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.

4.5 stars

thank you netgalley for the arc 🙂‍↕️

it's been a hot minute since a high fantasy book gripped me like this.

this has everything a person looks for in a fantasy; interesting and thought out world building, an exciting plot with good pacing and just enough plot twists to have my mind reeling, and, in my opinion, most importantly, a cast of characters that are complicated, loveable, and make you want to root for them.

neema is now my mother and my daughter i would do unspeakable things for her!! she's smart, she's kind, she's resourceful, and does what she think is best and i loved her for all her qualities and flaws.

this also had the right amount of romance where i was heavily rooting for them, but not to the point where it overshadowed the overarching plot or took over the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for the opportunity to read this audiobook ARC.

At the start of this book, I wasn’t sure how I felt… I had no idea of the journey that was in store for me.

The mystery, the intrigue… Neema’s puzzle solving and sheer determination… the trials… the romance sub-plot… SOL! (side note, I would actually die for Sol!)

I was constantly trying to guess the next twist!

I finished this book and immediately ordered a paper copy - I need to reread this as soon as possible once it’s released! Already counting down the days until I can read the next book(!)

The narrator did a fantastic job of really performing this book, every role had its own personality and was really recognisable.

This was FANTASTIC!!! We are soooo back with good fantasy omg I absolutely loved how wishy washy the morality of basically all of these characters were and how that was linked to their animal,, and how i was still convinced to love Kane and Neema and even Ruko despite them doing some wild things bc their humanity always peeked through. The relationships between all the characters were FASCINATING down to Pinkpink, the scene at end with the ribbons and Ruko, the impact of that penultimate trial- it genuinely had me on the edge of my seat!!! The intensity of that plot twist had my stomach in KNOTS i absolutely loved it, the way everything feels like it’s crumbling i cannot WAITTT for book 2! There’s something about this author’s writing that really scratches a part of my brain- it’s so lyrical and HILARIOUS at times, and the concept is executed in such refreshingly novel way- the diversity was also lovely to see! I adored the foxes and the complete absurdity of their behaviour and how that could flip to something frightful! Honestly could sing praises for this book for EVER!! My only complaint is that the pacing felt a bit start and stop and so it took me a bit longer to get through esp at the end,, but my god am i sat for book 2!

Also the narrator is one of my absolute favourites she was SO GOOD- her accents and tone really elevated these characters especially the raven fragment & the emperor !!

Feedback directly relating to the audiobook - I liked the narrator! Not bad at all, unfortunately this story was lackingt. It’s just way too long and quite boring. It never grabbed my attention as I hoped and by 60% I stopped.

Thank you for the audio! May try again later but for right now it’s a DNF. Bummer.

This just wasn't for me. I couldn't get into the audiobook; nothing wrong with the story itself, and I may attempt to re-read this as a physical copy, but for some reason, I did not enjoy the audiobook copy.

Very much enjoyed listening to this while reading the book.

Not my favourite audiobook but a very good experience.

Thank you for the ALC of this book. Upon reading the synopsis of this book I was immediately intrigued and can honestly say I was not disappointed.
I know this book is going to be in a book subscription I am a member of and cannot wait to have physical copy to reread and annotate.

The characters were so well developed and fleshed out that it didn’t take long for me to become attached and therefore invested in the story.
The world was immersive and unique and not repetitive like many other fantasy novels can feel.

The story itself was full of deception, high stakes political intrigue and mystery. The guardians were such an interesting concept and I was immediately drawn in and wanted to know more.

I really enjoyed the narrator. This is my first by Daphne Kouma and will definitely seek out more from her in future.

Look forward to more work from Antonia Hodgson in future :-)

This book was.... magnificient.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Hodderscape for providing an ALC in return for an honest review.

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodson is a chonkly/lenghty book, first installment in a new adult fantasy trilogy and it scratched that itch for a really great, dense and well-built fantasy.

The audiobook was narrated by Daphne Kouma, and she did a truly astonishing job! It made the experience so fun and immersive!

This book is a mudery mystery in a fantasy setting, that is full of bait-and-switches. The first happens quite at the beginning where we get the POV of a character who then vanishes and we get the "proper" POV with an 8 years later timejump.
Neema Kraa is our protagonist who we will (mostly) follow - she is set to investigate the murder of her contingents contender for the emperors throne. All characters, even the side characters felt truly fleshed out and had their place. The idea of the (animal) guardians as fragments and tangible and intangible pieces, as an inner voice, or able to transform or transplant into humans... excellent idea! (I will love and defend Sol with my life.)

The atmosphere in this book was fitting for an adult fantasy - gritty at times, but also sarcastic intonations, an actual adult as an MC (not someone freshly 18!) who has a position and experience.
One of the stronger aspects is the worldbuilding. We get a good and solid impression of all the guardian aspects, and a feeling for most of their history, dynamics and folktales (often via a fascinating POV).

Even though we are looking at around 700 pages (24ish hours on audio), I was never bored or tired of the plot - the pace is brisk and keeps the reader on their toes all the time. Some twists are kind of obvious or easy to spot (Benna), and others catch you SO off guard you have to put the book away and re-read that section.
The politics in this book are top notch and well-executed. Neema is often right (but not always) and sometimes runs into a seemingly dead end, which opens up what feels like 4 new doors instead of closing one. The relationships between the characters are often complicated, either because of their shared past or the current situation. I was glad Neema and Cain were able to reunite! It did have me worried for Cain tho!

Antonia Hodgons writing, combining wit, sarcasm, different narrative voices and POVs, into this bundle was a breath of fresh air in the fantasy world. I was hooked from the beginning, enraptured by the tone and rapid pace. I had an excellent time listening to the audio, often with some issues keeping my face straight at one relevation or another. We get such vivid images, like, Sol having a favorite rib to sit on? (6th one down on the right), and his favorite damp lawn to go sulk when Neema is enganged in "disgusting bodily activities").

I give this book fully deserved full 5 stars, and a current #1 place on the list of my Top Books in 2025. (And it's just the beginning of April).
Additional fun notes:
I would die for Sol and his dramatic, sarcastic and honestly adorable nature. I mean: "Are we still a flock?"
This would make an amazing TV series!
Fox!Cain was unhinged and i loved it! (So glad Cain was safe tho!)
I can never look at the word "magnificient" normally ever again.
Hopefully, Nesthala will play a major role in book 2?! That was a great set up!

hank you to Hodder & Staughton Audio and NetGalley for the audioarc!
I’m gonna start with the actual book and add a bit about the audiobook at the end BUT HOLY SHIT.
I don’t know what I was going in for but I think I expected a chill scholarly mysterious fantasy? This was so much more than that. The twists, the turns, the political intrigue, the character development was simply chefs kiss.
Every single time I thought I figured out the course of events I was proven wrong. All the characters were perfect to me because they were so imperfect and human and simply going through the motioning being the best trained warriors/ scholars/ contenders from their part of the universe and the responsibility that comes with it and I enjoyed the interactions between them IMMENSELY. I think the writing flowed beautifully especially with the chapters narrated by the ravens or the stories from Neemas book and her own past.
I also won’t lie and say I was rooting for Ruko and Neema to get together but I loved her and Cain just as much 🤭
In any case super excited to get my Illumicrate version of this and for book 2 as well!!
AND. THIS IS A DEBUT?! insane. Impressive. Mesmerising.
Now a little addendum about the audiobook itself - I don’t think the voice was fitting for all the animal sounds - it made them sound quite infantile and like a kids story when they were supposed to be whimsical, slightly detached godly versions of animals, so I’d take away a star for that but otherwise 5/5

One of the most incredible fantasy reads I’ve picked up this year!

I won’t give away too many plot details - half the fun is uncovering them for yourself - but the (very oversimplified) setup involves a high-stakes competition for the throne, a murder investigation, lots of scheming, and our main character Neema caught right in the middle of it all.

I was fully immersed into the story from its first pages. The writing is confident and smooth, the kind that makes you forget you’re reading and just sweeps you along. I thought this was a brilliant start to a series - it’s definitely a chunky book, but it never felt like a slog. The world-building was layered, the characters compelling, and the twists consistently satisfying.

I read most of the book in tandem with the audio, and occasionally just listened - and I thought the narration was simply exceptional, one of the best I’ve come across in a long time. The production quality is excellent, and the voice actor’s performance really elevated the story. Her interpretation (the dialects, the distinctive way they laughed!) of the characters added so much depth and emotion, and I genuinely think it made my experience of the book even more impactful.

There’s love, friendship, ambition, betrayal, heartbreak and plenty of death. It’s rich, dramatic, thoughtful, and absolutely gripping. Simply a brilliant start to what I hope becomes a standout series.

4.75/5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced ebook and audiobook copies in exchange for my honest review.

I bloody loved this book from word one! The world is vibrant and well realised, the characters are flawed and authentic and brilliant and the plotting is exceptional. It's funny and gory and magical, with a competition and a murder investigation to hoot. Honestly, one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I've had for a long time and I highly recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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!