"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."

A World's Fair is catnip to me, through in some Nutcracker magic, and I'm so in.

Ahh, This was fun! I enjoyed the first book from this writer so I was very hopeful about this one, too. I was lucky enough to get a copy from Netgalley for review early so win! :-)

I loved the setting and the characters were lovable as well. Nice setup for a new world to explore, with a solid adventure to boot. I had a good time reading this one. The MC does make a few stupid decisions for being supposedly such a brilliant character but she has been dropped into something completely unfamiliar to her that keeps getting bigger as the novel continues. I liked how her relationship with her sister progresses as well as getting to know her new friends and opening up to the world she's found herself.

Thank you Orbit Books, Net Galley, and Rowenna Miller for providing me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Though I am not normally one to read retellings, when I read the description of The Palace of Illusions, I knew I had to give it a try. This book is a beautifully whimsical retelling of The Nutcracker set in 1900 Paris. The writing was very easy to read and flowed very well.

I really enjoyed the settings, real world Paris and the otherworld (anderwelt) Paris. The mix of the real world, human creativity, and magic resulted in a very atmospheric setting that was incredibly enjoyable to read.

The main character, Clara Ironwood, has moved from her home in Milwaukee to Paris to pursue a career as a clockworker, working on a project to be showcased at the 1900s World’s Fair. During her time there, Clara finds herself mixed up in some mysterious dealings that have to do with her Godfather’s past. While unraveling the mystery, she meets an interesting cast of characters and develops some wonderful friendships.

Following Clara’s story of discovering this whole new world that allowed her imagination and innovative thinking to flourish was such a delight. This is a softer fantasy story for those who still want to enjoy being transported into a new world, without all the anxiety and intensity of more traditional fantasy books. I will definitely be picking up more of Rowenna Miller’s books in the future!

The writing in this book is absolutely beautiful. The world was super atmospheric and I thought it was truly unique.

Belle Epoque Paris PLUS magical otherworld PLUS Nutcracker retelling? Yes please!! The mysterious Drosselmeyer of the original tale takes a backseat to our heroine Clara, a talented American clockmaker hired to work at the 1900 World's Fair -- and who falls into a glittering alternate Paris where magic comes to life. Fun, smoothly executed, characters you could root for and who grew and changed, deeply satisfying magical otherworld, and yes, there are mice! (but helpful mice! nice mice!)

this was an interesting concept. the atmosphere was amazing but i didn't fully connect with the characters. overall, i thought it was a bit slow moving for my taste

very well done atmospheric novel with some interesting ideas. the fairy tale elements sprinkled through work pretty well too! 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

The Palace of Illusions is a fantasy book like no other I’ve read in recent memory. Clara Ironwood, a clockmaker, who has ventured to Paris during the dawn of the 20th century to help design and build The Palace of Illusions for the 1900 Worlds Fair Exposition. Clara soon discovers a secret second Paris when her Godfather sends her hideous nutcracker from her childhood. In this other Paris these creations are not merely works of gears and cogs but they are alive with the spark of Magic. While the other Paris is fantastical and magical soon Clara discovers, like with most wonderful things in life, there are mysterious forces at work with goals to seemingly destroy this wonderful refuge she has discovered.

The Palace of Illusions is based on The Nutcracker and you can feel the influences throughout the novel. While in the otherworld of Paris the magic of the mundane and ordinary come to life in such a dreamlike and storybook way, much like the traditional Christmas tale that makes soldiers out of mice and fairies out of sugarplum. The obvious parallels and callbacks to The Nutcracker really worked for me. I was invested as soon as she discovered the magical otherworld of Paris, but the plot does slow down a bit in the middle, then in about the last ¼ of the book it ramps ALL THE WAY UP and then just… ends quite abruptly.

Woven throughout the novel are short stories that were told to Clara by her Godfather that were veiled references to this magical otherworld. I LOVED this method of providing context and backstory. It helped tie the otherworld and the real world together for the reader in real time, but for Clara in hindsight. However, I do wish there was bit more of Godfather as a character as he is mostly a spectre looming over the story at large.

Overall I’d give it a solid 4/5 stars and would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fantasy, standalone stories, cozy fantasy, and mild romantic plots that don’t overshadow the story.

Hi there, thank you so much to the author and the publisher for allowing me to review this ARC! I really enjoyed how creative this was in being a nutcracker retelling it was entirely different from any other I have ever read and the creativity was so incredible as well as the prose truly. However, I had to DNF at 100 or so pages, it just wasn’t captivating my attention and I feel I may just not be the right audience for this book so i will refrain from posting a review anywhere else. I do hope you keep me in mind for future ARCs

I wanted to love this one *so* much - the premise is intriguing, and I'm a sucker for Christmas story reimaginings. Something felt off here for me - I think it was the pacing. I didn't find myself connecting with the characters or the story itself.

I should probably stop requesting books just because I like the cover. I just couldn't get into it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

The Palace of Illusions by Rowenna Miller
3.5/5 stars!

Huge thanks to this author and Orbit books for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for a review!!

This book is so incredibly cozy and whimsical!
We meet Clara, our FMC, as she works in Paris as a clock-maker. She left her entire family back in the states to pursue an opportunity to strike out on her own after a falling-out with her Godfather, who was also her mentor. I live near almost my entire family, but somehow the author managed to make me homesick while Clara deals with the consequences of finding herself mostly alone in a new place!

The concept of the anderwald was my very favorite part. I love books that transport you into different and magical lands.
It was fun being introduced to so many faces and having to untangle the mystery of who is causing trouble, as well as who Clara can trust vs. who is just trying to use her. The soft romance between Clara and her "beau" was also adorable and had me smiling!

I did find myself thinking that the story building in the middle was a bit too long and I struggled to stay invested, and the end felt a bit rushed, but overall I greatly enjoyed the story and would ultimately recommend this to my friends that enjoy this genre!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was an incredibly delightful reimagining of The Nutcracker! I loved the setting and the characters immensely!

Retellings of The Nutcracker are some of my favorite retellings to read. The combination of the Christmas elements and fantasy is very appealing to me, and I’m always intrigued by how Drosselmeyer will be portrayed since he’s a very mysterious character in the original story and the ballet.

This was a slightly different retelling since Clara learned from Drosselmeyer and has brought her skills to Paris to work on the Palace of Illusions, an upcoming exhibit at the world’s fair.

The beginning started out very Christmassy and I loved that, but most of the story takes place after Christmas. This definitely has more fantasy than the original and I liked seeing Clara explore the other world. Both the descriptions of the real Paris and the corresponding mirror world were lush and vivid and really came to life in my head. There are also quite a few mysterious characters introduced so I was never sure who was actually after Clara and who wanted to help her which made for some interesting twists and turns.

I did think the middle dragged a little bit and the resolution of the conflict happened kind of quickly — and then the book just ended, but overall I enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend it for fans of The Nutcracker. 3.5 stars

A surprisingly charming retelling of the Nutcracker of all things, I enjoyed how vibrant Paris was. It took a little while to really get moving, but by the half way point, I was invested. I'd definitely read more of Miller's books in the future because her prose is really nice without being purple and flowery.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this early copy in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Palace of Illusions! It's a wonderful retelling of The Nutcracker and loved every moment reading it. The writing is lovely and I came to love the characters.

This is the first time I have read a retelling of the classic story of The Nutcracker and I was not disappointed!
This was so atmospheric and pulled you in right away. Clara is a clockmaker who accidentally discovers an alternate Paris. in this Paris magic is real and she is able to use it in her inventions. But danger occurs when magic starts leaking across the border into her world.
A wonderful retelling for anyone with nostalgia for The Nutcracker but can be enjoyed without any prior knowledge! for fans of historical fantasy and magical realism. If you loved atmospheric writing this sill not disappoint!

I was searching for a retelling of The Nutcracker, and Palace of Illusions certainly delivers on that front. It incorporates all the classic elements—magic, whimsy, and a dreamlike quality—but rearranges them into something entirely new. The stories within the story, particularly the fairytales Clara’s Godfather told her as a child, were a highlight for me. They carried hidden truths that added depth to the narrative.

The world-building was also a delight, with enchanting details like castles made of marzipan and the ever-present imagery of sugarplums. The descriptions of Paris were equally captivating, bringing a rich atmosphere to the tale.

Mainly, I just found it boring. Still waiting for my perfect Nutcracker retelling

I appreciate receiving an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. I’d like to rate this 2.5 stars, but if I am forced to round up or down, I will bump it up to 3. I wanted to love this book. I adored the description of the book and the setting, and I love a well-done atmospheric novel. There were some redeeming qualities towards the end that raised my rating a bit.

I had a very difficult time getting into the story. The writing felt very structured and even a bit pretentious. I understand it is influenced by the time it is set in, as well as the upbringing of the main character. Yet, it got much less verbose later in the book, and things began to click for me. It took me nearly 50% of the book to feel connected to any sort of plot line, and closer to 70% before I truly wanted to know how it ended.

About halfway through the story, it felt as if the main character had a major personality change, which I preferred, but was still odd for such a sudden shift. I appreciate a character growth arc, and I love shedding societal norms in favor of self-discovery, which is what I think the author was going for. At one point a character said, “She is not as placid as you suggested.” As much as I wanted to cheer Clara on for finding her voice, it felt a little unbelievable.

Now some of the good points. I want to visit Paris even more now. I enjoyed the story line with Clara and her sister Louise. This was better than the light romance in my opinion. Lastly, I did love Clara learning how to take some risk as it felt quite relatable to me. I had 2 favorite quotes, “For perhaps the first time in her life, Clara decided she didn’t care what the rules were. The questions were too compelling, the possibilities too captivating.” As well as “All the caution in the world didn’t guarantee any happiness in the end, and who could tell what the chance not taken meant forfeiting, really?”. A great message here.