Synopsis
The Palace of Illusions brings readers to a Paris breathless with excitement at the dawn of the twentieth century, where for a select few there is a second, secret Paris where the magic of the City of Light is very real in this enchanting and atmospheric fantasy from the author of The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill.
In the run up to the 1900s World’s Fair Paris is abuzz with creative energy and innovation. Audiences are spellbound by the Lumiere brothers’ moving pictures and Loie Fuller’s serpentine dance fusing art and technology. But for Clara Ironwood, a talented and pragmatic clockworker, nothing compares to the magic of her godfather’s mechanical creations, and she’d rather spend her days working on the Palace of Illusions, an intricate hall of mirrors that is one of the centerpieces of the world’s fair.
When her godfather sends Clara a hideous nutcracker for Christmas, she is puzzled until she finds a hidden compartment that unlocks a mirror-world Paris where the Seine is musical, fountains spout lemonade, and mechanical ballerinas move with human grace. The magic of her godfather’s toys was real.
As Clara explores this other Paris and begins to imbue her own creations with its magic, she soon discovers a darker side to innovation. Suspicious men begin to approach her outside of work, and she could swear a shadow is following her. There’s no ignoring the danger she’s in, but Clara doesn’t know who to trust. The magic of the two Parises are colliding and Clara must find the strength within herself to save them both.
Review
This one really hit the spot for me at the right time. I’m always looking for more fantasy standalones because I’m already in the middle of so many series so I was excited to get another one from Rowenna Miller after enjoying one of hers in the past.
Historical fiction is often hard for me to enjoy. I like having completely new worlds to get lost in (fantasy) or interesting technology to learn about (scifi). This book gave me a bit of both to some extent. The other world the MC discovered has the fantastical elements I love and while the technology used in this book wasn’t anywhere near the scifi tech I love, the characters’ own excitement over it filled in really well for that. It combined for a whimsical, awe-inspiring, and exciting mixture that kept me engaged throughout the entire book.
While the start of the book did feel a bit slow, overall the story had a steady pace throughout the entire book that matched the story well. The awe and the fear of the MC introduced exciting elements and while the darker aspects of the story took up more and more space the closer we got to the end, the book never lost its whimsical magic that made me fall in love with the world in the first place.
This was set in Paris so of course there was a little bit of romance. Spice-averse readers, have no fear though. While this was really sweet, it didn’t actually take up a lot of page time and the intimacy on page was emotional rather than physical. It worked well for this story, though the beginnings of their emotional involvement did feel a little rushed after their unconventional first interactions.
Is this a book for every reader? No. While the stakes were high for the characters, I do think the slower pace and whimsical feel of it won’t be for everyone. Did I enjoy it immensely myself and think it’ll work for many people anyways? Yes, definitely. The historical fiction, cozy whimsy, fantastical elements, and sweet romance should appeal to plenty of readers that can also get a taste of a genre they might not otherwise think to explore.
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