The Book of Fallen Leaves is the first novel in the Japanese inspired fantasy series The Autumn Empire, written by A.S. Tamaki, published by Orbit Books. A sublime fantasy debut that is really ambitious in terms of scope and depth, an empire near a civil war while gods and demons are breaking free, and two people at the center of our storyline, blending political and epic fantasy while not being afraid of making us reflect about the realities of warfare.

Sen Hoshiakari, the son of a traitor, was rescued as a child the same night his father was executed and taken to live in hiding. Rui, a lowborn, was also there during the slaughter, and was saved along with Sen when her family was killed. Years later, their destinies are again intertwined, as a coup by the Keishi clan threatens to plunge the Empire into a civil war; Sen and Rui must fight for their family, but with gods and demons roaming again the lands, each one will be forced to take really different paths.

While Tamaki has woven a choral story with many pieces moving on the table, it is unarguable that a significant part of the narrative weight is focused on the journey that our two main characters will have to embark. While Sen's one has most of the epic elements of this story, slowly unrolling how the Empire falls into war and how, after being raised as the son of a traitor, he's forced to finally experience the hard realities behind warfare, it's Rui's the one that captivated me. Don't get me wrong, Sen is a really complex character, but Rui having to confront the consequences of her acts, and accepting guilt, only hoping to become a better person and facing literal demons? That was absolutely amazing, even if it has lower points that give more authenticity to the character.

The worldbuilding of this novel is an absolute feast for the reader, inspired by an ancient Samurai saga and full of detail, blending together the historical details with the mythical ones, creating a contrast that helps build a story that is equally about war, politics and supernatural creatures. How the author takes the time to also let us think about the consequences of those conflicts, with added bits of oriental philosophy from the mouths of our characters, who are facing those in their very skin.

The Book of Fallen Leaves is the perfect story for somebody looking to read a chonker, an epic fantasy that is only the first chapter on a big story; a debut that puts Tamaki as a name to watch in the future!