Cybele's Secret byJuliet Marillier
"Wildwood Dancing" introduces us to five sisters who have managed to find their way through a portal into a Faerie Kingdom. At the end of the the story, the eldest sister remains in the kingdom, with the others seemingly barred from ever returning.
"Cybele's Secret picks up six years later with the scholarly sister Paula on a hunt in Istanbul with her father for an ancient artifact which supposedly brings good fortune to its owner. Paula begins to catch glimpses of a mysterious veiled woman who may be her sister and who passes cryptic messages to her about Cybele.
Marillier creates a strong character in Paula, who was very much a secondary character in "Wildwood Dancing." However, the plot concerning Cybele, is rather a weak one. The first part of the book offers only glimpses of who and what Cybele is. This in itself, might have been intriguing if only the second part of the book had followed through with a Cybele worthy of the build-up. But after a harrowing ocean trip, journey through the jungle, and a descent into an Otherworld where the main characters must undergo a bizarre series of tests the payoff seems disappointing.
Not a bad book - readers may enjoy the romantic angle - but not a great one.
"Wildwood Dancing" introduces us to five sisters who have managed to find their way through a portal into a Faerie Kingdom. At the end of the the story, the eldest sister remains in the kingdom, with the others seemingly barred from ever returning.
"Cybele's Secret picks up six years later with the scholarly sister Paula on a hunt in Istanbul with her father for an ancient artifact which supposedly brings good fortune to its owner. Paula begins to catch glimpses of a mysterious veiled woman who may be her sister and who passes cryptic messages to her about Cybele.
Marillier creates a strong character in Paula, who was very much a secondary character in "Wildwood Dancing." However, the plot concerning Cybele, is rather a weak one. The first part of the book offers only glimpses of who and what Cybele is. This in itself, might have been intriguing if only the second part of the book had followed through with a Cybele worthy of the build-up. But after a harrowing ocean trip, journey through the jungle, and a descent into an Otherworld where the main characters must undergo a bizarre series of tests the payoff seems disappointing.
Not a bad book - readers may enjoy the romantic angle - but not a great one.
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