Indigo Maxwell-Castañada is the mysterious, alluring subject of fairy tales. She extracts a promise from her bridegroom not to delve into her past. But when they must return to her childhood home, he finds himself unable to resist the mystery of her lost childhood friend Azure and struggles to keep his promise. Ultimately, he must choose whether to keep his promise and save his marriage or find the answers he seeks, no matter the cost.

Roshani Chokshi’s first foray into adult storytelling is a masterpiece of modern Gothic literature. Her research into different fairy tales and folklore is put on display through her excellent foreshadowing and lyrical prose. Chokshi’s characters are engaging and her descriptions of the setting inspire thoughts of a lush, beautiful landscape. The House of Dreams is, quite literally, a dream house for every lover of Gothic literature. It’s full of mysterious rooms and seems to be alive itself. Indigo is the perfect mysterious main character, while Azure and the bridegroom’s narration makes you wonder if she really is human. I did predict the ending when I was about 60% through the story, but that did not diminish my enjoyment of the story that Chokshi told. On the contrary, it is another example of her writing skill that a reader familiar with her source materials could predict the ending and still find themselves fully engaged with the story and characters. I would recommend this book to fans of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic, and any other fans of Gothic stories.