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A review by solntse
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
dark
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
<i>The Last Tale of the Flower Bride</i> is a lyrical read with beautiful prose. The setting is steeped in magic, and I loved the contrast of the House of Dreams with the outside world. The novel is inspired by gothic works such as Daphne du Maurier's <i> Rebecca </i> and Angela Carter's <i>The Bloody Chamber.</i> I love a Bluebeard retelling, and the folkloric imagery was a treat. I am sure that a reread would peel back layers that I didn't notice on the first read.
That being said, the novel's gothic nature relies on the power balance between the bridegroom and Indigo. The sense of fear and powerlessness is what imbues gothic novels with horror, which is vital for the genre. The Bluebeard tale relies on the isolation and vulnerability of the main character, and I felt that very strongly in the tale of Azure and Indigo. But in the Bluebeard-inspired framing story of the bridegroom and Indigo, I felt the gender reversal didn't have quite the same weight as it lacked the societal mirroring of powerlessness that is present in the patriarchal concept of the wife as property. Some of the horror moments- such as the hair in the bridegroom's mouth or the starlings in the fan felt a bit gimmicky. Even on reflection, as I learned more about the story, they seemed tacked on for the sake of it.
Azure and Indigo's story is where the story really shines. The slipperiness between reality and magic was intriguing and fit the author's prose style like a glove. The Otherworld was beautiful, and I ached to be able to walk into the magic of childhood myself. The House of Dreams was a beautiful setting, and the characters' interactions with it were a great use of imagery and foreshadowing. I enjoyed the escalation of tension, the ticking time bomb. Azure's loneliness and fear of abandonment were heartbreakingly realised. The author's depiction of Indigo was unsettling. The toxic friendships, manipulation, isolation and emotional abuse were often difficult to read.
The framing story of the Bridegroom had less impact on me. In the tradition of <i>Rebecca</i>, the nameless narrator is mysterious and out of reach. The duality of his memories and his questioning of what he remembers and what he has been told were emotional for me as someone who has also lost a brother. That being said, some of his character development fell flat. He's a researcher, a well-educated scholar used to tracking down information from archives, but hasn't looked up the birth records? Apologies if I misremembered that fact. I didn't feel I knew much about him and found him quite empty as a protagonist and perhaps too passive. I felt quite distanced from him, in much the same way he was when he watched the ants eating the bird alive without stopping it. The openings of his chapters mimicked the formulaic style of oral histories and folklore, but it also made it easy to skip past those paragraphs as they were repetitive. Some of the folklore and images included felt like they were included for aesthetics and vibes instead of symbols, which lost some of the impact when they were relevant.
Overall, a good read with beautiful prose; the gothic and folklore elements were intriguing, and Azure's story was worth reading!
That being said, the novel's gothic nature relies on the power balance between the bridegroom and Indigo. The sense of fear and powerlessness is what imbues gothic novels with horror, which is vital for the genre. The Bluebeard tale relies on the isolation and vulnerability of the main character, and I felt that very strongly in the tale of Azure and Indigo. But in the Bluebeard-inspired framing story of the bridegroom and Indigo, I felt the gender reversal didn't have quite the same weight as it lacked the societal mirroring of powerlessness that is present in the patriarchal concept of the wife as property. Some of the horror moments-
Azure and Indigo's story is where the story really shines. The slipperiness between reality and magic was intriguing and fit the author's prose style like a glove. The Otherworld was beautiful, and I ached to be able to walk into the magic of childhood myself. The House of Dreams was a beautiful setting, and the characters' interactions with it were a great use of imagery and foreshadowing. I enjoyed the escalation of tension, the ticking time bomb. Azure's loneliness and fear of abandonment were heartbreakingly realised. The author's depiction of Indigo was unsettling. The toxic friendships, manipulation, isolation and emotional abuse were often difficult to read.
The framing story of the Bridegroom had less impact on me. In the tradition of <i>Rebecca</i>, the nameless narrator is mysterious and out of reach. The duality of his memories and his questioning of what he remembers and what he has been told were emotional for me as someone who has also
Overall, a good read with beautiful prose; the gothic and folklore elements were intriguing, and Azure's story was worth reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Child death, and Sexual harassment