The Raven Scholar

She might win the throne. She might destroy an empire. Either way, it begins with murder.

After twenty-four years on the throne, it is time for Bersun the Brusque, emperor of Orrun, to bring his reign to an end. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders will compete to replace him.

Trained at rival monasteries, each contender is inspired by a sacred animal - Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Hound. An eighth - the Dragon proxy - will be revealed only once the trials have begun. Eight exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists - the best of the best.

Then one of them is murdered.

It falls to the brilliant but idiosyncratic Neema Kraa to investigate. But as she hunts for a killer, darker forces are gathering.

If Neema succeeds, she could win the throne - whether she wants it or not. But if she fails, she will sentence herself to death - and set in motion a sequence of events that could doom the empire . . .

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 centre. It's thrilling, romantic, often tragic, and always funny; I'm obsessed ― Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House The Raven Scholar is epic fantasy at its finest: fiendish political intrigue, the ultimate trial for the throne and a shocking crime at the centre. Every character plays friend, suspect and threat - and you'll be turning the pages at midnight to unmask them. I can't wait to devour the sequel. Simply glorious! ― Georgia Summers, Sunday Times bestselling author of The City of Stardust The Raven Scholar is an immersive and enthralling epic fantasy. Fiendishly charming and clever, this is a book you absolutely must devour ― Tasha Suri, World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Jasmine Throne Twisty and clever ― Claire North, author of Ithaca The twists and turns of The Raven Scholar left me breathless. Antonia Hodgson drops us into an elaborately built, gorgeously realized world that I couldn't wait to see more of ― Emery Robin, author of The Stars Undying A conflagration of court intrigue, religious folktale, and characters with deliciously murky motivations, The Raven Scholaris a pure delight. Fantasy readers will gobble this down and curse the skies that they don't have the sequel yet ― Bethany Jacobs, author of These Burning Stars The Raven Scholar is as clever as its namesake - each beloved character, each twist and each turn, is a shiny new gift. It is magnificent ― C. L. Clark, author of The Unbroken Sharply written and intricately plotted, The Raven Scholar is a masterclass in storytelling. I can't recommend it enough! ― Ann Leckie, author of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Award winning novel Ancillary Justice This is how epic fantasy should be done. I adored every page: it was so meticulously plotted, so carefully built, so funny, and the characters! I could spend seven thousand pages with them ― Genoveva Dimova, author of Foul Days An astonishing feat of world building, at once expansive and intimate, propulsive and ingenious, I feel sure The Raven Scholar will take the world of fantasy by storm. Antonia Hodgson is a master story-teller and here she is at the pinnacle of her game. What a delight to know that this is the first of series ― Elizabeth Freemantle, award-winning author of Disobedient With tremendous world-building, a cast of carefully drawn characters, and an engaging plot exploring new riffs on a popular theme whilst nodding to the author's mystery fiction heritage, The Raven Scholar resoundingly hits all the right beats. Epic fantasy at its finest ― Vaseem Khan, bestselling author of the Malabar House series The Raven Scholar is a genuine fantasy masterpiece. Cut-throat courtly politics with a central mystery so twisty you might sprain something. Deliriously entertaining, periodically vicious, clever as hell and, best of all, funny. Buy now and thank me later ― Grace Curtis, author of Floating Hotel The Raven Scholar checks every box of things I love in a book. It has a compelling lead, a mystery that truly keeps you guessing, and a brutal competition for the throne. This is the kind of book that when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about wanting to read it ― Fantasy Book Critic It is a joy for any hardened fantasy reader, but also an entry point for new readers. This is a world as fully formed as our own. Woe betide the reader who misses out on this story -- Katie Fraser ― The Bookseller A complex, inventive (and notably weighty) whodunnit set in new territory for her: an epic fantasy empire. Hodgson is one of our finest historical crime novelists, so you may find it worth investigating her ingeniously invented society even if you are resistant to fantasy ― Financial Times Brimmed with dark secrets, centuries-old betrayals and rivalries, The Rival Scholar is a masterfully woven and playful epic fantasy you'll binge-read in one day ― Harper’s Bazaar Malaysia From the first page of The Raven Scholar, you know you're in the hands of a master storyteller. This book is a pitch-perfect blend of everything I love about fantasy - an expertly realised world, ferocious prose and characters who will steal your heart. I will be bereft until the sequel ― Dave Rudden, author of Sister Wake The Raven Scholar is a masterfully woven tale of imperial intrigue from an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy! ― The Nerd Daily This is epic fantasy at its very best. It's difficult to put into words how much I loved this book: Hodgson's immaculate prose manages to be equal parts charming and devastating, delivering a gut punch of a novel. The Raven Scholar is a masterclass in craft and tension. ― Tori Bovalino Wise and beautifully compelling, dramatic and full of suspense, The Raven Scholar lands with precision, scattering preconceptions into the wind. Highly recommended ― LoveReading At times The Raven Scholar is brutal with its action scenes and jaw dropping twists but it is also deeply a novel about love, in all its forms. Hodgson's inventive blend of dark academia, epic fantasy and murder mystery is an absolute triumph and I cannot wait for more ― Fantasy Hive The Raven Scholar is that rare book that stays with you whether you're reading it or not. More than gripping, it's deeply involving as wheels turn, secrets are revealed and fierce, beautiful, brilliant Neema battles through to the end ― Daily Mail A richly nuanced novel which will both exhilarate readers and break their hearts ― Strange Horizons This one is glorious... Antonia Hodgson brings a dry, charming humour and a thriller-style pace to the high-stakes peril and twisty court intrigue. Dense with detail but impressively light on its feet, this is a smart, engaging book about smart, engaging people ― SFX With an intricate plot and obsession-worthy characters, The Raven Scholar subverts tropes to create a thrilling, fun, and shocking mystery ― Tessa Gratton