Review - The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

 

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson (Eternal Path trilogy #1)

 

What a pleasant surprise this was book was! This is definitely a front-runner for best fantasy book of 2025 for me: it's a 700+ epic full of intrigue, well-defined characters, mystery and solid world-building.

In an empire with a long history, a Festival of succession is being held on an isolated island to decide who will be the next ruler. Among the contenders for the throne is Neema, an introverted scholar; Cain, an unpredictable joker and spy, and possible assassin; and Ruko, an single-minded and ambitious warrior. Each of these is a follower of one of the Eight, powerful spirits / gods in the form of beasts. Society is also divided into factions of those who follow each of the divine beasts, and each of these groups also have their own defined-culture, temples and hierarchy.

The empire has a history of being dominated by aristocratic families ('venerants') and the associated elitism, nepotism and corruption that goes with it. Not long before the start of the story, there had been an attempted coup by Andren Valit. His is a character that is central to later events, and his ruthless, self-centred and arrogant attempt to overthrow the Emperor, Bersun, has had far-reaching effects. Then later, Andren's son, Ruko, makes an apalling choice to fatally exile his own sister in order to further his own desire to pursue the throne.

We follow Neema, the 'Raven scholar' of the title, from her poor origins and struggles to accomplish herself, to eventual success. She has been promoted because of her abilities to a position at the court, but is unpopular, looked down upon, envied, and often merely just used for her talents and taken for granted. She has been in and out of an unconventional and volatile relationship with Cain for a long time: Cain's service to the Fox sect has meant Neema has found his nature hard to learn and understand. Meanwhile, Ruko has long suppressed most of his emotions and guilt over his sister's death, in a determined effort with the Tiger faction to take the throne.

Early in the book there is a murder mystery that must be solved, which will keep most readers guessing. And the animal companions we meet, especially the ravens, are endearing and often comical. These creatures, like the chameleon, sometimes seem curious despite seeming like mere pets...especially when it's discovered some of them can possess people...

What I loved most about this were the unexpected touches in the story. There are surprising plot happenings, small hints that characters may not be as they appear, revelations, and most of the all, wonderful touches of humour. Even when we hear through Neema's melancholy, wry memories of her sad, pitiable upbringing in the Raven temple, there are often amusing lines that lift up the storytelling. This is despite the casual cruelty and indifference she faces from the privileged others in her life. And in the succession Festival, we gradually find out the Trials may be rigged, the contests even pre-decided, and behind the scenes one gets the impression there are manipulations going on by people with hidden agendas. 

The narration itself often contains quotations from imaginary manuscripts, footnotes and flashbacks to moments from the past. There is a deceptively complex structure to this novel, but I never found it confusing or inaccessible. Even when the ravens themselves take over the telling of the story!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette for an ARC of this book.

 

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

   

Review - A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

Cover - A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

March finds me taking part in the online "March Mavericks" readathon. The first book I've read is the fantasy murder-mystery, A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett.

This second story of inspectors Ana and Din doesn't disappoint. The setting moves to a jungle-forested kingdom, Yarrow, as the intrepid duo become mired in an investigation involving murder and intrigue in a harsh, decadent autocratic culture in a state of decline and denial. There are plot developments involving the all-important extraction of materials from leviathan bodies encapsulated in a bio-shroud, involving vast wealth and vitally central to the Empire's survival.  
 
Once more the characters are well-portrayed, especially the leaders of factions in the Yarrow court and the mysterious group of Apoths. We get to see some light and amusing experiences involving Din, and surprising revelations about the nature of the formidable Ana herself. And the clues, mysteries and unveilings of secrets are bound to keep readers, like I was, engaged till the last minute.  
 
This time round there perhaps was a big of a saggy second third of the story, and some of the vivid atmosphere may have been less than in the first book. But on the plus side, the earlier philosophizing of the characters has been pleasingly trimmed and the cracking dialogue is probably even sharper.

Thanks to Netgalley and DelRey for an ARC of this book.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review - Mushroom Blues by Adrian M Gibson

 The start of February 2025 finds me doing fairly with indie fantasy reading - I've now finished one semi-finalist and four finalist books in the SPFBO competition.

Mushroom Blues by Adrian M Gibson is an interesting finalist entry in the SPFBO X competition. It is told from the viewpoint of a detective, Henrietta Hoffman, employed by the Neo Kinoko Police Department in her increasingly personal mission to uncover the mystery behind the cases of some murdered children. The children are "fungals", humanoids with mushroom-like characteristics and her whole investigation is within the context of a recent bitter of war of conquest by the human Coprinians over the fungal-like Hoppinese.  We get a strong picture of the devastating effects of colonisation and poverty suffered by the fungals over the course of the novel. The setting has strong cyberpunk influences and its strange developments within the city environments, based on fungal blooms, take some getting used to.

Henrietta is carrying a large amount of emotional baggage from her past as she persists with the case, also finding herself saddled unwillingly with a fungal colleague, Koji. She must overcome her own history of alcoholism and guilt, cultural  brainwashing and ignorance of the fungal people she is investigating.

I found the first three-quarters of the book fairly slow, and the occasional self-flagellation by the main character off-putting. But the descriptions, characters and world-building were quality and this kept me reading. Ridgeway, Hoffman's superior, was a surprisingly well-drawn and engaging boss; while Koji's character steals the show over the most of the book, as we experience more and more revelations of his own past, hidden abilities and the dark surprises within his family. I also enjoyed the numerous common Hoppinese figures that the detectives encounter along the way, and Hoffman's startlingly psychedelic bicycle ride. The last quarter of the book is where the main action occurs and I was happily strung along for most of it.

I did find myself questioning how a character subjected to torture and the sawing through of her arm was able to carry a child shortly afterwards. And it is a very minor thing, but in a fantasy world that seems analogous to north America of the 1980s or 90s, with cars and cassette tapes, where was (the tech and cultural giant) television? But overall, this was an often dark, worthy book with a lot of lucid writing and good use of standard detective thriller story elements.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review - Gates of Hope by JE Hannaford

 

This is my first review of the SPFBO X competition finalists books. Gates of Hope by JE Hannaford is an engaging story with more than a dash of the fantasy epic about it. There is a deceptively large amount of world-building behind it within the land of Caldera. It is dominated by craters after an event called The Rending, in which people dwell in areas named semiclaves. Their world is bound up with the ancient history of the Aulirean Gates, and conflict with the race called awldrin, which sealed the gates closed. And beyond their settled areas, the Edgelands and threats like the dangerous flying xotryl creatures are encroaching 

It follows the viewpoints of three main characters. Darin is a young man who finds himself apprenticed as a So'Dal, an organisation of magical healers whose abilities centre around the use of special plants. However, he finds himself also bonded to a moonhound, enchanted beasts with the power to communicate telepathically and walk through dreams. And when Darin then finds himself involved with a hidden, elite group of men, his adventures truly begin. 

Suriin is also a young apprentice So'Dal on the same world. She must deal with the fate of her father who was unfortunately poisoned while on a journey. Suriin's impetuous nature and good intentions affect a difficult choice she must make. Lastly, the third POV character, Elissa, is from a separate world, Tebein, which has been harshly oppressed by the sinister race of the awldrin. Her decision to leave her harsh home community of DragonsBreath to join another society, based on harmony and understanding, has tragic but also, ultimately hopeful consequences. 

I found the magic system of Gates of Hope unusual, based as it is around music, dreams, plants, wefts and...whistles?! The story and characters are engaging, and the moments of youthful elation we experience with Suriin and Darin were some of the most enjoyable for me. But I also thought it could have done better with some more driving plot force and momentum. There were some sections that seemed a bit indulgently cosy, and rather a lot of time is spent on the characters' own inner thoughts and musings. Anyway, it's a promising start to a series.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐

Review - Warlords of Wyrdwood by RJ Barker

 

Book two of RJ Barker's Forsaken series shifts us deeper in to the fascinating world of Crua. Once more we get superb fantasy world-building, and this is a more polished, shorter, stronger book than the first. A warning that this review contains many spoilers, so if that's something you want to avoid, stop reading now!

The story begins with the fate of Udinny (the monk of the virtuous god, Ranya) who we learn after her death has crossed over into a spirit world. There she faces a wide range of trials and adventures in her mission as a servant of Ranya. Then we are moved back to Cahan and the villagers of Harn, faced with the continued threat of the Rai and their forces. They battle to flee their original village, then make a long trek into Wyrdwood. There they establish a new village with the aid of the Forestals. This is until they are betrayed by Sorha, the former Rai vanquished earlier by Cahan, who out of revenge leads their enemies to them. Sorha once again struggles with hatred and her former desires in her life as a Rai, and also uses her talent as a 'duller' who can negate others' powers.

At a certain point, some of the chapters take the viewpoint of Ont, previously one of the most pig-headed, close minded characters of the first book. He has now been redeemed, and in the unlikeliest of happenings he is transformed into an enlightened monk of Ranya. He proves himself brave, seeks after wisdom and even becomes a leader (in a way) of the village of New Harn.

We are also introduced now to Dassit, a trunk leader of the southern Red army of the Rai, the losing side. Over time, we learn that her character is that of a world-weary soldier, embittered by experience, who genuinely cares for her troops and their struggle for survival. She has long relied on her second-in-command, Vir, and together they try to prepare for and fend off the siege of a doomed town.

It is soon after at a pivotal section of the book that several different groups of characters learn about the true nature of the taffistones, and how their network allows magical travel between locations. They are led through the stones to the hidden city of the Forestals, Woodhome. There, Venn, the character whose nature is a special case as a trion, learns from the Forestals' Lens group the true extent of their powers as a 'conduit'.

Cahan once more struggles with his increasing feelings for Furin, the Leoric of the village. This time it is because in an earlier battle he succumbed to a temptation to draw power from bluevein of the forest, meaning he could now drain energy from anyone just by touch. It is a corrupt power source which proves to be uncontrollable for him, and whose origin it is revealed is linked to the dark god, Zorir. When Furin is captured, Cahan and his supporters must make a bid to rescue her from death at a rendezvous point, near to the enchanted Slowlands.

The sinisterly obsessed Skua-Rai of the northern Rai, Saradis, plots with Sorha to trap Cahan by using Furin as bait. Meanwhile, it is revealed Saradis has been corrupting the imprisoned Cowl-Rai, Nahac (also Cahan's sister), whom she has driven into suffering and madness. Saradis is a fanatically devoted servant of the dark god, Zorir, who seeks the end of the world. But things do not go exactly according to Saradis' plan, as both Cahan and Sorha are plummetted down a crevasse into a dark underworld. There they find themselves in the mysterious city of legend, Anjin, where they encounter the blind Osere. These creatures are not as previously thought, i.e. not demons, and together Sorha and Cahan travel with them until they are forced into a final battle with Zorir, the god himself. Zorir has been trying to trap and use Cahan's power by dragging him into the dark ruins underground. Unfortunately, in the end Zorir is able to capture Cahan and exploits his power, using it to ascend to the over-world. All looks dark! Now Zorir needs only Venn, the final part in his diabolical plan...

My favourite characters this time around were Dassit and Ont. Ont, while pursuing a new course as a monk, finds himself in a burgeoning relationship with Ania, the Forestal. The most heart-wrenching chapter of the whole book is without doubt the one where Ont awakens and finds the tragic extent of his injuries: he has been cruelly injured and blinded.

The revelations we get about the world of Crua are definitely what keep me reading: the nature of blue vein, the god Zorir, the roots of the cloudtrees, the myth of the Star Path, the Hetton, the background of the Forestals, the Osere and the holy city of Anjin. I also particularly enjoyed the more taut writing style of this installment, and its tone which can vary from the magically metaphysical with Udinny's journey to short, vibrant bursts of phrases in the battle and chase scenes. Once more, the atmospheric setting of Wyrdwood radiates throughout, and also that of the shadowy underworld of the Osere. And the plot and the experiences of the main characters get more disturbing as we get caught up in all of it: a sign of dark fantasy working at its best.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review - The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

I have been making an effort to catch up with books published in 2024, and here's my first installment. Despite admitting I am only an occasional mystery tale reader, everything in The Tainted Cup just seems to my eyes to be done enjoyably right, with sure-footed dialogue and vivid atmosphere. Within the first chapter we are introduced to two appealing main characters, the inspector of the Iudex, Ana, and her apprentice assistant, Din. A variation on Sherlock and Watson, this unlikely pair are plunged deep into a murder case and a conspiracy that will affect the Empire of Khanum.

We get some standard 'murder mystery' plot elements in the initial set up, weirdly macabre crimes and victims, some hidden secrets, a trail of clues and of course 'the hook': we as the reader increasingly want to know why the deaths have taken place. The backdrop is the setting of the sprawling Empire, with its division by wealth and privilege into 'circles'. The third circle is for the least fortunate, as it lies closest to the shoreline and its wall, imperilled by leviathan beasts resembling giant kaiju. Society is structured into layers, with the military, the aristocracy and elite power given to many through arcane 'grafts'. I found it quite accomplished science-fantasy world building.

Ana is the eccentric, mysterious and obsessed inspector, bent towards the investigation like a predatory dog after bone. As her apprentice, Din must take advantage of his own special power of 'engraving', and turn his taciturn manner and even a learning disability to his own advantage. Both Ana and Din show true integrity in their quest to resolve the central mystery. My favourite character, however, is the gruff old soldier, Miljin, who despite his brusque manner and world-weary wisdom often shows compassion and caring to the others.

There are a number of red herrings we meet along the way, and even some enemies revealed as hiding in plain sight. We eventually get to see the real story behind the shady aristocratic Hazas family, in their ruthless quest to increase their own power. And the dramatic revelations, mainly deduced by the delightfully nutty Ana, are given to us in a way that pleasingly resolves the questions we, as readers, wanted to ask. It's quite well-done how details in the sotry that previously seemed unimportant are brought back once more as vital clues in the final solving of the mystery.  My only small gripe was some of the philosophizing about the Empire and the characters describing it in terms of metaphors, less might have better in this area.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review - Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa

 

The central plot of this book involves a mage who invokes a spell that allows him to time travel back to a point in his life where many things that went wrong have not occurred yet. Cyril Laverre is the main character, reliving his life again, given the chance to right wrongs which were made the first time around. The kingdom of Farsala was blighted, and he seeks to thwart his former lover, Prince Euphrates, who he blames for its downfall. As a time travel story, it reminds one of a number of old Twilight Zone episodes or the film "Peggy Sue Got Married".

However, Cyril and Euphrates were permanently bound earlier by a foolish, youthful lovers' vow that can be both a blessing or a curse. We see some convincingly flawed characters as the book progresses: Euphrates was tempted by power, and corrupted its use to his own ambitious ends; Cyril was a foolish lover who missed a lot going on around him, now regarding himself as incompetent or of neglecting things he should have paid attention to. Princess Tigris is a rebellious royal who must learn to control her impulses, and I found her to be by the far the most engaging and interesting character of the book (especially after she is "transformed"). I also was intrigued by the nature of Cyril's Aunt Helene, a reserved elder mage who tries be a responsible guardian for him, while at the same time hiding her awkwardness with expressing emotions by a sharp manner towards him.

In the first two-thirds of the book, there was a bit more angst and self-recrimination from Cyril than I would have liked. Also, not that much occurs, or when it does I'm afraid that I didn't find it that enjoyable. However, we get some strong details for the settings: the flamboyantly stylish and aristocratic kingdom of Farsala, where Cyril's sanctuaries are gardens and woods, and private chambers. This contrasted with the neighbouring land of Cretea, which is held up as quite different and expansive. The ruler of Cretea, King Atticus, presents himself as a picture of humbleness and good character, and we are invited to trust him...

At the two-thirds mark, however, everything picks up. We get startling revelations about both the sinister-seeming Euphrates and the pleasant-seeming Atticus.  The action also properly kicks off, as three of the characters must stop a diabolical plot from wiping out the kingdom of Farsala. Cyril discovers his rash hastiness can actually be a strength, and also finds his true potency in magic as a possible future Grand Mage. 

The story has cozy moments but it doesn't quite fit the 'cozy romantasy' bill: stakes are high, for one thing (the fate of a kingdom and even the environment, a concern of high fantasy). There is also an unusually bleak beginning with a character committing an act as a last resort of desperation. However, as things move along we see a lot more wit and cheeky dialogue (especially involving Aunt Helene, who often precipitates Cyril falling to pieces) which redeems a lot.

(Thanks to Angry Robot Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.)

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐