The Last Tale of the Flower Bride

I was lucky enough to also receive an audiobook ARC through Netgalley.

And well if you don´t know, I loved this book in the first read, and I absolutely loved the audiobook too. The male was so so stunning, I absolutely loved Steve West voice, it was honestly so yummy, I can´t even. I desperately want to listen to more audiobooks narrated by Steve West, because his voice is utterly heavenly!

I really enjoyed the female narrator Sura Siu too, she has a really nice voice.

I have nothing negative to say abbout the narrators. They were both very good, and really pulled me into the story.

Absolutely amazing book. I love this so much!

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is fantastic gothic mystery dark romance story about coming age and relationship between spouse. The stories was following two characters pov with dual timeline, someone called him/her self as bridegroom (the author very talented with the words and make the story could fits for any gender) and girl name Azure, both telling their dreamy twisted unimaginable experiences with a mysterious woman name Indigo Maxwell-Castenada.

This is not my first ride with the author but her skill to spinning multi mythology, fairytales, exotic cultures into one modern plot story always amazes me. The proses are lyrical and mesmerizing, it is almost feel like you are Alive who jump into magical otherworld. I don't felt the narrative over describe but enriched the experience with the characters, eerie hunting atmosphere and all untangled mysteries.

It is not easy reading for everyone. Slower pace, flowery prose and simple plots with intense layering overshading facts will challenge some readers who want different style writing. I appreciate how author approaching such toxic and sensitive issues in relationship with very gentle and beautiful ways.

Sigh.. I think I found new favourite narrators. Both narrators working so wonderfully to deliver this story. Steve West bring perfect romantic intimate delicious vibes into his role as bridegroom. His longing, intriguing, and desperate for his mysterious wife is help me get through the difficulty part of the stories. Sura Siu did amazing performance as young and lonely girl who mesmerized with her dreamy friends. She make all the emotions rollercoaster felt real, beautiful also haunting. I gave 5 stars for the narrator team.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder &Stoughton for provided me with this copy. I truly enjoyed my time with this book and my thoughts always be mine.

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.

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.

"Curses are made to be broken. They aren't so static as one might think."

Once upon a time, there was a man who believe in fairy tales and fell in love with a mysterious woman named Indigo who find him, she said, “If you pry, you’ll destroy our marriage.” But she lied!

"the secret to everlasting love was fear. Fear tethered love in place. Without the terror that came from imagining a life without your beloved, there was no urgency in loving them."

By the end of their third year of marriage, Tati, Indigo's aunt, was dying and they leave for her childhood home, the House of Dreams, an enchanted house, full of old, creepy and scary secrets.

And now is a time for the bridegroom to shiver at his wife's secrets, uncertain of knowing the woman he married, as someone who had his own secrets, he begins to think that all maybe is unreal, imagination!

"In the end, a fairy tale is nothing more than a sense of hope."

House of Dreams want the bridegroom to find his wife's secrets and see a shadow, a girl from the past, Azure, Indigo's best friend, they played fairy tale in this house and were Inseparable. Azure disappeared years ago! What should he do, pry and destroy his marriage or run?!

"Once, I had let someone I loved go into the dark without me. I did not know if I could survive that again."

A mind-blowing and astonishing story, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a hunting and toxic tale with a dark atmosphere about poison's love, betrayal, loss and buried secrets that reveal and destroy!

I push hard my teeth when was reading this amazing book and couldnt stop myself. Shocking and Tempting as hell! Why there are only five stars?!

My huge thanks to Hodder & Stoughton Audio via NetGalley for giving me the chance of listening to The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi, beautiful and emotionally Narrated by Steve West (I already search for his other books!) and Sura Siu, I have given my honest review.
Pub Date: 16 Feb 2023

I find Steve West such an easy voice to listen to and relax with. He has a comforting, gravelly tone which I think is suiting to this dark fairytale. I preferred listening to the audiobook than reading myself as I think I appreciated the descriptions and atmosphere a lot more.

‘There are two kinds of love, one born from smiles and the other from screams. Ours sprang from the latter.’

This is a wonderfully gothic fairytale full of grief, denial, self preservation with a lyrical story flowing through it.

It must be mentioned that the writing and descriptions in the story were beautiful and poetic. I would say that due to this, it is a slow paced story that leaves you entranced to the very end to find out about Indigo’s secrets in her past. It feels haunting at times.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this in advance in exchange for my honest review.

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.

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.

A huge thank you to Hodder & Stoughton Audio for giving me the oppurtunity to listen The Last Tale of the Flower Bride as an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book that I just had to request the audiobook because I loved it and even though I thought it impossible the audiobook made me love this book even more.
The audiobook is narrated by Steve West, who has a magnificently smooth voice that fits the narration of the bridegroom so beautifully I simply cannot describe it any better than "he was meant to narrate this book". When I read the book I imagined the bridegroom to have a soft spoken voice, a somehow timid nature that Steve West got just right from the get go, it was surreal. It was more than a great narration, and it was perhaps the reason that this book has set the bar for the rest of my 2023 reads really high.
In regards to Sura Siu, I can say she did a perfect job portraying Azure. She definetely adds depth to Azure's character as far as narration goes, giving the character the breath-of-life she deserves.She gave Azure the perfect timbre for every occasion and I appreciated this little feat more than anything.

I have not had much "experience" with audiobooks, but this one really blew me away. I would totally recommend this to someone who either wants to get acquainted with audiobooks -since the narration is simply impecable- or even to someone who listens to them on the regular, because they will simply appreciate both the book and story as well as the narration.

In case you wonder what I thought about the book and what I enjoyed most about it, there is a detailed review on my profile.

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.

A beautifully written and enchanting book from Roshani Chokshi. This is my first book I've read from this author, and based on this book I will be reading others from her soon. I loved that there were both male and female narrators for this audiobook version. They relayed the vibe of the story extremely well. I loved it!

“I lost a secret.”

This is a book whose review must be kept short, for to dissect it would be to give too much away. It is a strange kind of story where the lines between predator and prey are too blurred, hidden away in shadows that have faces if you look closely enough.

This felt like if the worlds in Every Heart a Doorway turned malignant and all-consuming, like if Addie LaRue merged with Perrault’s Bluebeard and hid away inside a haunted gothic mansion. At times, it is hauntingly beautiful; at others, it is beautifully grotesque.

The audiobook is very well done. Steve West is a favourite narrator of mine, and his voice brought a spectacular depth to the Bridegroom. Sura Siu’s narration rounded out the story wonderfully. This is one of the easiest 5-stars I’ve had the privilege of giving. It feels like a book to go back and reread to pick up on small details you glanced over the first time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for kindly providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free audio in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished this book perhaps ten minutes ago and I've already messaged several friends about how they NEED to read this book. It is so stunningly crafted that I want everyone* to read it so I can gush over the gorgeous prose and uniquely gothic voice for hours more.

This audio is beautifully narrated and it only breathes even more life into the already powerful prose. I almost always listen to audios on 3x speed, but I slowed this one down a smidge just so I could truly appreciate the masterful way in which Chokshi showcased her craft.

This book made me feel like a bad writer in the best possible way and I will undoubtedly be rereading it many a time over the coming years. A very easy new favourite.

* - please check TWs as this book does handle some rather dark themes.

So… I was very lucky to recieve both the audio and kindle copy of this one via NetGalley. I buddy read this with the lovely @lauraslittlebooknook in 24hrs… yes! You read that right! TWENTYFREAKINGFOURHOURS! It was my favourite read of January!

I adored how it was pieced together, it was so beautifully written. I felt like I could see the book like a film, there were no ends to my imagination with this one. It wove just the right amount of something something and I just couldn’t put it down.

I did click the twist, but it in no way played out how I expected it! It was also narrated via audio well, I enjoyed the two POVs!

Thank you to @hodderscape and @netgalley for both the audiobook and the kindle copy. 🫶🏻

Wow!! That was breathtakingly beautiful, feverishly haunting and absolutely mesmerising!

A whimsical masterpiece that was both eerily atmospheric and seductively romantic.

I was truly captivated by this from the beginning to the end.
So addictive that I literally read it within 24hours. My head is still with the events of this stunning book.

Indigo is an incredible example of being ~ that girl ~. She is terrifying, powerful, beautiful and mysterious. I found myself yearning for the stories of her and Azure in their house of dreams. Their childhood felt like it was properly a fairytale, with equal parts magic and horror as Indigo became increasingly controlling and secretive. This is also a lovely romance and the writing is absolutely stunning.

I devoured this book.

I loved the dual narration from the Bridegroom and Azure’s perspectives.

It’s been a while since I’ve disliked a character as much as Indigo. She was the definition of a toxic relationship.

The way the story unfolded was magnificent and the ending had me gasping.

I would love to read more of the authors work.

This beautiful gothic tale is steeped in fairytales, myth & secrets. Told through a dual POV; we explore a marriage with a secret at its core and on the brink of unraveling and a friendship shrouded in magic & obsession.

This story is rich with gothic atmosphere, lyrical prose and a mystery at it's centre to keep you compelled right until the last line.
This book is an experience and I had an excellent time reading it

I absolutely loved 'The Last Tale of the Flower Bride' by Roshani Chokshi. This was a compelling and absorbing read which was so beautifully written, I felt like I was part of the House of Dreams. We meet the chaotic and spoilt Indigo, orphaned young and bequeathed a beautiful house that comes alive. Indigo is selfish and self-absorbed yet, people are obsessed with her and love her in an addictive way. For fans of 'Mexican Gothic', 'My Dark Vanessa' and 'The Ophelia Girls', a deeply, compelling yet disturbing read where magic and the Fae are part of this World.