The Palace of Illusions
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Narrated by:
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Sneha Mathan
About this listen
The novel traces the princess Panchaali's life, beginning with her birth in fire and following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father's kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at their side through years of exile and a terrible civil war involving all the important kings of India. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her strategic duels with her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy.
©2008 Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Anne Gifford's dowry - or lack thereof - is of no concern to Sir Dylan DeFrayne. Wrapped in each other's arms, what more could they possibly need? Yet the young lovers' passion can never be sanctioned - the DeFraynes and Giffords have been sworn enemies for decades. Lest more blood be shed, the two must keep their affair a secret…and plot their elopement. Clad in threadbare hand-me-downs, Anne never expects the powerful and aged Brennan Forbes to remember her face, let alone propose marriage.
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This is not the same Robyn Carr
- By MickeyMarie on 01-22-13
By: Robyn Carr
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The Songs of the Kings
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- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
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A thoroughly modern tale of politics, spin-doctoring, and media manipulation. As the harsh wind holds the Greek fleet trapped in the straits at Aulis, frustration and political impotence turn into a desire for the blood of a young and innocent woman - blood that will appease the gods and allow the troops to set sail. And when Iphigeneia, Agamemnon's beloved daughter, is brought to the coast under false pretences, it looks as if the ships will soon be on their way.
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The politics of power haven't changed.
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The Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots
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Born Queen of Scotland, married as a young girl to the invalid young King of France, Mary took the reins of the unruly kingdom of Scotland as a young widow and fought to keep her throne. A second marriage to her handsome but dissolute cousin Lord Darnley ended in murder and scandal, while a third marriage to the dashing, commanding Lord Bothwell, the love of her life, gave her joy but widened the scandal and surrounded her with enduring ill repute.
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Fiction being the key word
- By Bonnie-Ann B on 09-25-09
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Royal Exile
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From out of the East they came, riding like a merciless plague - destroying kingdom after kingdom and the sovereigns who had previously mocked the warlord Loethar and his barbarian horde. Now only one land remains unconquered... the largest, richest, and most powerful realm of the Denova Set: Penraven. > The Valisar royals of Penraven face certain death, for the savage tyrant Loethar covets what they alone possess: the fabled Valisar Enchantment....
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Poorly Written Female Characters
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Funeral Games
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Alexander the Great died at the age of thirty-three, leaving behind an empire that stretched from Greece and Egypt to India.After Alexander's death in 323 B.C. his only direct heirs were two unborn sons and a simpleton half-brother. Every long-simmering faction exploded into the vacuum of power. Wives, distant relatives and generals all vied for the loyalty of the increasingly undisciplined Macedonian army. Most failed and were killed in the attempt.
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Postmortem of an Empire and the Dream that United
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I, the Sun
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This is the saga of the Hittite King Suppiluliumas, and rings with authenticity and the passion of a world that existed 1400 years before the birth of Christ. They called him Great King, Favorite of the Storm God, the Valiant. He conquered more than forty nations and brought fear and war to the very doorstep of 18th Dynasty Egypt, but he could not conquer the one woman he truly loved.
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Wonderfully Researched and Fantastic Performance.
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Ramses
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An epic re-creation of the exhilarating and mysterious time when the Sun King ruled Egypt, Ramses, the Son of Light, has become the rage in France. With over two million copies sold, it is the greatest publishing phenomenon to hit the shelves there in 20 years. Rameses is only 14 when his father, the Pharaoh Seti, begins testing his true mettle. Being the younger of two sons, the proud Ramses has a problem with being relegated to second place.
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Teenager drama with little insight into Egyptian culture
- By Consuelo on 10-24-17
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The Virgin's Daughter
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Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, The Virgin's Daughter is the first book in a captivating new saga about the next generation of Tudor royals, which poses the thrilling question: What if Elizabeth I, the celebrated Virgin Queen, gave birth to a legitimate heir?
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Intriguing premise, good story, great storytelling
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Imperial Woman
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The story of Tzu Hsi is the story of the last empress in China. In this audiobook, Pearl S. Buck recreates the life of one of the most intriguing rules during a time of intense turbulence. Tzu Hsi was born into one of the lowly ranks of the Imperial dynasty. According to custom, she moved to the Forbidden City at the age of 17 to become one of hundreds of concubines. But her singular beauty and powers of manipulation quickly moved her into the position of Second Consort.
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The Last Empress and the Destruction of China
- By MarilynArms on 07-29-13
By: Pearl S. Buck
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I wish this had a different reader
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The Unknown Errors of Our Lives
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In nine poignant stories spiked with humor and intelligence, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni captures lives at crossroad moments - caught between past and present, home and abroad, tradition, and fresh experience. A widow in California, recently arrived from India, struggles to adapt to a world in which neighbors are strangers and her domestic skills are deemed superfluous in the award-winning "Mrs. Dutta Writes a Letter".
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Catalyst for introspection on life.
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One Amazing Thing
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Winner of a Pushcart Prize for poetry and an American Book Award for her short stories, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni explores themes of women, immigration, and her vibrant Indian culture to great effect. Divakaruni expands on these ideas in One Amazing Thing, a project long in the making and full of electric prose.
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An ok way to kill some time
- By R.Reader on 11-07-12
What listeners say about The Palace of Illusions
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Arthur
- 08-20-09
Brilliant!
Divakaruni did a wonderful job of introducing me to the Mahabharata. She is a master of simile and metaphor. I am sad that this story ended. It inspired me to read through the Wikipedia entries on this Indian epic, on Princess Draupadi (Panchaali), on the Pandavas and Kauravas, and the battle of Kurukshetra. Though it tells the story from the viewpoint of the key woman in the tale, it is not "chick lit" but a compelling tale of gods, demigods, sages and humans, with a climactic battle that seems like harbinger of nuclear holocaust.
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12 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Nicki
- 01-17-10
Legends from a Feminine Perspective
This wonderful tale provides the backstory for the Hindu classic Bhagavad Gita, as related by the Sage Vyasa. In the book, Vyasa is one of the many characters who might-or might not- have exited in the India of thousands of years ago. Part fable, part family drama, and completely enchanting as read by Sneha Mathan, I enjoyed it completely, and will look for this authors work in the future. You go, girl!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Mr
- 10-27-09
Masterful storytelling from a feminine perspective
This wonderful book tells the story of the Mahabarata from the point of view of a woman within the story. It is vastly different to the origional which has a masculine tone. But it contains all the elements of a timeless tale with great spiritual insight. This is complemented by an excellent narrator. Highly recommended to all.
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- Derek Kitchen
- 11-09-17
Evocative and poetic.
Based on the Hindu tale of warrior kings and queens, Mahabharata. A fascinating world unfolds in gorgeous detail.
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- Nives
- 06-07-23
Brilliant
This is an insight in the best and worst aspects of human nature. Our limitations and our ability. It is also an interesting topic in current political climate.
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- Celia Mccoy
- 02-19-21
Epic, magical, beautifully read
This was an utter joy to listen to, for story and performance! This feminine perspective and telling of the Mahabharata was compelling to the last word. I would say that some small knowledge of Indian philosophy and Sanskrit terms helps in the listening, but the story would still shine without.
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1 person found this helpful
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- hg7607a
- 07-01-15
Loved it! Feminist take on ancient Hindu epic
Loved this feminist retelling of Mahabharata, a epic Hindu text. Panchali is such a fascinating character in Hindu mythology, and this book really takes the reader through her experience..Beautifully written, engrossing... Couldn't put it down/stop listening.
The narrator did a wonderful job with often difficult to pronounce Sanskrit words and names.
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- Picky
- 02-03-21
Wonderful!
I will listen to this again especially the last chapter. So evocative of India and beautifully narrated.
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- Andrew D. Zelenetz
- 07-30-12
A great listen
Where does The Palace of Illusions rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This book is a fascinating piece of Indian fiction. It is a complex and interwoven story. Given the complexity, this may be a better read than listen unless you can really devote your attention to the story and the characters. The reader is great. Certainly a very enjoyable listen.
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- Linda M. Acierno
- 10-28-23
Illusions
Fantastic. Love this author. All her books are alluring and imaginative. After visiting India, I became very interested in reading exploring novels that mix myth and reality into a book.
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