Stars: 4 / 5
Recommendation: A powerful and gripping gothic fantasy tale woven with some very interesting and amazing prose by Ms. Chokshi. Her debut adult novel traverses through the marriage filled with dark secrets, a doomed friendship that ends in tragedy and delves into the world of fairy tales and dangers surrounding the beliefs and myths of these tales.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is the first adult fiction penned by Roshani Chokshi originally published on February 14 2023. The story revolves around a Professor who is always looking to solve the myths and mysteries of fairies and his wife Indigo Maxwell-Castenada who comes with her share of secrets. Despite her warning not to pry, the Professor can’t resist to pry. What happens after is a gothic twist to a fairy tale.
I haven’t read Ms. Chokshi’s books till now. However, my oldest nephew Srithan, is a huge fan of her The Pandava Quintet series, a series that simulates Rick Riordan’s series involving Greek, Roman and Norse mythology. However Chokshi spins her tale around Indian Mythology. So when she had an in-person book signing even in NYC I had to go for the sake of my nephew.
Little did I know that she was promoting her first adult fiction. So I got a double prize that day – one book for me and another for my nephew, both signed with a personal note for my nephew. Here is a picture of me with her. It was fascinating to meet her. She was funny, charming and above all very informative.
Now coming to this book, being a valentine’s day release for the book surprisingly it takes you into gothic and fantasy fairy world at the same time. She writes this in first person narration from two characters point of view. However I couldn’t figure out the full name of the Professor at all. Wonder what his name would have been.
The story moves between fantasy and reality so constantly that it took a while for me to grasp what was the fantasy that was weaving with the reality. Beautiful prose by Ms. Chokshi which entices the reader to continue to read even one might be flummoxed a bit. It also goes between past and present while relating the tale through other characters from Indigo’s and Professor’s past.
Ms. Chokshi gives us glimpses into several myths and fantasy tales that we already know – talks about Cinderella; a myth on Melusine, a mermaid or a selkie; The Robber Bridegroom; Tale of Zal and Rudaba; references to Chronicles of Narnia; tale of Blodeuwedd; Ashputtel; Little Red Riding Hood; The Wild Swans; Rumpelstiltskin Story; Sleeping Beauty; Catskins tale; The Imp Prince; Koschei; Hansel and Gretel; Filipino tale about a Sky Maiden.
It’s a tale of two girls – one who doesn’t want get out of fantasy while the other who eventually finds reality and want to grasp at it. The story told by one of the girls takes us to the past while the story told by the Professor lies mostly in the present.
The whole book reminded me of 2007 American fantasy drama film Bridge to Terabithia. Even though the movie doesn’t go beyond two fifth graders life, the story still has so many resemblances to this movie.
A powerful and gripping gothic fantasy tale woven with some very interesting and amazing prose by Ms. Chokshi. Her debut adult novel traverses through the marriage filled with dark secrets, a doomed friendship that ends in tragedy and delves into the world of fairy tales and dangers surrounding the beliefs and myths of these tales.
Spoiler Alerts:
Book Trivia and Plot Reveals:
- Indigo Maxwell-Castenada’s family and friends: Hippolyta Maxwell-Castenada aka Aunt Tati; long-lost friend Azure; Professor, her husband; Mrs. Revand, Aunt Tati’s housekeeper.
- Professor’s family and friends: long-lost brother whom no one acknowledges that he exists.
- Azure’s family & friends: Mother; Jupiter, her mother’s boyfriend; Lyric, a boy she fancies.
Grammatical / Character / Plot / Geographical / Historical / Mythological Errors:
- On Pg. 98, Ms. Chokshi gives us tale of Blodeuwedd but she spells it Blodeuedd.
- On Pg. 175, we see that Indigo I wearing a dress nearly to her feet. But in the following page, the Professor gets to see the backs of her calves. How was that possible?
- On Pg. 205, Indigo and Azure are making garlands of marigolds and carnations. However in the following page, Ms. Chokshi mentions roses too…where did the roses come from?
Galavant Reflections 