Six years have passed since Paula and her sisters danced in the magical glade of the Other Kingdom. Six long years since her sister Tati gave up the mortal world for love. Scholarly Paula now travels to the exotic and dangerous city of Istanbul to help her father recover a fabled treasure of a lost religion, Cybele's Gift. It is said that the owner of the artefact will be blessed with riches and good fortune. The search for the artefact quickly turns into a dangerous quest for truth and self-discovery, and Paula must use all her wits and courage to work out who she can trust and decipher the mysterious messages she is receiving from the Other Kingdom. Pirates, ruthless merchants, murderers and the Mufti's royal guard all stand in the way of finding Cybele's Secret.

Reviews

Gr 8 Up-Several years have passed since the passageway to the Other Kingdom closed for the five sisters introduced in Wildwood Dancing (Knopf, 2007). Two are married with children, and Tati still has not been seen since she followed her true love into the other world. Cybele's Secret is told by scholarly Paula. Following an accident, she is required to travel with her father to Istanbul in order to assist him in procuring a mysterious religious artifact. Upon their arrival, it becomes clear that there are many who desire Cybele's Gift; not only is the artifact valuable and viewed as a good-luck charm, but also a new cult that practices ritual sacrifice to Cybele is rumored. Soon Paula embarks on a quest to an unfamiliar part of the Other Kingdom. At stake are the life and happiness of her sister, the unfulfilled debt of a friend, and the possibility of true love. Although the fantastical elements of this tale are brief until the last quarter of the book, the plot holds together, providing a sufficient complement to Wildwood Dancing. Paula is not featured extensively in the first book, and although her fierce independence, intellect, and physical attributes are similar to those of the previous narrator, Jena, it is still a pleasure to hear her voice. The Turkish culture is well researched and skillfully incorporated, bringing a richness to the scene in which the plot effortlessly arcs.-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.