Very unexpectedly but not that surprising, this book made it to the top books of the year for me! This was the most pleasant surprise!!! This book was equal parts entertaining, gruesome, heartbreaking, shocking (I mean those plot twists PLURAL were insane I have barely processed them!) and I can think of a million other ways to describe it. It was so intricately written, the author had the most fascinating and amazing way of giving us new and different perspectives to cover all the events that occurred in this almost 700 page high fantasy novel. This book is fantasy at its finest where has it been all my life! You’ll hate and love all the characters, become very suspicious and frustrated and entertained at the main and side characters and I just know this is just the beginning! The vagueness of the review is purposeful, you need to know boring going in except that it some how uses fantasy, mystery, political intrigue, and those tiny magical hints of romance (mind you this is nowhere centred around that so please don’t go in saying that this book has romance because it not even the centre of this magnificent story) into this beautiful combination and honestly, read it! I loved it with my whole chest!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!!!

A superb fantasy action adventure, set in a magical world, that will have you on the edge of the seat right from page one. A must read that is highly recommended.

Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton (Hodderscape) and Antonia Hodgson for the advanced audio and ebook copies of The Raven Scholar via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel.
The Raven Scholar is a richly imagined fantasy tale filled with intrigue and great amounts of detail. The world-building is well done – complex and plentiful, but clear and easy to understand for the most part. Characters are well-rounded and developed and all contribute well to the plot overall, although I did at times forget names/get characters confused, due to the sheer number of them.
This is a VERY long book, and the first in a series, judging by the ending. The pacing isn’t massively fast, and in my opinion this book could have possibly been split into two smaller volumes, as I found it difficult to keep my attention to it for so long. At times, it felt a bit like a slog.
I enjoyed the divisions of the population by personality and skill, and definitely identified as a Raven myself.
The obvious ‘different’ nature of the protagonist, Neema, who I read as autistic-coded, was a welcome read, as this is an under-represented group of people in fiction. Thank you, Antonia Hodgson!
I absolutely adored the narrator, Daphne Kouma. Although I had both the ebook and audio versions of this title, I preferred to listen to it, simply due to Daphne’s superb voice-work. She employed a myriad of voices in spectacular ways throughout the work and really brought everything to life in the most wonderful way. I will definitely be seeking out more of her narration work.
Moods: adventurous, challenging, mysterious
Tropes: loveable rogue, opposites attract, peril
Pace: slow
Character development: medium
Plot or character driven: plot
Diversity: medium
Spice: 1/5
Trigger warnings: Amputation, Blood/Gore, Death, Death of a family member, Murder, Poisoning, Violence
Rating
Story: 3.5
Audio: 5
Overall: 4

First off I already had it per ordered I was so excited I got approved for the arc Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio this has to be the best audiobook I have listen to it was truly amazing I loved it what a epic masterpiece fantasy and a adventure and wild ride what I loved well everything the plot the characters and being fast paced the the world building and well written 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

For clarity, I was listening to an audiobook so I appreciate that the experience may be different for someone reading a physical copy. I would 100% recommend listening to this book because the narrator is top class. But more on this later!

The Raven Scholar is a very clever story, with many many layers, jaw dropping revelations and unexpected twists. The world building is very immersive with plenty of background information, perhaps a little too dense at times, but still never boring.

The characters are beautifully developed, even those we meet only for a brief moment; there were always some small, seemingly insignificant details mentioned that painted a clear picture in my head. I couldn't pick my favourite character, but there's a talking raven, an overly ambitious scholar, several very complicated contenders for the throne, one of whom is also very morally grey and we don't like them until we learn more about their motivation. Even as I write this, thinking about them all makes me want to listen to it again!

This book is packed with drama, action, tension, treacherous schemes, political intrigues, murder, epic trials, cliff hangers, twists, oh so many twists!, and I absolutely loved it! Already looking forward to the next book!

And I really must mention the amazing narrator, Daphne Kouma, who brough this book to life. The variety of accents, voices, the humour..... it was spectacular. One of the best narrations I've ever heard. I know there are actual awards for book narrators and I think that Daphne Kouma deserves one.

Thank you so much to Hodderscape and Hodder and Stoughton Audio for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

A solidly enjoyable first fantasy series instalment that had all the bones of beginning a new stellar series. This was a little slow in places but the characters glued the story together for me. I thought the trial element would take more of a centre stage, as that is what drew me to the book in the first place, but I had fun in this world, regardless.

For twenty-four years Bersun the Brusque has ruled as emperor of Orrun. As his reign comes to a close, seven contenders compete to be the new ruler of Orrun.

The contenders are trained at rival monasteries that represents a sacred animal - Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey and Hound. The eighth contender - a Dragon proxy - is revealed only once the trials begin. They are the best warriors of their monasteries. But one of them is murdered.

Neema Kraa, High Scholar and Raven contender is instructed to investigate but as she hunts for the killer, she finds herself in increasing danger.

The Raven Scholar is perfect for fans of high fantasy, trials and murder mystery.

From the beginning I was hit with treason and political intrigue, then comes the trials which are vividly told. There are numerous threads to the story, but it isn't overwhelming, nor is the world-building.

I love how the contenders' characters perfectly weave with the guardians they represent.

The narration was spectacular, creating an immersive narrative. Narrator Daphne Kouma does an amazing job bringing the characters to life, each is distinctive and expertly enhanced.

I will never look at ravens the same way again!

OMG 🐦‍⬛ THIS 🦊 BOOK 🐉 IS 🐒 SO 🐻 FREAKIN 🐅 GOOD 🐂

I honestly don’t even know where to start. This book is so different, so refreshing, so intriguing, so imaginative I cannot even begin to tell you how hooked I was.

Welcome to Orrun, an empire devoted to the Eight deities - the Tiger, Monkey, Raven, Fox, Hound, Ox, Bear and Dragon. After the emperor’s 24 year term is over, a representative from each of the temples faces a set of deadly and devious trials in order to earn the throne. But after the Raven representative is murdered the night before the festival begins, the emperor’s High Scholar Neema is thrust into the unwanted position of contender. But behind this long-established routine of power change, political machinations are in motion, and the Eight - who have saved the realm 7 times - promise to destroy Orrun if they have to return again.

UGH. This story is delicious, I really could not put this down. There’s a murder mystery, prophecies, courtly intrigues, spies and assassins, games and trials, just EVERYTHING.

The characters are so complex and interesting I found myself caring about every single one of their journeys rather than just focussing on the main storyline.

That brings me to the writing - my god this blew me away. At first you don’t know what perspective this story is told from, is it a narrator or another character? The story seems to jump in perspectives and tells the overall plot through so many different characters that it just feels so rich and complex that I could just squeal about it for days. Aside from that the characterization of the Eight, the way their voices are woven into the story is just incredible.

I would give this 10 stars if I could. I’m begging for book two and this isn’t even out yet!

This is one you NEED to pre-order. It releases on 17th April and trust me you must must MUST add it to your TBR.

Thank you so much Hodderscape, NetGalley and Antonia Hodgson for the absolute privilege of reading this ARC!

What a phenomenal read! This book is simply unputdownable.

It is so rare to find a story that sucks you in from beginning to end. The Raven Scholar is 100% that book.
A tense and gripping fantasy mystery mixed in with beautiful moments of levity and humor where I found myself laughing out loud, this book is truly a masterpiece of storytelling.
With plot twists within plot twists, tense political intrigue and very clever writing that slips in and out of different POVs in a seamless yet slightly misleading manner, I found myself hooked from the very beginning.
The mystery is expertly woven such as the worldbuilding never feels like an info dump and the plot progresses smoothly at a fast yet never confused pace.
The world the author builds, with its eight guardians and the beliefs surrounding them is fascinating and rich.
As for the character work, it is, like the rest of the book, beautiful. Neema, the Emperor’s High Scholar, is such a complex and fascinating character. She is whip-smart and dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge but the circumstances that led her to reach her position paint her as morally ambiguous bordering on gray.
The romance in this book is another very strong element for me. The author manages to make us feel invested in the fate of the love interests’ relationship. The angst in their interactions is palpable and I simply could not do anything but root for them.
I would be remiss not to mention the prose in this book. The transition between povs was diabolically good. While Neema is the main character through which we experience the story, the POV shifts add so many layers to the book, one in particular was an absolute delight to read and took me by surprise every time.

The Raven Scholar is a masterclass in storytelling. A truly magnificent book and a magnificent audiobook. Daphne Kouma does a phenomenal job to bring the characters to life, in what is no small feat given the multiple povs. The production quality of the audiobook is incredible.

So initially I requested this as an audio book but like with most fantasy the word building was fairly intricate and 20% in I couldn’t understand exactly what had happened So I came back to net galley to check if there was a digital arc and there was so swapped over to that.

I’m so glad I did because I really enjoyed this book and still listened to the audiobook whilst I was out and about.

This is a fairly long fantasy at 700 pages for book 1 but I loved the authors story telling and there were some twists and turns I didn’t see coming.
In a kingdom with 7 animals houses, people choose which house to pledge themselves too based on their interests, morals and characteristics. So the main character Neema is part of the Raven house, as a scholar and her diligence to the raven way makes her make a pretty questionable decision at the start.

Fast forward 8 years later and the time has come to choose a new emperor, to do so one chosen participant from each other the 7 houses compete in trials. However at the same time Neema is tasked with uncovering a mysterious murder of one of the participants.

I loved the concept of the animal houses, how their personalities lifestyle, and trials reflected the traits of each of the animals. I’m not sure if this was loosely based on the Chinese zodiac

It was definitely a unique experience having a PoV from these animal guardians. There were plenty of laugh out loud, shocking and tender moments, Absolutely loved Cain, the cunning fox contender.

The audiobook felt a lot more juvenile compared to actually reading it on kindle so whilst I enjoyed the option of continuing the story throughout the day I preferred ‘reading’ the story, it made the romance more believable especially as these characters were mid to late twenties the audiobook didn’t present them in that way. Also the afore mentioned Raven POV was pretty jarring to listen to

Overall a enjoyable intricate fantasy which I would recommended

I was given an copy of this work in audiobook format via Netgalley free of charge in return for an honest review.

The narration is awesome and does an excellent job of bringing the characters and the world of the story to life. It couldn't have been done any better in my opinion.

The story has amazing world building, the history and politics are well thought out make sense. I love the guardian beasts it's very different and refreshingly new.

The story itself is beautifully woven story telling epic. The characters are brilliantly human and they each have merits and flaws that the reader can identify with.

I truely loved every moment spent with Neema and Kane. I can't wait for the next part of this tale it promises to be amazing.

note: i will rate the book and the audiobook separately.

book: ••••.25
i love the world building. and it's my first time reading a high fantasy book with a mystery element in it, so that's why i like the book. there are some parts that got me cringe, but nonetheless i've enjoyed it. (and i need book 2 asap. but since it's a trilogy, i guess i have to wait for a year or more for the next book.)

audiobook: •••••
reasons why i'm IN LOVE with this audiobook:
1. daphne kouma's narration and different voices of the characters (especially the raven)
2. the music production once the book starts, opening a new part, and ended

Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🫶

Amazing book! It really took me by surprise from the very beginning.

I didn't know anything, and I mean *anything*, about this book. I only knew that a subscription box would include this book for the month of April, and I wanted to know if I should get it or skip it.

I kept delaying reading it because it is almost 25 hours long, and I think I was a little frightened by the length, but my god, I didn't even know how fast-paced it is. There is literally no time for breathing with this book.

AND THE AUDIOBOOK!!! HELLO???? Daphne Kouma! Ma'am, you are amazing! The production for this book is 10/10!! I'm not joking. There are even a few sound effects and different accents for the characters! Amazing.
From the first chapter, I thought Yana would be the main character, and when we got Neema, I was waiting for Yana until Part 2. I realized Neema is the main character, and I don't mind. Don't get me wrong, I love Neema, but something about Yana made me think she was more important.

I am 71% done; I don't know what will happen.  But I don't think Yana is dead.

At some point, Cain said something along the lines of "we rescue people," and I thought maybe he saved Yana, especially since he said from the very beginning that he liked her and that she was innocent. 👀👀👀👀

I don't think Ruko is as bad as everyone says. I just have a feeling.

Oh and I wanted spice :( not hardcore but I thought we will get a steamy scene :(

----
Now I finished it. Amazing. I was right about Ruko and maybe wrong about Yana.

I loved every second! Can't wait for book 2!

The Raven Scholar delivered some of my favourite aspects of epic fantasy. It was packed full of deception, high stakes, political manuverings and power-hungry characters who regard morals as a luxury. This book would make a great recommendation to lovers or R F Kuang’s The Poppy War.

This story offers an array of plot lines to follow: seven contenders competing to become the next ruler of the empire, a murder mystery investigation, an ancient prophecy threatening to unfold and a reuniting of characters haunted by a past tragedy. Whilst each plot line was extremely compelling, the story was difficult to follow at times. Large aspects of world building were introduced throughout the book with little time to digest new information as the many plot lines forged ahead. The reader may be further puzzled by the swapping of narrative forms, POVs and frequent jumps from present to past. The sporadic use of first-person plural amidst the default third person narrative was at first baffling, but later leant a unique, mystical element to this story which really complemented the darker tone, and not to mention, often provided excellent comedic relief.

There is an element of this book that lends itself well towards audiobook narration and it was fully embraced in this production. The narrator encorporated a host of character voices and tones. I would say I did find the voices for Cain and Yanara a tad grating and it was difficult to keep track of changes to character POVs but I would certainly listen to the audiobook production of the sequels.

The shining aspect of The Raven Scholar was the unpredictability and this is coming from someone with a decent track record of foreseeing plot twists. The turns frequently left me absolutely delighted.

To conclude, I would highly recommend The Raven Scholar to any seasoned epic, high fantasy reader who has been struggling to find a book that scratches the itch. Those venturing into the fantasy genre for the first time may find this more of a challenge.

thank you to Hodderscape and Antonia Hodgson for giving me the e-arc & audiobook of The Raven Scholar!

the narrator is absolutely amazing! her narration instantly drags you into the story with how she brings the characters alive.

Antonia does an AMAZING job at world building as we’re taken into a world where there are eight gods, based off animals and the people that pledge in turn take on the traits of their patron god which was really interesting to read!

THE POLITICAL INTRIGUE one of my favourite parts of high fantasy novels with The Raven Scholar having a mix of murder mystery involved too.

There were different POVs throughout the book, with the story beginning with Yana then shifting over to Neema (I love them both. The Raven being an omniscient narrator was so cool.)

The length was definitely intimidating at first, but it’s SO worth it for a high fantasy, and it does have a romantic subplot. I love all the characters, but pink-pink the chameleon is an actual icon, also the part with the fox god manifesting into a physical form but then complaining about his alter not having chickens was hilarious!

I absolutely recommend this book and I’ll be sure to read the sequel!!

This book was incredible! I have never read a book so unique yet so brilliant. It had everything you could possibly want out of a fantasy book. Political intrigue, intricate magic system, rich world building, high stakes, mystery, trials, gods, subplot of romance.
One thing that really stood out to me was the narrative voice of the book. Hodgson cleverly chose on omniscient narrator in the form of The Raven to tell the story. You follow the story of Neema predominantly, but the narration allowed for important perspectives from some of the other characters.
Considering this book is so long, I could not put it down.
The narrator of this audiobook was excellent. I enjoyed the music breaks between parts, it gave it the effect of starting a new episode of a tv series that you are binge watching.

I went into this book not knowing much about the plot or other peoples opinions, and I ended up loving every second! I was immediately captivated by the immersive world building and intriguing plot. The main character was intelligent and likeable, and the cast of side characters had diverse personalities.
At times I felt like there was a lot going on and I struggled to follow the plot, but as the plot progressed everything started to fall into place.
Overall I was completely captivated by this story, and I fell in love with the characters. The plot felt epic and high stakes, and left me so excited to read the next one!
I also listened to the audio version of this book and the production was seamless, the narrator was captivating and expressive without being over the top.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC (and ALC)!

I was really excited to dive into The Raven Scholar. The premise is very intriguing —an empire ruled by divine animal factions, a deadly competition for the throne, and a murder mystery at the centre of it all. It sounded like exactly the kind of fantasy I enjoy.

Unfortunately, while there were interesting ideas, the execution didn’t quite land for me.

The book tries to combine several genres—epic fantasy, murder mystery, and political intrigue—but the blend never fully works. The pacing felt slow, and at nearly 700 pages, it dragged in parts. I found myself losing focus and re-reading sections often. I enjoyed the initial POV, but the early switch felt jarring, and I didn’t connect as well with Neema’s perspective.

There were also a few stylistic choices that made the reading experience feel disjointed. One that stood out was the use of modern slang and swear words in a world that otherwise leans toward high fantasy. I know this works for some readers, but for me, it broke the immersion.

The romance subplot didn’t particularly resonate either. And while I appreciated the diversity in the cast, I found it hard to connect deeply with most of the characters.

That said, there were things I enjoyed! The concept of the eight animal-based factions was creative and intriguing, and there were some clever, humorous moments that stood out. I especially appreciated Sol, who brought a much-needed dose of warmth and lightness.

I also alternated between the digital copy and the audiobook, hoping it would help me connect more with the story. While that didn’t change my overall experience, I do want to highlight that the narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life.

I’ve seen many readers connect with this one, and I truly believe it will find its audience. If you enjoy slower-paced fantasy with political complexity, mythological themes, and a touch of mystery, this may very well be for you. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t the right match for me—and that’s okay.

Okay, so The Raven Scholar is one of those insanely ambitious, charmingly chaotic, and uniquely unconventional stories that has absolutely zero business working as well as it does, and yet it absolutely soars. It’s part intricate epic political fantasy, part riveting murder mystery, part cutthroat competition for the crown, and just 100% playful, inventive, magnificent, and unpredictable fun.

Welcome to the deceptively sumptuous and sophisticated world of Orrun, where nothing is as it seems and danger, treachery and deceit lurk around every corner. We are dropped into this world during a pivotal moment in history, as emperor Bersun’s peaceful 24-year reign is about to come to an end. So, per tradition, the seven Animal Guardian Houses have all sent their best representative to compete in the trials to become his successor. But then, one of them dies before the competition can even start, and so chaos, drama and mayhem ensues.

Now, all I knew about The Raven Scholar before going in was ‘locked room murder mystery, but the locked room is an island’ and ‘cutthroat trials in a competition for the crown’, and that was all I needed to be sold. And honestly, would have been fine if that is all it delivered, but Hodgson said: “Hold my beer”, and then continued to weave a tale that is truly unlike anything I have ever read and which satisfied fantasy cravings I never even knew I could have.

I mean, it’s got a magnificent (queer-normative) world with a detailed history and rich mythos that comes to life through folktales, footnotes and all other kinds of historical gems scattered throughout the narrative, a wonderfully diverse cast of complex characters with strong (hidden) motivations whose vices and virtues are on full display, an omniscient sassy sentient raven POV who sweeps us throughout time and space, mischievous meddling gods, a second chance friends-to-rivals-to-lovers romantic subplot full of banter and snark, and tons of political intrigue that build up to a grand conspiracy ages in the making.

And as the cherry on top, we get to watch this magnificent tale unfold primarily through the eyes of our titular raven scholar Neema Kraa, who is absolutely one of the most compelling (female) main characters I have ever met. Not only is she a Black, neurospicy, socially awkward scholar in her mid-thirties (we love to see it), but she is also just such an idiosyncratic, walking contradiction of a woman who is way too intelligent for her own good. From the very first few chapters, which take place some years before the main events of the story and serve as a little tragic catalytic prologue, we see that she is willing to make very questionable choices to benefit herself; choices that will come back to haunt not only her, but the entire empire of Orrun.

As complicated as she is though, I absolutely adored her with all my heart and I had a blast following her as she is just desperately trying to survive what is possibly the worst week of her life. Through a series of unfortunate events, she has somehow ended up as the replacement for the murdered Raven contender and now has to participate in the cutthroat trials, while also leading the confounding murder investigation in which she she may or may not be a prime suspect, while also trying to wrestle with her confusing feelings for her frustratingly charming ex-lover who participates as the Fox contender (THE CHEMISTRY!!), while also reluctantly forming a bond with her new solitary raven companion who offers way too many unsolicited opinions (and who also has a tendency to burrow inside her chest). In other words, girlie deserves a break.

The uniquely clever way that she approaches the dangerous trials (in which she is SO out of her depth) and navigates all the intricate webs of silly court politics had me on the edge of my seat, and I loved seeing her interact with all the dangerously ambitious people around her, be they fellow competitors or any of the other larger than life characters that she crosses paths with. The complicated interpersonal relationships and razor-sharp, snark-laced dialogue in The Raven Scholar absolutely shine, and I loved seeing everyone clash or work together in the most unexpected ways.

Now, in a way it almost feels wrong to call Neema the main character of this story, not only because the scope just became bigger and bigger as Hodgson wove all the seemingly separate threads/perspectives of this story into one magnificent masterpiece, but also because each character in this tale just has big main character energy. There wasn’t a single character who didn’t leap off the page with personality, but especially Cain (my favourite food obsessed chaos queer), Sol and, most surprisingly, Ruko ended up really stealing the show for me.

And if this book wasn’t already captivating enough on its own, the audiobook experience just added a whole new level of life and immersion to it. The way that Daphne Kouma captured the legendary yet playful vibe of the story and brought all these characters, both human and non-human, to life is absolutely nothing short of masterful, and I think her narration and Hodgson’s evocative writing are just a match made in heaven.

There’s absolutely no denying that this book is unapologetically unconventional and indulgent, but there truly wasn’t a single aspect, scene, sentence or word in this story that didn’t entertain me. See, similarly to in Jenn Lyons’ A Chorus of Dragons series, there’s a certain cheeky charm to the writing that not only breathed so much life into this rich world and diverse cast of vibrant characters, but which also made me fly through this 700-page chunker without any effort.

The Raven Scholar just sunk its claws into my heart on the very first page and never let me go. It has absolutely soared straight to the top of my favourites list and single-handedly raised the bar for what epic political fantasy can and should be. And if that absolutely diabolical and bittersweet ending is any indication (hello emotional gut punches), then this is only the beginning of the wickedly wild ride that Antonia Hodgson has in mind for The Eternal Path Trilogy. So don’t walk, don’t run, but spread your wings and flock to the bookstore to get this absolute gem of a book, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Raven Scholar is scheduled for release on April 17, 2025.

I have really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of The Raven Scholar. Daphne Kouma, the narrator, is excellent.

Although I was slightly confused that the episode at the start of the novel seemed to have little to do with the ensuing plot, it all came together nicely, and I had several almost sleepless nights because I found it so difficult to put down. This is the first book in a trilogy, and I am certainly looking forward to continuing the series, especially as the ending was tantalisingly, but not unexpectedly, left a bit up in the air.