I originally started reading this one my phone and was bereft and the sheer number of tiny pages I was going to need to read, and I'll admit that that undoubtedly clouded my judgement of this one to begin with. But then NetGalley made it possible to read books on Kobo again, and I was able to give it another go this holiday.
The politics and 'houses' set up was so nostalgic for me for some reason, I felt like I was back in secondary school inhaling fantasy books from the library, falling into expansive worlds for a few hours! Although, I'd follow that up with the fact that this book had a number of fresh takes that I loved, and felt were completely new. Some examples of that being: our narrator who becomes an on page character (in an unusual way!), the Dragon house - with its magic and all round mysteriousness, and our protagonist and her sidekick/ex/soulmate/best friend (it's complicated).
As soon as we switched from the set-up introductory chapters to focus on Neema, I fell in love. She honestly has my whole heart for her list making, her love of research, her correcting facts on the go even to her own social standing's detriment, the way she saw herself and others, ugh just the best. And when we got Cain involved a little later on? Stunning, perfect, no notes. Dialogue really makes or breaks a book for me and their little spats throughout the book where I wasn't sure if we were flirting or truly arguing? STUNNING.
I thought the plot was well-paced and layered all the twists and surprises in a way that I was still just about managing to follow who all the pieces on the board were. Will definitely go for book 2 whenever that releases!

Raven Scholar was good but I don’t love it like I thought I would (or like everyone else seems to). This was just okay for me.

Antonia Hodgson delivers a masterfully layered and gripping start to a new fantasy trilogy with The Raven Scholar—a richly imagined, politically charged novel that blends mystery, magic, and moments of sharp wit. Set in the empire of Orran, the story follows Neema Kraa, a brilliant yet deeply flawed High Scholar whose past is shadowed by regret and whose present is entangled in a dangerous web of secrets. As the once-in-a-generation Festival approaches—a competition to choose the next Emperor—Neema is thrust into a deadly game of power, prophecy, and betrayal. When one of the contenders is found murdered, her role shifts from planner to investigator, and soon she's caught in a conspiracy that could shake the empire to its core.

Hodgson’s writing is elegant, clever, and utterly immersive. Though the opening chapters are dense and nonlinear, filled with historical tangents and footnoted anecdotes, they gradually build into a compelling and fully fleshed-out world. This narrative style, which at first might feel disorienting, becomes one of the book’s greatest strengths—making the world feel alive, ancient, and meticulously crafted.

Neema is a standout protagonist. She’s older than the typical fantasy heroine, haunted by her past, and makes more than her share of questionable choices—but that’s exactly what makes her so compelling. Her dry humor, resilience, and emotional complexity make her feel incredibly real. Her dynamic with Cain simmers in the background, providing a subtle romantic thread that adds emotional depth without overpowering the plot.

While The Raven Scholar isn't a romantasy, it certainly doesn’t lack heart. It’s a novel driven by politics, history, and intrigue, but one that still allows space for hope, connection, and quiet moments of humanity. The story is packed with mysteries, sudden twists, and shifting loyalties that keep you turning the pages—and guessing—until the very end. At times the pacing can feel chaotic, but it never drags. And when the pieces finally start falling into place, the payoff is deeply satisfying.

In short, The Raven Scholar is smart, darkly funny, and wholly original. It’s a perfect read for fans of immersive world-building, morally complex characters, and high-stakes political fantasy. If the rest of the trilogy lives up to this first installment, we’re in for something truly special.

I absolutely LOVED this. The political courts, and the mystery throughout the entire book was SO well done. I really got so into this book and I desperately need the next one. I can't wait to find out what happens.
I also thought the whole prophecy was very clever!

This is the first book in the new Eternal Path Trilogy. A high fantasy series for adults., and follows one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth.

So I dip in and out of the genre. I really wanted to love this book as it is beautifully written and I adore the title and cover artwork, but at 300 pages into this mammoth book which is 656 pages long, I just felt the story dragging. There were so many different characters and stories running parallel that I just kept getting alittle lost with who was who, and the characters themselves weren't enough to keep me invested. I also felt that Neema Kraa, althought being supposibly and adult in the book and 30 years of age felt very child like and at points the book itself felt like that for me. And this just added to what felt like forcing myself to finish as I will not be beaten by a book.

I love the idea of the seven sacred animals and each person having their traits, but the actual plot of the book written in the third person, just played with my head. That being said, maybe head isn't in the right place to read this book at the moment. I fel like I had to concentrate a little too hard to work out what was going on to enjoy the book. I may revisit the book in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my, I loved this so so much. I loved the characters and the witty dialogue. I loved how tense it was and how it made me both excited and furious. And I just adored Neema. Between this and M.L. Wang, 2025 has been the year that has reignited my love for fantasy.

And I do mean fantasy and not romantasy, which I was a bit worried this would be. It's not. It's epic fantasy / dark academia with fascinating world-building and mythology, plus a large cast of really complex, funny, awful and wonderful characters.

I got into this story very quickly. We are dealt an awful shocker early in the book and it got my attention pretty quick. Then we fast forward eight years to the trials for the next emperor. Seven brave warriors must compete in a series of challenges and fights to determine who will be the next ruler. But the night before the trials are set to begin, one of the contenders is murdered.

Neema is a raven scholar and exactly my kind of person. Though she's shunned and looked down on by her peers for being from Scartown (among other reasons). When Neema is ordered to investigate the murder, she is surprised to find herself digging deep into Orrun's history and folklore, exposing alliances and old grudges.

We've got trials for the throne, a murder mystery, two ex lovers rubbing each other all the wrong ways (ahem). What an absolute thrill ride!

The characters are genuinely very well-crafted. Hodgson expertly balances suspenseful drama with charm and humour, often using dialogue to allow us to get to know the characters. I love Neema, I love Cain, the villains are fabulous-- mostly because they're not just mindless villains, and even minor characters like Fenn are given time to shine.

Some things I could see coming, but there's a lot going on here and there were plenty of surprises. I also just love it when a dark and dramatic read is also imbued with charm and humour. I would be on the edge of my seat, glued to the pages, then something would happen to make me laugh out loud. I can't wait for book two!

Little did I expect when I eventually picked up The Raven Scholar having had a ARC in my stash for months that I was about to have one of the most immersive reading experiences I've ever had, but that's exactly what this book gave me. It was literally all I thought about for the few days I was reading it, desperate to get home and get back into the story.

The crux of the story is based around The Festival of the Eight, a series of challenges to decide the next Emperor of Orrun. Eight highly-trained contenders are set to battle it out to determine who will take the throne when the current ruler steps down. The most fascinating piece of worldbuilding is that each contender is allied to one of the eight animal Guardians that protect the world, and therefore displays traits of their respective animal. When one of the contenders is murdered on the opening night of the Festival, the Emperor tasks his High Scholar with uncovering the identity of the killer. However, this is no simple murder mystery - the level of plot twistiness kept me on my toes as the layers of all the schemes at play were slowly uncovered.

The characters are all fantastic - Neema in particular was a delight of a protagonist, so realistic and flawed in her idiosyncrasies and her desire to just continue her scholarly work rather than being dragged into a contest for the throne . Cain may have been my stealth favourite for all his Fox-allied traits and the particular path his story takes, but I also loved Sol (what a magnificent snarky little beastie), Benna and Ruko. The narrative style is a real treat, with a frankly incredible level of humour for an epic fantasy novel that had me laughing out loud frequently.

This is truly one of the best fantasy novels I have ever read, and I am in awe of Antonia Hodgson for managing to captivate me so much.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advance copy - I am already begging for book 2!

As soon as I read the blurb I knew I wanted to read it and I devoured every word.

After 24 years on the throne, Emperor Bersan of Orruns reign comes to an end. A contender from each of the animal monasteries (Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, Hound, and a Dragon proxy) compete to replace him. One of them is murdered and our FMC, Neema, has to take her place and solve her murder. They are the best of the best and Neema is… bookish.

The world building is so good. I have such clear images in my mind of what it looks like. The idea of the animal monasteries and ‘The Eight’ is unique. There is epic world building, magic, trials, deceit and just an overall great storyline with an interesting twist.

I loved it that much I ordered myself a hardback copy for my shelves. It’s a beautiful book. I can’t wait for book two!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodderscape and the author for the review copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This might be my favourite fantasy book of the year so far, and it's certainly the strongest opener to a series that I've read in a long time. Hodgson is a strong writer and obviously knows what she's doing when it comes to character development and narrative drive. I think one thing that was really refreshing about this novel was that the characters are actually adults rather than teenagers or in their early twenties - they have life experience that actually impacts their decision-making and past relationships that bear fruit. I'm fully on board for the rest of this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Epic fantasy is back, and better than ever! Antonia Hodgson has woven an intricate epic that defies genre constraints, blending political intrigue, murder mystery, and ruthless competition into a narrative that already has me wishing for an on-screen adaptation.

At the heart of this queernormative world is Neema Kraa, a black, socially awkward scholar whose intellect and ambition make her both a tool and a threat. Through her and the omnipresent, delightfully meddlesome POV of a preening raven, we are plunged into an empire teetering on the brink of unrest. The current Emperor Bersun’s peaceful 24-year reign is about to end, and as per tradition, the seven Animal Guardian Houses send their best representative to compete in the trials to become his successor. But when one of them dies before the competition can even start, Neema is forced to find out who the murderer is; chaos, drama and mayhem follow.

The Raven Scholar starts at a slow boil, indulging in drawing out the finer details of its introduction, but I savoured every moment of it. The novel’s deliberate pacing is not a flaw but a feast, its richness unfolding through footnotes, mythos, and a prose style that balances biting humour with breathtaking depth. And while romance lingers in the margins—a lovers-to-rivals-to-lovers thread that teases the reader—it’s the smaller interactions and betrayals that steal the show. Ruko was built in a factory tailored specifically for ME (and anyone else who loves a stoic Zuko-esque character). I also have to reiterate that the narrative voice is a DELIGHT. Even amongst enemies, there is a level of easy rapport and snarky wit that breathed so much life into this rich world and diverse cast, making it easy to fly through the pages.

Hodgson is not simply writing fantasy; she's redefining it. This is the kind of book that lingers in the bones, setting a new standard for what the genre can be. The Raven Scholar is a triumph, and the Eternal Path Trilogy is already shaping up to be, you might say, magnificent.

I had fairly high expectations going into this one, having seen a lot of hype around it. However, I don't feel it ever quite lived up to it, for me.
I enjoyed the premise of the trials overall and I liked quite a few of the characters. My main issue was that I felt the writing was borderline YA at times and I found it hard to remember that the main characters were 30+ as they just didn't come across that way.
The story itself was intriguing with plenty of twists, I just felt it could probably have been a little shorter and the characters more mature to match the political scheming. I am still curious to see how things go in book two though.

Magic and political machinations
—
In this debut fantasy series, the people are split into eight houses allied to sacred animals, Dragon, Ox, Bear and so on. The throne is won through competition every generation or so, and we arrive in the capital on the eve of the latest cutthroat race to victory. Our point of view is studious Neema Kraa, the titular Raven Scholar, elevated to the side of the current king Bersun. Bersun himself won his throne fair and square but then had to fight off an insurrection by an ambitious Tiger, Andren Valit. As Neema and Bersun oversee the competition to find his successor, one of the contenders is killed, another Raven, and it’s up to Neema to discover the murderer, even though she’s suspect number one.

This is definitely one for fantasy fans, by being both long and complex, as well as playful in its style. There are shades of Le Guin and even Pratchett in here, but with a direct and engaging style all of Hodgson’s own. The seeming straight line plot is thrown wide open at the beginning of Act Three when the twist comes along, and you will not be prepared for it. Such clever plotting and writing that this was almost a five star review but has to be docked at least half a star because it’s clearly the start of a series and not a thing entire.

I have to admit that I have been disillusioned with the fantasy genre lately. It's been so long, but finally I have found a fantasy book, the first in a planned trilogy, that blew me away!

I liked that the characters in The Raven Scholar were on the older side, although I do have to say the main character, Neema, did not read like a thirty something year old. Don't get me wrong, she was a great mc, easy to root for, and I loved her scholarly nature. However, she was quite naive and wouldn't have felt out of place as an mc in a YA book.

Another positive that I have to mention is how when describing characters the author mentions when they are white, thus not letting us assume they are white by default. I also appreciated that she plainly described the skin colour of POC, there was no food comparisons or ambiguous "bronze" nonsense.

The Raven Scholar was also unexpectedly humourous. The humour came in the form of a Raven whose POV is included throughout. It narrates parts of the story and its sassy tone was so funny, I can imagine it being fun to listen to on audiobook. The main plot involves trails and although I'm not usually the biggest fan of trial storylines I actually enjoyed this one. The plot was very intricate and I honestly did not see the plot twist coming. I'm very curious to see how the story continues.

The only thing that let me down was the romance. Normally I love a good friends to lovers arc (underappreciated, in my opinion), but Neema and her love interest, Cain, read like really good friends rather than lovers. Cain was a lovable and fun character, but there wasn't enough tension or chemistry between him and Neema. That being said it was only a small part of the book, so it can be overlooked.

To summarise, The Raven Scholar, was a welcome surprise, truly a breath of fresh air!

I utterly adored this incredible book and devoured it in 24 hours. I'm desperate to get my hands on book two.

I really wanted to love this book. I’ve picked it up several times, seen all the gorgeous special editions floating around and every time I think: “This is so my thing.” Trials, competition, rich world-building, a compelling lead character – everything I usually fall for.

But for some reason, I just didn’t click with it.

It’s one of those moments where you recognise the ingredients are all there, and plenty of readers are going to absolutely devour this – it just didn’t quite work for me. And that’s okay. Not every book is going to land the same way for every reader.

I’m sure others will find themselves fully swept up in this dark, ambitious tale. I’ll still be keeping an eye on Antonia Hodgson’s work – sometimes it’s just not the right book at the right time.

I was immediately interested in The Raven Scholar because of the whole vibe, dark academia, mysterious magic, family secrets… it just sounded like something I’d love. The blurb gave me high hopes and I was really excited to see how it would all come together.

The atmosphere is definitely one of the strongest parts. It has this quiet, moody tone that fits the story really well, and I really liked the way the magic and history were tied together. The world felt interesting and layered, and the raven magic in particular was such a cool idea. I liked how the magic isn’t just flashy but tied to family secrets and legacy, which adds layers to the plot.

That said, I did feel like he pacing felt a bit uneven for me, some chapters moved slowly, focusing on the school and character dynamics, while others picked up with moments of tension or revelations. I think readers who enjoy immersive worldbuilding more will appreciate the slower moments, but I sometimes wished for a bit more momentum. As for the characters, I found the main character’s struggle with her past and identity interesting. Her relationships with other students and mentors felt realistic, with hints of rivalry and alliances that add complexity. I would have liked a little more depth in some interactions, but I’m hopeful those will develop more in the next book.

Still, there’s definitely a lot of potential in this world and story, and I think people who enjoy slower, more atmospheric fantasy with academic vibes will really enjoy it. I’m actually curious to see where things go next!

Overall, I’m giving this 3.5 stars in my mind, but NetGalley doesn’t do half stars :(

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Now this was a great time!

It had everything I expect from a high fantasy story of this caliber - interesting and complex characters, fun worldbuilding (really loved all the gods!), intriguing politics, and humour that made me laugh out loud at times!

I think this had very compelling commentary on the typical "chosen king" narrative in fantasy as well. Warning for spoilers about the world building, but I think it's interesting how this is kind of critiquing the "one true king" narrative in fantasy. Like, the system here is much better than the more traditional one (the world had it 1500 years ago), but their reform never went far enough. And now they're back to the old issue of having children trying to get their deserved inheritance back. It was very well done I think.

Really eager to get my hands on book two now, if only I had a time machine!

What a great read. This book was giving vibes of a dark academia read. Lots of twits and turns in the plots to keep you guessing and wanting to stay up way past your bed time!

Great and easy to read and perfect for your beach holiday!

such a compelling read despite its size! manages to be both incredibly fun, really thrilling and also quite moving. it does a lot of everything at once and isn't without flaws but is really original, a very ambitious but satisfying blend of genres and narrative structure. interesting/ingenious/imaginative worldbuilding and i loved the entire cast. i always find it really pleasant when an author is able to make a story that is very grim but not without humour. the themes explored speak to me so much i love good fantasy that's easy to read but still very involved and layered. just all around very human story even in its fantastical ways, i am VERY excited for book 2.

An absolute masterclass in epic fantasy! The world building is rich and immersive, with a complex political landscape and a unique system of sacred animal-inspired houses. The murder mystery at the heart of the story adds a compelling layer of intrigue, keeping me hooked from start to finish. What truly sets this book apart is the character of Neema Kraa. As the emperor's high scholar she is brilliant and flawed and deeply human. Her journey through the trials and her quest for truth are both gripping and emotionally resonant. Fantastic!