solid 4 ⭐

when I first started this book, I didn't know I would be in for a wild ride, and how much I would enjoy it. I listened to it on audio, and I have to say the narrator did a fantastic job, I felt immersed in the story the whole time.

what I particularly liked about this book:
- immaculately fleshed out characters
- murder mystery with a plot twist
- deadly trials for the throne
- interesting mythology
- unique world-building and magic system

the only thing that was off for me personally sometimes was the pacing, hence not giving the book a 5-star rating. I am still very much looking forward to the rest of the books in the trilogy!

Big thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for the free audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. 💜

Ok, first off I have to talk about the audiobook. It's narrated by Daphne Kouma and when I say she goes hard, I mean it. What a ride!! She fully commits to the voices of the various characters and the drama and comedy of the moment and I ATE IT UP. Phenomenal narration! 24-odd hours of audiobook has never gone by so quickly.

The story itself is an absolute delight. We've got drama, intrigue, COMEDY, romance, fabulous worldbuilding and wonderful characters. The way I gasped at some of the twists! I nearly cried at one point. This is the kind of epic fantasy I love to read! So happy I read this and I absolutely, wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone.

Eagerly awaiting the sequel and I must buy a stunning shelf trophy for rereads.💜

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I listened to the audiobook, and it was excellent. The story offers ample opportunities for a narrator to shine, and this one absolutely does. The performance brings the characters and tension to life with real skill. The narrative switches between third and first person, which can sometimes be jarring in print, but it works beautifully in audio, especially with a talented narrator. I really hope the same narrator returns for the rest of the trilogy.

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

(Review edited to add note about the narration.)

I love that the author is one of the voices.
Such an interesting and vibrant story, I loved the world building and the story from the start.
The twists and turns were unexpected and am excited to see what happend even if the end was slower than the rest of the book.
4.5 stars

This book was utterly weird in the best possible way. I never knew where it would take me, but honestly I loved it the whole time. I highly recommend going in blind as I did. That being said, I'm going to try to keep this review relatively vague to avoid any sort of spoiler.

The Raven Scholar is epic fantasy with a little bit of everything mixed in. It's chaotic and unconventional, but Antonio Hodgson absolutely crushed it. There's murder mystery, political intrigue, games/trials, dark academia, and just a little bit of romance. It's a relatively long book, but it kept my interest the whole time. A part of that is likely due to the incorporation of asides of folklore delivered via the raven. This was an excellent aspect that really helped to break the book up while giving the reader necessary backstory without overwhelming amounts of information. I was skeptical at the beginning because it started out ominously and I hated the main character, but trusting the process absolutely did not let me down. All of the threads woven together into such an intricate and complex story was incredibly done.

I highly recommend this book and I am already eagerly anticipating the sequel.

4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for providing access to the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A solid mystery fantasy, filled with trials and a likeable FMC (Neema Kraa), that you'll definitely find yourself rooting for. A whole star goes to Sol, as I adored their every line.

It was a pretty long first book, but it was fast paced enough to keep me entertained for its whole duration, never getting bored. The narrator, Daphne Kouma, does an incredible job as well, handling a massive cast of characters, and keeping the voices clearly distinct.

My one complaint would be the inclusion of too many backstories and character perspectives, due to the medium I absorbed this in. In print they might've been easy to track, but here I found myself confused a couple of times, which has hurt the immersion.

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson, narrated by Daphne Kouma | Pub Date 17 Apr 2025

Wow, what a book! I think this was the fastest I’ve ever gone through an audiobook - even though it's over 20 hours long. Huge thanks to the narrator for keeping me completely engaged the whole way through. Now I definitely want a physical copy too!

So, The Raven Scholar is a masterful blend of epic old-style fantasy, political intrigue, and murder mystery.​ The story sets in the empire of Orrun, where every 24 years a new emperor is chosen through a series of trials among seven contenders - Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Houndthe, an eighth (the Dragon proxy) will be revealed only once the trials have begun. And narrative takes a dark turn when one of the competitors is murdered. Neema Kraa, the emperor's High Scholar, is thrust into the dual role of investigator and unexpected participant in the deadly contest. As she navigates court politics and uncovers layers of secrets, Neema's journey becomes very dangerous.

The world-building here is complex but detailed, captive and engaging, and thanks to the narrator, drawing readers into this society with no problem. The characters are richly developed, with Neema standing out as a brilliant protagonist whose determination drives the story forward. Despite the story starts off at a slower, thoughtful pace, giving plenty of room to get to know the characters and the world they live in, but once it picks up, it really picks up - full of unexpected twists and reveals that keep you on the hook.

Overall, The Raven Scholar is an impressive debut that sets up a trilogy with tons of potential. If you're into high fantasy with depth, mystery, and a world you can get lost in, this one’s definitely worth your time.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the narrator for this audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This new fantasy series was really interesting! The world building was so unique and well done. The characters were well written and likeable. There were twists I did not see coming! The narrator was great and easy to listen to. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

First I wanna thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this incredible book in advance.
What a read! The synopsis really intrigued me but I wasn't expecting for it to grab me right from the start. The incredible world building with the super unique magic system (the Eight and them being their Gods, the way some of them could be a part of someone or even possess them), the politics, the very interesting competition and trials they were in. Everything was so well done and our girl Neema, our FMC, she is a badass and she's so damn intelligent. I loved how smart she is from the start, how she evolved with the trials and how she solved one of the twists I didn't see coming AT ALL (the emperor one). I also really like Cain. He's funny as heck and so sweet, even if he tries to hide it.
The last few chapters with its twists and turns: with the emperor, with Ruko, with the Eight, with Nishtala (which I gotta say I really don't like, what an entitled brat).
And I gotta congratulate the narrator. The accents were incredible 👌🏻 and the different voices for every character, even the Raven, the laughter, the screams, all the emotions were passed through the interpretation of the book. It was an incredible narration. One of the best audiobooks I've heard so far.
I'm so looking forward for the next book 🙌🏻

The Raven Scholar is the first book in The Eternal Path Trilogy, and it is a fantasy of epic proportions. The world building is detailed, and the story is long and complicated, but it's all very much worth the investment. Trials for the throne and a murder mystery form the backbone of the story, and I loved the mix of fantasy and mystery. The narrative frequently shifts perspective, giving a deeper sense of the characters and the more surreal aspects of the story, and I really enjoyed the writing style. I also loved the intense rivalry among the characters, the sheer number of twists and secrets, the gentle humour, and the sprinkling of romance. I'm already excited to see where it takes us next.

This was a very solid fantasy, featuring trial elements and a central mystery.
I felt the book was too long for the story it was telling, but I really enjoyed the twists and turns that happened, and the characters (especially Neema) were fantastic. I listened to the audio and I had a few issues with the inflections the narrator put on some of the words, especially when it was dialogue, but I did get used to this.

I LOVED this book!

It took me a minute to get into it, with a fairly slow start. I wasn’t sure about the narrator and didn’t know where the plot was going. But then I got to the end of part 1 and WHAT a plot twist.

There are a few plot twists in this and I didn’t guess any of them. Even when I got it pretty close, the author still surprised me. This is a story of challenges to become emperor, whilst the Neema tries to figure out a murder at the same time. Let me say I usually fold murder mysteries so boring and this was kept me hooked.

Lastly, the narrator proved me wrong. She vocal range, and the way each character had a distinctive voice and their personality shone through, was amazing.

I toyed between a 4 and a 5 but it was so feel good with so many plot twists that I think the 5 stars is well deserved.


Thank you NetGalley and Hodderscape for this ARC. This review is honest and freely given.

If I only had one word to describe this book, it would be magnificent!

This book was so fun to listen to, I enjoyed every second of it. The book immediately grabbed my attention by starting the first few chapters with the tragic backstory of the Valit twins, Ruko and Yana.
After that, the story continues. It takes place in an empire called Orrun. Its costum is that every 24 years, a new emperor will be chosen with a dangerous tournament. In this tournament, one contender of the eight monasteries will compete to become the next ruler. Each of the eight monasteries is named after an animal, representing their Guardian. Each of these factions are known for their typical characteristics. If we look at a Raven, they are known for their knowledge and thus are known to be scholars, lawyers, and clerks.
The FMC Neema Kraa is actually High Scholar of the Ravens.
The reign of the current emporer is nearing its end, so it's time for the tournament. However, right before the tournament, the Raven contender (who also happens to be Neema's arch nemesis) is found murdered in her chamber. Not only does Neema have the task to find out who the killer is, but she also has to compete in the tournament as the new Raven contender...

I love how Neema's flaws are very realistic and recognisable. Each character in the book has their own characteristics that match their Guardian. This also made the world building quite easy to follow. This is why I think this book is very suitable to use as a gateway to high fantasy.
I've come to adore a lot of the different in the book. I do have to say that at certain points, the certain POV switches can be a bit confusing. Still, the book read away so easily for me. I love how I had a wide range of emotions during this book. Some scenes were very tense, and others were really funny. There's a lot of enjoyable banter during the conversations. Next to the adventurous tournament, there's even a murder mystery, politics, and a very little romantic subplot in this book. Even though this book tackles all these topics, they fit the plot perfectly. Also, I need to mention there are a lot of very good plot twists in the story! Even though the book is a little chunky, it definitely didn't feel like that.

I already mentioned the POV's switch often at times, this makes the audiobook easier to follow than if you'd only read it. The narrator has a very pleasant voice to listen to. The narrator speaks with clear volume and good pronunciation. Also, each and every character has their own accent or way of speaking, which makes it very clear for the listener whose current POV is.

To me, this book has everything that I want; good world building,good plot, good vibes, and lovable characters. So, five stars from me, and I NEED the next book now!

So, I actually read the ebook of this a while back and felt like I should give the audiobook a go because I loved the book!

I will say that I preferred reading the book, I just didn’t vibe with the narrator unfortunately.

The Raven Scholar had a lot going for it, but unfortunately for me, it was overly long. I really enjoyed the games & trials element of the book & the different factions fighting to become the new emperor. The backstory was interesting, it drew me in & was a great setup to the main story, but I thought there would be more to come from this.

There were times when the pacing felt really slow, but the characters were well developed & I wanted to know what was going to happen.

The audio was well made & I liked the effects used for the Raven.

I know this will be someone's favourite book, but I'd have liked a bit more pace & a lot more peril.

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson is a one of a kind story —and completely stole my attention from the first chapter. Big love to Hodder for the early access to the audiobook, and massive thanks to Hachette Australia for the physical proof—this one’s going straight into my permanent collection. I cannot for the life of me recommend the Audiobook enough, Daphne Kouma did a flawless job!!! TRS is by FAR the best Audiobook I've ever listened to.

Set in the vivid, sun-drenched empire of Orrun, the novel opens at a pivotal moment: after 24 years of uneasy peace, Emperor Bersun is stepping down, and a brutal contest begins to determine the next ruler. Seven contenders—tacticians, warriors, visionaries—must fight not just with their blades, but with their wits. When one of them is murdered, the task of solving the mystery falls to Neema, the emperor’s enigmatic and brilliant High Scholar. To uncover the truth, she must navigate a tangled web of ambition, lies, and buried history—all while competing for survival among rivals who each have something to hide. Neema thinks she’s on her own, but there’s a force waiting in the wings ... if she dares to embrace it.

What really made this book shine for me was its colourful narrative. We’re not limited to just Neema’s point of view (though her voice is magnetic); we also get to see the inner lives of the candidates and the legendary Eight Guardians themselves. I cannot for the life of me describe how much I loved each of these characters—each a distinct, flawed, richly written character tied to their symbolic animals in such clever ways. Hodgson doesn’t just flesh out a world; she populates it with unforgettable, deeply human characters.

At the heart of it all is Neema. A Black, neurodivergent scholar in her mid-thirties with zero patience for decorum and far too much brainpower for her own safety—she’s prickly, brilliant, and full of contradictions. From the early chapters, which function like a beautifully tragic prelude set years before the main events, we see she’s no stranger to her morally gray decisions. Some of those choices echo through the entire novel, affecting not just her fate but that of the entire empire. She's messy and complicated and deeply, painfully real.

And though Neema carries the story, the real standouts for me were Sol and Ruko. Their voices, flaws, and quiet moments of triumph felt so alive, it was like watching real people bleed through the page. If you had told me that both of these characters would be my favourites at the end of this book, I wouldn't have believed you.

This book is wildly entertaining—packed with razor-sharp dialogue, political intrigue, violence, dark humor, and twists that will absolutely floor you. I’m not exaggerating when I say some reveals left me staring into space, stunned. I thought I knew where things were going. I didn’t. Not even close. The ending blew the roof off my expectations—and it’s only the beginning of a trilogy. I cannot WAIT to see where this story takes us, and as soon as the sequel is announced I'll be marking it in my calendar!

Superb! Spectacular! Stupendous!

I was mesmerised from the very first moment to the very last. In fact, 'The Raven Scholar' is one of those sensational novels where you could turn right back around at the last page and re-read all over again.

I'm looking for words to describe this, and I'm just coming off with all the superlatives. Every character is magnetic (including the non-humans!), and the relationships between characters positively zing with tension and emotion and wit; the narrative is irresistible and just keeps turning and twisting and looping; and the worldbuilding? Talk about arresting! The plot is so entertaining it had me laughing out loud, and believe me that the audiobook clocking in at over 24 hours still had me riveted every minute - didn't feel overlong in any way, thanks in part to Daphne Kouma's exceptional narration. The atmospheric music worked really well too.

The first in a trilogy? Bring on the rest - I'll be counting the days!

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton Audio and Hodderscape..

Don’t let the size of this book be daunting, it’s so worth it!

(Note: Please excuse any incorrect character spellings, as this is an audio review, but I’ve tried to google all that I can!)

I think that may be one of the best plotted fantasies I’ve read in a while! There’s twists on top of twists, and so many hidden layers to the world, it’s fantastic.

🐦‍⬛🦊🐯🐕🐻🐂🐵🐉
Premise:
The book first introduces us to the teenage Valit twins, Ruko and Yana, as Ruko makes a deadly decision for his family. At the same time, isolated Neema Kraa, plays a part in solidifying his actions to heighten her own position amongst her peers.

Years later, the King is stepping down. And as tradition, a tournament takes places with a competitor from each of the 8 animal factions. With a cold Ruko returning to represent the Tigers. Neema’s nemesis representing the Ravens. And her ex, Cain, representing the Foxes.

But when a contestant is murdered, Neema is forced into solving it to prove her own innocence, but ends up uncovering a lot more! All the while, the deadly tournament proceeds, with many forces plotting to prevent something truly evil taking the throne.

🐦‍⬛🦊🐯🐕🐻🐂🐵🐉

A lot happens. It’s a long book. But oh my god, it’s good! I spent most of the book unsure what direction it would go in, and just when you finally feel you understand everyone and their motivations, there’s another twist! It’s so cleverly put together, with so much depth.

I will warn, the first 20% of the book, there is a lot to understand around the world. And lots of character names to learn, and the initial PoV shift is quite abrupt. Neema, the main character, certainly took time to warm to, but I think that’s the nature of her character for everyone.

The character depth was fantastic though. There were so many fantastic fleshed out characters of note, even minor ones stood out. My highlights:

- Ruko. Our villain of sorts. But his character development is fantastic. I dare you not to love him by the end of the book. Despite seeing his most unredeemable moment at the very start of the book, the build up through flashbacks and his character, take you on such a fantastic redemption arc. He’s not the main character, but to me, it felt like this is his story! Plus he’s a 6’5 morally grey warrior, if that helps 👀
- Cain. For the fans of Ridoc and Carrion Swift, I give you Cain! A true fox, with a mantra of ‘eat, fight and f***, for tomorrow we die’. He’s a loveable idiot at times, but beneath the jokes he has so much cunning and tenacity! And feels like such a great balance to Neema.
- The Raven and Sol. I absolutely adored seeing through the eyes of the Raven and their, at times, arrogant narration! The animal counterparts in the book added such immersiveness to it, and I hope we see through more of them in the next book!
- Shal Worthy. Part of me just feels so sorry for him, and I can’t help but love him. He truly felt most deserving of the throne but his own morals stood in his way. I just wanted him to catch a break (ie, Yana retuning and them falling in love 🙏)
- Other notable mentions : Benna being her mega fan self! Katsin’s f you to the king. Fenn and his sneaky trial! So many stand out. And whilst I don’t really like them, the villain (who I won’t name) is brilliant! And truly a masterclass in being a terrible person 🤣

All in all, an immersive and clever fantasy! I’m excited for what comes next!

🐦‍⬛🦊🐯🐕🐻🐂🐵🐉

Audio narration notes:
Easily a 5 🌟 narration. The narrator, Daphne Kouma, was so impactful with her delivery and her range of voices was impressive! Plus the overall production with the music between parts, gave such an eerie feel.

Whilst I loved the narration, I would suggest perhaps the first round of the book would be easier as a read. There’s a lot of take in for the world build and with the audio version, I found myself having to make notes to stay on track! Although by the 25% mark a lot more made sense. And I certainly feel the audio makes it less daunting than taking on a 700 page book!

🐦‍⬛🦊🐯🐕🐻🐂🐵🐉

Tropes / Themes : Tournament to rule the empire; Murder investigation; Court politics; Family drama; Twist after twist; Spirit/Soul animals; Romance subplot ; 2nd chance romance; Multiple PoVs; Secret identities and revenge plots; Visions of the end of the world.