Release Date: February 14th 2023
Publisher: Hodder Books
Pages: 304
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4/5 stars
Synopsis
A sumptuous, gothic-infused story about a marriage that is unraveled 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.
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.
Review
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is the sort of book that grips you as soon as you read the first page and absolutely does not let you go. The story follows a man obsessed with myth and fairytales as he ends up married to the mysterious and beautiful Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. Their marriage is built on a promise that he must never look into her history or pry into her secrets. When the couple learns that Indigo’s aunt is dying they must return to Indigo’s family home – the House of Dreams and the bridegroom discovers a childhood best friend that mysteriously disappeared. Can he resist prying into Indigo’s past and what will be the consequences if he does?
I really enjoyed Roshani Chokshi’s Guilded Wolves series so when I heard about The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, I was incredibly intrigued. This book feels completely different and I think that really shows Chokshi’s talent as a writer. Despite finishing this book a while ago I still find myself thinking about it. Intricately plotted, the story is full to the brim with atmosphere and a sense of mystery. This story is beautifully written and the hazy, Gothic sense of unease that lingers throughout the story had me turning pages long into the night.
Chokshi does an amazing job of bringing the setting to life and images of the old, creaking house really sprang to life. The characters were so complex and fascinating, particularly as their secrets were revealed and things began to unravel. The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a triumph and definitely my favourite book from Chokshi so far. If you’re looking for a book full of lush, lyrical prose and a captivating plot, this one is definitely a must read.
The Serpent and the Dead is a fun and fast paced fantasy tale that follows Lady Sif and the Valkyrie Brunnhilde as they embark on a quest to discover why some souls on the battlefield are disappearing before they can be escorted to Valhalla. When they two arrive at a small town they hear about attacks taking place from fearsome creatures that cannot be killed. Determined to uncover what is going on and rescue the missing souls, Lady Sif and Brunnhilde must use every ounce of their strength to uncover this evil enemy.
Widdershins is a beautiful, thought-provoking tale inspired by true events. The story follows two main characters – Jane Chandler who is learning how to be a healer, using herbs and lore to cure the sick. Meanwhile, John Sharpe has endured a hard childhood – his mother died during his birth and his father blames him for this. After enduring vicious beatings from his father he is sent to stay with his Uncle, a pastor. He finds purpose in becoming a witch-finder and rooting out all trace of witchcraft.
Sunwise is the second installment in Helen Steadman’s Widdershins series, focusing on the witch trials in England and Scotland. Following on from the events in book one, the story follows Jane as her lover Tom returns to find her married to the worst person imaginable. She’s stuck in an impossible situation, still trying to cope with the loss of her mother at the hands of John Sharpe and find a way to protect her daughter. As Tom tries to find a way for them to be together, Jane knows the witchfinder is still out there and John will stop at nothing to rid the world of witches and their magic.
The Last Girl to Die is the latest gripping thriller from author Helen Fields. I read The Shadow Man by Helen Fields last year and completely devoured it so I was really intrigued to read more from the author. Set on the Isle of Mull, the story follows private investigator Sadie Levesque as she travels to the island in search of a missing girl. The police don’t seem to be doing much, believing she has run away and will turn up in a few days. When Sadie eventually finds Adriana’s body in a remote cave, with a seaweed crown on her head, she becomes entangled in a murder investigation. Determined to find out the truth of what happened, Sadie delves deeper into the island and its secrets, but will she be able to uncover what’s going on before it’s too late?
The Retreat is the newest twisty thriller from Sarah Pearse, author of The Sanatorium. Featuring the same protagonist, the story follows DS Elin Warner as she is called to a remote wellness retreat on an island. A body has been found and the death looks like a horrible accident, however, the woman wasn’t a guest and wasn’t supposed to be there. As Elin dives deeper into the retreat, she discovers the island has a dark past and the deaths might not be so accidental.
Ash Princess is the first in a YA fantasy trilogy that follows Theodosia, a young princess who lives at the mercy of the Kaiser who murdered her mother and stole her throne. For ten years she has suffered under his abuse and ridicule when she decides that enough is enough and will do everything in her power to reclaim her lost throne.
Equinox is an intriguing book that lured me in for a number of reasons. Firstly it has an absolutely stunning cover and second it’s a fantasy standalone – something I definitely don’t read enough of. The story also has such a fascinating concept that I couldn’t resist diving straight into it.
Reckless Girls is the dark and addictive story of Lux McAllister, a young woman who followed her boyfriend Nico to Hawaii. Planning to fix up his boat and sail the world, Nico is hired by two women to take them to Meroe Island, a mysterious place with a tragic history. Lux agrees to go along and soon hits it off with the two women. When they arrive they join another couple and spend time exploring the island. As the group spends more time together they begin to realize that not everyone is what they seem and the arrival of a third boat brings tension to the remote island. As things take a dark turn Lux begins to wonder if they are ever going to make it off the island alive.
The Witch of Willow Hall is the beautifully told tale of the Montrose family, who move to the countryside following a family scandal in Boston. The family take up residence at Willow Hall but as the family attempt to build their lives back up there are some strange sightings and a sense of dread that lingers in the house. When Lydia meets the previous owner John Barrett, she begins to suspect the house has a dark past, but will she be able to uncover the truth and confront the secrets of her own past before it’s too late?
I had never read anything by Pat Barker until I picked up The Silence of the Girls and I ended up reading it and The Women of Troy back to back. The story continues on where we left off in The Silence of the Girls, following Briseis and the other women after Troy has fallen. The Greeks have been victorious, but the winds are not strong enough to sail and they are stranded with only the women of Troy for company.
The Bibliophile Chronicles 