Roshani Chokshi

A sumptuous, gothic-infused story about a marriage unravelled by dark secrets, a friendship cursed to end in tragedy, and the danger of believing in fairy tales—the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi. . . . 
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.

A Novel

Last Tale of the Flower Bride

Hannah Nugent

I have since learned that marriage is nothing more than a spell strengthened by daily ritual. The spell requires libations: mundane musings hoarded and pored over, the repetition of small dismays, the knowledge of how your spouse takes their coffee. Marriage asks for that crust of time you were selfishly saving for yourself. Marriage demands blood, for it says: Here is what is inside of me, and I tithe it to you.

Taryn

“I’m not trying to destroy anything. I’m merely trying to survive you” - bridegroom 

Staring in various books whose pages never turned. 

I may have entered her world that they, but soon she became all of mine. 

Azure's growing realization that a lot of Indigo's "magic" is just that she's super rich...

Boothby

I missed the easy wonder that came with living with Indigo. When I tried on her pigeon’s-blood ruby earrings, I could see where they had come from, the outline of spired palaces crouched in mist and lavish green mountains. When I slept on a pillowcase of raw silk, I dreamt of colorful tents and horse musk, the dusty roads that bore its name.

In my mother’s house, there was none of that. There were trips to the library, documents to be faxed, research over the cost of college programs, and the endless fine print of applications. On this side of the world, there were no pigeon’s-blood rubies and raw silk pillows, no gilded books beside a chest of drawers bought from the palace of a guillotined viscount.

The difference was clear: in the Otherworld I would want for nothing, whereas in this world there was nothing I couldn’t want.

About a bit character, but I loved this description of what it means to spend time just to enjoy life. 

Also, genuinely sad for Azure when Indigo sabotaged her chance to travel for the first time

The sunlight moved over her shorn silver hair, and the wind tugged at the frays of her denim shorts, and I understood that Time was not obedient to her. Here, Indigo held Time captive, frozen, and because of this we revisited our favorite hours.

But this woman did not hold Time. She spent it. She wasted minutes in the sun, threw away seconds on winding sidewalks, offered hours to paintings and ice cream and movement, and let herself be changed.

It just occurred to me that this book has swapped the usual gender roles that occur in gothic literature. That’s neat lol.

Cloudface

What was Indigo? She was my bride, and she was my love, but there was something of the inhuman that clung to her. A grace and indifference that struck me as alluring one moment and alien the next.

I did as I was told, and she placed the plum between my teeth. It tasted like gold and honey with an echo of iron and salt. It was the taste of a threshold crossed; a bargain struck. In all that time, I have kept my eyes closed and Indigo has kept me safe.

"Indigo," I call out, but there is no point. 

She is already beyond me. I am simply the thing that marks the journey, that which is left behind to bear witness. 

This line is interesting to me. It’s definitely giving toxic “you don’t need anyone except for me” vibes. I mean, the author is being pretty clear up front that Indigo isn’t trustworthy and this relationship is going to end badly, but this is a neat little example of showing vs telling.

She said there would be no one else in our marriage, and thus no need for witnesses. 

 about the time period: We have a mention of a cell phone!! 

When were people using clunky Nokias? The 90s???

Her phone went off and Indigo groaned. We did not bother with cell phones until recently. They were ugly and bulky... They’d even gone so far as to send her the latest contraption toted by all the teens on the mainland: an insect-red Nokia with a stubby antenna. Indigo glared at the device.

I really like this hook about the missing brother. There's so little about the circumstances of his disappearence that it's hard to grip any of it, and that's nicely disconcerting for this genre

One day, when I was seven years old, I saw that the armoire doors had been left open. I called for my brother, thinking he must be inside waiting for me. He often crawled into the armoire and sat by my feet while I read him a story by flashlight. We loved to pretend that the smooth wall of the closet was secretly a door to Faerie. I called for him over and over. 

Finally, I went to the kitchen to ask my mother where he had gone. She blinked at me. “Sweetheart, what do you mean? You don’t have a brother.” I didn’t believe her at first. I looked for his clothes, his toys. I hunted for his smudgy handprints on the wall from when he had gotten into the jam jar, the notch on the doorframe when he begged to see how tall he was growing. Everything was gone.

I had no choice but to believe my mother. Now, though, as the years have softened my memories, there are days when I cannot decide whether this is a truth I cannot accept, or a lie I cannot let go of.

I love Gothic stories, but I don't like that they're usually about toxic romances... And this is is definitely building up to be a toxic, codependent mess.

Colleen

"I am scared of you," she said in a quiet voice. "You terrify me, and that is how I know I love you... but you're not scared of me at all, are you?"

Megan BV

I should have known what would happen when we crossed the threshold of the House of Dreams. I knew all the tales. I understood the texture of enchantment.

A marriage cannot live on honest midnights alone.

There are two kinds of love—one born from smiles, and the other from screams. Ours sprang from the latter. I had been enchanted with Indigo from the moment I met her, but I must confess that I did not truly love her until our wedding night dissolved into nightmare.

This book is good at capturing the dark/ high stakes vibes of fairytales and myths. 

“And what waits for us in the end? When you survive all my tests?” she asked. She rose then, guiding me to her. “Tell me. Now.”

 “Bliss,” I said. “Bliss eternal.” 

After that the city and all its glitter were lost to me. In that second, I knew I would love Indigo forever. 

She saw straight to my naked hunger and smiled. Her chair scraped back as she leaned across the table. The flames danced; candlelight gilded her skin. She became a question, and the answer she saw on my face made her close the space between us and kiss me. 

In her kiss lay wonders—the humming of firefly wings and the secret of alchemy. On her tongue was the ghost of roasted plums, forgotten poems. I was so entranced that I almost didn’t notice when she bit down. When I pulled back, her teeth looked rusty.

 And only then did I realize she’d drawn blood.

Ik moest even in het verhaal komen, maar na een paar hoofdstukken was ik zó nieuwsgierig. Ontzettend mooi geschreven, heel beeldend en prachtige vergelijkingen. Een mooie samenhang van magie, realiteit, sprookjes en mythes.

In dit verhaal volg je de bruidegom (huidige tijd) en Azure (verleden). Vanuit hun perspectief krijg je informatie over Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada.

Een man met een voorliefde voor sprookjes en mythes trouwt met de mysterieuze vrouw Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. In ruil voor haar liefde doet de man Indigo een belofte: hij zal zich nooit verdiepen in haar verleden.

Wanneer het stel terugkeert naar Indigo’s ouderlijk huis, lukt het de man niet zijn belofte te houden. Het huis lijkt te leven en onthult informatie over een ander meisje dat ook ooit door de gangen van het huis liep: Azure, Indigo’s allerbeste jeugdvriendin die plotseling is verdwenen.

Wat zal de bruidegom vinden als hij zich in dit verhaal verdiept?

Ik moest even in het verhaal komen, maar na een paar hoofdstukken was ik zó nieuwsgierig. Ontzettend mooi geschreven, heel beeldend en prachtige vergelijkingen. Een mooie samenhang van magie, realiteit, sprookjes en mythes.

In dit verhaal volg je de bruidegom (huidige tijd) en Azure (verleden). Vanuit hun perspectief krijg je informatie over Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada.

Een man met een voorliefde voor sprookjes en mythes trouwt met de mysterieuze vrouw Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. In ruil voor haar liefde doet de man Indigo een belofte: hij zal zich nooit verdiepen in haar verleden.

Wanneer het stel terugkeert naar Indigo’s ouderlijk huis, lukt het de man niet zijn belofte te houden. Het huis lijkt te leven en onthult informatie over een ander meisje dat ook ooit door de gangen van het huis liep: Azure, Indigo’s allerbeste jeugdvriendin die plotseling is verdwenen.

Wat zal de bruidegom vinden als hij zich in dit verhaal verdiept?

3.5 stars rounded up ⭐

The storytelling is enchanting, weaving a unique tale that maintains engagement from start to finish. The world-building is vivid, and the characters are memorable, each with their own quirks and complexities. Despite my overall enjoyment, I found significant resistance to picking it up, often avoiding reading it altogether. This raised questions about my true level of fondness for the book. Overall, a captivating read that falls just shy of a full-blown love affair.

This was so so good. I don’t even know how I would describe this as it doesn’t lean too far into any genre (in my opinion) but has sprinklings of gothic, romance, thriller, and fantasy. This has an ethereal quality throughout with 2 very interesting POVs at 2 different timelines and I felt like I was holding my breath the whole time. It’s one where I wouldn’t have been able to recommend it without reaching the end, I just kept thinking don’t let me down, don’t let me down and it didn’t.

I loved the writing in this. There’s a fantasy quality but with some jarring moments and reminders of the contemporary setting in a way that was grounding but also makes you question about what magic you might be missing in your own world. One moment there’s talks of sacrifices to the fae and the next moment they’re talking about high school graduation. It has you doubting what’s real but you never feel lied to because each character believes wholeheartedly their own version of reality. 

Another aspect of the writing I liked was that you didn’t need to know any mythology, it’s all seamlessly tied in. I have a hard time when stories are supposed to be metaphors or allegories to a larger myth but it’s background knowledge I happen to not have so it goes over my head. That doesn’t happen with this book. I really thoroughly enjoyed the fairytale tie ins. 

I highlighted so much of this because it impacted me more than just what was happening in the story, it’s its own fairytale. This is so unique and I loved it.

Abigail

This was so so good. I don’t even know how I would describe this as it doesn’t lean too far into any genre (in my opinion) but has sprinklings of gothic, romance, thriller, and fantasy. This has an ethereal quality throughout with 2 very interesting POVs at 2 different timelines and I felt like I was holding my breath the whole time. It’s one where I wouldn’t have been able to recommend it without reaching the end, I just kept thinking don’t let me down, don’t let me down and it didn’t.

I loved the writing in this. There’s a fantasy quality but with some jarring moments and reminders of the contemporary setting in a way that was grounding but also makes you question about what magic you might be missing in your own world. One moment there’s talks of sacrifices to the fae and the next moment they’re talking about high school graduation. It has you doubting what’s real but you never feel lied to because each character believes wholeheartedly their own version of reality. 

Another aspect of the writing I liked was that you didn’t need to know any mythology, it’s all seamlessly tied in. I have a hard time when stories are supposed to be metaphors or allegories to a larger myth but it’s background knowledge I happen to not have so it goes over my head. That doesn’t happen with this book. I really thoroughly enjoyed the fairytale tie ins. 

I highlighted so much of this because it impacted me more than just what was happening in the story, it’s its own fairytale. This is so unique and I loved it.

Kellie Stack

The writing is beautiful and captivating, almost poetic at times. The story is strange in a million different ways. It weaves a tale that blurs the lines of reality and fairytales, but maybe think more Greek Mythology style rather than classic Disney fairytales. I was frustrated by trying to draw clear lines between real and imaginary worlds in the beginning, but as I became more immersed in the story, I realized they weren’t meant to be so clearly separated. It has all the makings of what you would expect from a fairytale: love and loss, good vs evil, but made better with plot twists you didn’t see coming (or did you? there were hints!) Overall it’s a wonderful book, even if it was a bit difficult to follow at times.

Audrey

This book was nearly perfect; which, in the context of "The Guilded Wolves" starting promising and ending abysmally, means it might as well me.

I have read a fair emount of Chokshi's work, of which I massively enjoyed "The Star-Touched Queen" and found "Aru Shah and the End of Time" fun and an excellent opener for the Rick Riordan inprint. But after the disappointment "The Gilded Wolves" series was, I was reluctant to pick this book up, in spite of the perfectly crafted for me synopsis.

I think "The Last Tale of the Flower Bride" comfortably sits next to "The Star-Touched Queen" in my ranking of Chokshi's books. It is deliciously gothic and creepy; it excellently mixes mystery and tragedy and successfully introduces near-fabulistic elements that keep the reader guessing whether there really is a supernatural dimension to this story until the very end. By the way of retellings, it is definitely one of the more creative ones as it manages to pick apart the original in a way that extracts its essence, breaks apart its elements and cleverly weaves them into a new story. (And I admit, even without knowing it was a retelling of the Bluebeard fairy tale, the literary decision not to name the Bridegroom would still be excellent. So would be to give all characters fantastical unusual (literal) names - it strengthens the fairytalish atmosphere of the novel).

As a novel, "The Last Tale" would still be able to stand on its own. Chokshi has such a fantastic grip on what makes the story compelling - the monstrosity, real or imagined, the toxicity and turbulence of both female adolescense and a marriage between two deeply flawed individuals. The narration does not shy away from making its characters horrible and cruel - and still, you cannot help but understand the Bridegrooms simultaneous fear and adoration of Indigo or the absolute control Indigo exercises over Azure, the enchantment she has her under. And all of this dressed in lush, atmospheric prose and multiple fairy tale references.

My sole complaint is that it felt like the novel should have been set in a different time period and the enchantment was often broken when we found ourselves at the high school or looking at college applications or driving cars. This could be a positive, this good be a negative but it definitely impacted my reading experience. And still, I could hardly put this book down.

This book was nearly perfect; which, in the context of "The Guilded Wolves" starting promising and ending abysmally, means it might as well me.

I have read a fair emount of Chokshi's work, of which I massively enjoyed "The Star-Touched Queen" and found "Aru Shah and the End of Time" fun and an excellent opener for the Rick Riordan inprint. But after the disappointment "The Gilded Wolves" series was, I was reluctant to pick this book up, in spite of the perfectly crafted for me synopsis.

I think "The Last Tale of the Flower Bride" comfortably sits next to "The Star-Touched Queen" in my ranking of Chokshi's books. It is deliciously gothic and creepy; it excellently mixes mystery and tragedy and successfully introduces near-fabulistic elements that keep the reader guessing whether there really is a supernatural dimension to this story until the very end. By the way of retellings, it is definitely one of the more creative ones as it manages to pick apart the original in a way that extracts its essence, breaks apart its elements and cleverly weaves them into a new story. (And I admit, even without knowing it was a retelling of the Bluebeard fairy tale, the literary decision not to name the Bridegroom would still be excellent. So would be to give all characters fantastical unusual (literal) names - it strengthens the fairytalish atmosphere of the novel).

As a novel, "The Last Tale" would still be able to stand on its own. Chokshi has such a fantastic grip on what makes the story compelling - the monstrosity, real or imagined, the toxicity and turbulence of both female adolescense and a marriage between two deeply flawed individuals. The narration does not shy away from making its characters horrible and cruel - and still, you cannot help but understand the Bridegrooms simultaneous fear and adoration of Indigo or the absolute control Indigo exercises over Azure, the enchantment she has her under. And all of this dressed in lush, atmospheric prose and multiple fairy tale references.

My sole complaint is that it felt like the novel should have been set in a different time period and the enchantment was often broken when we found ourselves at the high school or looking at college applications or driving cars. This could be a positive, this good be a negative but it definitely impacted my reading experience. And still, I could hardly put this book down.

This book was beautifully written. It had all the dreamlike, flowery language of a fairy tale—except for a few key moments. Roshani Chokshi is purposeful with every sentence in this book, and when she wants to confront the reader with reality, the language she uses subtly changes. I loved analyzing her craft while I was reading this, and all the creative things she did with the idea of stories and what their purpose is in our lives. 

As much as I admired her prose, however, I struggled to attach myself to the characters. In a way, I think this was the point; they’re keeping their true selves hidden from the reader, and even themselves, for the majority of the book. Unfortunately, it left me without much to latch onto, and I guessed the big plot twist pretty early into the book so I was just waiting for them to figure it out. 

Also, I wish there had been more explanation of what exactly Indigo’s problem was? Like why did she do any of the things she did?

Overall this book was well crafted but I think the focus on prose stifled the characters and the actual story.  But if you don’t need your stories to be character-driven and you love mythology, odds are you’ll enjoy this book. 

This book was beautifully written. It had all the dreamlike, flowery language of a fairy tale—except for a few key moments. Roshani Chokshi is purposeful with every sentence in this book, and when she wants to confront the reader with reality, the language she uses subtly changes. I loved analyzing her craft while I was reading this, and all the creative things she did with the idea of stories and what their purpose is in our lives. 
As much as I admired her prose, however, I struggled to attach myself to the characters. In a way, I think this was the point; they’re keeping their true selves hidden from the reader, and even themselves, for the majority of the book. Unfortunately, it left me without much to latch onto, and I guessed the big plot twist pretty early into the book so I was just waiting for them to figure it out. 
Also, I wish there had been more explanation of what exactly Indigo’s problem was? Like why did she do any of the things she did?
Overall this book was well crafted but I think the focus on prose stifled the characters and the actual story.  But if you don’t need your stories to be character-driven and you love mythology, odds are you’ll enjoy this book. 

Great dark fantasy read with a plottwist, little hard to read for a none-english native.

Julia 

Carissa 

Chokshi writes a one of a kind fairytale about a bridegroom who loves fairytales, myths, and legends.
He has dedicated his life to the quest of the unexplainable. Through all his expiditions he is lead to the clutches of Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada who is an ex enteric hotel heiress who wins him over with a riddle and a game. She quickly introduces him to her life and wraps him in her lavish life. The man immediately becomes Indigo's bridegroom, and they spend years acting out their favorite stories. After a few years of marriage Indigo is forced to return home and he begins to pry into the mysterious past of his wife when the couple is forced to return to Indigos's childhood home knows as the House of Dreams. Here he quickly learns chilling secrets of Indigo's childhood friend, Azure, and the bridegroom must decide his next steps before they are decided for him.

I loved this book. It captures all the dark and moody vibes of fairy tales and gothic novels. 

I don’t want to say too much because it’s definitely something to experience. The story is vague and the house itself is a character. 

I loved the lyrical style of writing and I highlighted so many lines and passages. Overall this is a beautifully gothic fairytale.

I loved this book. It captures all the dark and moody vibes of fairy tales and gothic novels. 

I don’t want to say too much because it’s definitely something to experience. The story is vague and the house itself is a character. 

I loved the lyrical style of writing and I highlighted so many lines and passages. Overall this is a beautifully gothic fairytale.

This was incredibly unique and the writing is beautiful. Am I fully aware of what happened in this book? Absolutely not. But I did feel like I knew enough of what’s going on to enjoy this book. I love fairy tales and this was such a unique way to incorporate theme. 

Laura Wilson

Definitely did not see that plot twist coming 👀

fc ♡

I didn't know what to expect going into this, but I was instantly swept away. The prose was so enchanting and like you were in some fairy tale fever dream. I liked how it was told in alternating POVs, as it helped to flesh the story out. In one, we're following the bridegroom as he's trying to unravel the mystery of his wife, and in the other, we're following Azure, Indigo's childhood best friend who disappeared. Both perspectives are important to the story, and I loved seeing the events unfold through their eyes. I did figure out one part of the twist at the end, but I still liked seeing how it all came together. If you like the whimsy of a fairy tale and the darkness of a psychological thriller, I highly recommend checking this one out.

Heather Harrington

Thank you Libro FM for the advanced listening copy! Narrators Steve West and Sura Siu are enchanting!!

Gothic and haunting, excellent for fans of Addie Larue or Juniper & Thorn. This is the kind of book that people rightfully call an instant classic, drawing from myth and folklore and fairytales while simultaneously being wholly different.

Liz Griffin

Thank you Libro FM for the advanced listening copy! Narrators Steve West and Sura Siu are enchanting!!

Gothic and haunting, excellent for fans of Addie Larue or Juniper & Thorn. This is the kind of book that people rightfully call an instant classic, drawing from myth and folklore and fairytales while simultaneously being wholly different.

Content warnings: death of loved one, toxic relationship, emotional abuse, sexual harassment... (maybe more, I skipped half of the book)

I’d say this was like a gothic fairytale mystery. Everything felt like a fever dream. The writing style was definitely not my preferred style. It felt like the words kept going in circles. Not as in being repetitive, but as in going on this roundabout way to express something but ending up back at the beginning. I appreciate the effort put into the writing, a lot of people will probably find it beautiful, but it was just too much for me.

The worldbuilding was just a big question mark. I was confused about the fantasy elements. When magic was described, I couldn’t tell if it was meant literally or figuratively. Additionally, I had no idea whether this Otherworld mentioned was actually real, or most of the things mentioned as a matter of fact.

The characters were boring. I didn’t care about any of them except for, maybe, Azure in the past. The relationship between Indigo and the bridegroom felt artificial. The friendship between Indigo and Azure was unhealthy. Everyone was obsessed with the supernatural. The bridegroom studied magic, mythology, and folklore because he remembered having a brother who apparently did not exist. Azure and Indigo bonded over the fae. They were convinced they were a part of them and belonged elsewhere. Indigo took that obsession too far.

The plot was extremely slow. Almost everything was merely told, and most of the page space was filled with descriptions.

The author said this is her best work. If that is the case, I don’t think her books are for me. I don’t understand metaphorical gibberish. That’s a me problem. I chose to read this first because it was the shortest of my arcs, yet it felt so long.

Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Characters: 3/10

Enjoyment: 3/10

Plot: 5/10

Worldbuilding: 4/10

Writing: 7/10

Content warnings: death of loved one, toxic relationship, emotional abuse, sexual harassment... (maybe more, I skipped half of the book)

I’d say this was like a gothic fairytale mystery. Everything felt like a fever dream. The writing style was definitely not my preferred style. It felt like the words kept going in circles. Not as in being repetitive, but as in going on this roundabout way to express something but ending up back at the beginning. I appreciate the effort put into the writing, a lot of people will probably find it beautiful, but it was just too much for me.

The worldbuilding was just a big question mark. I was confused about the fantasy elements. When magic was described, I couldn’t tell if it was meant literally or figuratively. Additionally, I had no idea whether this Otherworld mentioned was actually real, or most of the things mentioned as a matter of fact.

The characters were boring. I didn’t care about any of them except for, maybe, Azure in the past. The relationship between Indigo and the bridegroom felt artificial. The friendship between Indigo and Azure was unhealthy. Everyone was obsessed with the supernatural. The bridegroom studied magic, mythology, and folklore because he remembered having a brother who apparently did not exist. Azure and Indigo bonded over the fae. They were convinced they were a part of them and belonged elsewhere. Indigo took that obsession too far.

The plot was extremely slow. Almost everything was merely told, and most of the page space was filled with descriptions.

The author said this is her best work. If that is the case, I don’t think her books are for me. I don’t understand metaphorical gibberish. That’s a me problem. I chose to read this first because it was the shortest of my arcs, yet it felt so long.

Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Last Tale of the Flower Bride A Novel

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