The Raven Scholar

By Antonia Hodgson

Book Overview

"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

The Raven Scholar is a masterfully woven tale of imperial intrigue from an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy--in a stunning edition featuring French flaps and silver foiled cover effects

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.

We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.

★ "Sharply written and intricately plotted. A masterclass in storytelling " --Ann Leckie, Hugo Award-winning author of Ancillary Justice

★ "Fiendishly charming and clever, this is a book you absolutely must devour." --Tasha Suri, World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Jasmine Throne

★ "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

★ "Epic fantasy at its finest--fiendish political intrigue, the ultimate trial for the throne and a shocking crime at the center. Simply glorious " --Georgia Summers, author of The City of Stardust

★ "Engrossing and unputdownable...my favorite read of the year. A conflagration of court intrigue, religious folktale, and characters with deliciously murky motivations, The Raven Scholar is a pure delight." --Bethany Jacobs, Philip K. Dick Award-winning author of These Burning Stars

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316577227
• ISBN13: 9780316577229
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Orbit
• Length: 672 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 5.8" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Absolutely Fantastic!

An amazingly intricately woven tale of a devious scheme years in the making and revealed at this momentous occasion of choosing the new emperor of Orrun and I absolutely loved every minute that I was in this world! Even if it got quite dark and twisty as time runs out for Neema Kraa to unravel the mess (which only begins with a murder and slides downhill so quickly) as well as being a surprise contender for the throne before it brings down the empire. But don't forget the witty banter, especially with a certain fox! :) Obviously it is pretty safe to love Neema with her quirks and loyalty to the truth (and Pink pink!) but beware everyone else for their secrets (including a certain raven and their compatriots) and desires for power and the lengths they will go to get it or keep it. No one is quite innocent but it makes the characters nicely layered and feel so real and even the villains are complicated with good parts to them but also cruelty beyond compare because of that. It is refreshing to get all that, plus a world you can feel, complete with a strong religion, class system (with the Eight), characters that are not teens fighting to save world, and while things end pretty darkly, I cannot wait to see what Neema and her friends can do to hopefully (crossing fingers and toes) undo the damage the villain did both to the kingdom and beyond. This is an amazing start to a fantastic series that I cannot wait to get back into! It is a strong epic fantasy and a breath of fresh air compared to some other series.