Cybele's Secret

Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier
A Companion Novel to Wildwood Dancing
ISBN# 978-0-375-83365-6
Available now
Published by Alfred A. Knopf/Random House, Inc., New York
Format: hardcover, 432 pages
Genres: YA, fiction, fantasy, romance

Juliet Marillier has written many fantasy books including the Sevenwaters trilogy and The Bridei Chronicles, but my absolute favorites are this book and Wildwood Dancing. Both are just the right mix of fantasy, quests, and romance. You don't have to read these books in order since it is explained in this book what happened to Tati, but I highly recommend picking up both because you won't want to stop with just one. Just a little set-up detail for Cybele's Secret, the events in this book take place six years after Tati chooses the Otherworld over this one. None of the sisters have seen her since and all the portals have remained closed.

Paula has finally convinced her father to take her along on one of his trading expeditions, this one to Istanbul. Once there she realizes how hampered she is by her gender and that her dreams of gaining access to all their wonderful libraries were in vain. The upside is that she has gained a personal guard named Stoyan who quickly becomes a very dear friend. All hope is not lost however when Irene of Volos makes an appearance in the traders' quarter and invites Paula to her house and into her library. While there she repeatedly sees Tati's spectre and believes that the Otherworld wants her to do something, but she has no idea what that may be. She also finds mysterious pages in the library that seem to relate to the statue of Cybele that her father has come for. Her father is not the only one seeking the statue and soon it is clear that this other party is willing to do anything to get it. When it is clear, to Paula anyway, that the pirate Duarte da Costa Aguiar is behind her father's beating and has the statue she confronts him on his ship and ends up getting involved in a deadly race to find the other half of the statue.

I loved this book for so many reasons, least of which is because I can completely identify with scholarly Paula. I also enjoyed the setting of Istanbul and the treatment of the gender issues that arise while in muslim countries. By the end of this book I had no clue who Paula was going to pick between Stoyan and Duarte da Costa Aguiar since I liked them equally well. The quest was excellent is creating trust between the three and showing Paula that books couldn't teach her everything she needed to know. I think this book will appeal to all ages because the overall story of family, friendship, and love is timeless and should be valued by all.

Zhye