Book Summary and Reviews of The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

The Raven Scholar

Eternal Path Trilogy #1

by Antonia Hodgson

  • Critics' Consensus (11):
  • Readers' Rating (6):
  • Published:
  • Apr 2025, 672 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes a masterfully woven tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar's quest to uncover the truth.

Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, the reign of Bersun the Brusque has come to an end. In the dizzying heat of midsummer, seven exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists compete to replace him.

When one of them is murdered, it falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor's brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer and fight for the throne. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.

If she succeeds, we will win an empire. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won't let that happen.

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Hugo Awards finalists announced
...Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tor UK; Orbit US) The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow (Tor US; Tor UK) The Incandescent by Emily Tesh (Tor US; Orbit UK) The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson (Orbit US; Hodderscape) I've only read the first one (and it was very good!). I have read other novels by Tchaikovsky, although not anything lately....
-kim.kovacs

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Hodgson's attention to detail makes the worldbuilding vivid; and her subtle, playful prose enriches the ingeniously constructed narrative. This impressive display of versatility marks Hodgson as an exciting new voice in fantasy." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"This is an epic as clever and magnificent as its mythic namesake. A must-buy for all fantasy collections." —Library Journal (starred review)

"The deceptions, intricate twists, and the occasional Raven as a point-of-view character make this a page-turner that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next book in the Eternal Path Trilogy." ―Booklist

"Sharply written and intricately plotted, The Raven Scholar is a masterclass in storytelling. I can't recommend it enough!" ―Ann Leckie, Hugo Award-winning author of Ancillary Justice

"The Raven Scholar is a labyrinth of a book—vast and intricate, full of fiendish twists and clever traps—with a deeply human heart at its center. It's thrilling, romantic, often tragic, and always funny; I'm obsessed." ―Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House

This information about The Raven Scholar was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Meera

Highly entertaining
I thought this would be a fun blend of mystery and fantasy. But it turned out to be more than that. This was one of the fastest-paced fantasies I’ve read in a while. Neema, the main character, and her cohort are likable characters (except for the evil characters, of course) with an intriguing plot and world. It is also full of humor. I loved it and can’t wait for the next one.

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Author Information

Antonia Hodgson Author Biography

Photo: Charlie Hopkinson

Antonia Hodgson is a freelance editor, and author of the bestselling Thomas Hawkins historical crime series. Her first novel, The Devil in the Marshalsea, won the CWA Historical Dagger Award and was shortlisted for the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year. She lives in Kent, England, where she has been visited by a fox and a raven, and a tiger in the form of her neighbour's ginger cat. No dragons as yet.

Author Interview

Other books by Antonia Hodgson at BookBrowse
  • The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins jacket
  • The Devil in the Marshalsea jacket
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