Rating: 
(6 reviews)
Author: Juliet Marillier
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Product Description
FOR PAULA, ACCOMPANYING her merchant father on a trading voyage to Istanbul is a dream come true. They have come to this city of trade on a special mission to purchase a most rare artifact—a gift from the ancient goddess, Cybele, to her followers. It’s the only remnant of a lost, pagan cult.
But no sooner have they arrived when it becomes clear they may be playing at a dangerous game. A colleague and friend of Paula’s father is found murdered. There are rumors of Cybele’s cult reviving within the very walls of Istanbul. And most telling of all, signs have begun to appear to Paula, urging her to unlock Cybele’s secret.
Meanwhile, Paula doesn’t know who she can trust in Istanbul, and finds herself drawn to two very different men. As time begins to run out, Paula realizes they may all be tied up in the destiny of Cybele’s Gift, and she must solve the puzzle before unknown but deadly enemies catch up to her. . . .
5 Comments
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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. n
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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.n
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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. n
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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.n
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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. n
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If you loved WILDWOOD DANCING, don’t hesitate to snatch this one up!n
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Reviewed by: Lynn Crow
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I just finished reading this amazing book and I have chills on my arms, it is so good. Run and buy this book for you are a woman of any age- Mom or daughter you will love it.n
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The cast of characters- Paula, Duarte and Stoyan are amazing. I had not previously read Wildwood Dancing, but I had no trouble getting immersed in this story.n
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Action, adventure, fantasy and most of all a wonderful romance, this book has it all. Paula grows and mature through the course of the story and she has to choose between two very different men. The dashing, erudite and handsome pirate, and the scarred, illiterate farmboy/bodyguard. n
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OMG, this book defines romance- the growing together of two people through love and trust and of course physical attraction. Straight romance novels focus so much on the physical aspect that true love gets lost by the wayside. This book was so romantic and tender, and set in a wonderfully exotic location of Istanbul.n
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Please buy it, I promise you won’t regret it, even if you are way beyond the YA age group, as I am! I hope we get more books set in this world by this wonderful author.n
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Just as good if not better than the first book, Wildwood Dancing! Kept me on the edge of my seat from the start. Descriptions made you feel like you were there in the story, like a ghost as Cybel’s tale unfolds! You’ll want to read it again and again!
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Cybele’s Secret is the unabridged audiobook version of the historical fantasy novel by Aurealis Award-winning author Juliet Marillier. Paula looks forward to accompanying her father to Istanbul on a special mission to acquire a one-of-a-kind artifact, but a hostile cult makes their trip a deadly serious affair when her father’s colleagues is found murdered. Furthermore, Paula is drawn to figure out the mysterious riddle behind Cybele’s legendary treasure - can she discover the secret before it’s too late? A fantastic story of romance, intrigue, and destiny, Cybele’s Secret is highly recommended for listeners of all ages as well as public library fantasy collections.n
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I liked reading this book. I am an adult reader rather than a young adult reader, but it works for adults as well. I would describe this novel as fantasy-romance-adventure set in a historical backdrop.n
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Paula, the lead character behaves like a young lady of her age, albeit very well educated and from a trading family where the women of the house worked in the family business. A good many stories of this genre concentrate on ladies from very wealthy households, setting this one apart. The heroine works and has business aspirations.n
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It was predictable and yet un-predictable in terms of the romance aspect of the story. The fantasy was original and the adventure part of it was good. The story moves. It is not action packed but it really moves, like an intellectual thriller. Paula could be described as nerdy, she’s certainly very academic, but this is something I liked about the character. Why shouldn’t smart, semi-nerdy girls have romantic adventures in exotic far-away places?n
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The cover art on this book is exquisitely beautiful and really suits the story. It is also an extremely good reflection of the contents of the book. I would read a chapter and then match the figure on the cover to what I just read.n
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Cybele’s Secret can be read as a stand-alone book. It is not a sequel to Wildwood Dancing. There are a few passages in the book that give you the background to the events in Wildwood Dancing and how it ties in with the story in Cybele’s Secret, but you do not need to read the earlier book to gain an understanding of the characters or plot of Cybele’s Secret. This is a new story, but with some of the same characters in it.n
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The one small negative I would comment on would be the contrived romance scene when Paula was on the “name of ship” in rough seas.n
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The villain of the story was also kind of obvious. This did not detract from the story for me but some readers might have a lot to say about this.n
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