Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What did you think about the point-of-view and narrative voice? How did the omniscient Raven viewpoint affect your reading experience?

2. How did The Raven Scholar compare to other high fantasy books you’ve read?

3. How did the humorous moments in the narrative affect the overall dark, tense, and foreboding tone of the novel? Did it feel out of place to you, or did it offer necessary reprieves that only bolstered your intrigue in the overall story?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Neema chooses to ignore her conscience to sign Yana’s Order of Exile to secure a promotion, but later regrets her decision. Have you ever been forced to choose between your moral values and a worldly advantage? What did you decide? Did you ever regret your choice?

2. Neema and Cain spend many years estranged from one another, but eventually reconnect and give their relationship another chance. Have you ever had someone in your life—a partner, friend, or relative—you reconnected with after a period of estrangement? How did your experience compare to Neema and Cain’s?

3. Neema raises high in the imperial hierarchy, but still often struggles with feeling isolated and out of place in elite circles. Have you ever experienced being in a place, whether socially or professionally, where you felt you didn’t fit in? How did you resolve this problem?

4. Neema initially considers herself an unbeliever, but her experiences with the Raven Guardian lead her to rethink her beliefs about her world’s deities. What has your own experience with faith been like? In what ways is your experience different or similar to Neema’s?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The tales of the Guardians center around the fact that Neema’s world has repeated history at least seven times—prompting their subsequent returns to save the world from destruction. How does this relate to our world? Where and how have we seen history repeated?

2. Neema’s relentless search for the truth threatens to expose the entire corrupt political party that rules over Orrun. What forms of political corruption exist in your own society? How does the text provide commentary on some of the common failings in political systems?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Hodgson utilizes an omniscient third-person point-of-view throughout the story. How does this narrative style impact the structure and characterization of the story?

2. Various characters wrestle with the problem of obedience and agency under the imperial system. How do characters respond to this problem? In what ways are Ruko, Neema, Cain, Benna and others different or similar in how they navigate the system?

3. How was the novel’s setting described? How did it help create a certain kind of ambience and tone for the story?

4. Compare and contrast The Raven Scholar with another fantasy novel that touches on similar themes of wealth inequality, corruption, and violent trials, such as The Hunger Games. How are the texts different or similar in their approaches to these themes?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were a character in the world of The Raven Scholar, what Guardian would you affiliate with? After making your decision, design a Trial you believe would reflect the values and qualities of your faction.

2. Imagine you were to create a Ninth Guardian. What animal would you choose? What would their qualities be? What values would members of this faction live by?