The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a true gothic fairytale: deep and dark and haunting.

We follow a bridegroom, a scholar of myths who falls fast and hard for mysterious heiress Indigo. They delight in each other’s adoration of legends, and Indigo asks only one thing of her new love: he must never look into her past.

But when Indigo is forced to return to her extravagant home - the House of Dreams - the bridegroom stumbles into clues from her childhood and struggles to resist the urge to pry, especially when it comes to the disappearance of Indigo’s dearest friend Azure. As the magic of the past takes over, the lines blur between truth and myth while the dangers become very real.

It’s a story of toxic, obsessive relationships. Of violent longing and a fierce need for safety and love. Predators and manipulators and those they leave in their wake.

The writing delights in the lush. It’s enchanting; it’s full of embellishments and plays with crafting false meaning out of simplicity or misery. It invites you in, mesmerizes you, welcomes you to savor it - then mocks you with a sneering grin.

This book is definitely for a certain soul. It’s designed to sit in this nearly-ridiculous luxurious place. If melodramatic word-weaving prompts an eye roll from you, this is probably not your story.

The characters are almost wisps, plodding along and being spun into folklores. There’s not quite a grand lesson here, but it’s meant to entertain - and for me, it most certainly did.

It’s far from perfect. It’s a little clumsy at times, and details are dropped or smothered. The gothic atmosphere of the House of Dreams and the Otherworld (where the young girls spend their days) is played with but could have turned up way more. 

But overall - yes yes yes.

CW: domestic abuse, child abuse and neglect, death, toxic friendship, bullying, sexual harassment, pedophilia, suicidal ideation, animal death, abandonment, gore, self-harm

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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)