The king’s magnificent palace was built in a matter of weeks. No one saw the builders, no villagers are allowed beyond the gilded gate, and only one servant has ever left. The haunted look in her eyes as she was recaptured by the palace guards is something Josie, daughter of the village doctor, has never forgotten.

For Josie, the palace is a mystery that grows more intriguing after she meets the captain of the guards, a man known only as Hammer, as mysterious and captivating as the palace itself. Whispers of magic fuel Josie’s desire to uncover the truth, but an ordinary girl like her can only dream of ever being invited inside.

When the king decides to take a wife from among the eligible daughters of the noble families, the palace gates are finally thrown open and the kingdom’s elite pour in. In a court where old rivalries and new jealousies collide, the king’s favorite is poisoned and the doctor is summoned. As her father’s assistant, Josie finally sees inside the lavish walls, but she soon learns the palace won’t surrender its secrets easily, for not a single resident, from the lowest servant to the king himself, has a memory from before the palace existed.

In the search for the truth, Josie is drawn deeper into danger, and the answers she seeks might shake the very foundations of the kingdom.

Josie is the daughter of the village doctor. She loves her father as well as what he does and she works hard to learn as much as she can in order to work beside him. The problem lies in that women cannot become doctors and the best that Josie can hope for is to become a midwife. Josie has no problem being a midwife, she cares for her female patients greatly; what she desires though is to be like her father regardless of what stands in her way.

The Palace of Lost Memories is a mix of historical fiction and fantasy. Set in it’s own land it abides by mostly familiar rules. Science and superstition walk hand in hand and while there are whispers of magic, there is no proof set in stone. Such is the land that Josie and the other characters of the book must navigate.

The author, C.J. Archer, does a decent job of creating a setting and building a mystery in it. The character of Josie is an interesting one and it is easy to sympathize with her in wanting more that what is expected of her. The castle inhabitants, such as the Captain of the Guards Hammer, is also nicely done. Throughout the story information comes to light and both we the reader as well as Josie realize that not every one is as they seem. There is no real black and white, instead each person is a shade of gray.

The mystery surrounding the castle and its inhabitants could have been given a little more attention in my opinion, however. The fact that we are given barely any clues as to what occurred is a little aggravating. If this mystery is to be the main draw of the series, than I believe the readers should be given something more.

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Palace of Lost Memories. Currently there are a total of five books in the series. It is quite likely that I will eventually read and review the rest of the series, so keep an eye out!