💜🐦‍⬛ The Raven Scholar 🐦‍⬛💜

• Antonia Hodgson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Win the throne. Destroy an empire. Either way, it begins with murder.’

Every twenty-four years, a competition for a new ruler begins. The current emperor or empress must stand down when their successor becomes apparent. Now, as Bersun the Brusque’s celebrated reign draws to an end, the competitors assemble. One from each royal house; Fox, Monkey, Bear, Hound, Dragon, Ox, Tiger, and Raven. But when one of the contenders is murdered the eve before the competition begins, it falls to Bersun’s unpopular High Scholar, Neema Kraa, to find the killer. Else, she might find herself the Emperor’s convenient scapegoat…

This is a really unique epic fantasy meets murder mystery type tale. It was incredibly humorous, especially with the Raven’s scathing narration and Neema’s own cynical sense of humour. All of these elements combine to create a really bold and original story, unlike anything I’ve ever read. The murder mystery was incredibly strong – I felt like the reveals were expertly paced throughout the book. I absolutely did not guess the plot twists, and yet, upon a reread or even just thinking back, everything makes so much sense! Like dominoes slotting into place. The whole thing is expertly plotted, with events that happened ten or twenty years having such relevance and informing every decision the characters make. There was so much going on at any one point, but it never felt confusing or too much.

Neema herself is an excellent character. Having progressed to her current rank purely by virtue of her brilliance, she is shunned by the royal court for her lower class background and pedantic personality. She was a breath of fresh air in a world where most female main characters are young, naive ingenues. There’s a really wide cast of characters who are each developed and given proper time to shine – each of the seven contenders, their abbot or abbess and even groundskeepers and courtiers.

If you loved the gargoyle in The Knight and the Moth, you will similarly adore the Raven (although the Raven is slightly more sinister and murderous…) I don’t know where this trend of sassy talking animals has come from, but I am loving it! I also just loved this book so much. A fantasy, comedy and murder mystery all in one, it’s truly a genre bend but it WORKS.

Have you read the Raven Scholar yet? Let me know in the comments if I’ve convinced you.