Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower: Volume 11

After two years of following this series, Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower has finally reached its conclusion. It's by no means perfect, but everything is wrapped up so neatly that I couldn't help but give this book 5⭐ for that reason.

This final volume starts off strong with the civil war between Shohi's and Shusei's armies. I have to say, it was the most engaging part of the entire series. The tension was palpable, especially because Shohi's side seems to be losing at first... until the Quinary Dragon comes back into the picture. Tama's grand return shifts the tide almost instantly, leading to the outcome we all saw coming from maybe several books ago: Shusei getting arrested for high treason. From there, it's all about the major characters struggling to accept the reality that Shusei will have to face execution.

There is also an attempt to flesh out the relationship between Rihan and Keiyu. I think it's poorly timed because it feels like a last minute addition, but it does wrap up the issue between them. The way the book deals with Shusei after that is also rather predictable for the most part. I've been talking to a friend about the possibility of this outcome from like volume 6, but I didn't know how it'd be done exactly and the book did surprise me with a little detail I didn't see coming. It's about the way they execute Shusei, to be specific.

The finale not only ties up the story for Rimi and Shusei, but also gives a pretty nice ending for everyone else. For Shohi. For Jotetsu and Kojin. For the four consorts, as well as Consort Ho and Hakurei. Despite what I said back in volume 9, Shohi did mature a little as a person at the end. Looking back to the first volume, Rimi also grew a lot as a character. She was truly unremarkable at the beginning, and she became a character who can stand on her own through the series. The ending might feel a little bittersweet, but it does wrap up the story on a hopeful and happy note.

Complaints aside, I did enjoy this series a lot. Still not a fan of the romance though LOL.