On Sale: Jun 10, 2025
Page Count: 480 pages
Publisher: Redhook
ISBN-13: 9780316571944

$19.99

$25.99 CAD

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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.

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"Miller's magical Paris is a rare confection sure to leave readers hungering for more."
Ryan Graudin, author of The Enchanted Lies of Céleste Artois
"Imaginative and sparkling and full of heart, The Palace of Illusions is the kind of book you want to crawl inside and make a home."
Devin Madson, author of Between Dragons and Their Wrath
"Miller’s atmospheric writing creates a richly detailed historical fantasy that lets readers see The Nutcracker in a unique way."
Library Journal
"The historical setting and lush landscapes of Miller’s fairy tale world spark the imagination."
Publishers Weekly
"A lavish retelling of The Nutcracker ... full of both wonders and very real dangers."
Paste
"Rowenna Miller presents readers with another offering of lore and enchantment with The Palace of Illusions, a historical fantasy set in early 20th-century Paris that will dazzle and delight."
BookPage

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Rowenna Miller

About the Author

Rowenna Miller lives in the Midwest with her husband and daughters, as well as several cats, two goats, and an ever-growing flock of chickens. When she isn’t inventing fantasy worlds, she teaches writing, trespasses while hiking, and gets into trouble with her sewing machine.

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About the Author Rowenna Miller lives in the Midwest with her husband and daughters, as well as several cats, two goats, and an ever-growing flock of chickens. When she isn’t inventing fantasy worlds, she teaches writing, trespasses while hiking, and gets into trouble with her sewing machine.

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Rowenna Miller

About the Author