Reviews

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

dashie's review against another edition

5.0

Poignant and decadent, like any Roshani Chokshi tale.

meghan_yoder's review

It was creepy from the get-go, but I’ve loved Roshani Chokshi’s writing before, so I kept wanting to give it a chance. But it was hard to keep picking it up because it was creepy and it was just getting worse. So, I had to DNF. Also, on BOTM it’s classified as fantasy but on the book it says horror. I concur that it’s definitely more in the horror genre and I’ve realized I don’t like horror now.

bookwormsarah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Indigo's only condition upon marrying her husband was this: let the past stay where it is, let us never pry. The husband agrees, of course, thinking he can resist. As a fairytales scholar, though, he should have known better. When he stumbles upon a name, Azure, the tentation grows stronger than ever. Especially since he is looking for answers concerning his own past. Will he discover the truth, and what will be the price for unravelling his wife's well-kept secrets?

The feel of fairytales, of magic unseen, of some invisible force at work in the corners, was ever present in this book. The writing was exceptional, the descriptions were so well crafter to create the atmosphere of magic and mystery, to let us know something dark was looming over it all. I also loved the story of this co-dependent friendship, in its glory and its toxicity. Even upon guessing some elements of the resolution, the pleasure of reading remained intact.

gaiadances's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

emmamage's review against another edition

dark

0.5

liiaan's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

nikileighsmile's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Toxic friendship

Minor: Sexual content

aeirin's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

beccam22's review against another edition

5.0

This book is not what I was expecting by the pitch I’ve always been told. The marriage is not hinging on stories told by the wife and what he learns from her stories, she doesn’t tell her own story until the last chapter so why use that in marketing?

This book is about female friendship, the indescribable love of childhood friendship and the darker side of knowing someone so truly that you know every way to hurt them the most.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Self harm, Suicide, Child abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Classism, Dysphoria, Pedophilia, and Eating disorder

the two young girls mention only eating pure foods and not eating lunch but only snacks like an apple for lunch. They compare bodies in a few scenes. Azure has a step father who lusts over her more than her mother(his wife) and it is heavily implied that he imagines Azure while having sex with her mother because he can’t have her. There is also a scene where she is drugged, unconscious, naked on their bed and he is touching himself watching her while her friend takes a photo of him. Her mother is jealous of her daughter and leaves her while she is 18 but not yet graduated to be with him so the daughter can’t “tempt” him. The husband was abused as a child and his brother died but he was told he never had a brother, the mother removed photos and they gaslight him into believing he made up his brother to the point that he thinks he is the only one who remembers him so surly he must be in fairy. He is able to remember what happened to his brother but it is not explored as much as I would have liked, it was very much a side-side plot. In the end it is revealed that indigo has been azure since graduation, indigo died technically by an accident but she was plotting their suicides for years. Azure then is able to take indigos identity until her husband reveals the truth and stays with her to learn her story. Hence “indigo” being the flower bride until he is able to really learn who azure is.

annisdead's review against another edition

DNF 23%

not for me