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horizonous's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Usually I'm not the biggest fan of flowery writing, but somehow it worked really well for me in this book. It creates this eerie, lush and dreamy, yet poisonous atmosphere, and I couldn't get enough of it. The descriptions of the House of Dreams were especially immaculate. I just really like it, when a setting comes to live as if it were its own character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Animal death
Moderate: Blood, Death, Infidelity, and Self harm
Minor: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, and Child abuse
adarose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
provo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The language in this book is beautiful. Highly recommended, if you love fairy tales - look up the content warnings though, this book is not a light one.
At times I was really irritated about the time and place this is supposed to play out, I am still not sure if this takes place in Europe or the USA. There were thing very specific to Europe (e.g. drinking at 16) and things very specific to the U S (driving at 17). There were things typical for the 90s (big cellphones with an antenna are mentioned in the parts were the protagonists are grown up, which puts the childhood scenes somewhere between end 70s/mid 80s) but also things that were absolutely not typical for that time (girls making out with other girls in public without anyone reacting in a homophobic way in a small town).
I was less interested in the story of the husband (but it was important to the overall plot and it did not take up too much space in the story), but the parts about the past were really good (also very painful at times).
It also cements my belief that kids who grow up too rich are just completely out of touch 🤷🏻♀️
Edit: after reading a couple of reviews for this after finishing it, I want to add: I would not call this a romance nor fantasy and I am slightly annoyed by publishing houses who are not able to describe the genre of their books correctly because their fancy descriptions might sell better. This is a mystery thriller and a coming of age story in a Trenchcoat of fairytale metaphors.
At times I was really irritated about the time and place this is supposed to play out, I am still not sure if this takes place in Europe or the USA. There were thing very specific to Europe (e.g. drinking at 16) and things very specific to the U S (driving at 17). There were things typical for the 90s (big cellphones with an antenna are mentioned in the parts were the protagonists are grown up, which puts the childhood scenes somewhere between end 70s/mid 80s) but also things that were absolutely not typical for that time (girls making out with other girls in public without anyone reacting in a homophobic way in a small town).
I was less interested in the story of the husband (but it was important to the overall plot and it did not take up too much space in the story), but the parts about the past were really good (also very painful at times).
It also cements my belief that kids who grow up too rich are just completely out of touch 🤷🏻♀️
Edit: after reading a couple of reviews for this after finishing it, I want to add: I would not call this a romance nor fantasy and I am slightly annoyed by publishing houses who are not able to describe the genre of their books correctly because their fancy descriptions might sell better. This is a mystery thriller and a coming of age story in a Trenchcoat of fairytale metaphors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Classism
Moderate: Pedophilia, Child death, and Death
Minor: Animal death
not_asha01's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Classism, Alcohol, Death, Blood, Animal death, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, and Child abuse
mbmayo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Indigo and Azure are inseparable childhood friends, two halves of the same soul. Until the end of childhood, when the pair walks into the Otherworld and only one returns. Years later, Indigo's husband accompanies her to her childhood home, The House of Dreams. The House, a character in its own right, urges him to unearth his wife's secret and discover what happened that fateful night.
The book is told from two perspectives, the bridegroom tells the tale of meeting Indigo, their marriage and the unravelling of her secret. Azure tells the story of their childhood. The bridegroom was a scholar, and his chapters read almost as though Chokshi imagines as all children do that teachers do not exist outside their classrooms. In his relationship, he likens everything to the fairy tales he studies. In his recanting of the relationship he explains how each part matches with a particular trope found in fairy tales. Not even his childhood memories made him more real or human to me.
Azure, on the other hand, told a story I was eager to return to. She and her world and everything at stake for her felt real. I loved that the House loved her, and her struggle between the real world and the Otherworld; between being an individual or sharing a soul.
Lastly, it took me way too long to realize that Indigo was a villain. The bridegroom, Azure, Tati, everyone gave loved her. I thought we, the readers, were meant to as well. But, she bullies and manipulates so many characters you begin to wonder why they can't see it. She would have made an excellent cult leader.
The book is told from two perspectives, the bridegroom tells the tale of meeting Indigo, their marriage and the unravelling of her secret. Azure tells the story of their childhood. The bridegroom was a scholar, and his chapters read almost as though Chokshi imagines as all children do that teachers do not exist outside their classrooms. In his relationship, he likens everything to the fairy tales he studies. In his recanting of the relationship he explains how each part matches with a particular trope found in fairy tales. Not even his childhood memories made him more real or human to me.
Azure, on the other hand, told a story I was eager to return to. She and her world and everything at stake for her felt real. I loved that the House loved her, and her struggle between the real world and the Otherworld; between being an individual or sharing a soul.
Lastly, it took me way too long to realize that Indigo was a villain. The bridegroom, Azure, Tati, everyone gave loved her. I thought we, the readers, were meant to as well. But, she bullies and manipulates so many characters you begin to wonder why they can't see it. She would have made an excellent cult leader.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, and Bullying
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Animal death, Blood, and Physical abuse
anni_swanilda's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Death, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, Self harm, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death of parent
isabeltavares's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Having adored The Gilded Wolves trilogy, I had no doubt in my mind that Roshani Chokshi's adult debut would be a masterpiece.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is the author's magnus opus. It beautifully exhibits Chokshi's storytelling and writing in an evocative and fantastical story. I can't imagine anyone could read this novel and not appreciate the tale of our bridegroom.
In this story we meet the Bridegroom as he recounts his time with his wife Indigo. How they met, how they married. However there was a condition: the Bridegroom must never pry into her past and her secrets.
Similarly to Orpheus, there will come a time when the Bridegroom will turn back and look into what he should not.
Reminiscent of gothic classics, this is a dark and transformative tale about love and belonging. The ending was disappointing as I felt we were building up to a great revelation but everything was wrapped up neatly.
I read this mainly as an audiobook and the narration was 5/5 stars, absolutely incredible. Steve West's narration in particular was dreamlike almost. If you enjoy audiobooks, definitely recommend this narration.
I am once again reminded why Roshani Chokshi is a must read author, her craft will always amaze me and I will always recommend her to everyone who will listen to me.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is the author's magnus opus. It beautifully exhibits Chokshi's storytelling and writing in an evocative and fantastical story. I can't imagine anyone could read this novel and not appreciate the tale of our bridegroom.
In this story we meet the Bridegroom as he recounts his time with his wife Indigo. How they met, how they married. However there was a condition: the Bridegroom must never pry into her past and her secrets.
Similarly to Orpheus, there will come a time when the Bridegroom will turn back and look into what he should not.
Reminiscent of gothic classics, this is a dark and transformative tale about love and belonging. The ending was disappointing as I felt we were building up to a great revelation but everything was wrapped up neatly.
I read this mainly as an audiobook and the narration was 5/5 stars, absolutely incredible. Steve West's narration in particular was dreamlike almost. If you enjoy audiobooks, definitely recommend this narration.
I am once again reminded why Roshani Chokshi is a must read author, her craft will always amaze me and I will always recommend her to everyone who will listen to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Gore, Domestic abuse, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Animal death
metaphorsandmisc's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Blood, Animal death, Pedophilia, and Child abuse
pookiee's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
this is not a romance as advertised. there is no romance to be found. the relationship is literally founded on the principle of not getting too close. walls break down at the very end, at which point we still don’t know the characters—the narrator/bridegroom is the most nondescript character I’ve ever read and Indigo is so detached—so why care?
The plot follows a man trying to the uncover secrets of his very closed-off wife’s past and his own, interspersed with flashbacks of his wife’s codependent/toxic friendship when she was a teenager. but it feels more like a vehicle for the super purple prose and barrage of fairy tale references.
I was excited for this one bc it was hyped, looked gothic, and the author is my ethnicity. pretty disappointed. ;-;
The plot follows a man trying to the uncover secrets of his very closed-off wife’s past and his own, interspersed with flashbacks of his wife’s codependent/toxic friendship when she was a teenager. but it feels more like a vehicle for the super purple prose and barrage of fairy tale references.
I was excited for this one bc it was hyped, looked gothic, and the author is my ethnicity. pretty disappointed. ;-;
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Death
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Animal death
maeverose's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
So close to being five stars
TL;DR: The writing and gothic atmosphere are a 10/10. Gave me Rebecca vibes. So satisfied with the ending.
I love how gothic and atmospheric this book is. I loved the dreamlike magical realism elements. I almost want to immediately re read this and annotate it. I didn’t even realize until I finished it and I don’t know if it was intentional (since I’ve heard this is a bluebeard retelling) but Bridegroom’s pov felt very reminiscent of Rebecca. With his quick marriage to Indigo and her secret past with Azure, who’s almost supernaturally tied to the house. And him being unnamed throughout the whole book (which I love).
I found zero objective flaws with this book (outside of the unnecessary body shaming of one of the antagonists), but the main thing that makes me hesitant to give it five stars is that at a few points it triggered my anxiety a little bit (it might’ve just been because I had too much caffeine that day honestly lol). I also really don’t like to read about toxic friendships, which is a big part of this book.
But mostly I loved it
“Too often the truth of a memory lives not in the mind but in the heart, in the subtle and sacred organization that makes up one’s identity. But it is a tender place to reach, and I am wounded by touching it.”
TL;DR: The writing and gothic atmosphere are a 10/10. Gave me Rebecca vibes. So satisfied with the ending.
I love how gothic and atmospheric this book is. I loved the dreamlike magical realism elements. I almost want to immediately re read this and annotate it. I didn’t even realize until I finished it and I don’t know if it was intentional (since I’ve heard this is a bluebeard retelling) but Bridegroom’s pov felt very reminiscent of Rebecca. With his quick marriage to Indigo and her secret past with Azure, who’s almost supernaturally tied to the house. And him being unnamed throughout the whole book (which I love).
I found zero objective flaws with this book (outside of the unnecessary body shaming of one of the antagonists), but the main thing that makes me hesitant to give it five stars is that at a few points it triggered my anxiety a little bit (it might’ve just been because I had too much caffeine that day honestly lol). I also really don’t like to read about toxic friendships, which is a big part of this book.
But mostly I loved it
“Too often the truth of a memory lives not in the mind but in the heart, in the subtle and sacred organization that makes up one’s identity. But it is a tender place to reach, and I am wounded by touching it.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Child death, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Blood, Bullying, Body horror, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Rape, and Self harm
Minor: Cursing and Fatphobia
Graphic: Animal harm, suffocation, cult behavior Moderate: Delusions/Unreality, step father grooming his step daughter, as for the gore, most of it is kind of metaphorical or in the fairytales, so it’s not super descriptive but it’s brought up a lot so I put it in moderate.