The Last Tale of the Flower Bride
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fantasy: Two girls in an obsessive friendship & a marriage with secrets
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Fantasy, Literary Fiction
Key topics/tropes: Gothic, dual timelines, female friendships
Grade: Adult
Published: Feb 16, 2023
Length: 292 pages
Format Read: Ebook
POV: First; dual perspectives
Content warnings & important topics (More included in Spoiler section)
Toxic friendship
Emotional abuse
Sexual harassment
Links
Mini Summary
In the present, a man obsessed with myths investigates the past of his rich, mysterious new wife against her explicit wishes. In the past, two girls develop an obsessive relationship with each other and the realm of fantasy.
Mini Review
I couldn’t put this down. It had been a long, long time since I stayed up into the night to finish a book, but this one was so worth being useless at work the next morning. It’s definitely one of my favorite books of all time.
It had all my wheelhouses: gothic vibes, complicated female friendships, dual timelines, unfolding your partner’s mysterious past.
I did guess the ‘twist’ early on, but I don’t think it detracted from my enjoyment because there were plenty of points throughout where I questioned if my guess was right or not.
Author Rep Notes
Roshani Chokshi is Indian and Filipino.
Character Rep Notes
Though their races/ethnicities aren’t specified, both female protagonists are coded as non-White.
Notable Quotes
Look how I will carve myself to fit your life. Who will not do less?
I have never before considered what it means to have a good marriage…I thought it was finding intriguing and attractive company. But maybe it is about finding someone whose heart is like a mirror, whose love can make you stand the sight of yourself.
Also by Roshani Chokshi:
The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1)
The Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves #2)
🚫 Slight spoilers ahead
Character rep — One secondary character becomes blind due to an injury.
Additional content warnings
Death
Child abuse
Pedophilia