I am so sorry, but this book just wasn't for me. I tried three times to get past the twenty percent mark but just couldn't. I think the problem was that' I didn't connect with Neema's pov. I also think that the blurb doesn't quite match the story so I felt slightly misled. There are lots of positive reviews, but this book was not for me

The Raven Scholar is a whirlwind of intrigue, emotions, and intense character dynamics that left me reeling. I really enjoyed the world and the structure of their society. The idea of different communities based off of animals and their personalities was really cool and the world and lore felt very fleshed out.

The first chapter had me on the edge of my seat and I was completely enthralled in the story from the beginning.
I didn’t read the synopsis before starting and I really wasn’t expecting the book to take the turn that it did. (if you know you know)

Neema, the fierce and complex female main character (FMC), is refreshingly human. I loved that she’s not the typical badass snarky FMC that we’ve been seeing more and more lately.
She makes a lot of decisions that make her quite unlikeable to be honest but her development was so interesting to watch; her journey is more about perseverance and strategy than raw power, making her growth compelling.

The trials, though—wow. I normally hate trials in books and I do feel like they’re getting overused in the fantasy space but these trials were actually so interesting and I needed to continue reading. The other competitors did definitely add to my intrigue and my favourite was definitely Ruko.

Ruko… where do I even start with Ruko? He is a puzzling character—one moment I’m questioning him, the next I’m completely captivated. The constant back and forth between wondering whether I should hate him or love him added layers of tension and unpredictability to the plot.

The plot twist towards the end of the book had me almost dropping my kindle like i knew something was off but i was not expecting THAT!

Overall, The Raven Scholar took some sharp and unexpected turns, which kept the pages turning. I do feel like the book was slightly too long but the payoffs are definitely worth it.

Epic fantasy meets murder mystery in the best possible way. I had the best time and also no idea how to review this, so a rambling review it is :)

Emperor Bersun is near the end of his term, and the competition to find his successor is about to start. Each of eight houses dedicated to a different animal/god sends a representative to compete in the trials. When one of these contenders is murdered, Neema, the Raven Scholar becomes her replacement, the lead investigator, and the prime suspect in one fell (and unexpected) sweep. The stakes: life, death, and the fate of the empire. No biggie.

At 656 pages, this book is a chonker with lots of plotlines and characters. There are 80 chapters divided over 8 parts, and I can honestly say that every single one of those chapters carries its weight in the end (even if that is far from obvious while you read some of them). The characters all have depth and a clear individual identity. I was engaged and invested from beginning to end, and after finishing it and seeing where all the bits fit into the larger story I'm just kind of in awe of the author's craft. I don't normally read historical mysteries, but I might need to give the author's other books a go anyway...

If you're a reader of epic fantasy normally, read this. If you're not but you'd like to try the genre, I think this one is a good place to start. Fair warning though: it's the first book in a trilogy, and if the sequel is anything like this, I imagine we might be in for a little wait. (I'm realising ARCs are great in theory, but also mean an extra long wait for the next one).

Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for giving me an eARC of this title to review. All opinions are of course my own.

From the very first page, I was completely immersed in this world, captivated by its rich histories and intriguing characters.

The book seamlessly intertwines mysteries and thrilling trials, keeping me on the edge of my seat. As a fan of magical trials, I was thrilled by how well this element was executed—it certainly didn’t disappoint! While the protagonist was incredibly engaging, I was also drawn to the well-developed side characters, each adding depth and charm to the story.

This is a fantastic new addition to the fantasy genre, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book to discover what lies ahead!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodderscape for this eARC to review.

This was a tough decision, but I DNFed the book… I really like the first pov, Yana’s, but I lost interest in the story when it got to Neema. I didn’t connect to her and thus didn’t care for her goals and trials. Moreover, the book is way too long. The actual story, the one promised in the synopsis, only starts around the 20% mark, and that is far too late… This book could not keep me engaged. I might try listening to the audiobook, but I’m not sure it’s worth it.

After reading the synopsis I was so excited to apply for this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton I was granted this arc. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book early.

The story starts off with Yana’s POV but suddenly changes to Neema’s. While Yana’s story seemed very interesting to me, I didn’t connect with Neema’s story and would’ve preferred reading more of the story in Yana’s POV. Because of this I eventually did decide to DNF this book.

Because I’ve never dnf’ed before, this was a very tough decision. I do see aspects that other people could very much enjoy, but this book just wasn’t for me.

After bumping into a few things numerous times, I felt it was time to put this book aside because I wasn’t excited anymore.

I have seen loads of positive reviews so the story might be something for you! It just wasn’t for me and that’s okay.

What I did enjoy:
- The story is something I haven’t seen before and did intrigue me.
- ⁠Clothing and books were described vividly, those were easier to picture.
- The footnotes were a fun touch
- ⁠The location was at times explained quite clearly. In those times I could also envision that and enjoyed the ideas.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to dive into this universe which sounded so promising! Sadly, it was overall pretty disappointing..
It’s all the more sad because I was really into it at first. I was intrigued and I absolutely loved the first chapters where we follow the first pov of the book: Yana Valit. Her storyline was so interesting! Then comes the second one; Neema Kraa but also, troubles. I had a bit of a hard time with her at first, and while I get where the character development was going, I wasn’t attached nor cared that much about her or the romance bits. I don’t think the pacing helped. It was pretty uneven and I was confused most of the time. At some point I didn’t feel like something was really happening. Only the end captivated me, but that didn’t save the whole boat.

I think the world building was based on so many great ideas and that this book had so much potential, but sadly I wasn’t won over by the execution.

I would rate that book 2,5 stars.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

Okay, so this book is incredibly hyped and normally that means I dread reading my it, because it rarely lives up to the hype.

Thankfully, The Raven Scholar really really lives up to the hype. It will go down as a classic of the fantasy genre.
It has such strong main characters; all of them having their own very unique voice, which kept me thoroughly engaged throughout.
I love a competition based story; the trials meant that the story was constantly moving.

I can’t wait for the sequel!

This was a whirlwind of a story where to start. There’s a murder mystery, political intrigue, trials and competition. I loved the ravens and their POV. I loved Caine and Neema and was rooting for them to find their way back to each other. The magic system and world building was unique and complex.

I need the next book in this series I am still thinking about the ending and may dive back in to reread.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hoddler Books and Antonia Hodgson for the opportunity to read The Raven Scholar.
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First of all, this is quite a long read I didn’t expect to have 650 pages to read.
Sometimes I think some descriptions could’ve been skipped and weren’t necessary but overall it was such an amazing read.
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I like to have one main event but everything is set in the same place. I also really enjoyed to have "one" POV. I’m always confused when we switch narrators in other fantasy books.
The setting was VERY confusing at first with the palaces, the guardians and all the history but it was explained little by little and we could discover people’s real motives with the book.
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In the very beginning I kinda struggle to relate to Neema and most of the other characters but after a few hundred pages it got better.
I had no expectations for this book and was very pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it.
Some mystery is left unclear so there’s space to write more books. However I don’t know if I’d like another 700 pages.
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One of my favorite tropes is when a character is haunting the narrative and everyone else around. Especially with the whole "name editing" it’s really well done.
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Overall this was a 4.75/5 read, I think I would’ve liked it better if it was a standalone with 200 pages more.

Loved this. Fully on board with Neema and her life as a high scholar for the emperor. I savoured the story and actually read it twice, i found it that good. Have pre-ordered the hardback to have in my collection.

Bersun the emperor is retiring from the throne, he has served his maximum of 24 years and a festival to establish his replacement is held. One contender from each house of the Eight must compete in a series of games and challenges to win enough points to succeed the emperor. However, one contender gets killed and Neema not only becomes the prime suspect, but is instructed to replace the murdered contender. Everyone suddenly hates her and believes she killed Gaida, Neema herself also believes she did after someone spikes her with an hallucionagenic and tries to kill her, but did she? Or does Neema hold a higher purpose and may end up being the saviour of them all.

There are some fantastic side characters in this book, Cain who i may be a little in love with - I hated you before it became fashionable. Reku, after Neema kicked another contenders butt " I didnt expect you to interest me but you do, we have a lot to talk about". Littered with funny one liners throughout this is a challenging but engaging read and i really loved it.

I struggle to review this book - I found the characters, and world building very innovative but I struggled with keeping up with the story and the plot.

The Raven Scholar was a really pleasant read. The characters were intriguing and well built. The mystery was good but nothing special or memorable

Every once in a while a book comes along that's so unique and different it really wins a place in your heart. I was drawn to The Raven Scholar by the premise, devoured it for the humour and action.
Neema serves the outgoing Emperor as the Raven Scholar, dreaming of writing her books in peace when she accompanies him on his retirement. Only, during the trials to choose the new emperor, Neema finds herself a contender, battling to not only survive the trials, but perhaps, maybe even win?
This book had everything good fantasy needs and more. The worldbuilding and lore was so unique and different. I was hooked from the start and riveted throughout. There's betrayal, twists where you audibly gasp, humour, love, magic, dragons and a solitary raven.
I can't put into words how much I loved this book. A stunning cast of characters in a wonderfully exotic setting. This is one of my favourite reads of the year. A stunning piece of fantasy and I'm so excited and keen to see where it goes.
A must for any fantasy fan and a very easy five stars from me!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc in return for an honest review.

The Raven Scholar is a glorious, hard to put down read. I laughed, I cried, I gasped and I smiled. Everything I like in story was packed into this well paced and uniquely written book. It has trials, mystery, political intrigue, some romance, a unique magic system and magical creatures, and a badass (and not teenage!) FMC. Neema is intelligent, brave and vulnerable, and makes choices that didn’t leave me despairing. The story told from a third person narration, but you don’t discover who the narrator is until later in the story which was such an interesting read. It’s also really funny, despite moments of high stakes, action packed tension. I loved it, and can’t wait for the next book. Magnificent.

For a fantasy novel, The Raven Scholar starts out relatively low key. There is no epic battle, the land has been at peace for centuries, the only recent rebellion quickly put down before it even got started. There is a minor hangover from that rebellion still to be mopped up, but while even that seems relatively insignificant, you know how it goes with fantasy novels. This is just the beginning of a trilogy, so you can be sure there will be ramifications down the line, and sure enough these events already come back to bite before the end of book one.
So what kind of a fantasy world does Antonia Hodgson delve into in her Eternal Path Trilogy? It's close enough to a Game of Thrones style fantasy, where there are powerful rival families in Orrun and there are religious and militaristic powers. The difference here is that you can choose which 'family' or anat of the Eight Guardians you wish to follow. There is the Way of the Bear, the Ox, the Raven, the Monkey, the Hound, the Fox, the Tiger and the Dragon. Their followers take on the attributes of their chosen guardian - somewhat aligned with the animal characteristics - but few actually worship their guardian or believe that they are 'real'. There is rivalry between all of the clans certainly, but they are all in agreement that peace serves their best interests. The empire is currently run by Bersun of the Bear contingent, but according to the constitution there is a contest between the leading contenders from each group every 24 years to choose a new ruler, and that time is now approaching.

In terms of drama to draw you into the world and its history there are two episodes - seemingly minor, as I said, but likely to become significant. The Raven Scholar opens with the exile of a young woman, Yana, the daughter of Andren Vallit, the Great Traitor who rebelled against the emperor. Condemned by her own twin brother Ruko, exile means certain death, but may we suspect that might not be the end of her story?

The other event is the situation facing the main character we follow in the book, Neema Kraa, a scholar from the Raven monastery whose calligraphy and knowledge of obscure historical customs and lore that she produces papers on are highly valued - so much so that she was tasked with writing the certificate of Exile for Yana. Although the 'anats' are open to all, not everyone is treated equally and since she is not from one of the High Families but a Commoner, Neema hasn't risen to the heights she might have otherwise. She now faces a dilemma over documents that have resurfaced and fallen into the hands of her rival Gaida. These documents reveal that she would have been expelled but for the sudden arrest and death of her instructor. The forthcoming ceremony and contest for the new emperor, largely organised by Neema, is going to be an excruciating experience for the Raven scholar.

That doesn't sound like it is much to go on, but there is certainly enough to keep you locked in and it is certainly never dull as the characters are given as much attention as the history of Orrun. Fantasy has certain conventions and styles, but it also has the capacity for great creativity and imagination and Antonia Hodgson has plenty of that. The warring kingdoms are sort of there (potentially), there's plenty of prophesy, a tournament, and there is a 'chosen one ' in an unlikely commoner, a bookish loner who no-one wants to be associated with, who (you could reasonably presume) comes to achieve her potential. All fine, but what Antonia Hodgson does with those conventions and how she reveals the character of the world is terrific. By the time you are a third of the way in, The Raven Scholar is totally unputdownable, taking on a thrilling momentum.

Needless to say, the contest is the centre of the turmoil that is about to be unleashed,. After 24 years of rule time for change of emperor, and each anat has put forward a contender. Ruko - who had his own sister banished at the introduction to the book - is now the Tiger contender, and as such a formidable candidate. Thankfully though the author spares us the dullness of fighting descriptions, keeping them mercifully brief or passed over entirely in favour of the intrigue they inspire in the imperial court, where clearly other strange events - not least the murder of the Raven contender Gaida - suggest that some other intrigue is beginning to play out. Not to be discounted either is the fact that there is magic in this world, practised by the Dragons who by tradition do not enter the contest for the new ruler. Neema also secretly possesses a magic book that tells her of an ancient curse that is about to be unleashed, a curse that heralds the return of the Eight from the Hidden Realm.

“May they remain hidden”, is the response given to anyone bestowing the blessing of the Eight. There is a reason the Guardians are feared as well as respected. There are however other family and clan secrets that have remained hidden, long histories that are revealed in original ways by Antonia Hodgson partly as a murder mystery investigation, but one where there are mysterious forces at work that suggest that the ascension of a new emperor how heralds an immediate danger to peace. And unfortunately, since the Raven contender is now dead, it is Neema, the bookish Raven scholar who is caught in the middle of a grand intrigue. Indeed a grand conspiracy wouldn't be too big a word for what is going on, and we are only at the beginning of it.

Like any good opening to a trilogy, The Raven Scholar is an impressive start that leaves you wanting more. Like any other good trilogy it also has a satisfying conclusion but opens up a lot of new directions. Some of those are potentially disruptive considering where we are left, but with some wonderful characters supporting Neema along the way including Cain, Benna and Sol and a few others who will remain nameless for fear of spoilers, you have a whole range of other possibilities, interest and humour aside from the sword and sorcery wars and intrigue carrying over to the next book. Can't come soon enough for this reader.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.</i>

The Raven Scholar is an adult fantasy murder-mystery competition-for-the-throne novel which had me very excited from the premise, as I absolutely adored a novel with a very similar premise (The Councillor by EJ Beaton). Unfortunately I had problems getting into this novel right from the start, and could not bring myself to finish it. At the 40% mark I was still waiting for something to happen that would make me care about the plot or the protagonist--if it hadn't happened by then, it wasn't happening.

One of the issues that works against the novel is choppy prose, which likes to switch from narration directly addressing to reader, to distant third-person omniscient, to close third-person perspective, to literal head-jumping between multiple characters in a matter of paragraphs so we see exactly what each of them is literally thinking right now. These jumps tended to happen during the most important parts of a scene, which would throw me out of the flow and distance me from the action and characters.

The other main problem for me is that the novel begins in the point of view of Yana Valit--and then in chapter five switches to a new character, Neema Kraa. Neema is the actual protagonist of the novel but I found Yana to be far more interesting, and to have far more complex relationships with other characters than Neema did. By the time of the switch, I was too attached to Yana and wanted the story to be about her attempts to survive and thrive, not Neema's.

I unfortunately could not connect emotionally to Neema. I found her 50% unlikable and 50% boring -- and the boring half is the killer. I can happily follow an unlikeable protagonist (or villain) if they are engaging. I had no issue with her being coded (intentionally or unintentionally) as autistic, but her goals did not resonate with me (wanting to not be the most junior royal scholar; wanting to move to a monastery to write the retiring Emperor's biography). Wanting to clear herself of a suspected murder charge was the only goal that had any stakes, and that didn't happen until past the 25% mark of the novel, far too late.

The world building has some interesting ideas but never quite came together in a big picture for me. I'm unsure what time period or culture (clothing, food, architecture) this world is meant to resemble. There are fancy ballgowns that sound European but fairly modern, "headscarves" of unspecified culture, generic "armor" that isn't really narrowed down beyond placement on the body never an approximate appearance or time period or culture of origin. There's a cool idea of eight animal gods ruling the world, having saved it seven times but being prophesied to destroy it when they appear for the eighth time. However these animal gods are an extended version of the Hogwarts problem -- everyone in the world has one of seven personality traits (no one can choose to follow the Dragon, the Dragon chooses people via special birthmarks). You follow the animal with your personality trait, and then everyone in a particular animal Clan/Family basically believes the same things, acts the same way, and like/dislike all the same things. There is no culture outside of the animals' culture. For example, all Foxes are tricksters, manipulators, and don't take anything seriously. They are also the only people who make or like iced tea. It just isn't how people or cultures work. The prophecy about the gods destroying the world also never became relevant from what friends who did finish the novel tell me -- a shame because it was one of the most interesting pieces of the worldbuilding to me. Perhaps this becomes relevant later in the trilogy, but even if so, it's an example of another problem with this novel: it's too long for the actual important content. The inciting incident from the book's own blurb (the murder) doesn't happen until 25% into the novel. We spend almost a tenth of the novel following a false protagonist before switching to the real one. There is a lot of description that doesn't actually form a clear picture, padding out a very slow novel that could have been made much tighter. It feels like many current YA and NA Romantasy novels where the authors have made a list of popular tropes and are determined to force them into the story whether they're actually serving the plot or not.

The characters are supposedly 34 and above, but they speak, act, and react like young teenagers. Even the Emperor, who is meant to be around 60, has the temper tantrums of a teenage boy experiencing floods of testosterone for the first time. No one actually has much of a grasp on politics, apart from vague nepotism and plenty of insults and backstabbing. But it doesn't feel like an adult political novel, everything is kept at surface level and neither the content or the prose feel mature enough for Adult Fantasy.

Is this a terrible novel? No. It's because there's so much potential that it frustrates me so badly. We started off with a great protagonist, why did we move to a much blander one? The worldbuilding with the animal gods is unique, but falls into lazy YA "pick your faction aka. single personality aspect" rather than exploring the myths or developing believable non-monolithic cultures. I love a competition for a throne, but making it over 50% PVP duels with a few logic puzzles isn't testing any of the qualities a leader actually needs (or their <i>actual policies????</i>), which leaves it firmly in YA territory where politics is never as important as 'chosen one' abilities (Neema can defeat warriors who've been training all their lives for this competition despite only doing 'stretches' for a short time of an evening that include trying to mimic a few punches or kicks she's seen other animal warriors use). Why raise the issue of the gods destroying the world and then have the main plot be an unrelated murder mystery? The novel tries to do too much and therefore only skims the surface of many things rather than delving into just a few major points of focus. I wish there was more depth to this novel so it felt properly adult rather than YA or NA. As with many debuts of recent years, this needed structural edits to trim the fat and beef up its unique and most interesting facets.

My friends who did finish rave about a huge twist at the end. I can't speak for how well it may or may not be executed, but it sounds like a good twist that no one saw coming. I'm not sure how well it meshes with the rest of the plot that's been established (as far as I understood it at 40%, if the main plot is the murder mystery), or if this is just a big twist for the sake of having a big twist/reveal.

I think personal enjoyment rests entirely on a reader's ability to engage with Neema (which I could not), and their reaction to, or tolerance of, a very disjointed style of prose/perspective/narration.


<b>Rating: 2.5 stars</b>, rounding down as always -- DNFs are almost always a 1 star from me, so please be clear that there is honestly something special buried on this novel to earn 2.5 stars. This could have been an amazing novel, and clearly for many other ARC readers it is. But for me the flaws are too large for the tiny, buried gems.

Well. This is my first five star read of 2025. I was immediately blown away from the get go. It pulled me straight in and I didn’t want to leave. Like seriously, the world building?? The lore??? The pure brilliance of the writing??? I’m actually in awe. This is a truly fleshed out fantasy novel and Antonia Hodgson should be PROUD OF HERSELF. This is a masterpiece. I can’t wait for the next one. This is everything I want in a high fantasy novel.

Thank you to netgalley and H&S for a free review e-arc!

The Raven Scholar is an intricately-woven epic fantasy packed full with trials and political intrigue. Neema finds herself in the middle of a competition to replace the outgoing emperor after another contestant is murdered. She must investigate her opponents to find the killer while working through trials she is wholly unqualified for. Throw in a childhood love, plenty of dirty laundry and more scheming than you can keep track of, and you have the Raven Scholar.

I LOVED the first half of this book!! I was absolutely wrapped and sure it would be a 5 star read. The world-building and lore is unique and absolutely riveting from page one. Did I know what was going on 100% of the time? No. Did I need to? Also no. The author is incredibly talented at throwing the perspective around at just the right times and their overall voice is thoroughly entertaining, there are really no lulls. I love that the book opens with Neema's backstory (before jumping 8 years into the future) rather than slowly unravelling these events because it ensures her motivations and intentions are crystal clear and you can spend time simply enjoying her quirks rather than questioning her actions. She is an incredibly loveable protagonist and I think even if I didn't enjoy this book, I would be likely to continue the series regardless just to spend more time with her. I don't want to spoil anything but her *companion* along the way is so complimentary and will give you so many laughs. I felt like all of the main characters were interesting and layered, and there was just great chemistry everywhere. If you like banter, witty one-liners, etc. this is for you!! I think this is one of the best example of great dialogue that I've ever read. I was astonished and obsessed with the lack of cliches and how many times it pulled a smile out of me.

After the halfway point, things get a little messy, and by the end it's verging on clusterfuck. Personally I think 1 or 2 characters/storylines should have been cut during editing because there are too many leads to follow towards the end and it really impacted the overall quality of the book. I love a fat fantasy book and I think this book is a great length, but it would've been more enjoyable if the main storylines weren't competing for page time with so many other threads. Another reason I think less characters would've been more in this case, is that Neema's relationships with some characters is incredibly dynamic and deep, while other connections read as very superficial and almost unnecessary. I think if there weren't so many characters in close proximity to her that needed attention, there would have been more development overall.

In saying that, I will 100% be looking forward to the sequel, and even possibly rereading this in preparation (depending how far away publication is) and I hope there is more focus as the series continues.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!! Full review to be posted on my GR closer to the release date, but for now, I will keep it simpler:

The Raven Scholar swept me away with its intricate worldbuilding, high-stakes intrigue, and compellingly flawed characters. Set in the richly imagined land of Orrun, where eight guardians vie for power based off on eight different animals, the novel masterfully blends political intrigue, murder mystery, and mythology.

I’ll admit, it took me a little while to warm up to Neema, bc while her arrogance and reclusiveness made her interesting, it's not for everyone, and what she did at the start of the story was cruel. But as the story unfolded, I found myself completely engrossed in her journey, rooting for her despite (or maybe because of) her flaws, lol. And the supporting cast? Every single one of them was layered and memorable. Cain, in particular, stole the show for me, I love him and his cleverness, sense of humour and his bottomless stomach, lmao! (And I am admittedly very partial to foxes — the animal — in general.)

That said, the pacing may not be for everyone. The opening is a slow burn featuring a different character, and the prologue is hefty. But once the story hits its stride, it doesn’t let go. The twists were clever and well-done (for me personally), and I loved how the mystery element wove seamlessly into the larger narrative.

Highly recommended to anyone who is new to this author, as I am!