What do readers think of The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni? Write your own review.

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni writes of a girl becoming a woman in the 3rd Age of Man in the novel The Palace of Illusions. Princess Panchaali is destined to become queen and the book is about the long journey of life. The story deals with fate, conscience, power of voice, omens, obsessions, vengeance and so much more. It also deals with perceptions, illusions, but at heart it is about relationships. It's all the many and varied relationships that moves the story along and keeps you reading. Divakaruni does an excellent job of ending short chapters with a bit of foreshadowing that keeps one turning the pages. It's a good retelling of an old story with a strong, determined female character leading the way.

I am a fan of Divakaruni and have enjoyed her previous novels. This is a departure from her earlier writing. It is a retelling of the Mahabharat epic from the point of view of the women, primarily Princess Panchaali, born of fire and married to the five kings of India. While the characters do not have the same depth of development as those in her other novels, this is still an engrossing and engaging story. The writing is beautiful, especially the almost lyrical descriptions of the palace and gardens. I found the Indian mythology fascinating, with some parallels to Greek and Roman mythology but also very unique.The women's perspective makes the story even more engaging.