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Beneath Falling Leaves: A Saga of Gods and Kings
521 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 22, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 7, 2026
High fantasy is very much my genre of choice, usually with a bit more romance than this one dared to include. The lack of spice felt suspicious at first… and then I found myself completely hooked anyway.
As this is his second published novel, it’s clear he’s found the genre that truly suits him. The writing is confident and beautifully done, with descriptions that make the world feel vivid and real. The world-building is so detailed at times that it’s easy to forget it all exists entirely in his head.
The story is told through six different points of view, which took me a little time to get used to, but once it settled, it added depth and scope rather than feeling overwhelming.
Somewhere along the way, I stopped reading as a wife and started reading as a very opinionated fantasy reader—right up until a moment made me genuinely annoyed with him, which I consider the highest possible compliment.
I was lucky enough to read this early and offer feedback, and watching it come together has been incredible. Even without the elements I usually gravitate toward, this book held my attention from beginning to end and left me genuinely impressed.
As this is his second published novel, it’s clear he’s found the genre that truly suits him. The writing is confident and beautifully done, with descriptions that make the world feel vivid and real. The world-building is so detailed at times that it’s easy to forget it all exists entirely in his head.
The story is told through six different points of view, which took me a little time to get used to, but once it settled, it added depth and scope rather than feeling overwhelming.
Somewhere along the way, I stopped reading as a wife and started reading as a very opinionated fantasy reader—right up until a moment made me genuinely annoyed with him, which I consider the highest possible compliment.
I was lucky enough to read this early and offer feedback, and watching it come together has been incredible. Even without the elements I usually gravitate toward, this book held my attention from beginning to end and left me genuinely impressed.
February 19, 2026
If you’re chasing that epic fantasy high with serious LotR vibes… this one’s for you.
Beneath Falling Leaves by @_christopherdean_ A high fantasy debut, which I still cannot believe, because it is epic!
Thank you so much for my copy! There’s a shelf trophy coming in hot!
Review: Think sweeping landscapes, ancient tensions simmering beneath the surface, and a world that feels lived-in long before you turn page one. The world-building is rich without being overwhelming — layered history, political undercurrents, and whispers of gods and destiny threading through it all.
Told through multiple POVs, the story expands outward in that classic saga style. Every perspective adds another piece to the larger conflict, raising the stakes with each shift. Alliances feel fragile. Power feels dangerous. And you can sense something massive brewing on the horizon.
It’s epic. It’s immersive. It’s the kind of fantasy that unfolds like legend. I need book 2 asap, I am not gunna be forgetting this one anytime soon!
‘This moment is not the death of an era…it is the birth of one’
Beneath Falling Leaves by @_christopherdean_ A high fantasy debut, which I still cannot believe, because it is epic!
Thank you so much for my copy! There’s a shelf trophy coming in hot!
Review: Think sweeping landscapes, ancient tensions simmering beneath the surface, and a world that feels lived-in long before you turn page one. The world-building is rich without being overwhelming — layered history, political undercurrents, and whispers of gods and destiny threading through it all.
Told through multiple POVs, the story expands outward in that classic saga style. Every perspective adds another piece to the larger conflict, raising the stakes with each shift. Alliances feel fragile. Power feels dangerous. And you can sense something massive brewing on the horizon.
It’s epic. It’s immersive. It’s the kind of fantasy that unfolds like legend. I need book 2 asap, I am not gunna be forgetting this one anytime soon!
‘This moment is not the death of an era…it is the birth of one’
February 14, 2026
I'm going to be thinking about this book for weeks!
It has been a while since I have delved into the realms of high fantasy, and I am beyond happy that this was the book that pulled me back in.
Worldbuilding, exquisite. You can feel the land and its peoples coming to life with every sentence.
Lore, organic. Whilst I love a good lore dump, I found myself enjoying learning the lore in pockets as characters recall or learned it themselves.
Characters, amazing. With a Multi POV roster of 8, each of them felt so unique, real and absolutely necessary. The breadth and depth of this story live through each of these characters, and once the majority have been introduced, the flow of the story really begins.
C.Dean has put so much care and effort into this world and its story, and I am wildly impressed that it his debut into Fantasy. I cannot wait for the next instalment
It has been a while since I have delved into the realms of high fantasy, and I am beyond happy that this was the book that pulled me back in.
Worldbuilding, exquisite. You can feel the land and its peoples coming to life with every sentence.
Lore, organic. Whilst I love a good lore dump, I found myself enjoying learning the lore in pockets as characters recall or learned it themselves.
Characters, amazing. With a Multi POV roster of 8, each of them felt so unique, real and absolutely necessary. The breadth and depth of this story live through each of these characters, and once the majority have been introduced, the flow of the story really begins.
C.Dean has put so much care and effort into this world and its story, and I am wildly impressed that it his debut into Fantasy. I cannot wait for the next instalment
February 6, 2026
4.5 🌟
For a debut high fantasy, I’m genuinely blown away. The level of detail Dean weaves into the story is phenomenal. Rich imagery, immersive scenes, and worldbuilding that feels deep, deliberate, and fully realised.
The novel features multiple POV, around eight or nine, which was a little challenging to track at first, but ultimately added so much depth and complexity to the plot. Where many high fantasy debuts can feel slow or tedious as they focus heavily on setting up worlds, histories, and languages, that’s absolutely not the case here. The story remains engaging throughout, and the ending ties things off beautifully while setting the stage perfectly for the next book.
For a debut high fantasy, I’m genuinely blown away. The level of detail Dean weaves into the story is phenomenal. Rich imagery, immersive scenes, and worldbuilding that feels deep, deliberate, and fully realised.
The novel features multiple POV, around eight or nine, which was a little challenging to track at first, but ultimately added so much depth and complexity to the plot. Where many high fantasy debuts can feel slow or tedious as they focus heavily on setting up worlds, histories, and languages, that’s absolutely not the case here. The story remains engaging throughout, and the ending ties things off beautifully while setting the stage perfectly for the next book.
February 7, 2026
wow, if that is a debut fantasy novel, then Christopher Dean is going to go places!!
the vivid world building, the characters being flawed but so relatable.. except for Dorukov we don't like him.
Each chapter is a different POV so you have up to 5-6 different POV, and it was so well done that you just wanted to keep going with that one character but so happy to find out what's happening elsewhere in this world of war, turmoil and darkness.
I just sat and kept reading and then tapping my kindle to change it to have the appendices appear? felt betrayed 😂😭
But that cliffhanger is epic and I cannot wait for the next instalment of this journey! 👀
the vivid world building, the characters being flawed but so relatable.. except for Dorukov we don't like him.
Each chapter is a different POV so you have up to 5-6 different POV, and it was so well done that you just wanted to keep going with that one character but so happy to find out what's happening elsewhere in this world of war, turmoil and darkness.
I just sat and kept reading and then tapping my kindle to change it to have the appendices appear? felt betrayed 😂😭
But that cliffhanger is epic and I cannot wait for the next instalment of this journey! 👀
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews