An Epic Fantasy of War and Duality: My Review of The Book of Fallen Leaves by AS Tamaki

A slow, lyrical epic fantasy where gods return, loyalties fracture, and every soul carries two truths.

Synopsis

Shogun meets Game of Thrones in the blockbuster epic fantasy event of the year.  A. S. Tamaki weaves a powerful tale of ambition, vengeance and sacrifice in this masterful fantasy retelling of an ancient Samurai saga, packed with memorable characters, stunning worldbuilding and epic adventure.

Sen Hoshiakari is an exiled prince of a clan that lost everything in his father’s failed rebellion. Deprived of his birthright, Sen is determined to restore his family’s lands and honor at any cost.  Rui is a peasant girl who saved Sen’s life on the night his family were put to the sword. But now, she is adrift and unsure of her place in the world, not knowing that the gods themselves have plans for her …

As civil war throws the empire into chaos, and demons seek vengeance on the living, Sen and Rui must fight for both their clan and their shared future … But vengeance demands a bloody price.

Review

4 stars

Reading The Book of Fallen Leaves felt like stepping into a world on the brink of collapse — a land holding its breath before everything breaks.

This first installment in a new epic fantasy series is set in a world inspired by feudal Japan, where the land teeters on the edge of civil war. An old emperor’s curse continues to ripple through time, and as the barrier between worlds begins to thin, gods and demons once more walk among mortals.

Told through multiple points of view, the story primarily follows:

• Sen Hoshiakari, whose father was a traitor,  head Gensei clan and leader of a failed rebellion;
• Rui, a peasant girl who once saved Sen’s life as a child;
• Kai, Sen’s older sister and heir to the Gensei clan, raised apart by a steward family;
• Yora, their uncle — a formidable warrior renowned for both his sword and his poetry;
• Yaeko, taken in by the Keishi clan after her family aided the rebellion.
•  

Every character is deeply conflicted, torn between personal convictions, family expectations, and the weight of past sins. Fate looms heavily over them all. As political factions prepare a coup and tensions rise, the sense of unrest is constant and palpable throughout the novel.

With warrior monks, forest spirits, gods, and demons, A.S. Tamaki builds a vivid and immersive world. His prose is beautiful and lyrical — often poetic — and he has a true gift for conveying the emotional complexity of his characters. This is a highly quotable book; many passages made me pause and reflect, particularly those exploring the idea that each of us contains two souls — a notion that immediately brought to mind concepts of yin and yang, of good and evil coexisting.

The story takes its time to align all its moving parts: character arcs, political intrigue, and spiritual lore unfold at a deliberate pace. While the novel remains slow for a significant portion, that pacing ultimately felt appropriate. It allowed me to fully absorb the wisdom, atmosphere, and quiet beauty woven into the narrative.

My only real gripe lies in the sheer number of characters and side plots. As is often the case in expansive epic fantasy, I found myself more invested in certain storylines than others, eagerly waiting to return to Sen and Rui, whose relationship is both tender and heartbreaking. At times, the abundance of side characters and clans left me momentarily confused, struggling to remember who was aligned with whom and for what purpose.

That said, this remained my sole frustration.

Between revenge, political conspiracies, love, personal reckonings, and rich folklore inspired by feudal Japan, The Book of Fallen Leaves is a compelling and thoughtful epic fantasy that will undoubtedly captivate many readers.Many thanks to Orbit Books for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

Thanks for reading.

Sophie