The raven scholar

Neema Kraa is a Junior Archivist at the Raven palace, the first Commoner of Scartown to be admitted. Ostracized by her peers, all of whom are from Venerant or High Middling families, she rises to prominence when High Commander Hol Valbras selects her to write an Order of Exile for Yanara Valit, daughter of Andren Valit, the traitor who attempted to assassinate the emperor eight years prior. Accepting the task ends her relationship with Cain Ballari, who agrees with most of the empire in thinking that sixteen-year-old Yanara is innocent, a victim of her twin brother Ruko's sudden jealousy. Neema and Cain reconnect eight years later at the Festival of the Eight--the contest to select a new emperor from the seven competing palaces--representing the Guardians, with Cain competing for the Fox palace. The two are dragged together into the investigation when one of the contenders is murdered. The deceptions, intricate twists, and the occasional Raven as a point-of-view character make this a page-turner that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next book in the Eternal Path Trilogy.

Historical mystery writer Hodgson (the Tom Hawkins novels) shifts genres masterfully in this stellar fantasy trilogy kickoff. Emperor Bersun of Orrun intends to step down after 24 years on the throne, abiding by his empire's strict term limits. His successor will come from one of seven contenders, each representing a separate monastery devoted to one of the animals sacred to the supernatural guardians, who previously saved Orrun seven times but would destroy it should they return again. Bersun's High Scholar Neema Kraa is content to ignore the competition and focus on her obscure research--but when one of the potential successors is murdered in circumstances that make Neema a prime suspect, she must drop everything to clear her name and crack the case. Neema, a know-it-all with limited social skills, is a flawed but endearing lead; Hodgson's attention to detail makes the worldbuilding vivid; and her subtle, playful prose enriches the ingeniously constructed narrative. This impressive display of versatility marks Hodgson as an exciting new voice in fantasy. (Apr.)