Mini-Review: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride

Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after—and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.

But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor’s extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo’s dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives.

Combining the lush, haunting atmosphere of Mexican Gothic with the dreamy enchantment of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a spellbinding and darkly romantic page-turner about love and lies, secrets and betrayal, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

~ Goodreads ~ Storygraph ~

My rating: 4.5/5 stars

This might be the first Roshani Chokshi book I finished and wow, the hype is truly worth it.

I could wax poetry for the prose, it’s the strongest point of this book. Every line flows beautifully and seamlessly, captivating the reader to keep going. If you’re listening to the audiobook like I was, it’s like the lull of a dream. I was just hooked. I’m not usually a fan of purple prose but Chokshi just makes it work for her.

The characters are mysterious: Indigo, Asher (I had a crisis when I finished the book and found out her name is not Asher because that’s how the audiobook made it sound!!!) and the Bridegroom. It’s fascinating to read about Indigo and Asher’s bond over the years and see who Indigo is now and the secrets she is hiding. There was an element of mystery to the Bridegroom as well. I for one was completely invested in finding out what happened to his brother.

As someone who loves myths and fairytales, I was in for a treat because this book is an ode to them. The book is magically charged and mentions so many tales, weaving them seamlessly into the narrative. The plot itself was so intriguing, there’s something about toxic friendships and codependency that keeps me turning the pages. The atmosphere is dark, and entrancing and simply compels you to keep reading. I couldn’t help but gasp at the revelations. I did figure out the main plot twist a few pages ahead of it and I’m keeping my lips sealed but it’s a trope I’ve seen around and although it’s not my favourite, I think it worked beautifully for this book.

I kind of love how you can’t just fit this book into a genre like is it magical realism, gothic thriller, fantasy, murder mystery? A mix of all, I’d say.

All in all, this was an enchanting adventure and I can’t wait to read more books by the author!

Have you read this book? If so, what are your thoughts on it?

If you’ve read Roshani Chokshi which book of hers should I read next?

Do you have any recommendations for books featuring fairytales, folklore or mythology?