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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
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.el393way's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I have read Roshani Chokshi’s middle grade books with my students for read alouds. She is a talented writer. This was an instant read for me because I wanted to try an adult book from her. Her writing style very much fits the gothic, magical genre this book attempts to be. There were so many elements that played really well to an eerie, suspenseful, gothic motif.
That being said, I would strongly recommend NOT doing the audiobook for this one. The narrators are good at what they do, but hearing this story unfold is a bit challenging to grasp. It also really spoils the ending of the book because what would be revealed slowly over time for readers is just jarringly obvious for listeners. Perhaps the creative direction chosen for the audiobook simply did not mesh with my own internal reading voice. I think the characters’ tones and accents made them very unlikable (Indigo), pathetic (Azure), or a tad creepy (Bridegroom).
The time jumps back and forth from present really make everything feel like a drag when compared to the more ethereal writing style. What felt like the telling of a story from an unnamed character because more of snapshot of this third character that both narrators have connections to.
Instead of enjoying learning about these characters, they’re so immediately unlikable. When we were younger, most of us had that pretentious, know-it-all friend who thrives off controlling the room and guiding everyone to how they want things to go. That’s what Indigo was and it was so toxic. Instead of enjoying the story I spent a lot of the read being annoyed and rolling my eyes at things she said. Instead of feeling like a gothic novel with magical elements, it felt like the kids in middle school and high school school that like to pretend they’re witches and form their own clique with role playing.
In all, I love the premise but really disliked the characters so much that the whole wasn’t enjoyable.
That being said, I would strongly recommend NOT doing the audiobook for this one. The narrators are good at what they do, but hearing this story unfold is a bit challenging to grasp. It also really spoils the ending of the book because what would be revealed slowly over time for readers is just jarringly obvious for listeners. Perhaps the creative direction chosen for the audiobook simply did not mesh with my own internal reading voice. I think the characters’ tones and accents made them very unlikable (Indigo), pathetic (Azure), or a tad creepy (Bridegroom).
The time jumps back and forth from present really make everything feel like a drag when compared to the more ethereal writing style. What felt like the telling of a story from an unnamed character because more of snapshot of this third character that both narrators have connections to.
Instead of enjoying learning about these characters, they’re so immediately unlikable. When we were younger, most of us had that pretentious, know-it-all friend who thrives off controlling the room and guiding everyone to how they want things to go. That’s what Indigo was and it was so toxic. Instead of enjoying the story I spent a lot of the read being annoyed and rolling my eyes at things she said. Instead of feeling like a gothic novel with magical elements, it felt like the kids in middle school and high school school that like to pretend they’re witches and form their own clique with role playing.
In all, I love the premise but really disliked the characters so much that the whole wasn’t enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm and Pedophilia
Minor: Suicide
onthesamepage's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Here's the most important thing to know if you're picking up this book: it's not a fantasy. It's not a romance. It is gothic literary fiction inspired by fairytales. Going in expecting anything else will lead to disappointment.
Why it's not a romance
To me, a romance book means that there is a focus on building a romantic relationship between (at least) two individuals that spans the entire story. That is not the case here. Our main character, known only as the bridegroom, falls for and marries a woman named Indigo within the first few chapters, and they've been married for a few years by the time we get to the actual story, which is unraveling the mysteries surrounding Indigo.
Why it's not a fantasy
To really explain why this doesn't count as fantasy, I have to talk about some things that could be considered spoilers. They won't reveal the plot, but will make certain things about the world clear that you wouldn't otherwise know for sure until the end, so I'll put it behind a cut.There is a lot of focus on fairytales throughout the story. When we meet Azure and see her with Indigo, we're seeing everything from Azure's point of view, and she believes in magic. There is an Otherworld that looks and feels special, the House of Dreams has feelings and shows her things, and Indigo firmly believes that they don't belong to this world and will be spirited away once they reach a certain age. There are also other off-hand mentions, like two types of whiskey, one that will fill your belly for the rest of your days but make you only able to speak the truth, and one that will leave you hungrier than before, but a polished liar. By the end of the book, it became very clear to me that there isn't actually any magic, and that almost everything can be attributed to a) childhood/teenage fancies, or b) introducing fairytale elements to their lives. The only thing that isn't clarified outright is whether the house is actually semi-sentient, but my conclusion by the last page was that it's very debatable that this is true, considering how unreliable our narrators are. This means that every single thing that would make this a fantasy book, is actually just people's imaginations. Hence, not a fantasy.
That's not to say I don't think the book is worth reading. I actually really liked the way fairytales were such a central theme throughout. It's more of a character study than a book with much of a plot, but it was interesting to see how the Indigo we see in Azure's chapters became the Indigo of the present. The pacing was very slow, however, and this has to do with the dual timelines. It bogged everything down, and every time I felt like we were getting somewhere in the present, we'd be back in the past for a significant chunk, which made the bridegroom's story lose its urgency. I also found parts of it to be overwritten—I had to reread a lot of paragraphs, sometimes more than once, because my mind kept wandering from the words.
Here's the most important thing to know if you're picking up this book: it's not a fantasy. It's not a romance. It is gothic literary fiction inspired by fairytales. Going in expecting anything else will lead to disappointment.
Why it's not a romance
To me, a romance book means that there is a focus on building a romantic relationship between (at least) two individuals that spans the entire story. That is not the case here. Our main character, known only as the bridegroom, falls for and marries a woman named Indigo within the first few chapters, and they've been married for a few years by the time we get to the actual story, which is unraveling the mysteries surrounding Indigo.
Why it's not a fantasy
To really explain why this doesn't count as fantasy, I have to talk about some things that could be considered spoilers. They won't reveal the plot, but will make certain things about the world clear that you wouldn't otherwise know for sure until the end, so I'll put it behind a cut.
That's not to say I don't think the book is worth reading. I actually really liked the way fairytales were such a central theme throughout. It's more of a character study than a book with much of a plot, but it was interesting to see how the Indigo we see in Azure's chapters became the Indigo of the present. The pacing was very slow, however, and this has to do with the dual timelines. It bogged everything down, and every time I felt like we were getting somewhere in the present, we'd be back in the past for a significant chunk, which made the bridegroom's story lose its urgency. I also found parts of it to be overwritten—I had to reread a lot of paragraphs, sometimes more than once, because my mind kept wandering from the words.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, and Self harm
Moderate: Suicide and Pedophilia
Minor: Child abuse and Sexual harassment
srivalli's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
1.75
1.8 Stars
One Liner: Fantastic premise… below par execution with too much prose
He was obsessed with fairytales and mythologies, always looking for answers. She was an ultra-rich heiress with too many secrets. They meet and get married. However, the happy-ever-after of their marriage is threatened by the past.
When Indigo’s estranged aunt is on her deathbed, the newlywed couple moves into The House of Dreams, a place with too many things buried and hidden in the dark. His naturally inquisitive nature makes it hard to keep his promise of not asking about Indigo’s past.
What happens when the secrets are revealed?
The story comes from two POVs.
What I Like:
The blurb is enticing and paints the picture of a gothic story with dark romance, danger, and maybe betrayal. Sadly, the blurb is a lot better than the book.
The covers (yes, both) are eye-catchy and super attractive. I could use the cover with the girl’s face to tick off a reading challenge prompt. Small mercies!
The toxicity of the characters and their relationships comes out really well. It would help people explain red flags by discussing these characters.
The ending is rather good, despite everything. I’m glad for the characters.
What Could Have Been Better for Me:
Oh, well… this could be lengthy.
First, the excessive prose tries too hard to create a dark atmosphere. It succeeds in some places, but most of the time, it nudges the reader to zone out and think of anything else but the book. I could concentrate only after I started speed-reading. I requested the book after being impressed by the author’s work in Three Kisses, One Midnight. This promised something more but left me feeling highly disappointed.
Second, the house is vital in gothic fiction. Giving it a character isn’t enough, though. The house should actually have a role to play. Just Like Home makes the house an integral part of the plot, and I couldn’t help but feel claustrophobic when reading some scenes. Here, the setting has great potential but drowns in the excessive purple prose. Let it breathe and establish itself.
Third, the plot is wafer-thin and almost non-existent. It doesn’t have to be new (there are only so many plots available), but it has to be effective. Personally, I love books that have a touch of magical realism. Here, it’s more of an illusion of magic. So much can be done with a setting like that, and we end up with a tangled mess of characters who need immediate medical help. (As much as I love lush prose, I want a plot too. One reason I dislike Where the Crawdads Sing.)
Fourth, the nameless bridegroom ends up as one of the most underdeveloped and underutilized characters most of the time. Even his POV merely acts as a tool to advance the plot. This is clear in the bare minimum attention he gets. The other track looks like the author’s favorite. Having that track alone would have worked better, IMO. More space to present the sick and twisted minds of the characters. The dual POVs don’t help either, and those plot holes… Ahem.
Fifth, the twist is painfully obvious. I would have rated it higher if this aspect was also dealt with a smoke screen to come up with a double twist. I could guess almost all developments after the 35% mark. While I don’t mind that in cozy mysteries, I do mind it in atmospheric and ‘dark’ novels.
Sixth, with so many references to fairytales and mythologies, the book has tremendous scope to dive deep into the paranormal aspects. You can’t have characters obsessed with faeries and faes and not use them in a gothic novel. It’s confusing to determine the actual intent of the book. It is supposed to be ‘magical’ or ‘delusional’? Of course, a book can have both, but the intent has to be clear (at least by the last page).
Seventh, the romance isn’t exactly dark, especially if we refer to Indigo and the nameless man. I still don’t understand how he became a scholar. And whatever happened to his research? The hints of sick love are mostly found in the past track (in which case, the blurb is rather misleading).
To summarize, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride could have indeed been a breathtakingly dark romance of fairytales, secrets, and betrayals. But it ends up much below the expectations it set for the readers.
Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#TheLastTaleOfTheFlowerBride #NetGalley
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death, Murder, Self harm, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
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