The Last Tale of the Flower Bride - by Roshani Chokshi (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Decadence laced with horror . . . A delightfully meta fairy tale . . . Magic emanates from every exquisitely crafted sentence." -- Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post

In the tradition of sumptuous gothic novels like The Cloisters and The Bloody Chambers comes a dark fairy tale-infused story about a cursed friendship and a marriage steeped in secrets--the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.

Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada, a cold woman whose beauty was rivaled only by her mystery. He was a scholar of myths. She was an heiress. Far from prying eyes, they sank into a strange world of their own devotion. But in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.

When Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying, the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams. Once they arrive, the bridegroom soon finds himself unable to resist the unnerving allure of Indigo's forbidden past. 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 if intentional, the house slowly reveals his wife's secrets, and the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives.

Through a tapestry of secrets woven through dangerous shards of truth, Chokshi's characters run down dark hallways, always looking back, yet hoping to find light at the end. With the fever dream atmosphere of Mexican Gothic, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a mesmerizing warning about love and lies, secrets and betrayal, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

Review Quotes

"A delightfully meta fairy tale . . . The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a fine addition to the shelf of novels about ordinary people being seduced by wealth and glamour -- but its real strength is the way magic emanates from every exquisitely crafted sentence. . . . It feels like the best conjuring trick ever." -- Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post

"Chokshi's tale is as sweet as a piece of fairy fruit, and just as wicked. Every bite is velvet, every swallow is gold, and the taste lingers like a fever dream." -- V. E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

"A dazzling fairy tale for adults. . . . Take a fairy tale, infuse it with a gothic flair, drizzle in some dark romance, and you get The Last Tale of the Flower Bride." -- Time, Best Books of February 2023

"Chokshi's writing is vivid and lovely." -- Entertainment Weekly

"Darkly gorgeous and utterly entrancing, Chokshi's adult fairy tale is as deadly as any fable of old; the lush, glittering prose and haunting mystery gilding a story sharper than a huntsman's blade." -- Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of Brass

"Gorgeous and ornate, this sensual fairy tale illuminates the corrosive and redemptive power of both love and lies." -- Holly Black, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book of Night

"Like the best Gothic novels, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride lures you in, cups you in a dreamlike trance, and--most impressively--makes the whole trick look effortless. A story of obsessive bonds and the lies we eagerly devour to be loved, it is at once exquisitely intense and profoundly sad. Reader, I was at its mercy. " -- Isabel Cañas, bestselling author of The Hacienda

"Roshani Chokshi's transfixing first novel for adults is a fairytale-infused story about marriage and the secrets couples keep from each other. That, and an enchanted house off the coast of Washington and hotel fortune." -- Today.com

"The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is an intoxicating fever dream, an irresistibly seductive fairy tale. I've never read anything like it. Chokshi's mastery of her craft is on full display. This book will leave you utterly spellbound."
-- Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers

"A fairy tale in the oldest and truest sense: a haunting dream full of blood and love, vicious truths and beautiful lies. It swallowed me whole, and I went willingly." -- Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of The Once and Future Witches

"Unworldly, intoxicating--and so, so very enchanting. Each page ripples with the feeling of a dream filled by beauty and terrors alike. This is an intricate character study in finest form." -- Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of Foul Lady Fortune

"A shimmering tapestry of intertwined fairy tales, told through the secrets of a modern Bluebeard's chamber. The Last Tale of the Flower Bride will enthrall fans of twisty, dark journeys into the secrets of two girls, Indigo and Azure, who are inextricably linked by the perils of a mysterious house where nothing is quite as it seems." -- Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Tiger

"Reading Chokshi's prose is like sinking deeply into the overstuffed arms of a plush, purple velvet sofa. Her lavish descriptions . . . wrap you in sumptuous sensory detail." -- New York Times

"The Last Tale of the Flower Bride gripped me from its first chapter and enthralled me till the very end. An utterly breathtaking story--dark, haunting, and thrumming with mystery, magic, and love." -- Sue Lynn Tan, bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess

"Roshani Chokshi knows fairy tales and myth like few other writers, and in these pages, her knowledge of those traditions shimmers like actual magic. The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is not only a thrillingly inventive modern fairy tale, but also a book that invites us to rethink all fairy tales. This novel is addictive, decadent, and sultry--a dark fantasy, a subtle and sensitive story of female friendship, and a seductive examination of the mysteries of marriage itself. It will shock, disarm, and delight you, with surprise reverberating all the way to its very last lines." -- Sanjena Sathian, author of Gold Diggers

"I'm not sure I can capture how much this book moved, gripped, devoured me. Chokshi draws stars from the darkness. An opulent, engrossing tale with all the power of a myth and all the truth of a parable--reading a story like this reminds you why we tell them in the first place." -- Kiran Millwood Hargrave, internationally bestselling author of The Mercies

"Roshani Chokshi's The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is an elegant, intoxicating cocktail of a book. Her gorgeous prose builds a fairy tale otherworld around you, one you'll do anything to remain in." -- Kat Howard, award-winning author of An Unkindness of Magicians

"The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a novel steeped in tradition--from the gothic genre through world myths and fairy stories--and yet it weaves itself into something fresh and original. I very much enjoyed Chokshi's exploration of the enchantments that can exist within human relationships, the subtleties of friendship, the stories we tell to ourselves, and the lengths we will go to belong. A beautifully conjured tale." -- Claire Heywood, author of Daughters of Sparta

"A unicorn tapestry of folklore, magic, and monsters, woven with the nimblest hand and the most shimmering gilded thread. Roshani Chokshi is a master of all things baroque, sensuous, and mystical." -- Ava Reid, bestselling author of The Wolf and the Woodsman

"Bestseller Chokshi makes her adult debut with a lush and haunting modern fairy tale about the nature of friendship and love. . . . Chokshi's prose overflows with metaphor and lavish imagery, adding to the decadent, gothic feel as the mystery of Indigo's past intensifies. The result is equal parts dizzying, dazzling, and foreboding." -- Publishers Weekly

"The gothic atmosphere of this fairy-tale romance, mixed with heartbreaking tragedy, creates a story that hovers between fantasy and illusion. It begins with an enchantment and ends with its breaking. In between, a dream becomes a nightmare--until they both wake up. Chokshi's adult debut is recommended for lovers of gothic romance, magical realism, and stories where fairy tales come true, especially when they shouldn't." -- Library Journal

"Equal parts fairy tale, friendship story, and an examination of marriage, this gothic tale is lush and haunting. Chokshi, already a best-selling author of children's and YA books, returns to the adult world in this winning, original work. Highly recommended for all fantasy collections." -- Booklist, starred review

"I don't know how otherwise to explain this--The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a Scorpio of a book. It is lush and extremely sensual from the very beginning, full of dark secrets and elegance that will sweep you off your feet. . . . An absolutely gorgeous read, with prose like expensive perfume and pearls. You won't want it to ever end." -- Christina Orlando, Tor.com

"An exquisitely painted fairy tale filled with dark enchantment and an exploration of the monsters within." -- BuzzfeedNews.com