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 . . .
Read MoreThe 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 HouseThe 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 StardustThe 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 ThroneTwisty and clever - Claire North, author of IthacaThe 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 UndyingA 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 StarsThe 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 UnbrokenSharply 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