Oooooh this was a ride! MAGNIFICENT (surely there's no other way to describe this book? IYKYK)
I thoroughly enjoyed this first installment in a new epic fantasy and can't wait to see where the story goes next. The world that Antonia Hodgson has crafted is rich, detailed and full of it's own history. The characters were fully formed, with their own motivations and complications and traits and i loved it all. This was twisty and turny and I did have to pick my jaw up off the floor more than a couple of times.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Hachette for the eARC and opportunity to read this one early!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for a copy of this e-arc.

What a great read.

I always, always, always love a murder mystery in my fantasy novels. <spoiler>Not only did we have our main murder mystery but we also had other mysteries on top of that, like who is the emperor really? Yana also continued to haunt the entire book despite departing really early on! She had such a presence in the book which I really liked.</spoiler>

I did struggle in perhaps the first 25% as almost everyone seemed pretty unlikable up until that point, but it certainly turned around! I found myself softening to (almost) all of the characters, especially the contenders.

The worldbuilding and histories are quite fleshed out and in-depth with a scattering of footnotes throughout. There's clearly been a lot of effort there.

I didn't feel the length of this book at all and it was a nice pace and progression for me.

I can't wait to see where this series goes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia and New Zealand for the eARC.

The Raven Scholar was not what I expected, in the best way possible.

This first book in the trilogy is a magnificent epic fantasy with twists and turns that will keep you reading to all hours of the night. It is slow to start, as many epic fantasies are, with rich world building and introduction of all the important player. We follow Neema who is as delightful as she is imperfect - a High Scholar forced to turn Contender and Investigator when one of the contenders to the crown is killed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one.

So, so grateful to Hachette Australia and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson is an addictive mix of murder mystery, fantasy court gossip and humor, all set in a delicious fantasy world, which I devoured.

Neema, my favourite sharp-tongued investigator, gets pulled into a deadly contest to decide the next emperor—cue betrayals, secrets, and plenty of twists to keep you guessing- I mean, I DEVOURED this book, and I want to read it again already.

The world-building is just so top-tier, the characters are layered, and the whole thing is just so fun to read. If you love a bit of political scheming with your fantasy (and enjoy protagonists who are smarter than everyone in the room), you’ll eat this up!

Outstanding, can’t wait for book 2. Fantasy, magic, political intrigue in a wonderful world building environment with complex characters. Strong female lead. Loved it. Thank you so much to the author, thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hachette ANZ and Antonia Hodgson for providing me with a copy of this book for the purposes of review. The below is my opinion, freely given.

WOW! Just wow. May the eight strike me down (and remain hidden) if this isnt a 5 star read for any Fantasy fan.

The world building is magnificent, rich and deep. The characters, oh the characters. The story itself rumbles along like a lazy river ride with rapids around every corner. The author languidly pulls you through this mystical place, taking her time to weave a tapestry as complex and exquisite as the finest silk rug, while throwing you into the fray whenever it suits and when you least expect it.

As someone who regularly picks the villian and untangles the plot fairly quickly, I DID NOT pick the way this story developed and it kept me turning the page well into the wee hours.

The characters I wanted to hate, I ended up loving. The characters I thought I loved.....well I love them still but I never thought I'd feel the way I do about some of them in the end.

I loved this book and cant wait to see what occurs in book two. Neema - I cannot wait to see how you travel through the next part of this journey and I really hope Pink-pink is around in book 2. I suspect there's more to him than meets his rolling eye.

The Raven Scholar was a book that took me by surprise. I had expected to like it (otherwise I wouldn't have requested the ARC), but I ended up loving it. The first half of the book, I was already enjoying it, then everything exploded and I was completely hooked. The story combines death games with political intrigue and god-like creatures. I loved the narrative voice with its wry humour; sometimes I was even laughing out loud as I read the lines (I'm looking at you, Sol), and the world building was nicely handled. The pacing began a bit slowly but soon took off, and the ending left me eager for more, so I can't wait for book two to see how the story will continue. At over 650 pages, it's a pretty long read, but it never felt like a drag, even with the slower pacing in the first half. If you enjoyed the narrative style of the Nevernight series, this book will be right up your alley. Also recommended for fans of epic fantasy who are looking for reads that aren't romance focused. I am giving it 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette ANZ for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I found the first chapter quite confusing, it still grabbed me and made me not put this book down for 2 days until it was finished (even though today was the release day for Onyx Storm!)

I fell in love with the characters very early on, and it was a big surprise when the protagonist of the first few chapters turned out to not be the protagonist of the whole book! An interesting and unique idea I’ve not read before. At first, I was disappointed as I had really liked Yanara, but I then grew to love Neema even more. I also grew to love so many of the side characters - mainly Cain, of course, but also Sol, and my heart absolutely aches for Ruko.

I didn’t see any of the twists and turns coming, each one surprising me more than the last, and I’m already looking forward to re-reading in the future to try and pick up on more of the foreshadowing that was definitely there but easily missed on the first read.

If I absolutely had to nitpick something, there were a couple of small moments, especially in the first half, that were solved a little too conveniently - but overall, they don’t even come close to comparing to just how good the rest of the story was. From the characters - including the unique narration - through to the plot twists and eventually the ending, I loved this book and I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy on release day, along with counting down the days until the next book!

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson 🐦‍⬛🖋️📚

Every 24 years the land of Orrun anticipates a new Emperor or Empress. A competition is held where 8 selected contenders from Guardian monasteries fight to secure the throne. The night before the competition begins, a beloved contender is murdered. Neema Kraa, High Scholar and devotee to the Raven guardian, is allocated the investigation. As with all Raven’s, she is far too clever and asks far too many questions for her own good.

Competition trope ✅
Murder mystery ✅
Political intrigue ✅
Diverse characters ✅

4.5⭐️

What an absolute joyride this book was. The very first chapter had me captivated with the rich world building and plot. There is so much of that I loved. From the history of the world to the politics that catapulted me into the vicious dynamics of Orrun court life. Hodgson does an amazing job with the murder mystery and as we unravel the secrets of this world it is so hard to put down. Not to mention the romance subplot! Impressively the romance aspect did not hinder or overshadow the true themes of power, classism, loyalty and friendship. Being part of Neema’s journey was filled with humour, betrayal and book nerdiness. The in-text referencing was a great treat to come across as well - I wouldn’t have expected anything less from a scholar. Honestly I am in desperate need of the rest of the series as we are left on a cliff hanger 😭

Thank you to @hatchetteaus and @netgalley for granting me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 29th April 2025