Cybele's Secret

I was keen to receive my copy of the second in this trilogy - but I honestly can't say I enjoyed it as much as it's predecessor, Wildwood Dancing. But then WWD is a hard act to follow! Anything as-magical as a tale set in an "eldritch" wildwood, and castle, with characters from the Nature Kingdom abounding, and a romantic thread constant throughout, is a difficult tale to write!I must admit I lost a bit of interest in the middle of the story, but then reconnected again, as Paula and her friends worked their way through the clues which led them to completing their task, each learning something important about themselves (and life) at the same time. I also liked the touch near the end, where we realise that the female "baddie" had been in love with her henchman (a eunuch) just before she was trapped inside a mountain with his lifeless body! ....or was she? ...maybe book three will tell!Extending the story into the 3rd book seems simple - for Stela, youngest sister of the original five, will soon be just about the right age to find her way back to the Wildwood, taking maybe a few of her nephews/nieces (at present toddlers) with her? I must admit I'd love to get back to the world of the Fairy-folk and re-acquaint myself with all of them - so here's hoping J.M. thinks so, too! It'll probably be a wait of 18 months to 2 years, though - but I've got two fascinating books to read through again, to keep the story fresh in my imagination.Ignore any suggested "age-range" for this series - and treat yourself to a bit of magic!

I had already read this book and had bought it for my 15 yr old grandaughter. She loves it and is working her way through all the rest of Juliet Marillier's books.

‘Cybele’s Secret’ continues the story of the family Juliet Marillier introduced in ‘Wildwood Dancing’, the Transylvanian merchant Teodor and his five lovely daughters. The first book was the story of Jena and her trials with the Other World. Jena and her sisters used to go dancing with elves and faeries in the Other World every full moon but they found that the place is not all moonlight and roses. The rulers like to set challenges for folk to make them learn and grow in wisdom. If they fail, they can die.Paula, the scholarly sister, is challenged in this book. Acting as his secretary she goes to Istanbul with her father to purchase, secretly, Cybele’s Gift, a small statue of a pagan goddess which a collector wants to acquire. A few other merchants also desire this valuable item but the sale is fraught with peril because the Ottoman Muslim’s fiercely oppose paganism and there is also rumoured to be a small sect of Cybele worshippers who would do anything to get the statue. On arrival in Istanbul, they find that Teodor’s contact, a Muslim merchant friend, has been murdered.Because the task is dangerous Paula’s father hires a bodyguard, stoic, stolid Stoyan, a Bulgarian of hidden talents. Paula is quite fascinated by him. She also encounters a dashing Portuguese merchant, some say pirate, named Duarte da Costa Aguiar and is fascinated by him too. Both men think a lot of her. You can see where this is going but the young adult girls at whom the book is aimed like a bit of romance. Paula also befriends Irene, an interesting and very wealthy Greek lady living in Istanbul and striving to be free and independent in that mucho macho culture.The book is four hundred pages long and the first two hundred are slow, to be frank. Admittedly, this is the space to get to know the characters but it might have been a hastier process. Happily, the second half makes it worth the wait, galloping along at a good pace with enough plot twists to keep the suspense going. When the action is finished there is a romantic coda that was a bit too long for me but I suppose young adult females will love it. They are the target audience and I don’t count. It does strike me, though, that Marillier’s romantic notions seem a bit old-fashioned for the modern British teenage female, or at least the modern British teenage female as I perceive them from their media image.Still, I enjoyed the book. It also struck me that in an age when shared culture is vanishing, as we all watch different TV channels and read different books, fantasy fiction can provide some crossover material between the sexes. In straight fiction, men read Freddy Forsyth and girls read Joanna Trollope, or whatever girls read. Fantastic/ Romantic fiction like this has a little something for both groups. Juliet Marillier’s stuff won’t ever be on my desert island book list but I quite like it and when I’m done, I can pass it on to my girlfriend or my sister, giving us a shared cultural experience. That’s nice.

Having read all of Juliet Marillier's books I was extremely excited when Cybele's Secret was released, for it had seemed like years since Juliet Marillier's last book was published. While Wildwood Dancing (Cybele's Secrets predecessor) was enjoyable, Cybele's secret eclipses it. In this book, set six years after the previous books events we are once again introduced once again to scholarly Paula. She and her merchant father are on a quest in Istanbul for the ancient religious artefact known as Cybele's gift rumoured to grant its beholder luck and untold knowledge. Unlike some other reviews of this book I would argue that Cybele's Secret is in no way a love triangle, at least not in the traditional sense (which is good, if like me you find those books slightly annoying.) Juliet Marillier makes it clear from the beginning, both in her writing style and events in the plot, who Paula will come to love, the other male character (not wanting to ruin it) is merely a plot device for the ending of the book (not that his character isn't interesting, eye candy is always fun.) Unlike Marillier's other books Cybele's Secret is the first to be set in such an exotic location, Istanbul is brought alive and the aspects of its Muslim culture, which today are often so villainised, are shown the respect they deserve while still regaining their uniqueness. As with all of Marilier's books it is the small detail and minor characters which add reality to the story, from the ever watchful eunuch, to Stoyans intimidating mother, this is a plot moved by the characters character. This book explores the importance of wisdom in contrast to intellect, and as in all of Juliet Mariliers books has a strong heroine, a dusting of ancient magic and a romance which compliments the plot instead of drowning it (unlike all those bodice rippers on the market.) Truly it is a rare gem among Juliet Mariliers crown

Lovely book, from a very talented author. All JM'S books are romantic and enjoyable and this is no exception. I'd recomend anything she's written, and I've read a fair bit of it.