It was with great pleasure that I dove into Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, and upon reading it, I was not disappointed. I have read nearly all of Divakaruni's books, and this is just another in a long line of colorful, magical, and insightful offerings from this author. The story is the tale of the life of Panchaali, an Indian historical/mythical character from the famous Mahabharat. The book is filled with touches of magical realism and character portrayals that will keep the reader engaged and craving more of the story. The story has much to say about the awful destruction that war wreaks upon its participants, and also contains many illuminating passages speculating the divine in everyday life. The last passages are hauntingly beautiful, and remarkably moving. If you are looking for a flavorful yet unconventional re-telling of some of India's most marvelous stories, you can't go wrong with this gem of a book. Highly recommended. ( )

First I think it is important to mention that I have never read the Mahabharata on which "The Palace of Illusions in Based". I have read various Indian short stories, myths, and teachings including several translations of the Yoga Sutras. I was always intimidated by the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita because they are written in verse which to me is easier to listen to then read. They are also predominantly about war and battles which is generally not an interest not something I enjoy reading about. I was attracted to Illusion both because it was a retelling of the story which I knew wouldn't focus on battles and from the perspective of the female characters in the book. I know that many will scoff at the idea of this but I feel completely encouraged now to read both Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita because now I will have a context to put them in and an easier time reading the verse.
Reading this book was similar to reading "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West". The story is told from the point of view of Panchaali and she narrates the story starting when she is very young. Whole chapters have other characters telling stories that Panchaali is not involved in as a dialogue between herself and other characters. I especially enjoyed this technique in an early chapter when she and her brother Dhri go back and forth about how their father's generation got into their current problems. Her nanny tells her the story of her birth through fire and other stories come along the way. For the most part Panchaali talks about what she is experiencing and how she feels about things. She starts with very child-like ideas but as the story progresses some depth is acquired.
Overall I loved the story. I was able to keep the many characters straight with no problem even though there was as many as Anna Karenina and only consulted the family tree at the beginning a couple times. I grew to love many of the characters and was really repelled by others. The story moved at a great pace and I stayed up late reading because it was so exciting.
I think many people would really love this book. If you are interested in mythology or Indian History but intimidated by the classic works I highly recommend this book and Ganesha Goes to Lunch. Both are re-tellings of these ancient stories in modern language. I also think that fans of Wicked and the whole genre of seeing an old story from another point of view would really enjoy this book. Finally, I don't think it is at all out of reach for young adults. As a young person I would have adored this book. It was really wonderful, filled with magic, gods, and learning. ( )