The Raven Scholar

Book One of the Eternal Path Triology

by

656 pages

English language

Published June 30, 2025 by Hodder & Stoughton.

ISBN:
978-1-5293-3990-1
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(1 review)

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 in secret at rival monasteries, each contender is inspired by a sacred animal—Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Hound. An eighth warrior—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 emperor’s High Scholar, the brilliant but idiosyncratic Neema Kraa, to investigate. But as she hunts for a killer, even darker forces are gathering. If Neema succeeds in her task, she could win the throne—whether she wants it or not. But if she …

1 edition

reviewed The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

I thought The Raven Scholar was refreshing and original.

It has some familiar tropes (the unappreciated, hypercompetent loner; multiple factions competing in a deadly tournament), but does a great job of avoiding cliches and subverting expectations.

There were a couple of places I was annoyed by the narration seeming to jump between character-limited and omniscient, but this is a minor quibble.

Despite apparently being the opener of a trilogy, it does a good job of telling a complete story and wrapping up the first phase of events.

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