At seventeen, scholarly Paula embarks on an adventure a trip to Istanbul with her merchant father, Teodor, to purchase an ancient artefact known as Cybele's Gift. Paula's fervent wish to rediscover the mysterious Other Kingdom, the realm she and her sisters visited as children, has been replaced by a more practical ambition: to become a trader in books and manuscripts. But the ways of the Other Kingdom are never predictable. Clues and whispers soon convince Paula that she has been set a magical quest and that the person laying the trail may be her lost sister Tati. Competition for Cybele's Gift is fierce, and Paula and Teodor soon find themselves in deadly danger in the great Ottoman city. Their protector against worldly perils is hired guard Stoyan, a young man with secrets of his own. When the artefact is finally unveiled, Paula finds herself on a wild chase by sea and land, accompanied by an unlikely pair of companions in adventure. Puzzles, riddles, tests of strength, and of loyalty, lie before them, and the price of failure is death. Along the way there are lessons to be learned in wisdom, trust and love.

About the Author

Juliet Marillier holds advanced degrees in music and languages, and has had a lifelong passion for both Celtic music and Irish folklore. She resides with her family in Perth, Western Australia.

Reviews

Gr 8 Up-In Juliet Marillier's sequel (2008) to Wildwood Dancing (2007, both Knopf), Paula, one of four Transylvanian sisters, travels to Istanbul by sea with her merchant father to bid on an ancient artifact, Cybele's Gift. Their voyage is interrupted when the dangerously charming pirate, Duarte Aquilar, intercepts their ship and mischievously absconds with Paula's red scarf. There is no end of intrigue as he follows and lavishes his attention on Paula when they come ashore, seemingly to gain an advantage over the acquisition of the coveted artifact to be auctioned. Stoyan, a bodyguard hired by Paula and her father, is tortured by his past inability to prevent the death of his employer and is eager for redemption. The pace picks up after the bidding ends in disappointment. Paula's father is assaulted the following day while en route to negotiate a price. Could the culprit be from the cult of Cybele? Who is willing to kill to obtain the artifact? The clues, from a puzzle from the Old Kingdom unfolding itself as a pattern on fabric found in a Turkish noblewoman's library, take Paula back to the Old Kingdom, reunite her with her long lost sister, and test her integrity. Justine Eyre convincingly portrays Paula, stoic but steadfast Stoyan, mockingly charming Duarte, and the other characters. Teens will enjoy this fantasy and eagerly await a sequel.-Ann Crewdson, Issaquah Library, WA Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Starred Review, Booklist, July 1, 2008:
"Teens who didn't know Marillier when they started this sandalwood-scented adventure will rapidly place her alongside the likes of romantic-fantasy idols Shannon Hale and Sharon Shinn."