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Edition 2 (2006) grand prize
Rei Tasaki
たさきれい
Tasaki Rei
Pen Names:
Rei（Pen name; taken from American writer Ray Bradbury）
Profile
- Gender
- Unknown
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Light novel author, Fantasy writer, Bookseller
- Active Years
- 2006-
- Influenced By
- Ray Bradbury
- Nominations
- 45th Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award — Nominee (2024), 21st Honya Taisho — Nominated; placed 5th in final voting (2024)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Faculty of Engineering | Image Engineering | — | — | Japan |
—
Faculty of Engineering
/ Image Engineering
Country:
Japan
Reportedly graduated from an engineering faculty that taught image engineering; specific institution not publicly disclosed.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | C★NOVELS Grand Prize | Koyasai | — | Chuokoron-Shinsha | 大賞 (Grand Prize) |
| 2024 | Honya Taisho (Bookseller's Award) | — | — | Honya Taisho Executive Committee | 5位 (5th place) |
| 2024 | Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award | — | — | Kodansha | ノミネート (Nominee) |
C★NOVELS Grand Prize
2006
Work:
Koyasai
Organization:
Chuokoron-Shinsha
Result:
大賞 (Grand Prize)
Honya Taisho (Bookseller's Award)
2024
Organization:
Honya Taisho Executive Committee
Result:
5位 (5th place)
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award
2024
Organization:
Kodansha
Result:
ノミネート (Nominee)
Awards & Nominations
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 45 (2024) nominee
Works
Major Works
Koyasai
2006 Fantasy / Light novelDebut work. An ensemble fantasy set around a festival in a kingdom.
festivalscommunitytradition and magic
The Book Princess Sings
2007 Light novel / FantasyA series centered on books and libraries, combining light-novel storytelling with literary touches.
bookspower of storiesidentity
Yume no Ue
2010 Fantasy / Light novelA multi-volume series featuring elements such as luminous "crystals" and adventurous tales.
dreamskingship and crystalsadventure
An epic fantasy series depicting the rise and fall of a nation and the growth of its characters; garnered major award nominations in 2024.
kingdomspoliticsheroic talesduty and growth
Adaptations
- [Manga] / 薄雲ねず (2025)
The Library of Wisdom and Ten Mysteries
2019 Mystery / FantasyA collection featuring a library setting with puzzles and short stories.
librariespuzzlesknowledge
The God-Slaying Savior
2015 Fantasy / ActionA fantasy novel with mythic elements and action-oriented scenes.
mythbattleredemption
Blood and Mist
2016 Dark fantasyA short-story series set in a darker, shadowed fantasy world.
violencefateshadows
Asking the Eight Million Gods
2013 Mythic fantasyA series of seasonally themed short stories incorporating Japanese mythic elements.
mythseasonsfolklore
Bibliography
- Koyasai
- The Book Princess Sings
- Yume no Ue (multi-volume series)
- Reende Kingdom Tales (series)
- The Library of Wisdom and Ten Mysteries
- The God-Slaying Savior
- Blood and Mist (series)
- Asking the Eight Million Gods (seasonal volumes)
Adaptations
- Reende Kingdom Tales (manga adaptation by Usukumo Nezu; Afternoon KC; 2025 - )
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Epic, ensemble narrationBlend of light-novel readability and literary descriptionWorldbuilding grounded in evocative scene descriptions
- Recurring Motifs
- libraries and booksfestivals and ritualsroyalty and nationdreams and symbolic crystalsmaps and routes
Legacy
Rei Tasaki is recognized as a fantasy writer who combines light-novel readability with literary qualities. After debuting with Koyasai, she built a reputation following years of submissions; her Reende series received major literary award attention. In recent years many works previously available only as ebooks have been published in print, raising her commercial profile.
In Popular Culture
- Hosts a virtual "Koyasai" event on Twitter (since December 2020)
Quotes
-
The pen name "Rei" is taken from Ray Bradbury.
Source: Rei Tasaki official blog 'Muteki to Todai' (blog post) (2018)
Trivia
- The pen name "Rei" was taken from Ray Bradbury.
- Joined an advertising agency but left after about 1.5 years and decided to pursue being a novelist.
- Worked as a bookseller for 11 years while submitting manuscripts for 17 years before debuting.
- Has hosted a virtual "Koyasai" event on Twitter since December 2020.
- Some works were available only as ebooks for a long time, but many were released in print from 2023 onward.
- The Reende series was nominated for the Yoshikawa Eiji Award and placed 5th in the Honya Taisho (2024).