It's
a kind of magic
Last
year I reviewed Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier and I felt
that the only thing it was lacking was a sequel. So I was happy
to see that Marillier has penned another tale about the Transylvanian
sisters, and Cybele’s Secret is the result.
Whilst Wildwood Dancing was a first person narrative
told from the perspective of Jena, the second eldest of the five
sisters, Paula, the second youngest and the scholar of the family
narrates Cybele’s Secret.
Paula travels to Istanbul with her father, a trader.
The main purpose of their trip is to acquire the mysterious, and
controversial, religious artefact known as Cybele’s Gift.
Legend has it that in deserving hands Cybele’s Gift will
bring the owner and his descendents wealth and good fortune. As
traders flock to the city to bid for the artefact rumour is spreading
that the revival of a cult devoted to the earth goddess Cybele
is underway. This has angered the Islamic community and the Mufti
is on a mission to destroy Cybele’s Gift and any chance
the cult has of surviving.
Cybele’s Secret is faster paced than its predecessor
and the plot more complex. It’s a mystery, thriller, romance
and adventure story all rolled into one that makes for a great
read. Marillier peppers her story with tantalising clues and questions
throughout so that the reader is constantly guessing.
Mystery not only surrounds Cybele’s Gift but
also those who seek to own it such that everyone’s motives
come under question, and like Paula, the reader is never sure
who to trust. There’s Irene of Volos a progressive local
woman who befriends Paula and invites her into the haven of books
and learning she has created for women. And there’s the
charming Duarte da Costa Aguiar, a reputed pirate who takes an
interest in Paula.
Whilst Cybele’s Secret is a sequel it is a
self-contained story and so doesn’t rely on the reader having
read Wildwood Dancing. Aside from the sisters and their father,
the Other Kingdom is the only common thread between the two novels.
Marillier sufficiently and subtly provides the necessary background
information and thankfully doesn’t inflict her story with
lengthy flashbacks, a condition that sequels can easily suffer
from.
Cybele’s Secret is a young adult novel but
that shouldn’t stop adults from reading it; it’s a
great read. If you’ve read Wildwood Dancing and enjoyed
it then Cybele’s Secret won’t disappoint, in fact,
you may enjoy it more, as I did. High recommended.
Karin van Heerwaarden
Read more of Karin’s reviews and author interviews
at her blog, pages
et cetera.
