The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
The Raven Scholar is a masterful work. One with one, glaring flaw: It takes far too long to set up. The book opens with an interesting story about Yana Valit. As the daughter of a traitor whose father waged rebellion against the current king, she lives precariously. When it is discovered that she secretly held onto her father's flag it is seen as an additional act of rebellion. The crime seems slight by our standards. But in the Empire of Orrun, it is a very serious crime. Emperor Bersun was about to give Yana a harsh sentence, but spare her exile, knowing that exile would be tantamount to death. But Yana's brother, Ruko, perhaps trying to curry the Emperor's favor, scoffs at the choice. On a lark, the Emperor puts it to Ruko to decide his sister's sentence. Ruko makes the hard choice, sentencing his sister to exile. But all this is the background. Enter Neema Kraa. She's an upstart scholar and scribe looking to affiliate herself with one of the eight great lands of...