Cybele's Secret »

Juliet Marillier is the author of several highly popular fantasy novels for adults. She is also the author of the teen novel Wildwood Dancing. She lives in Australia.

FOR PAULA, ACCOMPANYING her merchant father on a trading voyage to Istanbul is a dream come true. They have come to this city of trade on a special mission to purchase a most rare artifact a gift from the ancient goddess, Cybele, to her followers. It s the only remnant of a lost, pagan cult.

But no sooner have they arrived when it becomes clear they may be playing at a dangerous game. A colleague and friend of Paula s father is found murdered. There are rumors of Cybele s cult reviving within the very walls of Istanbul. And most telling of all, signs have begun to appear to Paula, urging her to unlock Cybele s secret.

Meanwhile, Paula doesn t know who she can trust in Istanbul, and finds herself drawn to two very different men. As time begins to run out, Paula realizes they may all be tied up in the destiny of Cybele s Gift, and she must solve the puzzle before unknown but deadly enemies catch up to her. . ....

Children's Literature

In this companion to Marillier's 2007 work Wildwood Dancing, Paula takes up the tale of five sisters whose lives intertwine with the Other Kingdom. On a merchant trip to Istanbul with her father, Teodor, Paula begins to notice a mysterious figure clad all in black with eyes the color of her missing sister, Tati's. Upon arrival in the city, Teodor discovers that his long-time business partner was murdered only a few days before, and so Teodor insists on finding his daughter a bodyguard for the duration of their stay. Paula decides to hire Stoyan, a large, intimidating-looking young man who proves determined to keep her safe, but he is not the only man to suddenly enter her life. Duarte, a so-called merchant with more of a pirate's reputation, also has focused his attention on Paula, though Paula suspects it is because he also plans to bid on Cybele's Gift, the mysterious pagan artifact that all the religious authorities in Istanbul are intent on destroying. Soon, Paula, Duarte, and Stoyan find themselves ensnared in events outside their control, and only one thing is certain—the Other Kingdom has something to do with it. Though some parts of the story seem a bit slower, they provide important clues to the exciting conclusion to the story of Cybele's Gift, and patient readers will be rewarded with both a fantastic adventure and a truly romantic tale. Reviewer: Kathleen Foucart