Honestly I don't know what I expected when I went into this story but whatever it was, it doesn't compare to the reality of how great this book actually was.

Say hello to one of my new favourite books: an early "Best of 2025" contender and the start of a new Epic Fantasy series that will appeal to a wide range of folks!

Please forgive me while I absolutely gush.

From the earliest chapters I could feel myself getting entirely hooked-- vividly picturing what was happening, the characters feeling real and full and lived in, the world immense and brimming wih history & character, the stakes already so high... And that's not even when the main story starts! A little taste from eight years before our true plot, but already so rich.

So why should you pick this up? Why will so many folks find something worthwhile in this story?

- The World-Building: this is a world that's clearly been fleshed out with a history and a present and a future that extends far beyond what we see on page. from famous poets to historic battles, from colorful fashions to crumbling cities, from enigmatic leaders to the lowliest orphans... the whole book is stuffed full of details to pick up on and teasers of more to come

- The Mythology: there are 8 distinct beings of myth who embody certain attributes and ideals, and most members of the society are pledged to one of the 8 factions who follow them. it added a fun flavor and character dynamics as they follow their faction's guiding principles

- The Characters: these are fully fleshed out characters with virtues as well as flaws, from the stoic to the silly. I'm not much of a character-driven reader, but I immediately loved so many of them from even their initial introduction, and it's always so noteworthy and special when an author accomplishes that.
and omg the animal companions!!! I loved them all from the moment they were introduced and will go to war for them.


- The Murder Mystery: who doesn't love a good ticking clock and a field full of suspects with motives? who doesn't love snooping through their rooms and uncovering the secrets they'd rather keep hidden? Hodgson uses this element to excellent effect, building tension and introducing interesting scenes that couldn't otherwise take place in an internally consistent way

- The Competition: trials/competitions/games are such a staple trope for a reason-- they're a great way to ratchet up the stakes and pit characters head to head. I loved the cleverness of these trials and that our main character wasn't always over-prepared. I think it's also really rare for trials to be approached with such sideways logic, which kept them feeling fresh and original instead of stale and repetitive

- The Writing: there's a wry humor in the narration style that I absolutely adore (and at the risk of setting expectations too high, very much reminds me of Tamsyn Muir's style). I think that the lens through which the story is told is quite clever and allows for some really interesting perspectives. and while we're talking high, high stakes and the end of the world quite often, the narration and several of the characters are quite humorous and lend a much needed levity. for every moment with a serious and efficient warrior there's a lazy and comical jokester

- The Twists: with as many books as I've read, I tend to be fairly good at spotting patterns and predicting outcomes. but I'd be lying if I didn't say the author managed to pull a lil switcheroo on me a few times. there are some fantastic twists in this which really made the story feel original and kept me on my toes. obviously your mileage may vary, but I absolutely loved it.


Overall this truly delivered on all my expectations and despite the 700 pages, I never felt it was a slog or a chore. Cannot wait for more in this series and so excited to start 2025 with a bang!

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions and endless whinging while I wait for the sequel are my own.

This is a tricky book because so much of it revolves around a bait and switch in expectations, but that means it starts in a way that feels much more expected than the way it ends. I had to push through that start (it's effectively a prologue, but it feels much longer) and once I did, I came to love the uniqueness of how the characters were placed. Though I feel like there were other places where the pacing dragged slightly, and I don't love how many characters ended up physically similar to the animal gods they represented, the nuance of the interpersonal dynamics and the set up for the rest of the series had me hooked by the end!

This was one of those books I tried not to devour, I wanted to take my time, but it just drew me in and did not want to let go. Neema, our MC, was such a outstanding and relatable character. Not only because she's a little older than the trend, but she's trying her best doing what she loves despite those around her. She's genuinely smart and diligent and I felt for her. Especially for how she's treated by her fellow ravens. It did take me a bit to figure out what this book was. It wasn't heavy fantasy and could be so hilariously unserious but I say this in the best possible way. It was honestly just a well rounded read. All the characters were real and had clear motivations that had me invested. There was just a touch of romance which I ate up. This is just one of those books that I'm going to reread and think about long after I'm finished. Ever as I write this I'm connecting stuff that I missed. I am so happy this is a trilogy. I want more and can't wait until this is officially released!
Big thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this arc!

This was a great inventive debut. I had a lot of fun reading about the world building, lore and characters. Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future and highly recommend if you enjoy fantasy.

I enjoyed the author's almost playful writing style that brought levity and personality to the story. I think this book has a good interesting voice overall but the story itself failed to grip me. I think the length had something to do with it as sustaining momentum is difficult in a large fantasy novel like this and unfortunately for me it didn't grip me.

The Raven Scholar is a gorgeously inventive high fantasy that breathes new life into the genre. Many books claim “court intrigue” as one of their tropes, but this is real political intrigue in the tradition of Dune and other great classics. Rich world-building and a cast of complex characters make this a unique and wonderful reading experience; it’s been a long time since I enjoyed a fantasy book this much. It is a big book at over 600 pages, but never once felt long; I was caught up in the story from the first page, and never lost interest. I think this is a triumph of epic fantasy from an exciting new voice, and I’m so excited to see what she writes next! I would recommend The Raven Scholar to fans of The Justice of Kings, as well as readers who love complex high fantasy.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the arc! The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

This was such a fascinating fantasy - I haven't read as many epic fantasies as I wished I had and this truly made me realize I have to pick up more.

This book had several different elements that made it so captivating and hard to put down: brutal trials, murder, mystery, betrayal, and so so much political intrigue. There are several core characters (though some of them I found to be more compelling than others), and the omniscient narration was so mysterious. It was somewhat clear who they were but still fascinating to see it all unravel. I think fantasy readers will absolutely devour this book.

Thank you so much to Orbit and NetGalley for this ARC! 📚

i LOVED this, and cannot wait for it to release to talk about it with everyone i know. this is high political fantasy done deliciously.
Neema is a lowly Raven Scholar at the court of Emperor Bersun. Because she was born a commoner the nepo babies around her in the Raven palace disparage her, leaving her lonely except for her childhood friend Cain who is often busy on Fox business. When a series of events leads Neema on a task for the Emperor she feels morally torn about, it ruins her lifelong friendship but thrusts her into greater power in the Emperor's court.
Eight years later and it is time for the Emperor to end his reign according to the laws of the land - and a Festival will be held to determine his successor with a representative of each of the Eight guardians. But when one of those representatives winds up dead before the offical start of the festival the Emperor tasks Neema with the solving the mystery, only for her to get incredibly tangled in a web of power, greed, and secrets that will change the course of history.
While this is over 600 pages i FLEW through it. I did not want to put it down and am distraught that it's over and i have to wait an unknown amount of time for the next book.
Neema is one of my new favorite characters - incredibly intelligent, lonely girl who isn't always likeable but i love her. And the way Hodgson plays with narrative voice in this so so fun and interesting and at times took me by surprise and had me giggling out loud.
The layers of political intrigue and secrets in this were so GOOD to watch unfurl over the course of the novel and when i thought i'd figured everything oh boy i sure hadn't. This book uses so many familiar elements in a high fantasy but tells a story in a way that feels so new and original to me.
Orbit please tell me when the next book is coming.

This was great! I don't usually love an epic fantasy without romance but I really enjoyed this one! I loved the political intrigue, the world building, and the character development. It did not feel like 700 pages, I was absolutely hooked the entire time, couldn't put it down. I feel like fantasy readers are all going to love this one!

ohhhh man after a year of romantasies promising politics and morally grey characters with the politics being “im a secret prince” and the morally grey characters being “it was all for good actually” it is SO refreshing to read something like this. the characters did bad things for selfish reasons and they don’t turn out to be excuses because “it was for the greater good”, they just… go on living having done a bad thing and it’s accepted as their past. except cain. he’s never done a single thing wrong in his life and we love him for that

So, I didn't HATE this book, but I didn't necessarily enjoy this book either. All the characters I enjoyed were side characters and that was a little frustrating. It feels like whenever authors decide to make a main character kind of unlikeable, they make them poor or bullied to sort of justify their unlikeability. I really didn't like the main character, it felt like she used a child as a stepping stone to further herself whether or not what happened to the child was going to happen either way, she was only justifying doing the horrible thing. All I could think whenever something bad happened to her was "eh". Kind of like, well well well, if it isn't the consequences of your own actions. Although, there were some parts of the story I found interesting and there were some characters I was entirely invested in seeing what they did. And the twist, I did NOT see coming, so that was exciting and interesting.

Other than above, I enjoyed the house system, some of the side characters, the twist was a nice touch. The two most seen gods the Raven and the Fox were probably two of the most interesting characters in my opinion. It felt like this was trying to be an adult book but read like a YA novel as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the arc! Hmmmm. This was so good for the first 90% and then the author took a laced edible or something, because what the fuck was that last 10%. Anyways, I like this book, I enjoyed most of this book, the ending made me mad. Here are some pros and cons


Cons:

As mentioned earlier, the ending nearly ruined the book for me. Genuinely. The last 10% of the book seemed incongruous from the first 90%.
In the last 10% we lose what makes the book special, we lose its strengths, and instead get a full showcase of its weaknesses.

The ending was cartoonish. Everything was over-the-top: the cliches, the reveals, EVERYTHING.
It was abrupt and contrived; the story is unpredictable, yes, but you get to this ending through lazy means of storytelling (doesn’t tell, but also doesn’t show).

Minus a full star for a cliche villain reveal monologue. What lazy storytelling


Pros:

The first 90% I found the plot engaging. The twists and reveals were jaw-dropping without being cartoonish. I did grow to be fond of the side characters and other contenders. Ruko, Fenn, Benna, and the animals were among my favorites. Cain and Keema I found to be believable and cute as a couple and as individual characters, even if I felt distant to them.

I love the world building and lore we got. The legendary artists, fables, and dragons were fascinating to read about. I also love a good footnote. The animals had cool abilities as well, all though I wish more things were explained, and explained thoroughly. I want to see how I got from point A to point B. I do think that some important parts of the lore were skimmed in important areas. Take the first raven queen as an example, the amethyst crown. These are things we should have learned more about. Honestly, if anything, I just wanted more of everything regarding the world, and that’s not a bad thing. I do see lots of potential for expansion and detail in future installments.

The formatting and narration was this book’s greatest strength. The prose was witty, easy to follow, humorous, sharp. I love the ravens, as they’re truly magnificent. Despite the mess that was the ending, the formatting and narration does set this book apart from other epic fantasies currently out. Most definitely one of the most memorable narrators I’ve had.

At first after finishing I swore off continuing this series, but after sitting with my feelings for a little bit, I might cautiously continue. There are certain things I’m excited about, all though I do of course have many concerns. All in all, this book was good, but it could have been great. Just don’t piss me off in the last 10% again, thanks. -3.25 flocks.

This excellent epic fantasy was such a relief after all the cozy and romance fantasy I've been reading. I really loved this. I am hoping a few things will be tightened up before publication because there were times it felt a little weighed down in both plot and pacing. It got a little bit hard to keep track of every characters motivations as they kept shifting and evolving so often. The ending felt a little rushed after we had spent so much time with this major competition as the focus. I did really enjoy the capricious nature of these gods and the internal moral struggles of the main characters. Looking forward to the second!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC.

The Raven Scholar has engaging plot, rich world-building, and complex characters, making it a standout addition to the epic fantasy genre.

The constant forward momentum & the depth of the protagonists & their stories make this a must read!

For a 700 page book, I wish this had went on longer - it was such an enjoyable read, every moment of it.

There's so many little twists and turns, and the main plot from the synopsis doesn't even start until a quarter in and there was so much to get there, the less I say, the better. But I will say:
If you like political twists!
If you like ridiculously good, complex characters!
If you like great, nuanced writing, with some well-placed touches of humour!
If you like incredible worldbuilding, especially for mythology!
If you like talking kind-of-animals!
Did I mention the characters?
And if you like having your heart torn out nearly immediately!

Then this book is for you.

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, and to NetGalley for the ARC.