Antonia Hodgson has written four acclaimed historical crime novels. She won the CWA Historical Dagger for The Devil in the Marshalsea, and her work has also been shortlisted for numerous awards including the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year.

 Antonia’s first (unpublished) novel was a gothic fantasy and her dream has always been to write an epic series, given the chance. In 2020 she set to work on The Raven Scholar and is now busy finishing its sequel.

Welcome to the Hive, Antonia. Congratulations on the success of your fantasy debut! For some of our readers who may not have had a chance to get their hands on a copy yet, can you tell us a bit about The Raven Scholar? What can we expect?

Thank you so much – happy to be here! 

The Raven Scholar is set in the empire of Orrun – specifically the imperial island. Because Orrun has an ugly history of civil war and dynastic tyranny, it now has strict laws of succession. An emperor or empress can rule for a maximum of twenty-four years, and their children cannot replace them. Instead, seven contenders from seven rival monasteries (each one linked to a Guardian animal) compete for the throne in a series of trials and fights.  

Neema Kraa, a brilliant but isolated scholar, has absolutely no intention of watching the contest, never mind joining it. The Fox contender for the throne is her former lover Cain Ballari (who hated her before it was fashionable, as he is keen to point out). Another contender is Neema’s longstanding, bitter rival from their days at the Raven monastery. She decides to hide out in the imperial library instead, until she can accompany the current emperor into retirement. Lovely. 

Obviously, these plans go awry. Nothing is quite what it seems. Expect the unexpected! 

Now I absolutely fell in love with your narrative style, the omniscient narration and the second person narration work so well together to create a well rounded view of the events unfolding, whilst also giving Neema and the other characters great depth. Did you always plan to use this style? What made you choose it over a first person narration?

To avoid spoilers I won’t go into specific detail here – but it seemed a natural way to tell the story. And I have always loved stories within stories, and chatty narrators who don’t always steer you right. If you have a narrator that is 1) highly observant 2) excessively proud and 3) limited by rules it doesn’t like … You have so much room for play, and misdirection, along with the expansive view.

Speaking of the characters, you have quite a large cast but somehow you managed to make me love so many. My personal favourites were Neema and Sol, Cain and by the end even Ruko stole my heart. Which were your favourites to write? 

Some scenes were harder to write than others, some characters are more disturbing than others, but I was engrossed in all of it. Benna, who is so winningly upbeat, was always fun to write. But at the same time I was really drawn to Yasila, who is almost Benna’s opposite: mercurial and remote; condescending at times. I was fascinated by her story and her choices. 

Regarding the four you mention: writing scenes between Neema and Cain always comes very naturally – they understand each other so well. Even when they are furious with each other, they might suddenly stop mid-argument and say – ‘Oh, good joke, though, I’ll give you that.’ There’s a particular energy between them that I really enjoy writing. 

Ruko was the most recalcitrant. There was one particular scene where I really needed him to say something, but he refused (!). You have to admire that in a character…! It’s like working with a piece of beautiful (but stubborn) wood – go with the grain. In the end – as often happens – the ‘workaround’ became far more interesting than the initial idea.

As for Sol, it’s like he’s sitting on my shoulder dictating. Maybe he is? Who knows… 

You even managed to make your side characters such as Benna, Fenn and Sunar, memorable and distinct. Do you have a personal favourite here? Can we expect any of your side characters to feature more prominently in future instalments? 

The late Jane Gardam said something wonderful about this – ‘they don’t know they’re minor characters’. That’s always stuck with me. 

I’m so pleased you mentioned Sunur! She always takes a step back, and makes up her own mind, no matter the social or personal pressure. I admire that quality in a person – and it definitely serves her well. Fenn… I think Orrun would collapse without him. I think the book would collapse without him! Plus he loves his wife, and only head butts people when it’s strictly necessary. Excellent qualities. 

As for the next two books – there are certainly characters beyond the main leads who develop and evolve as the trilogy progresses. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

Without heading into spoiler territory can you tell us one of your most favourite scenes to write? 

I enjoyed the fight scenes, melding action with character. What’s not to love about a razor-sharp war fan?   

The two separate tales, about Yasila, and the Fox, were a treat to write. Obviously I read folk tales as a child, and I also studied them at university, so I pulled those stories out of a deep well. 

Your wonderfully extensive worldbuilding immerses us easily into your story. Tell us of your process in creating the eight different Guardian monasteries? Did you create a mood board to help visualise each one?

Oh. Now I want to create mood boards. What a lovely idea! I have mood boards in my head, does that count? 

The palaces and the monasteries developed as integral parts of the empire. One of the first things I did was draw a map, and work out where the monasteries would be situated. Their design reflects the qualities of each Guardian. So obviously the Raven monastery would feel more like a college, focused on intellectual pursuits, whereas the Bear monastery is a border fortress up in the mountains, designed to build endurance and also create intense bonds of loyalty. 

And then looking at the palaces, naturally the Ox palace has a working farm that sustains the rest of the imperial island, and the Monkey palace – with its theatres and food/craftshops – is the most entertaining and open to visitors.  

Which of the Guardians do you think you would be most suited to and why? 

Bit of Raven, bit of Monkey… But I suspect, deep deep down, I could be a Fox. The fact I’ve just given three answers here is a very Fox-like move. I will not be pinned! I think the point of the Guardian affiliations is that people can choose for themselves, and then it doesn’t have to be permanent. If later in life you decide you’re more of a Tiger than a Hound – no problem. And of course there’s always the choice of no choice – non-affiliation!

Although you’re most well known for your historical crime novels, writing a fantasy has always been your passion. Did you find the change in genre easy to get into or were there any difficulties along the way?

My first novel (which was never published) was a gothic fantasy with vampires, so in many ways I felt I was coming back to my natural home. I loved writing historical crime, but I think SFF is where my heart lies. To be honest, I think one of the reasons I was drawn to writing historical fiction, was that it allowed some of the same world-building pleasures as fantasy.

And how does it feel to finally have The Raven Scholar out there in the wild? Did you do anything special to celebrate its release?

It feels wonderful to see it out in the wild! It took me four years to plan and write, so it’s a special moment. At the same time, my attention is always pulled back into my writing – so at present book two has my near-undivided attention.

Now here’s a little fun question for you: which Guardian would you want by your side in a battle and why? 

Well, they all have their uses… Though given the Dragon is the Guardian of Mystery and Death, I think I’d avoid that one. The Fox is the Guardian of Escape, so that could be good… but it’s not the most reliable of creatures. It might end up eating me by accident or something. Maybe the Bear – its followers are great warriors and healers, so that sounds the safest bet. And if I end up dying in battle, it can give me a comforting hug to send me on my way into the next life. The Bear gives great, meaningful hugs.

Antonia, I have to ask about The Raven Scholar sequel. What more can we expect? What teasers can you share with us?

Most of The Raven Scholar takes place on the imperial island, over a few days. But by the end of the book, it’s clear things are now going to expand out into the wider empire. That will include Orrun’s ancient capital of Samra, and… other places. That’s as much as I can say right now, sorry!

Finally, what is the one thing you hope readers take away from your writing?

I hope people feel really immersed in the story and the world, and feel invested in the characters. That’s what I love as a reader, so if I’ve achieved that, I’ll be very happy.

Thank you so much for joining us today!

The Raven Scholar is available now, you can order your copy HERE