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Book Review of Cybele's Secret

Cybele's Secret
annapi avatar reviewed on + 334 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


Good sequel to Wildwood Dancing! This time the story is about Paula, the intellectual daughter. She is acting as her father's assistant in a business venture in Turkey to try to buy the mysterious artifact Cybele's Gift, a symbol of a pagan religion. But Paula has seen a vision of her older sister Tati, who hints that she is being sent on a quest on which she must prove her courage and wisdom. When her father learns that his friend and business associate Salem bin Afazi has been killed, he hires a bodyguard, Stoyan, to keep Paula safe. Soon Paula and Stoyan must face danger and treachery not just in this world but in the Fairy world as well if they are to succeed in the quest.

This is unlike any fairy tale I have read, so I do not know if it is based on any like its predecessor, but it carries the flavor of one. The beginning dragged a little, but the story still progressed at a good pace, and the development of the relationship between Paula, Stoyan and the pirate Duarte Aguiar was an interesting one. The travel through the fairy world was full of enough tests and riddles in the vein of the traditional tales to satisfy a fantasy enthusiast. I'm hoping that Marillier comes up with a third book to tell the story of the youngest daughter in this delightful series.