockout blend of murder mystery, political intrigue, and epic fantasy, all wrapped in a plot packed with twists that actually surprise you — and keep doing it, again and again. Hodgson pulls off the rare trick of making every reveal feel earned, leaving you guessing (and gasping) right to the end.

At the center is Neema Kraa, brilliant, awkward and determined, who you can't help but root for. She's surrounded by a colourful, chaotic supporting cast that bursts with energy and personality. The world Hodgson has built is rich and imaginative, full of myths, politics, and the fascinating lore of the Eight Animal Guardians. Forget Hogwarts Houses — which Guardian are you?

While the supporting characters are a lot of fun, some feel a little flat, their personalities closely tied to their chosen deity. It’s a clever concept that adds flair but at the expense of depth. The writing style leans a little young adult in tone too, despite being an adult fantasy, with many characters sounding like they're in their early twenties not their thirties.

The book is quite a slow burn, with a lot of setup before the real fireworks begin. But trust me: once the plot hits its stride the twists and payoffs are more than worth the wait. The trials for the crown, an early highlight, become a bit predictable as the narrative shifts toward political drama and larger fantasy stakes. It’s a minor letdown but quickly overshadowed by the escalating tension and high stakes twists that follow.

Despite a few bumps, The Raven Scholar is vibrant, clever, and an absolute blast to read. Its smart plotting, memorable world, and thrilling surprises make it easy to recommend. I can’t wait to see where Hodgson takes this world next.

"If you don’t value your strengths, you won’t use them. If you don’t recognise your flaws, you won’t defeat them."

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Raven Scholar was the first fantasy novel I’ve picked up in a while, and I wholeheartedly enjoyed it.

This story is a vibrant blend of trials and competitions, murder mystery, and classic fantasy elements, all set in a richly imagined world that felt incredibly alive.

I especially loved the concept of The Eight—each embodying different attributes and ideals. Members of society pledge themselves to one of the Eight: Raven, Tiger, Fox, Hound, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Dragon. It added such a fascinating layer to the worldbuilding and gave the story a lot of depth.

The only aspect that tripped me up a little was the shifts in perspective. At times, it was a bit tricky to immediately figure out whose point of view I was following. That said, one of my favourite perspectives was the Raven’s—their unique way of thinking brought some much-needed comic relief to an otherwise dark and intense story. The author handled their voice brilliantly.

Overall, I would definitely recommend The Raven Scholar to anyone looking for a fantasy novel with a murder mystery twist. This was such a fun and gripping read!

Have I just read one of the best fantasy releases of 2025?!



I'm pretty sure I have.

Thank you to Hachette Australia New Zealand and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.



‘’Life is a puzzle with no answer: a game with no rules; a maze with no exit, except death’’’



Combine high fantasy with a murder mystery, add in a competition for the throne filled with deadly trials, plus a pantheon of animal gods, and you have a very exciting read.


The world-building is immersive, the plot twists are coming at every corner, and the characters are captivating and unique. Do yourself a favour and go into this book blind.


‘’How can we be lost, when we don’t know where we’re going?’’


Our FMC, Neema, is not your standard hero as she tries to balance her ambitions with her feelings of loneliness. I quickly grew fond of her and her quirks, and found her to be very relatable at points.



Antonia Hodgson’s writing is captivating and immersive, and I loved how the story started with a (very important) flashback and had multiple POV’s.


There are so many things happening at once (without being overwhelming), and I truly did not know how this was going to end.



Bring on book 2!

Oh my god this book. I need to stand in the town square with a bell. Hear ye, hear ye, read this fucking book. I will grab the villagers by the lapels and shake them vigorously. Now, now, read this book now.


Antonia Hodgson has weaved this magnificent (read the book, villagers, this is the only appropriate adjective here) story where every word counts and nothing is what it seems.

I knew very little about the plot before starting and I think it's for the best to go in blind. Everything unfolded so, so perfectly - I laughed, I cried - yes, I really did have a few tears at the end.

Magnificent. I can't wait to devour book two.


My favourite lines:

"I can advise you.
That's it?
THAT'S IT?
Sorry, I'm not being rude, but--
YOU ARE BEING VERY RUDE, NEEMA.
It's just that--
NEVER HAVE I BEEN SO INSULTED.

I seriously will be shocked if this doesn’t blow up, it deserves to be crowned one of the best fantasy books of 2025.

This book pulled me in with its deadly trials, layered mystery, and incredible characters. The narration is sharp, funny, and perfectly balanced with the darker, more complex plot. The worldbuilding is rich and immersive🤌🏻 I felt like I was living in it.

Neema, our Raven Scholar, is brilliant, flawed, and so relatable. Watching her navigate high stakes trials while unraveling a murder kept me hooked. I loved her intelligence and unique approach to every challenge.

The side characters shine too✨Ruko totally surprised me, and Cain was a standout.

With political intrigue, secrets, and eerie twists, this is an epic start to a series I can’t wait to continue. I think what I loved most of all is that it was hilariously funny at some points? I did not expect that at all🤣

This was escapism at its finest AND she is in her 30’s, highly intelligent and on the autism spectrum. I adored the diversity and that I could read about adults doing trials and not 18 year olds. That alone made me want to give it high stars.

It takes a minute to get use to the setting, but once you are in, the world building will grab you and not let go!💕

This was the most fun I’ve had with a fantasy in years. Brilliant characters, a hilarious narrator, two twists I didn’t expect at all, multiple thematic shifts throughout. Fantastic. Especially loved the first and last fifth where everything changed and your perspective shifts twice

This book was so so good!!!!

I have no idea why I thought this was a romantasy going in, but don’t be like me 🤣 it’s absolutely not a romantasy, it’s a true high fantasy 😍.

This one took me a bit to get into it, I found the start a little slow and full of sooo much world building that I was reading so slowly to try and understand what was going on. But once I hit the 100-200 page mark, I was hooked and I completely binged the rest of the 650 page book 💫.

The plot was so so good, it was a mix of fantasy trials (which I always love) as well as a murder mystery / political mystery plot 🩷. I loved unravelling the secrets of the world with our characters, it was the perfect pacing where every time you thought you’d figured out something, there was another layer of mystery there.

I also loved all our characters, especially our main character Neema who was so smart and strong! The writing jumped around giving us some glimpses into a few different peoples POVs throughout which kept it super interesting. Especially the POVs through a particular group of characters that were so funny and odd and unique I loved them 🤣.

I cannot wait for the second book to come out to see where the story goes next!!

Named for the Raven, but this book is the Fox, weaving in and out of so many different things at once. It is clever, wily, funny, and romantic, at times tragic and heart-breaking and so, so hopeful. I can see this being a favourite fantasy pick for many readers this year.

Embodies my new fave genre-mash, murder mystery meets epic fantasy. I cannot wait to see what adventures await for Neema and Cain, I want to dive back into this world already.

5 stars
Content warning: murder, death, corruption, torture, injury detail, deadly trial, magical entrapment and manipulation
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

I'm not going to lie, when I first saw the size of this novel after applying for it, I was intimidated by its page length. However, The Raven Scholar delivered everything and more than I could have imagined?! It was such a great read when I was extremely poorly and needed to escape reality. It took me a while to sink into this - or should I say for the ravens to claw their way into me - but once I was invested, it was tough to put this book down - especially during the last quarter of it. And I'll admit, I'm not the best with dense epic fantasy stories, especially ones teeming with political corruption and courtly intrigue, but I really found something special the longer I read this book.

A lot is going on in this sumptuous read. The world-building is second to none, I felt like I was there at the deadly trials along with Neema and the other competitors. All the characters - Neema, the main protagonist, the core characters around her, the villains, and the supporting roles, felt realistic. They all had depth to them, regardless of how long they were present in the storyline, especially for the character who was murdered at the start. She was so unlikeable but then as the twists and turns occurred and Neema uncovered more truths, I was surprised that I came to even respect this character who had outcasted Neema when they were younger, simply because she was different. The neurodivergent rep was executed beautifully within Neema. She is flawed yet so relatable in ways, I honestly couldn't fault her for the choices she made to survive in a cutthroat corrupted system.

I appreciated that not only was the lore around the god-guardians so intriguing, and back stories of several characters aided in never letting the slower pace feel like a slog. Everything is so well articulated that by the time the story culminates, you are full of knowledge and awe at how well the author crafted this epic fantasy into something so full. I was crying for characters, begging for redemption for others, horrified by the villainy, eager to see the backs of some, and praying that the sweetest romantic storyline would get at least a happy-for-now moment. Neema doesn't only reconnect with a past lover in a satisfyingly wholesome way, but she finds true allies and new ways of acceptance that have eluded her so far. I also was surprised by how much I came to enjoy the ravens, especially Sol - I would literally do anything to keep him safe, because when their POV began to have a part in this story, I did initially feel like it dragged me away from the tale. Yet it was such a fundamental element to bringing together Neema's character and the over-arching guardian storyline, that I really appreciate the author's choice to add this in.

The Raven Scholar is brilliantly woven into an unforgettable tale, and I cannot wait to delve back into this world when the sequel is out.

A masterfully woven tale with imperial intrigue, cutthroat competitions and a scholars quest to uncover the truth. Every character is either a friend or a threat and you’ll longingly wait for them to become unmasked. A fiendish novel that playfully provides the ultimate trial for the throne with a shocking murder at it’s centre. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 | 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐬𝐨𝐧

In the scorching empire of Orrun, seven elite contenders vie for the throne as Emperor Bersun's reign ends—until one is murdered. Tasked with uncovering the killer, High Scholar Neema Kraa must navigate a deadly game of secrets, ambition, and betrayal. With danger closing in, she’s not as alone as she thinks. The Raven is watching—and ready to help.

As with many debut fantasy novels, The Raven Scholar dives headfirst into dense worldbuilding. To its credit, the concept of eight mythical animal spirit factions was both intriguing and reminiscent of the Chinese Zodiac.

That said, the story quickly becomes overwhelming due to the sheer volume of elements packed in and a storytelling approach that’s tough to follow. My biggest struggle? The narration. It’s written in third person, but the point of view shifts constantly—and not in a seamless or intentional way.

The first 50 pages follow one character, only to suddenly jump to the female main character’s POV without any real transition. These abrupt shifts gave me serious whiplash and left me confused more often than not. And with the book coming in at over 600 pages, that confusion started to feel like a long-term commitment.

Ultimately, The Raven Scholar just wasn’t the book for me—but I know others will love it. If you enjoy complex worldbuilding, mysterious political intrigue, and don’t mind a bit of narrative chaos, this one might still be worth exploring. Don’t let my confusion stop you from stepping into the world of Orrun.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette ANZ for providing me this ARC to review.

Read if: you want to read a super addictive murder mystery fantasy adventure or you loved the Trickster’s Choice duology as a kid and Nawat was your favourite character

I had no idea what this book would be going into it and I loved it from the very first page. In an approximately 600 page book there was no moment where I was bored or disengaged. This book grabbed me from page 1 and hasn’t let me go since. I am so happy I got to read this early but also very sad because now I have to wait even longer for the sequel.

I loved Neema as the main character - she’s flawed, she’s having a bad day, she mostly would like to be left alone, and unfortunately things just keep happening to her. Her journey through this book was so fun to read about. Her relationship with Cain was a highlight of this book for me - he’s such a breath of fresh air in the fantasy book romance space. He had me laughing multiple times through this book, he genuinely cares about Neema, and their relationship is one built on friendship and respect. Also the idea of having the worst day of Neema’s life happening in front of her ex who potentially might be the next ruler of her country is very funny.

The characters in this book are all smart, which is exactly what I want from a book involving a murder mystery/political machinations. All of their motivations made sense and the pay off to the mystery was so good.

The writing in this book, and the switching of the narrative style between third and second person kept me so engaged. The brief chapters where we got to follow other character’s added so much to the story. I genuinely don’t even know what to expect from a sequel because there are so many excellent story lines we could follow. This book was ambitious but I believe it pulled off exactly what it was trying to achieve. This might be one of my favourite books of 2025 so far.

If you are looking for your next fantasy obsession you should pick up this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand/Hodderscape for the ARC. Review posted on Goodreads and Twitter. Rating posted on Storygraph

'The Raven Scholar' is the excellently developed beginning to a new epic fantasy trilogy, that you absolutely should check out later this month. It's full of interesting world building, political intrigue, and well crafted grand reveals.

Thank you to Hachette Australia & New Zealand and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

'The Raven Scholar' opens with several chapters covering events that happened in the past, building intrigue and introducing the reader to some of our key players. One of these characters is Neema, a scholar under the Raven - one of the Eight, the animal gods that look over this world. The story opens with Neema serving as High Scholar to the current emperor. Every 24 years a new emperor or empress is chosen not by blood, but by a series of fights and trials administered by the monasteries devoted to each of the Eight. Neema, happy to keep to herself and her studies, finds herself thrust into the spotlight after she discovers a crime has occurred the night before the current competition for the throne is about to begin.

This was not a book that immediately felt like a five star read to me. In the beginning I was actually a little hesitant, as the opening chapters relied heavily on footnotes (something I'm personally not a big fan of in fiction), and there were so many plot lines and characters introduced early on that I worried that the book wouldn't be able to cover them all well. I was wrong though - this book did leave itself open for the inevitable sequel (it's been announced that this will be a trilogy), but neatly managed to wrap-up several self-contained plotlines and character arcs. My favourite character was easily Sol with his self deprecating personality, but I was surprised by how much I came to care for many of the characters.

As a small note for those who prefer romance within their fantasy books, there is a side plotline regarding a romantic relationship in this book but it is not a focus and this is not a romantasy story.

If you love trials and factions in stories as much as I do, I definitely recommend picking this one up. For those in the US/UK/Canada, this book is launching mid-April, while those in Australia & New Zealand can find this one at the end of the month.

Review - The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson (Eternal Path trilogy #1)

What a pleasant surprise this was book was! This is definitely a front-runner for best fantasy book of 2025 for me: it's a 700+ epic full of intrigue, well-defined characters, mystery and solid world-building.

In an empire with a long history, a Festival of succession is being held on an isolated island to decide who will be the next ruler. Among the contenders for the throne is Neema, an introverted scholar; Cain, an unpredictable joker and spy, and possible assassin; and Ruko, an single-minded and ambitious warrior. Each of these is a follower of one of the Eight, powerful spirits / gods in the form of beasts. Society is also divided into factions of those who follow each of the divine beasts, and each of these groups also have their own defined-culture, temples and hierarchy.

The empire has a history of being dominated by aristocratic families ('venerants') and the associated elitism, nepotism and corruption that goes with it. Not long before the start of the story, there had been an attempted coup by Andren Valit. His is a character that is central to later events, and his ruthless, self-centred and arrogant attempt to overthrow the Emperor, Bersun, has had far-reaching effects. Then later, Andren's son, Ruko, makes an apalling choice to fatally exile his own sister in order to further his own desire to pursue the throne.

We follow Neema, the 'Raven scholar' of the title, from her poor origins and struggles to accomplish herself, to eventual success. She has been promoted because of her abilities to a position at the court, but is unpopular, looked down upon, envied, and often merely just used for her talents and taken for granted. She has been in and out of an unconventional and volatile relationship with Cain for a long time: Cain's service to the Fox sect has meant Neema has found his nature hard to learn and understand. Meanwhile, Ruko has long suppressed most of his emotions and guilt over his sister's death, in a determined effort with the Tiger faction to take the throne.

Early in the book there is a murder mystery that must be solved, which will keep most readers guessing. And the animal companions we meet, especially the ravens, are endearing and often comical. These creatures, like the chameleon, sometimes seem curious despite seeming like mere pets...especially when it's discovered some of them can possess people...

What I loved most about this were the unexpected touches in the story. There are surprising plot happenings, small hints that characters may not be as they appear, revelations, and most of the all, wonderful touches of humour. Even when we hear through Neema's melancholy, wry memories of her sad, pitiable upbringing in the Raven temple, there are often amusing lines that lift up the storytelling. This is despite the casual cruelty and indifference she faces from the privileged others in her life. And in the succession Festival, we gradually find out the Trials may be rigged, the contests even pre-decided, and behind the scenes one gets the impression there are manipulations going on by people with hidden agendas.

The narration itself often contains quotations from imaginary manuscripts, footnotes and flashbacks to moments from the past. There is a deceptively complex structure to this novel, but I never found it confusing or inaccessible. Even when the ravens themselves take over the telling of the story!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette for an ARC of this book.



Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Well wasn’t this a unique book!

I jumped in quickly and really enjoyed the beginning but was thrown when the story jumped so dramatically to a new plot path and a new main character. The lack of immediate connection between the two parts made it difficult to get into from that point. I had to push myself to keep going and it did take away the initial sense of enjoyment I was feeling.

The eight mystic animals whom the people pledge their allegiance to were intriguing, although I’m not sure I fully connected with this aspect of the world.

I do love a good competition for the throne which captured my attention the most!

Unfortunately I didn’t love the main character which is important to me as a reader, and probably kept me from truly appreciating this book as much as I could have.

I just want to kick things off by saying a big thank you for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

Wow, this book really delivered for me. It’s a fantastic high fantasy adventure, with a delightful touch of romance on the side. I have to admit, the beginning felt a bit slow and left me a little confused for about the first 20%. But as I kept reading, everything started to come together beautifully. One of my favorite parts was getting to know Neema, the young Raven scholar who has such a passion for facts and some really charming quirks. She finds herself mixed up in a gripping murder mystery, and before she knows it, she's pulled into a battle for the crown and on the hunt for the killer.
The plot is incredibly well-crafted, and the way we get to see things from multiple character perspectives is just great! There were plenty of surprises along the way, and I could never guess where the story would go next.
I’m excited to see what happens in the next book!

if i could give this book 7 stars i would. 10 stars even! very much could be a book of the year for me. i was absolutely blown away by this book. i cannot wait for the second!!

will be hard to describe & review the book without spoilers but i shall try:
- the narration of the book was insanely good. there was constant swapping between voice & writing styles, which should not have worked the way it did, but antonia pulled it off so so well

- the quality of her writing also shines through with the multiple different threads & storylines interwoven with each other, but nothing felt confusing and she tied everything together with plot twists & reveals that had me on the edge of my seat. i did NOT see them coming!

- the depth of ALL the characters was fantastic. nobody was flat, or two dimensional, they all felt fleshed out and had their own motives to their actions which we were all guessing at.

- the combination of the murder mystery & trials/games was seamlessly woven together imo, as well as setting up character ARCs etc for the next book

this was everything i didn’t know i needed & wanted in a fantasy book

What a book! While the world building may seem intimidating to many non-fantasy readers, the moment you hit 5-10% is the moment you become hooked. Then, what I found to be the main crux of the story was really only the beginning - one of the best ways I've seen it done so far! In the Summary above, you meet Nemma - a Raven contingent High Scholar in their eighth year of serving Bersun the Brusque. She is stern and sharp and far more hardened by the world and the people in it than fair. Of course, that means no one likes her either. Naturally, suspicions come from that. Especially when someone is murdered (and even her own memories of that night come back foggy). So begins her task: find the murderer - and clear her own mind while she's at it.

From this, a LOT happens. Accusations are thrown, people are interviewed and, most of all, Cain arrives. By adding him and others, everything is thrown off kilter. And it is masterfully done!

The interactions in the work, as well as the plot development and the revelations that follow, all wonderfully combine to that wondrous end. It is not happy, but, then again, when is it ever???

The Raven Scholar comes out April 29th (Aus time). I can't wait for you all to read it 💜💜

Trials? Check. Clever FMC? Check. Interesting political system? Check. Magical mystery? Check!

Every 24 years a new emperor is chosen through a series of trials undertaken by contestants representing each of the gods’ factions.

The first thing that stood out to me about this book was the age of the trial contestants. The FMC is in her 30s and the other contestants’ ages range from late twenties to forties. I found this realistic and refreshing! My only criticism is that I didn’t always feel like I was reading about older characters, some of them acted like they were in their early twenties. I’m also a sucker for a smart, studious and interesting main character. I liked that she clearly had a past and had made some morally grey decisions leading her to her current situation. I do wish that she had continued to reveal more depth though, I felt connected to Neema more in the first half of the book than the second.

Each faction had its own unique characteristics that were interesting and well-fleshed out. I enjoyed getting to know more about how the various characters thought and their histories. There were a lot of characters to keep track of which sometimes got confusing.

There were some jaw-dropping surprises! I was really impressed with how the story was woven together. I enjoyed the fantasy-mystery blend, it added a new twist to the trials trope.

I did find the narration from the ravens a bit jarring, but I’m not sure if this was also because my e-ARC was formatted weirdly when transferred to my e-reader. I suspect that the final formatting in the book will make it easier to see when the narrator POV changes. I enjoyed the addition of footnotes, that was a fun touch. This book has some romance, but it’s a very small subplot (I appreciated this).

There were some parts that felt a little slow/long for me, so that’s why (paired with the jarring raven POVs) I would give it 4 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves political fantasy, high stakes trials, mystery and an undercurrent of romance.

Thank you to Hachette for sending me an e-ARC. All views are my own.