The palace of illusions takes us back to a time that is half history, half myth, and wholly magical. It is told by Panchaali, wife of the Pandavas brothers, a fiery female redefining for us a world of warriors, gods, and the ever-manipulating hands of fate. 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.