I enjoyed reading this book enough to wholly agree with the first 2 of the tags, not wholly convinced about the third. However, as a complete book, I quite enjoyed it. It was a much-recommended book after Karna’s Wife by Kavita Kane and I can say the recommendations were justified! The blurb of the acclaimed book calls it half history, half myth and wholly magical. Sometimes it adds to the value, sometimes it doesn’t. A lot of plot details are redefined with a feminist perspective often by changing a few points in the story. Despite an intrusive retrospective voice ("I didn't know then how sorely.love would be tested") and a sometimes heavy-handed feminism, Divakaruni's rich, action-filled narrative contrasts well with the complex psychological portrait of a mythic princess.The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni can be called a retelling or a reimagining of Mahabharata from Draupadi’s perspective. Devastation ensues, but spiritual remarks from the divine Krishna put life and death in a cosmic context. Panchaali's joy is short-lived, however, when hubris, fate and the desire for vengeance in reclaiming the Pandavas' kingdom (all also prophesied) cause her and her husbands to make mistakes that have cascading political effects, shattering peace in the region.
Soon enough, she bucks tradition by simultaneously wedding all five famous Pandava brothers, who have been denied their rightful kingdom, and finds herself the happy mistress of the much-envied palace of illusions. Born from fire and marked with the prophecy that she will change the course of history, the strong-willed Panchaali declares early on that she won't spend her life merely supporting the men around her. Recasting the Indian epic Mahabharata from the perspective of Princess Panchaali, veteran novelist Divakaruni (Queen of Dream) offers a vivid and inventive companion to the renowned poem.
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