The Palace of Illusions Audiobook By Rowenna Miller cover art

The Palace of Illusions

Pre-order: Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Palace of Illusions

By: Rowenna Miller
Pre-order: Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Pre-order for $24.63

Pre-order for $24.63

Confirm pre-order
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

This enchanting and atmospheric fantasy brings listeners to a Paris breathless with excitement at the dawn of the twentieth century. But for a select few there is a second, secret Paris where the magic of the City of Light is very real.

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.

©2025 Rowenna Miller (P)2025 Redhook
Dragons & Mythical Creatures Historical Women's Fiction
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

“Beautifully observed, steeped in folklore and rich with historical detail, The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill weaves a warm-hearted yet fierce fairy tale around the bonds of sisterhood and the choices facing women in a changing world. A true delight.”—H. G. Parry, author of the Shadow Histories series
"It's impossible to resist the allure of this charming book. Its focus on the small, everyday things that can be made easier with a little luck and a little fairy grace really creates a lived-in world where you can smell the apple blossoms in the orchard and hear the rattle of wagon wheels on dirt roads."—NPR
"Atmospheric ... a thoughtful meditation on sisterhood and priorities."—Publishers Weekly

What listeners say about The Palace of Illusions

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.