(Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!)

Rating: 4 stars

With its vibrant world, drama-filled storyline and well-developed characters, 'The Raven Scholar' quickly evolved into a captivating listen despite a slightly rocky start. 

Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Storyline: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Romance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The story kicks off with crucial backstory and immersive world-building, creating a rich but ultimately information-dense foundation to wade through. Fast forward eight years and the storyline picks up with lots of drama, action, and tension as a treacherous competition for the throne is rooked by the murder of a contestant and long-laid schemes. While some aspects felt familiar from other Young Adult fantasy reads, Antonia Hodgson's unique flair and engaging writing style breathed fresh life into these tropes, elevating them to match the epic scope of the narrative. I devoured every twist and turn and was impressed by the creative world packed with mythology, history, and political intrigue. I also thoroughly enjoyed the clever humour woven throughout the story and the petty courtly posturings. What's more, themes such as loneliness, ambition, and social class added to the story's depth and enriched the characters' journeys. 

"in times of light in times of shadow seek for one small pearl of joy and you shall find it"

It was actually the well-developed and realistically flawed characters that first drew me into this story. In particular, the Raven guardian, with their larger-than-life ego and comic relief moments, was an immediate highlight. Then there's Neema Kraa, the main character, whose ambitions, painful loneliness, and quirks are relatable and compelling. Several secondary characters, including Cain, Benna, Ruko, and Emperor Bersun, also left a strong impression, as their detailed backstories and evolving connections with Neema enhanced the story. Even the romance was refreshing light, with an adorable and realistically messy development that never overshadowed the main storyline. I certainly can't wait to see what lies ahead for each of these characters!

"no diamond ever shone as brightly as an open heart"

Daphne Kouma's narration contributed significantly to the immersive quality of this audiobook. Her ability to deliver varied accents and fitting vocal nuances brought each character to life, making it easy to distinguish between them and adding emotional depth to their experiences. Clever production effects for the Raven and atmospheric music at the start of each part of the story further heightened the epic atmosphere of the narrative and made it even more immersive.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stougthon Audio for the ARC

The Raven Scholar is a interesting fantasy novel with a good romantic sub-plot, a murder mystery and several trials. It's divided in several parts that each ends with an unexpected twist. What was interesting was the parts were we got the story about the raven and the fox and their POV. It blended seamlessly with the other narrative and present timeline. It also provided more intell to the story. It was fun and interesting, but I also lost consentration and interest at times considering how long it was. This is though a me problem. Otherwise a great and fascinating novel!

My Rating System:
Enjoyment: LOVED this, i had such a fun time reading it and didn't want it to end. I love the setting and the trial aspect. It felt like a plot I have read a lot but done in a way that kept me interested and surprised at every chapter. I especially enjoyed reading this via audio, the narrator did an exceptional job - 5 stars
More?: i need to stop reading arcs of first books in series, i need the second book immediately - 5 stars
Criticisms: i have a few criticisms, mainly i wish there was a little more diverse rep. there's such a rich cast of characters in this story who i feel we get to know so well, having some diversity in the characters would've benefited the story and brought up my rating - 3 stars
Rereadability: i would absolutely reread this book, i think i'll pick it up again before i read the second book to refresh - 4 stars
Average Rating: 4.25 stars (rounded down)

So it doesn’t happen too often that you read a 700+ page book and yet still crave more! This book was absolutely incredible and a very nice surprise because honestly my expectations weren’t that high and the blurb did not exactly attract me that much. And now it has very quickly made its way on my list of all time favorite books, absolutely amazing!!!

The writing was so smooth and good in that very specific way that just pulls you in and keep you in for as long as it takes to finish it, making 700 pages feel way too short. The author has a way of writing epic/high fantasy mixed with murder mystery mixed with lots and lots of lore and a sprinkle of romance and yet it does not feel forced or cliche or tiring. Every plot twist, every new chapter every turn of the page made me so excited, it was a perfect mix of all my favorite parts of all my favorite books. Something that on paper would sound not that good or too much and yet Antonia Hodgson made it work.

The narrator really gave life to the world and character and did it so perfectly that it really felt like being transported in the world of the book.

The world building was incredible and so deep and yet somehow without being boring, the characters backstories were so intricate and yet your able to keep up with everyone, the mystery and the plot twist are both unpredictable and predictable in exactly the perfect satisfying way to soothe your little detective inside.

I loved Neema as a main character, I was ready for her to be a pick me and a pretty stereotypical main character whining abt being hated but, surprise, she was not. The way she was written made her feel so real to me, her choices so human and her struggles annoyingly realistic.

And more than that, I absolutely adored Cain. His energy and just the traits of the foxes is just what I adore to read about. Lots of humor and lots of heists and mysteries.

It has an amazing intriguing new world, with animal inspired lore and Gods, amazing concepts and an interesting history, lots of information that just goes by naturally, realistic characters I adore, mysterious animal companions, littered with plot twists, Court intrigue, murder mystery, trials for the throne, a splash of humor, a touch of romance, a brush of found family and friendship and a very interesting narration style that immediacy drew me in. I’m already going to go beg for a sequel, it’s sooo good!!

The Raven Scholar presents some truly captivating themes and introduces unique aspects to trials that I found quite enjoyable. I was particularly impressed by the concept of the book. However, I found the overall plot to be rather slow. It took a considerable amount of time to gain momentum, and even then, it didn't progress at a pace that kept me fully engaged.

Despite the characters being well-developed and well-written, I struggled to connect with them on a deeper level. Perhaps it was the pacing of the narrative or the way their stories unfolded, but I didn't feel that emotional connection that makes characters truly memorable. That being said, I appreciated the effort put into crafting their backgrounds and personalities.

One highlight for me was the audiobook experience. The narrator did a fantastic job, with clear differentiation of voices and a calming reading style that made it a pleasant listen. The quality of the narration certainly added an extra layer of enjoyment to the story, even when the plot itself felt sluggish.

Overall, The Raven Scholar is a book with a lot of potential and some intriguing elements, but it didn't entirely live up to my expectations. The slow pacing and lack of character connection were significant drawbacks for me. However, the unique themes and excellent audiobook narration are worth noting.

Damn! This book totally grabbed me and didn’t let me go from start to end! A fantasy whodunnit with so many twists and turns that at times I couldn’t tell which way was up!

From the very start I was pulled in to this saga of fantasy, mystery and trials amidst some of the best world-building And have encountered in a long, long time! A kingdom entrenched in myth, magic, politics and class war, an indomitable religion that merges with an astounding magic system, that demands effort, commitment, skill and sacrifice.

Intriguing characters that ranged across the multitude of morally grey. A protagonist with a background that truly shaped her intents and motivations, which was gradually unpeeled as the story progressed, and for who further growth and development is definitely on the horizon in future books in this series (I hope.)

The relationship between Neema and Cain was intriguing, touching and at times funny, the Raven and the Fox, completely distinct but, also complimentary in so many ways made for moments of light and humour but, also darkness and deeply emotional!

The political intrigue between the different societies and of course the underlying plot, which truly had me on the edge of my seat at times - I was totally immersed in the political maneuvering and power struggles, which most definitely brought depth and pivotal turns to the plot.

The ending was in itself both explosive but, most definitely led to an opening for the next book in the series and I was most definitely left with a determination to read the next chapter in Neema and Cain’s story, and of course to unfold further the complex layers and machinations of what has proven to be a truly compelling plot!

Gonna keep it short because mostly im still processing this book. First thing this is long, not in a bad way but damn . Didn’t expect it . The story so good , i like every step , the intrigue, the romance , the betrayals . Everything was so well done and developed. Loved our main character and how she grows in this. Definitely one of the books to look out for . Happy im getting a special edition of it because love it

The audiobook narration is incredible! I’m so glad I chose the audio edition because the narrator truly brought the story to life, adding depth and flavor. It really helped fuel my imagination when picturing the characters.

The story itself is a blend of mystery, trials, and fantasy, and overall, I enjoyed it, for me it's 3.5 stars. It kept me entertained, and I think it had a spectacular beginning. However, as the story progressed, some of that initial excitement started to fade.

What I liked:
- The world the authors created is really interesting. I definitely want to learn more about it.
- The magic system is unique; not everyone has access to magic, and it requires time and sacrifice.
- I have a weakness for murder plots in fantasy books, and this one delivered.
- There were some really intriguing characters that left me wanting more.
- There were touches of humor that added a nice balance to the story.
- Political intrigue. There’s nothing better than a fantasy book with a compelling plot full of political maneuvering and power struggles. This element added depth to the story and kept things even more interesting.

What didn’t quite work for me:

The characters were intriguing (some more than others), but I struggled to connect with the protagonist. I felt like I needed more insight into her past and motivations to truly understand her. I hope this improves in the next book, as there’s plenty of room for character growth. The same goes for her relationship with Cain, why should I root for them? To be fair, their relationship is more of a subplot rather than the focus of the main storyline, but it still felt underdeveloped.

I had a similar experience with other characters. The book introduces some truly fascinating figures, but many of them needed further development for their motivations to feel fully realized. On the other hand, some side characters, despite having much less page time, were easier to connect with.

I think the story may have tried to cover too much at once, which resulted in an overcomplicated plot. There was so much happening at times that it felt chaotic. It constantly jumped from one perspective to another, opening new threads without fully resolving others. While this was intriguing in some moments, it often made the story feel overwhelming. Other times, I found myself bored with what was happening.

I honestly don’t know what to say about the ending, I found it a complete mess. The buildup didn’t match the payoff, and instead of naturally leading us to the conclusion, it relied on a last-minute villain monologue, reminiscent of an old cartoon trope. It was meant to be a shocking twist, but it felt unearned. After everything that unfolded in the story, I expected a much stronger resolution.

Because of how the book started, I had high expectations, but as the plot unfolded, some elements didn’t live up to that initial promise. The story needed more depth in some areas while also benefiting from less complexity, as it sometimes felt more like clutter than meaningful development.

That said, I think I’ll be continuing the series because I’m genuinely interested in seeing how the world, the magic system, and the overall story continue to develop.

A sumptuous epic fantasy combined with a murder mystery that is bursting with complex characters and tremendous plot twists. Copious political machinations and a unique religious system will keep you enthralled. The emperor has been on the throne for twenty-four years and must now retire, so eight contenders will compete to replace him. Trained at rival monasteries inspired by the sacred animals. Eight contenders, who are the best of the best – then one of them is murdered. This roller coaster of a book will take you through a myriad of emotions, you will be laughing and crying with equal measure. A fantastic story that kept me up all night! I am extremely excited for the sequel. The narrator conveyed the spirit of the story perfectly,

This book is a beautiful epic fantasy - it’s really long to listen to but I did enjoy the story and the acting. I would like to physically read the series going forward to make sure I keep my attention.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Be aware: this will be a raving review!

This book came highly recommended, and people kept teasing it was.... magnificent.
In the first three chapters though. I kept checking if I'm reading the right book. Not that they were bad at all, they just weren't what the blurb promised.
But then I hit chapter 4 and I was so in - and stayed. If ever a book deserves the word 'epic', then it's this one (while still maintaining a tight focus).

There's a narrative voice that is both unique and funny - also at times aiming to be scary while in fact just being dramatic.

The FMC is an incredibly interesting character. Not that you have to like her, necessarily, but you will still be entranced by her story.

In a fully developed queer-normative world, there are magical tournaments and political intrigue, murder mystery, dark academia and deep mythology.
All of that working without a romance story at heart.
On top of that my favorite trope: two entities merged into one - with one of them being a drama queen.

This book is so so good and I can't wait for the next in the trilogy.

I was so glad to have been granted both the eBook and audiobook.
The audiobook is a work of art with the narrator being a true artist. The voices she does are incredible.
Yet I had to go back time and again to the written word to absorb everything how it deserves. I also enjoyed just rereading a paragraph or more.

5/5 stars and absolute recommendation

Thank you @netgalley and @hodderbooks for the eARC and ALC.

#TheRavenScholar #Netgalley #Bookstagram

Epic fantasy is back and isnt it magnificent!

I was wowed by the world building, loved the variety of characters and it was veyr much a book where I kept wanting to read one more chapter!

I adored listening to the narrator, her voice was perfect for this book.

The Raven Scholar
Antonia Hodgson

As sly as a fox, strong as an ox, or witty as a raven. The narrator of this book embodies the personalities within and took me on an adventure wanting to listen whenever I could spare a minute. This book opens your eyes to a world where training and determination are not the only factors that can lead to one's success. Listening to this book pulled me into this world and brought the words to life. Slight inflections and changes easily distinguished the different characters and gave them each their own personality. Nima is knowledgeable with many strong attributes but her social skills are not the most refined, leaving many interactions with a feeling of discomfort. She is thrust into a challenge that she is woofully unprepared for, not to mention that her childhood best friend and ex lover is one of the other competitors. Deception, untimely death and power drive the challenge and uncover many secrets leading to an ending that comes all to soon, with many new trails to be followed. The book and the narrator had a flow that kept the chapters and breaks noticable but did not interfere with the overall experience with music to mark the larger transitions. Overall this is a book the I very much enjoyed listening to and could be doing again soon.

3.25⭐

The Raven Scholar started off good but in the middle lagged for me. I did like the ending though.

I also liked the world building and the main characters, especially love interest, Kane.

There were a few funny moments with the Raven and Fox too.

I'll probably read book 2 when it comes out but it won't be high priority because I might have forgotten this one as the plot points weren't that memorable until the end.

I listened to the audiobook of The Raven Scholar. The narrator fully commits to the role and is very enthusiastic. If you're going to be the voice of a collective of ravens, you've got to give it some oomph, and she does! She uses a range of accents and intonations to differentiate the characters and her narration really enhanced both the tension and the humour of the book.

And there's a lot of tension in there! Right from the beginning of this story, I found myself listening to the audiobook with my jaw completely dropped to the floor. There were some really shocking things that happened straight away in the prologue section, and I could never guess where the story was going to go next. I was just along for the ride.

But there's also humour in there, and a really great balance of murder-mystery plot, character development and romance. I came to really like Neema, although it didn't start that way. But I didn't need to love her from the start to be invested in the story because she and many of the side characters were so interesting and unique, and the plot had instantly captured me, so it was just fascinating to see how everything unfolded.

I honestly have no idea where the next two books in the trilogy are going to go, as book one was so unpredictable, so I'm not going to even hazard a guess!

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Listener Copy from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.

I always like a trial story!
There are many participants and all the people around them and as we get to know them, all have their secrets and goals.

Be prepared for many twists and turns, deceptions, treacheries... And as soon as you think you got it figured out, something else happens leaving you dumbfounded. I really liked Neema and her development.
I listened to the audiobook and the voices are made really nicely, there is even some music at times.

I enjoyed this much more than I expected. Let just say I've been burnt by books well marketed who didn't deliver, and luckily this one isn't one of them. Can't wait for the next book in this serie.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder&Stoughton Audio for access to the audiobook against an honest review.*

THIS BOOK IS MAGNIFICENT! My first highlight of the year. The Raven Scholar is a colourful, playful epic fantasy, that is just PURE FUN.

Emperor Bersun wants to resign from office. To choose successor, a competition is held at court. Representatives of the various Animal Guardian houses, the best of the best – Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Hound – are pitted against each other. But even before the first competition, one of them is murdered …
High tension, high drama, high humour, packed with unforeseen twists and turns, these 700 pages flew by, oh my. It is a compelling and highly engaging mix of murder mystery that feels kind of like a heist, but never loses sight of its epic fantasy roots. The pace was fast, but there was enough room for the characters and their development.
So let’s talk about the characters: Neema Kraa, the titular Raven Scholar, is perhaps not the most likeable character at first. She comes across as strict, overly disciplined and arrogant. Of course, she is brilliant and has achieved her ambitious goal to become one of the emperors’ closest confidants, but maybe there is more to her. In contrast to her is Cain, the fox contender, who doesn’t take anything seriously (really, anything), and loves to get in trouble. It is the fox’s way, always to joke on the lips.
One of the most interesting parts for me was their character development. I also absolutely loved the diversity of the cast and world building. Neema is a Black woman over the age of thirty and I read her as autistic coded; Cain is bi and, in my opinion, also neurodivergent coded; the world building is queer normative, which was just very wholesome.
At first, I was afraid I would have problems with the world-building. Everyone in this city affiliates with one of the animal guardians through their professions and character traits, which I am not usually a fan of because it can feel too artificial, but for some reason, here it was done in a more serious and flexible way so it still felt like an organic world building.

Finally, I can only recommend the audio book. Voice actress Daphne Kouma does an incredible job of giving the different factions different voices and even enhances the humorous tone. I applaud the narrator for her interpretation of the footnotes. It truly was: magnificent. I only wished I had access to a glossary – which means, I will read a physical copy one day.
This is an epic fantasy that will appeal to a variety of audiences in the fantasy genre. It is accessible, not too dark, yet with depth and seriousness in its themes and characters.

If you liked this, you definitely should read the Raven Scholar:

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: For the adventure, for the fun, for the diverse world, the humour and the chaotic drama!
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch: Not as gritty as Locke, but highly engaging in its political intrigue and heist-like plot!
Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon: Like Priory, I think Raven Scholar is a good place to start exploring the epic fantasy genre if you’re coming from romantasy or YA fantasy, as it’s an easy book to immerse oneself in.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this digital ARC.

Antonia Hodgson's The Raven Scholar is a masterclass in historical immersion. 18th-century London leaps off the page, thanks to her vivid, evocative writing style. The atmosphere is the true main character. Hawkins is a compelling protagonist, but the central mystery is convoluted and the pacing uneven. While it doesn't break new ground plot-wise, the historical setting keeps things interesting. A must-read for historical fiction fans who prioritize atmosphere over a tight plot, be prepared for a slow middle.

No sé qué me hizo empezar The Raven Scholar, el nombre de Antonia Hodgson me era desconocido y aunque la sinopsis era atractiva, hace ya tiempo que aprendí a desconfiar del marketing encapsulado en cuatro frases. Pero tendré que darle las gracias a ese instinto, porque me he encontrado un libro que merece las cinco estrellas con las que lo he valorado.


The Raven Scholar mezcla la investigación de un asesinato con un mundo de fantasía apasionante, como The Tainted Cup de Robert Jackson Bennett. Y he de decir que esta mezcla de géneros, que no sé si hay un término que describa adecuadamente, al menos a mí me tiene encandilada. No es menos cierto que disfrutar de la lectura de un libro tan extenso gracias a la labor de narración Daphne Kouma lo convierte en una tarea exquisitamente agradable. Además, los valores de producción que incorpora el libro, con ecos y cambios en la grabación en determinados momentos clave de intervención de los personajes no hace si no añadirle valor a esta versión en audio.

La construcción de mundo sobre la que se sustenta The Raven Scholar es excelsa. Tanto el sistema de elección del emperador basado en pruebas que enfrentan a los mejores representantes de las ocho casas de saber, como el hecho de que los dioses sean más temidos que venerados le da muchísimo juego a Hodgson. El torneo que se desarrolla durante las 700 páginas del libro recuerda un poco al de los tres magos en Hogwarts pero vitaminado y supermineralizado. Y aún con todas las bondades que muestra, no tiene por qué ser lo más destacado del volumen, porque el elenco de personajes, su profundidad, su historia pasada y sus relaciones también son un pilar en el que basar el éxito del libro. No me extrañaría verlo enmarcado como dark academy, aunque creo que el volumen ofrece mucho más. También he visto que lo llamaban fantasía épica y tampoco es desacertado, pero sigo pensando que hace falta una definición distinta para algunos libros.

Hodgson también aprovecha para meter ciertas dosis de humor que alivian la tensión in crescendo a lo largo de la lectura. El humor en la fantasía es un tema delicado, no es fácil que salga fluido pero la británica sale bastante airosa de este envite, de mí al menos ha conseguido alguna carcajada y, por lo general, la lectura ha sido con una sonrisa en los labios. Es un recurso muy bueno para contrarrestar los momentos más duros del libro, que también los tiene. Y es que, como la vida misma, The Raven Scholar puede provocar sonrisas y lágrimas al más pintado. La trama es aparentemente enrevesada y algo exigente con el lector, en parte por la gran cantidad de personajes que tienen un papel más o menos relevante en la historia y sobre todo por los vericuetos que los conspiradores y los investigadores deberán recorrer para revelar la verdad, pero, sinceramente, creo que el esfuerzo merece la pena.

Lo más frustrante para mí es ver que se trata solo de la primera entrega de una trilogía y que queda mucho por descubrir, a pesar de la gran longitud de la obra. Pero no me cabe duda de que en cuanto que esté disponible la siguiente entrega me haré con ella, para seguir disfrutando de lo que escribe Antonia Hodgson.

I was not expecting to start 2025 with a 700 page tome of epic fantasy, especially not one that brought something fresh and vibrant to the genre but here we are. What a great start to my reading year.
I really enjoyed Hodgson's historical mystery series so I'm not surprised I immediately gelled with her writing style. This was packed with engaging characters, action, wit and twists against the backdrop of excellent world building. My only stumble was that the prologue was so engaging that it led me to believe the MC would be a completely different character to the Neema, so it took me a while to warm up to her. If you like fantasy competition tropes and political fantasy, then you'll really enjoy this.