The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is Roshani Chokshi's adult debut and a stunning fairytale-esque story about history and its secrets. Told between alternate POVs of the bridegroom who is uncovering his wife's secrets with each day they spend together in her childhood home and the mysterious best friend who disappeared after graduation, each chapter brings you closer to the truth while challenging the ideals of friendship, love, and magic.

isbn: | pages: 304
      publication date: February 14, 2023 | source: physical 
     genre: adult fantasy, fairytale, literary fiction
     rating: 9/10

     A M A Z O N    |    G O O D R E A D S 
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It's been a few months since I've finished Flower Bride but I genuinely still get chills just thinking about it. This is a story that's mesmerizing in the best way and perfect if you're a fan of gorgeous prose that weaves the natural world with the supernatural. Indigo is otherworldly, for lack of a better term, and we explore her life through the lens of those whom she loved most. 

"some individuals are like portals, the knowing of them makes the world a far vaster place"

The story is told in alternating timelines between Indigo's unnamed bridegroom and her childhood best friend Azure. Through their perspectives, a little bit more of Indigo is revealed from her motivations to her intrigues. The quote above really captures the entire reading experience as the narrators reveal just enough to add more pieces to the puzzle, but never enough to give you the full picture. We are taken through Indigo's return to her childhood home and the last moments with her estranged aunt while trying to figure out what truly happened with the disappearance of her best friend.

"sometimes, fairy tales are little more than a litany detailing acts of devotion"

Once you begin Indigo's story, it's almost impossible to stop. The bridegroom's curiosity matches that of the reader's as we try to unravel the mystery of Indigo's past. It's the classic tale of an unsuspecting man marrying someone just a little magical and being tempted by the allusive past. On the other hand, Azure represents an Indigo that is untainted by the responsibilities to adulthood. A time where she is free to offer milk to the fae and don expensive pearls to mimic the otherworld's lavishness. The magic of their youth portrayed through the slightly tinted lens cruelty and a desire for the unknown.

As the two timelines come closer to merging into a single truth, we see the harsh realities of growing up replace the innocence of childhood wonder and imagination. The fractures that appear take us full circle to the present. This story was truly a masterful exploration of choices, love, and accepting the little bits of magic we have in this world.

"only a shattered promise yields a rich, glittering yolk of a story"

Hello there! I have been nothing but scarce this year and while part of it comes from a busy schedule, there's also a newfound wariness that comes from the feeling that I have to be careful of what I put out to the world. When we all end up having a corner of the internet to ourselves through social media, it becomes easy for anyone to step in and engage with our thoughts. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, I do have a tendency to overthink, but I'm definitely feeling conflicted on wanting to promote my space and increase social engagement but also wanting to keep my thoughts away from public eye.

Anywho, can you tell my blogging skills are a bit rusty from disuse? Despite my lack of activity here, I have been doing pretty well in the realm of reading. I've managed to finish a total of seven books so far through multiple formats and thought I'd try doing a quarterly wrap-up since I don't read enough for monthly ones anymore.

            
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the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde
★★★★ - physical
I was so incredibly proud of myself when I finished this because I've had a copy on my shelves for over five years. While I do have a soft spot for classics, I still struggled a lot to sit myself down and read one through without a class syllabus keeping me on task. For all that I was expecting from this book, I was really surprised by how much fun I had. The conversations between characters, through some lengthy monologues from Sir Henry, included so much commentary on British society, youth, and love. In some cases, I wish I was reading this for a class because I would have loved for an opportunity to really analyze the text.

the kiss quotient by helen hoang
★★★☆ - audio/ebook
I went through a bit of a phase where I just wanted something cute and fluffy and have seen The Kiss Quotient around but reviews were always been iffy. Picking this up on audio was quite a surprise because I found myself really rooting for the characters. The insta-attraction was believable and while Stella and Michael have their fair share of miscommunication, I was still easily won over by their chemistry and relationship development.

the honeys by ryan la sala
★★★★ - audio
Technically, I started this in December but with all the end of year madness I never ended up finishing the audiobook until February. The Honeys is an example of me dipping into YA horror and I can't tell if I'm intrigued or scared. One thing's for sure, the audiobook production is hands down one of the best I've ever listened to. I legit got chills multiple times and Ryan La Sala's exploration of grief, gender fluidity, and societal wealth was absolutely stunning.

this time it's real by ann liang
★★★☆ - physical
Ann Liang's sophomore novel brought out all the adorable chemistry that I loved from her debut and this could very well be one of my new comfort reads for a dose of serotonin. In a class fake-dating trope, Eliza and Caz team up to conquer the newfound popularity Eliza is receiving after her essay goes viral. The banter and gentle buildup of their relationship, along with the mouthwatering food adventures they go on together, create the softest couples ever in YA that need to be protected at all costs.
review

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the last tale of the flower bride by roshani chokshi
★★★★☆ - physical
My first favorite of the year and one that officially solidified Roshani Chokshi as one of my favorite authors, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is haunting and gorgeously written. It feels like you are kept on the edge of something magical and nobody is to be trusted. The blending of the otherworld and our reality with the faintest touch of magic accompanied by a plot line that unfolds like the best secret gives me the absolute chills just thinking about it.
review

twisted love by ana huang
★★★ - ebook
Are billionaire romances realistic? No. But they do have their magnetic charm and can be quite entertaining to read. I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of Alex and Ava as a couple and individuals as they fall very neatly into the classic tropes and character arcs. However, is this book addicting to read? Yes, I think I read all 400-something pages in a day and while this couple is not my favorite, I am finding myself quite intrigued by the rest of the friend group so I'll probably end up picking up some other Ana Huang books in the future.

the stolen heir by holly black
★★★☆ - audio
I honestly didn't think I was going to continue with the Elfhame world when The Stolen Heir was announced by I've surprisingly heard very little since its release and my curiosity was piqued. The audiobook was decent overall but the plot didn't quite captivate me as much as the original trilogy. Regardless, it's so much easier to like Oak and Suren as characters and despite their twisted fae nature, there's something gentler about them that I love. With that said, I do think I'll continue with the sequel just to see how everything plays out and because I want answers - especially after that ending.

We're going to quietly ignore the fact that I've had this in the drafts for over two weeks but it's finished and that's what matters. I'm making a promise to myself to incorporate blogging back into my life because I do genuinely love what I've created over the years. While I have developed a newfound wariness of social media, I have also missed the interactions and connections I've made. I guess it all comes down to curating a safe space for yourself and hopefully the right people will be there.

What have you been reading recently?

This Time It's Real opens with a dedication to all the cynics who still secretly believe in love - and as a self-proclaimed cynic...darn it this book was just simply adorable. Eliza Lin is incredibly relatable and this has to be one of the first "dating a celebrity" (y/n) type of story where I found myself actively invested in the relationship.

 isbn: 978-1338827118 pages: 352
       publication date: February 07, 2023 | source: physical / tour
      genre: young adult, contemporary, romance
     rating: 6.6/10

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images sourced from google images / pexels / and unsplash

A Broken Blade is a classic fantasy story that checks off all the boxes to become a beloved internet tale. In an era where TikTok has quickly and easily become the dominant social media platform, this is a perfect example of how its influence has impacted this niche of fantasy. With Melissa Blair also having a BookTok platform dedicated to sharing her favorite reads, this truly read as a love letter to TikTok's bookish community.

isbn: 978-1454947875 | pages: 448
      publication date: august 02, 2022 | source: publisher
     genre: fantasy, new adult
     rating: 5.7/10 
     writing: 5 | atmosphere: 7 | world-building: 6 | plot: 6 |  characters: 5 | impact: 5

b o o k s h o p *    |    g o o d r e a d s    |    a m a z o n
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I received a copy from Union Square & Co. in exchange for an honest review - all thoughts shared below reflect my personal opinion.

If you spend any amount of time on bookish social media, you'll easily come across videos, graphics, posts, etc. that describe books using tropes - at this point it's almost become a guaranteed way to pitch or review a story. For her debut, Melissa Blair essentially took the top tropes and blended them all together. From a kickass heroine with an unknown past, a dark and mysterious love interest, political intrigue, and of course "there was only one bed," A Broken Blade takes what is familiar to many YA fantasy fans and ages the story up to a NA audience to tackle darker themes of colonialism and addiction.

From the beginning, Keera is presented to us as a character abiding by her tropes but with the potential to reveal more about herself as time passes. While she falls into some stereotypes, such as reminding the reader on multiple occasions that she's that much stronger than xyz character, I appreciated that she didn't sit idly in her role as the skilled assassin. We got to see her in combat and use strategy to stay one step ahead of her opponents as well as her healing process as she fights her dependency on alcohol. There was room to grow and the author leaned into that, taking a character arc that's so widely used and molding it for Keera herself.

That same could be said for the plot and the rest of the cast - I could have easily read and dismissed this book as "every other fantasy novel involving fae" and I admit to having fallen into that headspace at first. But it's admirable to note that the story doesn't rely on its tropes to carry readers through all 400+ pages and instead uses the familiar to present and highlight commentary on systemic violence and colonialism. With the premise of the world based on the eradication of the Elves and the enslavement of Halflings, there's a conversation started surrounding the unfair claim of land and erasure of culture based on one race's superior savior complex.

As the first book in a projected duology, A Broken Blade sets the scene for a new fantasy world that is easily accessible to a wide audience due to its usage of familiar characters and plot arcs and begins an adventure that leaves room for lots of development in its sequel.

Thank you again to Union Square & Co. for a copy of A Broken Blade in exchange for an honest review - all thoughts shared reflect my personal opinion.

Hello there, I hope you've been well as the seasons start to change and the weather becomes colder. I've definitely hit a rough patch over the past couple of months when it comes to feeling a sense of disillusionment about my internet presence and contribution (which honestly came out of the blue). After taking a couple months to clear my head, I'm finally starting to miss the routine of blogging and feel a little more centered about continuing to share on this small corner of the internet.

This rough patch affected pretty much every single hobby of mine and my reading pace fell drastically. But I recently finished some books and it's gotten me thinking about my next read so here's a little list of hopefuls that I'd like to get to before the end of 2022.

heart of the sun warrior 
by sue lynn tan
This should come as no surprise if you've been around since the start of the year. The sequel to Sue Lynn Tan's Daughter of the Moon Goddess comes out (in exactly 10 days!!) and I'm more than ready to jump back into the world of the Celestial Kingdoms. I fell in love with everything about book one, from the complex characters to beautiful storytelling, and cannot wait to see where the next chapter of Xingyin's journey takes her.

the atlas six
by olivie blake
I don't think you can mention 'dark academia' without someone bringing up The Atlas Six. While I originally wasn't interested in the premise and admittedly felt intimidated by the whole dark academia aesthetic, I recently read R.F. Kuang's Babel and have been 100% converted so now I just want to read about another cohort of academics who may very well break my heart.

foul lady fortune 
by chloe gong
Here's another book that I was originally on the fence after finding myself enjoying These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends but feeling like I missed something because I didn't love them like the rest of the internet. However, the longer I sit on the fence, the more my curiosity is piqued and reading Michelle's (@magicalreads7) review sealed my fate and now a copy sits on my shelves.

the silence that binds us 
by joanna ho
I could make an entire post of books that I picked up and ended up 'pausing' for no reason and The Silence That Binds Us would be on that list. Easily one of my more anticipated releases of the year, I could not tell you why I read 20-some pages and then stopped. I'm finally tackling it again and this time am fully dedicated to follow through from start to finish.

the bear and the nightingale 
by katherine arden
Another title that should be familiar to you if you're a frequent visitor - I adore Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy and have been itching to reread them for years. My friend Mari (@macnbooks) recently finished the entire trilogy and hearing her thoughts has made me miss the characters and world so much which solidified the decision to finally start my reread.

the night circus
by erin morgenstern
According to Goodreads, I read The Night Circus in 2016 and in the six years that have passed since then, I can recall absolutely nothing about the story other than the magical vibes and what the synopsis tells me. I have also had this book in my room for the past six months with the intention to reread it and have just never followed through so I'm putting it into words now with the hopes that it'll give me that final push to pick this up.

I'm feeling a bit rusty after being away for so long but it is nice to feel that buzz of excitement to create once again. I would love to know what you have been up to, if you've read anything good and what books are on your end of year tbr - please share them with me down below ♡