The Raven Scholar (Eternal Path Trilogy, #1)
About the book
Author: Antonia Hodgson
Publisher: Orbit
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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Bookshop.org (print or ebook) | Libro.fm (audio)
My review
I’d had enough people I trust recommend this The Raven Scholar to me that I picked up a copy at my local bookstore, but it was the Hugo Award nomination that bumped it to the top of my TBR. I am SO GLAD that it did, because I am about to shove this book into so many people’s hands!!
There’s a murder mystery, a deadly trial for the crown, AND it’s narrated by a chorus of raven gods. Have I convinced you yet??
Every 24 years, the empire gets a new emperor. They are chosen not by blood or even by vote, but by trial — one representative from each of the empire’s nine sects dedicated to the gods (Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, Hound, and Dragon). The book opens 8 years before one such trial, then jumps forward in time to the night before. Then one of the contenders winds up dead, and it’s up to our unlikely hero to not only solve the mystery but also…the world?? (I dare not say more than this because I think the reading experience will be better that way!)
I absolutely INHALED this book, even though it’s quite the chonker. The pacing is perfect, IMO, and the worldbuilding is perfectly balanced and refreshingly creative. There’s a great balance between darker aspects and humor, and the audiobook was fantastic (especially the hilarious dramatization of the Raven gods!). Not to mention the INCREDIBLE twist, perfectly executed.
And of course, the best epic fantasy novels do more than just entertain us. The Raven Scholar is an exquisite exploration of the power of individual choices — how they change us, how they haunt us, how they add up with others’ to have ripple effects in the world. It’s also a sharp warning against the corruption of power and how tenuous peace is at any given moment.
This is my second choice for the Hugo Award, but that’s only because The Everlasting became one of my favorite books of all time. If this one wins, I wouldn’t be mad about it at all!
Content and trigger warnings
Murder and death
Torture
Body horror (minor)
Suicide (minor)
Sexual content (minor)
