Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com

Paula couldn't be more excited to be arriving in Istanbul with her merchant father, where she'll be assisting him in obtaining a valuable and mysterious artifact of the ancient goddess Cybele. If all goes well, she may finally be able to pursue her dream of starting a book-trading enterprise.

To her dismay, trouble awaits them the moment they disembark. Her father's trusted trading adviser has been murdered, and the secrecy surrounding the artifact has grown even more difficult to penetrate. If Paula's suspicions are correct, the glimpses she's caught of her sister, who vanished into the Other Kingdom several years ago, mean the folk of magic and myth have their own stake in the unfolding events.

Complicating matters are a dashing ex-pirate with an intense interest in Paula, who may or may not be as ruthless as he is charming, and the powerful yet gentle bodyguard Paula's father hires to watch over her, whom Paula cannot help feeling drawn to despite knowing they are worlds apart. As Paula struggles to make sense of the signs her sister sends her and to help her father obtain Cybele's Gift, the three are pulled into a quest more dangerous than any of them could have imagined.

Not all friends can be trusted; not all enemies are what they seem; and the folk of the Other Kingdom don't often give second chances. It's up to Paula to get her companions through this adventure alive, and to find the right path for her own heart.

Fans of Marillier's WILDWOOD DANCING will enjoy catching up with the family via Jena's younger sister, and happily devour this new tale of the Other Kingdom. Though somewhat slower-paced than WILDWOOD DANCING, CYBELE'S SECRET doesn't skimp on adventure or romance. Paula is a strong and resourceful heroine, who admits her mistakes when she makes them and doesn't let her fears stand in her way. The settings are so vivid readers will feel as if they're traveling through Istanbul and the Other Kingdom with them.

If you loved WILDWOOD DANCING, don't hesitate to snatch this one up! ( )

Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier - Always read the sequel first! I'm a sucker for the new book section and rarely stop to see if there's a book I should have read previously. The book does have a great cover, incidentally, Kinuko Y. Craft whom I'll be Googling. Cybele's Secret will be enjoyed by teens who've matured beyond Theodora Throckmorton, and by mothers who aren't ready for teens to be reading Libba Bray's The Sweet Far Thing. I'm always tickled by how relevant my reading choices seem to be so reading about Cybele's Gift so close to the announcement of the female fertility figure discovery was appropriate. ( )

First off I love Juliete Marillier that being said.This book was such a slow read the first 200 pages I really had a hard time getting through but since I know this author is good I hung in there the last 100 pages were much better when you finally got to the actually quest.The ending was predictable except for 1 thing*no spoilers*.All in all not a bad book but definatly not one of her best.If your just discovering Miss Marillier stick to Sevenwaters & Wolfskin!and Wilwood dancing the first book with these characters is really good. ( )

Continuing the story from after the events of Wildwood Dancing. This time the story is led by Paula, the scholar of the family. She has travelled with her father on a business trip to Istanbul. They are following a lead on a mysterious artifact, a statue of Cybele who was an earth goddess. Her cult is reported to be being revivied in the city much to the chargrin of Islamist leaders. There is a secret auction being held by invitation only which is even more hidden than usual after Paula's fathers business partner was murdered just before their ship landed.

Being an Islamic city, Paula must be careful how she is seen in public and cover her hair with a scarf at all times. Her father lets her choose her own bodyguard and she picks Stoyan who worked for the business partner who was murdered. The two quickly become friends and Stoyan helps when Paula starts seeing things from the Other Kingdom. Her sister Tati who went to live their with her true love is appearing to Paula and she keeps finding clues about Cybele around the city. It looks like she has been chosen to go on an Other Kingdom Quest and that Stoyan is wrapped up in it too.

In their way seems to be Duarte, a pirate with a dubious reputation. He seems to take a liking to Paula although she is not sure if it is just to get information on Cybele or genuine. He becomes mixed up in their quest and the three end up on an adventure together as very unlikely travelling companions.

This was a fantastic tale neatly blending mythology and fairy tale elements to craft a very enjoyable fantasy tale. You don't need to have read the first, Wildwood Dancing, to enjoy this novel (although it might help explain Tati and Paula's other sisters). Anotehr hit from Marillier in pulling the reader in and immersing you in a different time, place and culture. ( )

Though the sequel to Wildwood Dancing, this could probably be read as a standalone. Narrated by Paula, the fourth of the five sisters that used to dance in the Other Kingdom every full moon, who travels with her father to Istanbul. Now barred from returning to the Other Kingdom and with three sisters married, scholarly Paula works as his assistant in procuring an ancient artifact known as Cybele's Gift. The mystery of what this gift entails entices Paula to search for clues in the library of Irene of Volos and tries to help her father best other bidders like the pirate Duarte, while under the protection of her bodyguard, Stoyan.

Paula was an well-developed character. The story had an interesting premise and moved steadily towards the climax, but the book didn't live up to my expectations. Early on, it became clear to me that there two male characters liked Paula and she would ultimately decide between the two of them. I also became irritated at how many times Paula says "instinct told me" or "my instincts," the constant repetition of which had me rolling my eyes by the end. I wanted a little more of the fun and slow discovery of fractured fairy tales involved in Wildwood Dancing. I still don't know quite where the overarching story is going, so I look forward to reading the next book in the series. ( )