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A review by azrah786
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
4.5
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, death, animal death, bullying, child abuse, neglect, gaslighting, toxic friendship/relationship, sexual harassment, pedophilia, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, terminal illness
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If you’ve read any of Roshani’s work before then you know that her writing is woven with its own unique magic, and this is a story that feels like it has been pulled from a dusty tome of forgotten fairy tales itself. Though if you come looking for something on the fantasy side you’ll be in for a surprise as this is very much a gothic thriller. An alluring tale centring on promises and secrets kept between people who love to go looking behind locked doors, it will reel you in more and more with each page.
Alternating between dual points of view and over dual timelines we follow The Bridegroom, lover of stories and myths who can’t resist following the breadcrumbs leading him to the secrets of his wife Indigo’s past and Azure, Indigo’s best friend narrating an account of their childhood growing up in the House of Dreams.
Roshani’s prose perfectly captures the ambience of the setting and all the wonder and mystery twisted around these absorbing characters. I was definitely more drawn to the coming of age side of the story but both storylines work in harmony to meticulously reveal the shadowy truths surrounding the enigma that is Indigo’s past in a similar fashion to a classic fairy tale. And the snippets of classical stories and folklore included within the narrative enhanced this even more.
Equally enchanting and horrifying the exploration of obsession and power, love and manipulation is done so well and the closing reveal is one of those that even if you see it coming it’ll still blow you away.
As ever I cannot wait for whatever Roshani writes next!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
CW: violence, blood, injury, death, animal death, bullying, child abuse, neglect, gaslighting, toxic friendship/relationship, sexual harassment, pedophilia, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, terminal illness
--
If you’ve read any of Roshani’s work before then you know that her writing is woven with its own unique magic, and this is a story that feels like it has been pulled from a dusty tome of forgotten fairy tales itself. Though if you come looking for something on the fantasy side you’ll be in for a surprise as this is very much a gothic thriller. An alluring tale centring on promises and secrets kept between people who love to go looking behind locked doors, it will reel you in more and more with each page.
Alternating between dual points of view and over dual timelines we follow The Bridegroom, lover of stories and myths who can’t resist following the breadcrumbs leading him to the secrets of his wife Indigo’s past and Azure, Indigo’s best friend narrating an account of their childhood growing up in the House of Dreams.
Roshani’s prose perfectly captures the ambience of the setting and all the wonder and mystery twisted around these absorbing characters. I was definitely more drawn to the coming of age side of the story but both storylines work in harmony to meticulously reveal the shadowy truths surrounding the enigma that is Indigo’s past in a similar fashion to a classic fairy tale. And the snippets of classical stories and folklore included within the narrative enhanced this even more.
Equally enchanting and horrifying the exploration of obsession and power, love and manipulation is done so well and the closing reveal is one of those that even if you see it coming it’ll still blow you away.
As ever I cannot wait for whatever Roshani writes next!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Violence, Death, Sexual harassment, Blood, Bullying, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pedophilia and Terminal illness