THE LAST TALE OF THE FLOWER BRIDE is a really creepy gothic horror that's gorgeously written and hard to put down.

This is a book that I struggled to classify the entire way through. It was clearly a gothic tale, but was it a gothic fantasy? A gothic horror? I wouldn't call it a historical gothic because I think (based on a refence to a fax machine and another to blocky phones) it's probably set in the 90s (which might make the other time line 80s?), and maybe that is considered historical these days, but not to me!

I ultimately went with horror because it felt like the visions and house and the odd instances fit more into horror than fantasy as the entire book has this sense of menace and dread, partly conjured by these elements. It's full of secrets that you both want to know but also really don't because it can't be good.

Fairy tales and folklore from around the world fill the book, from the tales the characters tell each other to the metaphors used in narration to explain what's going on. It's how the bridegroom and Indigo court, how they frame their relationship. The use of so many of them, to the point you're almost tripping over one each page you turn, helps build the sense of unease and mounting dread, because very few of these tales end well. So if this is almost like a modern folklore tale, then it follows that it can't well either.

The book is told across two timelines. There is the "present" (90s?) where the unnamed bridegroom marries Indigo and promises never to look into her past, but eventually the weight and lure of secrets starts to pull on him. Then there is Indigo's childhood, narrated by her best friend, Azure, who has disappeared from Indigo's life in the "present."

Indigo did not come across well in Azure's chapters, but I think it was intentional and it made me try to puzzle out what was real and what was not. You see the allure and charm of her, but it's a dangerous one. It's never clear how much she truly believes in faeries and the other world and stories, or whether it truly is a ply to control others. She certainly uses it to control Azure, to draw her in and isolate her, make her Indigo's and no one else's.

This is another book where I was able to switch between physical and audiobook. I was very glad of an audiobook as it meant I didn't have to put it down when I went to make dinner or go out to buy food - I could just switch format and stay with the story.

The audiobook has two narrators (Steve West for the bridegroom and Sura Siu for Azure.) Of course, it makes so much sense to have different narrators for different POV characters, and helps distinguish them, but it also really helped to keep the past and present feeling separate. They both also did so well to conjure up the sense of not-quite-in-this-world feel of the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the audioarc.

This story had beautiful, gothic prose throughout. It was an original story that was captivating to listen to.

I enjoyed the dual time lines, especially following Indigo and Azure.

Beautifully written, with a lush haunting atmosphere.

Beautiful, dark and whimsical.
I really like a book with multiple pov’s which this has, I feel like it’s a great way to tell the story.
I love a book with different timelines too, I feel it gives you more depth to the story, to see from Azure’s timeline and the bridegroom’s timeline is excellent!
Really enjoyed this audiobook, highly recommended.

I was gifted an audiobook ARC of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed Chokshi’s lyrical writing and the way they built this dark fairy tale world from the very start. The characters were complex and flawed but still you grew to love them. I did find this a rather slow paced story, but whenever I was about to lose interest it drew me back in.

I thoroughly enjoyed Steve West’s narration. His pacing and pronunciation were perfect, and his voice is extremely easy to listen to. It’s like butter.

Though I enjoyed the dual narration, the female narrator, Sura Siu, has some strange pronunciation choices. I don’t know if it was because I was listening to it as a Brit, but I found a few words grating. Additionally, Siu begins her narration pronouncing Hippolyta’s name differently to West, but ends up matching his pronunciation towards the end of the book. Siu uses three different pronunciations of Hippolyta throughout the book which I found very jarring.

If you’re looking for a character-driven dark fairy tale with betrayals and secrets upon secrets, this is for you. Whilst I enjoyed the book, it was a little too slow paced for my liking.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton Audio via Netgalley for this audiobook ARC of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi.

I loved the sound of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride. A gothic mystery about friendship, marriage, and secrets? Sign me up!

The beginning of the story was a little slow for me, but I figured we were setting the scene. Once the dual perspectives started, I was really intrigued. Simultaneously hearing about Indigo’s past and present, and watching them converge, was enthralling.

Unfortunately, the ending fell really flat for me. I liked the twist in Azure’s story, but the reveal on the bridegroom’s side was so glossed past that I had to go back and listen a second time to clarify what had happened.

The main characters have obviously been through significant trauma, but the way that it all came together just felt rushed and underdeveloped to me.

Overall, I really enjoyed the narration and the vibes of the story, but I wish there had been a little more exploration of the revelations at the end.

Wow! This book was so beautifully written and so captivating right from the beginning. The characters were so uniquely developed and well-defined and I loved watching the character dynamics play out and the interaction between the past and the present.

I loved the element of fantasy in this book and the way that it was written such that it added the mystery of the plot and the characters.

The narrators did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life and keeping me immersed in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to and review the audiobook.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for accepting my request to read and review this book!

I will start by saying that I did enjoy my reading experience - despite this seemingly negative review. I had a good time, it wasn’t too long, and I would recommend it to people. But I don’t think it ended up being for me.

A big positive was that the descriptions and writing of this book are beyond stunning. I was in love with the writing as I was reading and wanted to mark a million quotes. Would definitely like to be as imaginative as Roshani Chokshi.

But ….

I wasn’t a fan of how jumpy the flashbacks were and how we never got much into one perspective before being slammed into the other - again another issue that I found was less noticeable nearer to the last 20%. But it meant that I was left without having really connected to either protagonist by the and.

Also found the plot meandering. By 60% I had still failed to really see an overarching plot and was rather just following characters through their day to day. I didn’t care much to figure out was happened to indigo’s childhood friend who went missing.

Overall, I really did enjoy the writing and I liked the IDEA behind the story and setting and characters even if I wish the execution had Vee slightly different. But for a book that’s said to be like Addie Larue and Mexican Gothic I was left wanting MORE. More creepiness, more general gothic ness. I guessed the plot-twist so some more mystery and shock would have been fab.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I could not put it down.
The atmosphere is so good; it feels so gothic and timely despite it being set in the modern world.
Some of the dialogue felt a bit out of place, but other than that, I loved the writing.
It was so lyrical and haunting, and some descriptions were just so beautiful.

At first, I struggled a bit with Indigo being this mysterious yet irresistible girl since that's a character type I don't usually enjoy (I blame Alison from Pretty Little Liars for this aversion), which is why I enjoyed the Bridegroom's POV a lot more than Azure's. But again, once the novel gripped me, my doubts were washed away, and I just really enjoyed it all.

The mystery aspect was done so well! I had a revelation about what might have happened roughly two-thirds into the book, and the more I thought about it, the more evidence I found for my theory. And really, there is nothing more satisfying than finding out you were right, especially when it's a book like this, where it's really not obvious at all, but instead, you have these well-hidden clues.

The characters were intriguing, I do wish the bridegroom had a bit more personality, but you could tell that the focus was clearly on Indigo and Azure.

The audiobook was fantastic, I had both the book and audio ARC, and the narrators did such a great job at bringing the book and atmosphere to life.

Overall, this was a great book that I will definitely recommend.
If you enjoy magical realism and gothic vibes, this book is for you.

Steve West is the number one narrator for dark fairytales - A ++ no comments other than he's perfect for the role!
This is my first Sura Siu audiobook and I really liked her voice for Azure, and thought she did a really good but subtle job of sounding more confident as her story unfolded.

I loved the gothic setting and fairytale-esque world but sometimes found it hard to grasp the difference between "reality" and "storytelling" - which might be part of the whole ~feeling~ of the book but sometimes was just more annoying than whimsical.

A book I'd revisit again

This gothic fairytale is hugely immersive with surprising twists and perfectly written prose. This story is both mesmerising and magical. An atmospheric and haunting tale of secrets and the blurred lines between fantasy and reality.

Thank you to the author, Roshani Chokshi, Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this beautifully written story.

The narrators for this audiobook were fantastic! The audio really added to the beautiful writing. Special mention to Steve West who perfectly captured the role of the bridegroom. The narration would get 5 stars from me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton Audio for the opportunity to listen to this fantastic audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This story begins with the lovestruck Bridegroom. He falls for Indigo the moment he meets her and she agrees to be his bride on one condition. That he never asks about her past. Happy with that agreement the pair step into married life like it was made for them. They're own little fairy tale. Until reality comes crashing towards them. Indigo's aunt is dying and so they have to journey back to her childhood home.

It's here that we see the Bridegroom really struggle with keeping to the agreement he and Indigo made. Whilst in Indigo's childhood home we also discover more about her childhood friend Azure, through her own point of view.

The Bridegroom uncovers more and more of the past, something that might have well been better left alone. Whilst discovering more about Indigos life before him, the Bridegroom is also relearning things about his past that he had hidden from himself, Is finding out the truth really worth giving up the fantasy?

A beautifully written gothic tale that captured my attention from the start.

I was utterly spellbound, I felt like I spent the whole time listening to this otherworldly book in a dream like state. Roshani Chokshi expertly blured the lines between dreams, fairy tale and reality. I love the use of mythological names to add to the dream like quality. This book made me question what was real and imagined throughout as secrets and lies are revealed. This is a tale of obsession, dreams and love. I don't want to say too much for fear of giving it away, but I will say this was a mesmarising listen, and one I would highly recommend.

What a stonker of a read/listen this was. It was dark, immersive, gothic, addictive. I was gripped - hook, line and sinker!

Choksi’s writing was so poetic and vibrant - I really did feel like I was with in the story, as you follow the Groom, as his marriage slowly unfolds as he struggles to keep the promise made to his bride - not to pry into her past. And then we have another voice, that of his bride’s best friend Azure as the past slowly unfolds.

This had such strong vibes of Bridget Collins’ The Binding and The Betrayals, and the story just as addictive. There’s atmosphere, a spooky house, eccentric characters, and a reveal at the end of this one, which I guessed but have to say did not lessen my enjoyment of this story in the slightest.

Recommended reading and the narrators really brought the Groom and Azure to life.

A unique book with shades of traditional tales running through it. I felt it mixed myths, legends and even Shakespeare to provide a tantalising read. I received this as an audiobook from NetGalley and publishers. The audio narrators were wonderful. A male and female voice to bring each viewpoint to life. This whole book it’s a journey through a magical land, you can really escape the everyday trudges. Magical!

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is deliciously gothic, weaving fairytales and mythology into a story about childhood obsessions and marital secrets. There’s much less actual magic than I was expecting but the storytelling manages to truly capture a dark fairytale, dreamlike quality.

The confidence of the writing is a real strong point of the book, with vivid imagery and an incredible sense of atmosphere. Some elements of the story could have been better developed, such as the relationship between husband and wife, but I actually felt this added to the mysterious and almost sinister feel of the book.

When reading this story you have to be comfortable with the unknown and willing to become fully immersed in it. The narrators did a brilliant job helping with this. I really appreciated that there was both a male and female narrator to match the points of view the story was told from. Both did a great job although I did find the male narrator easier to listen to.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton Audio, and the author, for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows the story of Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada and her nameless bridegroom. After meeting under mysterious circumstance, they get married! Indigo has nothing but one condition, do not question, pry or snoop around about her past or her at all. Being believers in Fairy tales, and folklore and Fae themselves, the two of them commit and begin a wonderful life. its not before long that the past starts to form a shadow around everything they are building and the bridegroom gets more and more curious about his bride's past and her mysterious best friend Azure who went missing and was never to be seen again. But will curiosity kill the cat? will Indigo disappear out of his life, like he is scared of?

The book is gothic personified, the atmosphere, the characters, the buildup, everything! Its like you are swimming in and out this grey place where you are stuck and want to leave, yet want to stay! The book follows 2 POVs , the present story from the point of view of the bridegroom as he charts his life with Indigo and the point of view of Azure, Indigo's bestfriend/ soul sister/ soulmate. I was so glad that the story was narrated by 2 different narrators. This gave the whole book a much more eerie sense with us yearning for one POV when in the other.

The relationship between every single character is messed up in both very human yet non human ways! Its hard to explain! But I will tell you this, Indigo is one of the most toxic and creepy person I have ever read about (throughout every stage of her life).

In Two words, this book is Memorable and Mesmerizing!!

This book is perfect for lovers of House of Hollow and Mexican Gothic.

TW: Death, Gaslighting, Blood, Rituals, Manipulation.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

THIS.BOOK.
WOW.

“In the end a fairytale is nothing more than a sense of hope”

This book was perfect. I can’t stop thinking about it. Roshani has created the most incredible story, I just want to curl up in it and never return to the real world.

It was dark, tense and all consuming. Once I started I didn’t want to put it down. The world building, the imagery, the characters were all created flawlessly.

The story of 2 half’s becoming a whole in 2 very different but equally beautiful ways.

"I did not know who or what Indygo was, yet I loved her anyway"

OH. MY. GOD.
This was so disturbing and mysterious and gothic and haunting. We have here a nameless husband, who tries to discover his wife's dark past. But he's not important.

We have dual pov, nameless husband and Azure's - Indygo childhood friend. And exactly in Azure's chapter's all the action is happening. 3,5/5⭐

Thank you NetGalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

DNF

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book, however from the first chapter, I knew it wasn't going to be a book for me. If I hadn't had an ARC, I would have set it aside then, but I carried on for a few chapters to be sure, before choosing to DNF.

There was nothing wrong with the chapters I read, I just knew that this wasn't going to be the book for me, and didn't want to force myself to keep reading when I knew I wouldn't enjoy it.

One thing I did like was the beautiful writing. Very poetic and enchanting. The narration in the first few chapters was great as well.

It just wasn't for me. So I would recommend checking out other reviews from reviewers who have read the whole book.

I won't be leaving a review on my other channels as I don't think it's fair to rate and review a book that I read so little of and which wasn't my cup of tea.

A modern, gothic fairytale which makes you question the nature of reality. Complex and disturbed characters, toxic relationships and what they would sacrifice for each other or freedom are the themes that run through the story and keep you enthralled to the very end. I guessed the twist but this just made it satisfying when it was revealed. The poetic writing was beautiful and I would definitely be interested in reading other books by this author.

I liked the dual narrative and the two different narrators for the audiobook worked perfectly for this.