I found this one to be quite complex for my reading needs currently, it was beautifully written and sounds fab, just not for me at the moment

Amazing and perfect fall read. I had a blast reading it. Love this author and this felt like a dark fairytale .

This is a dark, gothic, fantasy book. I came to this book blind, unsure on what to expect. I've not really read any Gothic books before and this made me want to find more (hopefully I won't be disappointed!)

A great read which I think I'd have read in one go if I'd had the time.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC

Apologies this for archived before I could read it or get through it completely. Had to dnf and sorry to the author and pubisher for not submitting a proper review for this.

This book follows you, in your thoughts, dreams and everywhere in between just lingering in your sub concious and I dont know why.

Its refreshing to read a booth that you can identify myth and legend but not as we know it, and not in a familiar way. Its a brilliant fairytale with characters you will fall in love with, hate and obsess over and when it ends you'll look up confused by the real world around you.

I really thought I would love this, and I certainly did find plenty to appreciate in it – but the intense, flowery, overwrought style just wasn't to my taste. I would read more Roshani Chokshi in the future though.

Unfortunately, that was not my story at all. The writing style of this book reminded me of Starling House - it is also very atmospheric and beautifully written, and there are also a couple of main characters in the house, etc. However, in this story, the author mixed so many things up that I don't even know what to say. Well written book yet I absolutely disliked everything else.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
The base story of this book is around relationships: a friendship, family and a marriage, but the whole is woven so that it takes the reader through hints, imagination, supernatural beliefs, smoke and mirrors until it's almost impossible to know what to believe. It is written in a truly Gothic format, with poetic descriptions that conjure up the privileged world of Indigo versus the hard facts of the life lived by Azure and her mother. It is easy to see how some people become captivating and enchanted, where does reality get lost under imagination? I thought the author has created a cleverly-crafted novel, twisted and dark, and it is definitely worth reading to its startling conclusion.

Rating 3.5/5

This is a tough book to write about and I’m unsure if I can accurately describe how I feel about it. If my rating was for the atmosphere alone then it would get top marks, the writing is beautiful and it creates a wonderful mystical ambience, however, it is my enjoyment of the plot that just wasn’t where I expected it to be.

The story is told in a dual POV one from Indigo’s husband named only the Bridegroom and Azure, Indigo’s friend. I did very much enjoy the beginning of the book, the mystery surrounding Indigo and her relationship with her husband that started with riddles and fairytales, which I loved and were woven throughout the story. He does very quickly take a bit of a side step though as the story starts to concentrate on Indigo’s past through the eyes of Azure.

This is where the pace started to slow almost too much for me, the story languishes at points to accommodate the intricate wording that it is embellished with. This works well to create and maintain the atmosphere of the story but does detract from the plot and I did find at times my concentration was waning.

Even with the exquisite setting of the House of Dreams and the Otherworld, a vast and unusual playground for Indigo and Azure to spend their time in, it was on occasion so enigmatic that it became confusing and lost substance. Part of me thinks that is on purpose as in the story things can appear magical and not at the same time. This is the kind of story where you have to draw your own conclusions on whether there was magic or whether it was just Indigo and Azure powering it with their beliefs.

I won’t say too much about the characters because these relationships are ones you want to discover for yourself, but they are very well written and did manage to play on my emotions. That is what kept me reading and pulling me back into the story was the relationships and how they evolved and managed to surprise me.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a confusing but beautiful book, and I’m still not sure how I feel about it but I appreciate the complexities of the story, so I would still be keen to read other books by this author.

"The Last Tale of the Flower Bride" by Roshani Chokshi is a sumptuous, gothic-infused narrative that intricately weaves together elements of mystery, romance, and fantasy. At its core, the story explores the unraveling of a marriage beset by dark secrets, the haunting legacy of a cursed friendship, and the perilous allure of fairy tales. Chokshi, known for her lyrical prose and rich storytelling, makes a breathtaking adult debut with this novel, drawing readers into a world where reality and fantasy blur in the most enchanting and eerie ways.

A myth scholar marries Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada, an heiress with a mysterious past. Their romantic journey takes a turn when Indigo forbids her husband from probing her history. Visiting her childhood home, the House of Dreams, reveals secrets about Indigo's past and the disappearance of her childhood friend, Azure.

The story delves into themes of love, lies, and secrets, challenging reality and fantasy. With captivating prose, the novel appeals to fans of gothic fiction and fairy-tale retellings.

I read this book intermittently. I went more than half way the first time and then dropped it. Then, I picked it up again when I finished it. In all honesty, I don’t know how I feel about this book even with the time taken to read and absorb it.

The writing is fantastic! A work of art. Reading it was like I was hearing the main character narrate it to me. It was mature, artfully done. A proper tale as its title suggests.

The characters are again exquisite! Super developed, strong main characters. The author could really base the whole novel on them and would still do it justice.

The plot was one of the most peculiar, unique stories I have ever read. It is remarkably structured and it is dark, mysterious and absolutely atmospheric. The settings had me daydreaming while reading it. Amazing descriptions with rich and luscious environments.

Yet, I can’t put my finger on what is it that is bugging me with this book. Regardless, I would categorise it in the must- read section!

This is not normally my genre but I am so glad I took the chance because I was totally immersed in this wonderful fantasy story. There were lots of mysteries and great characters that were very easy to invest in. A great read and I will now certainly be looking for other books by this author

This booked promised to be everything I want in a book and, although I did enjoy it, I struggled to really get into it (although it might be a case of me picking it up at the wrong time for me!)
I still enjoyed it so will try future things by the author

This is a gothic thriller inspired by classic fairy tales, I don't think it was fair to put it into the fantasy category. It would resonate so much with silvia moreno garcia's fans.
But that said, I didn't really appreciate it because of this element. It's also extremely pretentious, so you can love it or hate it. I'm more in-between, but didn't even love it.
The prose is overly dramatic, but the folkloric elements were brilliant and super well researched.

I unfortunately really struggled with this, it just took ages to get anywhere and I didn't feel any real connection to the characters and therefore didn't have an interest in where the story was going.

“But maybe it is about finding someone whose heart is like a mirror, whose love can make you stand the sight of yourself.”
― Roshani Chokshi, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride

Roshani is such an underrated author, this is. It is a haunting and eerie read but one well worth it!

For my fans of horror, with a heavy dose of gothic romance, who love dark themes. The perfect book for autumn and winter.


Our illusions weave roses around us, and when we try to escape, we are met with thorns.
You never forget the moment when beauty turns to horror.
I've been trying to find a way to live in this world. Barring that, I was looking for a way to leave it.
Indigo was so much like the fairy tales she loved that I suspected she was one.

I have sadly moved away from fantasy novels so I don’t read them that often so I’m not sure I will pick this up. The reviews though are incredible

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a gothic thriller inspired by fairy tales centred on two toxic relationships: the marriage between a male narrator "the Bridegroom" and an enigmatic heiress, and the friendship between the heiress and her childhood best friend who mysteriously disappeared.

It is slow paced with whimsical prose, alternating POVs and timelines. I enjoyed this book... It weaved a mystery well and captured a foreboding atmosphere with a sensual tone that was riveting. However, I felt the sheer magnitude of flowery prose overshadowed these highlights, diminishing the brilliance of the plot and character motivations - navigating through it left me feeling drained. Similarly, I struggled with the alternating perspectives/timeline. At the beginning I loved the Bridegroom's perspective, and rather disliked the alternation, however as the novel progressed, I found myself increasingly captivated by Indigo and Azure's narrative. It then felt like a chore to read the Bridegroom's perspective as it felt lacking in relevance to the overall story.

Essentially, the novel is a love letter to gothic tales and fairytales. I immensely enjoyed the story and the characters, I just wish it was developed and conveyed differently. The lyricism of the prose, for me, was overdone to the point it obstructed the clarity of the storyline, made it difficult to fall in love with the novel. Truthfully, the experience of reading it now feels as though it was a distant and rather foggy dream.

Thank you kindly to the publishers for the review copy.

This is a beautifully written gothic story. There is plenty of tension and the story got darker. You were always expecting something bad to happen.

one of my favorite reads of 2023! amazingly atmospheric, mysterious, and the plot twist at the end surprised me because i didn't see it coming and it was such a nice touch. everything about this book is beautiful and so on brand with roshani chokshi