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    Cybele's Secret
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    Cybele's Secret
    Unavailable
    Cybele's Secret
    Audiobook13 hours

    Cybele's Secret

    Written by Juliet Marillier

    Narrated by Justine Eyre

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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. . . .

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 9, 2008
    ISBN9780739379356
    Unavailable
    Cybele's Secret
    Author

    Juliet Marillier

    Juliet Marillier holds advanced degrees in music and languages, and has had a lifelong passion for both Celtic music and Irish folklore. She is the author of the internationally acclaimed Sevenwaters trilogy, Wolfskin, Foxmask and The Bridei Chronicles. She resides with her family in Perth, Western Australia.

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    Reviews for Cybele's Secret

    4/5

    215 ratings23 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Sequel to "Wildwood Dancing", and a much better book. Unlike the first book, where I swear that at least one of the characters had a personality removal about 4/5 of the way through the book, I liked this one. I did find it somewhat contrived (but no more than the first), and there are lots of references to it being contrived, because that is the way that the Other World works - all about teaching people about themselves, and if they learn, they survive. Fantasy, young female lead, romance. Gets bonus points for me not wanting to throw it out the car window (which was my reaction to the ending of the first one. I swore off reading Marillier's books for quite some time after that)
    • 4/5
      To my surprise, I actually enjoyed Cybele's Secret more than Wildwood Dancing. The main problem I had with Wildwood Dancing was the predictability, and maybe the tortuous way everything went wrong, and so the pacing... For the most part, Cybele's Secret was better, in that respect. I didn't figure out the whole plot in the first fifty pages as I did with Wildwood Dancing, so it didn't drag so much for me -- and when it got to the last part, I was hooked, toes curling with excitement, grinning like an idiot: the lot.

      My main criticism of Cybele's Secret is how very, very similar Paula's tone was to Jena's. The two sisters are alike, but... Not so alike, I'd thought. I might have been reading the same narrator, though, or so it seemed to me... And the separation of Paula and her father, the way she got on the ship... Once she was on the ship, she acted in character, but there was nothing level-headed about going to confront a man she believed to be violent, unscrupulous and cruel. I didn't believe that as something she would do. Which is unfortunate, because part of the plot hinged on that.

      I predicted who would be following them, too, and even how she would end, so it still didn't keep me on my toes -- but the feeling of utter familiarity wasn't there.

      It's hard to say, after that, what I did like so much. Duarte and Stoyan, mainly. I believed in both their characters, and in their different loves for Paula. And I believed in her affection for them. The end made me smile a lot.
    • 4/5
      The second book in the Wildwood series. Eighteen-year-old scholar Paula, is travelling with her merchant father. From their home in Transylvania, they are on their way to bid for an ancient pagan artifact rumoured to be in Istanbul and sacred to the goddess Cybele. On arrival they discover that her father's advisor has been murdered - probably over the artifact; and there are others who will stop at nothing to acquire it for themselves. Paula keep's catching glimpses of her sister, who several years ago vanished into the Other Kingdom. Why are the folk of the other world using her sister to guide her? Who can Paula trust? Her newly hired bodyguard, a women who has created a safe place for female scholars, or the handsome pirate who seems to be pursuing the artifact too? A good fantasy read in a completely different setting from Marillier's other books. Being reminded that Paula is highly intelligent is slightly irritating, as are her sometimes foolish actions!
    • 2/5
      [2.5 stars:] I really loved Wildwood Dancing, so I'm surprised that I didn't end up liking this more. There are a couple reasons:

      - The plot didn't seem as well put together.
      - I didn't like the ending as much. If the last 100 pages had been different I'd probably give it another star automatically. Basically, it seemed unnecessarily drawn out and it also reminded me of what Juliet Marillier has done before in both Wildwood Dancing and Daughter of the Forest.
      - The writing itself is decent, but not amazing. I noticed this with Wildwood Dancing, but it started to annoy me more here.
      - At one point, something reminds Paula of "freshly mown grass." Did they really mow grass in the 1500s?
      - I didn't like any of the new characters as much as Jena and her frog.
    • 5/5
      Themes: adventure, love, religion, equality, the Other WorldSetting: Istanbul and Eastern EuropePaula's setting off on her own adventure. The first book in the series, Wildwood Dancing saw Paula's sisters Jena and Tati have their own adventures, and now it's her turn. Paula sails off to Istanbul with her father. When she arrives, she finds herself in a totally different society, where women live a much more restricted life. Her father is in search of a religious artifact named after the pagan goddess Cybele. But it looks like others are also after the artifact, and they won't stop at anything, not even murder, to get their hands on it first. Fortunately, her new bodyguard Stoyan is on hand to keep her out of trouble.I really liked the romantic tension in this one. Paula is a great character and I loved the setting. If you liked the first one, try this one. It's not based on any specific fairy tale like the first book, but it's still truly magical. 4.5 stars.
    • 3/5
      Pacing lagged in some parts, and Paula, who was supposed to be some kind of quasi-feminist independent scholar, let me down when in the end she was only ever 'complete' when she found true love. The love triangle itself was intriging, although I actually wish she ended up with Duarte. The last third of the book, with the most action, was more enjoyable than the first two thirds which did drag a little, and I don't find Paula as an appealing narrator as some of Marillier's other leads.
    • 4/5
      This is a companion novel to Wildwood Dancing, an adaptation of the story of the 12 dancing princesses. This story is set almost in it's entirety in Istanbul, and deals with the adventures of Paula, one of the youngest sisters from Wildwood Dancing. Paula travels to Istanbul to aid her father in the acquisition of a fabled artifact from an extinct religion which worshiped the goddess Cybele.I love, love, love Juliet Marillier: her reinvention of classic fables and tales, the depth of her knowledge of Irish, Celtic, and (now) Muslim cultures, and the vibrancy with which she paints her characters and settings. Marillier writes the types of characters that stay with me when I'm not reading; I found myself thinking of Paula on and off since I started this novel. I devoured this novel, in as close to one sitting as I can manage these days. Although the setting was very different from what I normally associate with her tales, I found the vibrancy of Marillier's Istanbul--especially though Paula's eyes as she is exposed to Muslim culture for the first time--fascinating. It's a very touching love story, as well...while perhaps not as strong as Wildwood Dancing or Daughter of the Forest, it brought me a smile and the sense of zen that comes from finishing a great story.
    • 5/5
      Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier - Always read the sequel first! I'm a sucker for the new book section and rarely stop to see if there's a book I should have read previously. The book does have a great cover, incidentally, Kinuko Y. Craft whom I'll be Googling. Cybele's Secret will be enjoyed by teens who've matured beyond Theodora Throckmorton, and by mothers who aren't ready for teens to be reading Libba Bray's The Sweet Far Thing. I'm always tickled by how relevant my reading choices seem to be so reading about Cybele's Gift so close to the announcement of the female fertility figure discovery was appropriate.
    • 4/5
      First off I love Juliete Marillier that being said.This book was such a slow read the first 200 pages I really had a hard time getting through but since I know this author is good I hung in there the last 100 pages were much better when you finally got to the actually quest.The ending was predictable except for 1 thing*no spoilers*.All in all not a bad book but definatly not one of her best.If your just discovering Miss Marillier stick to Sevenwaters & Wolfskin!
    • 5/5
      Continuing the story from after the events of Wildwood Dancing. This time the story is led by Paula, the scholar of the family. She has travelled with her father on a business trip to Istanbul. They are following a lead on a mysterious artifact, a statue of Cybele who was an earth goddess. Her cult is reported to be being revivied in the city much to the chargrin of Islamist leaders. There is a secret auction being held by invitation only which is even more hidden than usual after Paula's fathers business partner was murdered just before their ship landed. Being an Islamic city, Paula must be careful how she is seen in public and cover her hair with a scarf at all times. Her father lets her choose her own bodyguard and she picks Stoyan who worked for the business partner who was murdered. The two quickly become friends and Stoyan helps when Paula starts seeing things from the Other Kingdom. Her sister Tati who went to live their with her true love is appearing to Paula and she keeps finding clues about Cybele around the city. It looks like she has been chosen to go on an Other Kingdom Quest and that Stoyan is wrapped up in it too. In their way seems to be Duarte, a pirate with a dubious reputation. He seems to take a liking to Paula although she is not sure if it is just to get information on Cybele or genuine. He becomes mixed up in their quest and the three end up on an adventure together as very unlikely travelling companions. This was a fantastic tale neatly blending mythology and fairy tale elements to craft a very enjoyable fantasy tale. You don't need to have read the first, Wildwood Dancing, to enjoy this novel (although it might help explain Tati and Paula's other sisters). Anotehr hit from Marillier in pulling the reader in and immersing you in a different time, place and culture.
    • 4/5
      Though the sequel to Wildwood Dancing, this could probably be read as a standalone. Narrated by Paula, the fourth of the five sisters that used to dance in the Other Kingdom every full moon, who travels with her father to Istanbul. Now barred from returning to the Other Kingdom and with three sisters married, scholarly Paula works as his assistant in procuring an ancient artifact known as Cybele's Gift. The mystery of what this gift entails entices Paula to search for clues in the library of Irene of Volos and tries to help her father best other bidders like the pirate Duarte, while under the protection of her bodyguard, Stoyan.Paula was an well-developed character. The story had an interesting premise and moved steadily towards the climax, but the book didn't live up to my expectations. Early on, it became clear to me that there two male characters liked Paula and she would ultimately decide between the two of them. I also became irritated at how many times Paula says "instinct told me" or "my instincts," the constant repetition of which had me rolling my eyes by the end. I wanted a little more of the fun and slow discovery of fractured fairy tales involved in Wildwood Dancing. I still don't know quite where the overarching story is going, so I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
    • 5/5
      In this "companion novel" to Wildwood Dancing Marillier returns to the theme of the quest. Paula, the youngest of the sisters but one, accompanies her father on a trading mission to the city of Constaninople. They are in search of the Cybele's Gift, an artifact of unknown age and origin. The artifact is the subject of several legends, promising either great prosperity or chaos and darkness. Paula's fate entwines with two others, and she must brave the challenges set by those of the Other Kingdom if she is to gain her heart's desire and see Cybele returned to her rightful place.An excellent sequel - it was lovely to see what's become of the family since the first book, and it seems there will be more to come, given a few loose thread yet to be wrapped up by the end.
    • 4/5
      This book is the sequel to 'Wildwood Dancing', a book which I enjoyed immensely. For a sequel, it's pretty good and moves in fairly original directions, away from the first book. Overall, I loved this book. I love Marillier's writing, I loved Paula as a character (like I enjoy almost all her characters), and I loved the tests and puzzles to do with the Other Kingdom.Still, I've given it 'only' four stars. Why? Because I'm beginning to get bored by these typical love-stories Marillier keeps chucking at her readers. I loved the characters in this one, I loved the quest, but I didn't care one iota for the umpteenth True Love Overcomes All Obstacles storyline. These remain a heavy constant in Marillier's work, which is otherwise quite varied and original, and it's really beginning to bug me. More so in this one than in the previous one, since Jena seemed more of a lovey-dovey kind of woman than Paula. All along we're told how independent she is, how she wants to make her own future, blablabla, yet in the end even this independent girl can only become truly happy once she's met the right guy. Yuck.I read in another review that Paula is presented as a different character from Marillier's other heroines, but that this isn't followed through believably throughout the book, and I tend to agree with it. Paula is a very feminine, intuitive woman, just like Jena, Sorcha, Liadan and Tuala before her. She follows her heart, falls for big hunky guys, makes choices on instinct and pines away without her True Love. I don't particularly mind, since I like this kind of intuitive character, but it is incongruous that all the other characters in the book seem to think her so scholarly.However, I loved the storyline about Cybele's Gift, and the way that was resolved. The storyline about Tatiana is left partly open, and there are suggestions of a sequel about Stela. Since Stela remarks she 'doesn't particularly want a true love', I'm hoping against all hope that that book will have a less silly, romantic ending. However, even if it does, I'll still enjoy it anyway. ;)
    • 4/5
      I bought this book because I really liked the previous book "Wildwood Dancing". I liked to read this story too, tough I liked "Wildwood Dancing" better. "Cybele's secret" is an easy to read book and it's written very well. I think it's especially written for teenage girls, but other people can read it to... : )
    • 4/5
      Sequel to Wildwood Dancing. I've always liked Marillier, but I think she goes above and beyond in this series. Engaging characters in a fantasy historical setting.
    • 4/5
      It's always a good time when a girl and her bodyguard fall in with a pirate.
    • 1/5
      This was my second attempt at reading Cybele's Secret; the topic refuses to grab my attention.
    • 2/5
      I was so close to giving this book 1 star because I started to dislike it so much towards the end. But no, I reserve one star for books that have horrid sentence structure, improper grammar, and just poor story-crafting skills. This book has no issues in terms of those three things.

      However, I did not like this book. It was okay, but I can't say I liked it. The plot was too contrived. I was not engaged. The mystery and intrigue about the artifact wasn't interesting enough - I didn't care about it, why should I? She gave me no reason to care if we found it or not, other than that was their purpose. There wasn't enough importance to Cybele. Who cares? There was no reason to. It didn't affect any character at all. Poor motivation for the entire plotline of the story.

      The characters were okay, but rather bland. There was no twist or turn to their personality. Of course Paula is a scholar and she proves it. Stoyan: of course he has depths and a intuitive mind, rather than just being a muscled body-guard. Of course Duarte is more than just the rakish pirate. It bores me to death. There was no spark in any of their interaction. Paual's voice wasn't exceptional either. It really almost just felt like Jena's except with a more scholarly take.

      I think Marillier is weakest in dialogue. The words feel fake, the interactions don't seem real. There is no hidden intention or subtlety. Every character says exactly what is on their mind. It gives everything a very 2-D feel. The romance was too obvious. I felt like there was no spark between the characters. There is no tension, no tug or push and pull. It was just... boring.

      I also figured out the big reveal very early on as well, which made the story infinitely more boring.

      The father character was worthless except as a prop and an excuse to get Paula to Istanbul.
      The tasks are ridiculous, just like Wildwood Dancing. There is no purpose to them beyond that fairy tales have them and they are expected. It is too easy to get past these stupid tests.
      It is like Marillier has a preconceived notion of what should happen in a fairy tale novel and just inserts in random tasks and challenges just so. It says it tests for courage and faith and all that crap, but honestly? Not really. The characters breeze through the tests and trials in mere paragraphs. Ugh.

      The ending sucked. What a disappointment. It's also like Marillier crams all the romance into the last 1/8 of the book. Everything is resolved except the romance. It pisses me off, really. It makes things so much more annoying when a book ends on finding "true love" when the entire book wasn't even really about true love. And why the heck do these strong women always waste away from true love? It's like it's a necessity in her books. Ugh.

      I had to push through to finish - I almost wanted to drop the book halfway.

      What I do like... the world building. She writes the backdrop of the story well. You can see the marketplace, the baths, the library. It's barely enough for me to hang on.

      1.75 stars if that's possible? I guess 2 stars because I'm not really on a 0.25 scale. Recommended for people who read Wildwood Dancing and really want to finish the series. Not recommended for people who want a gripping book. Sorry if you are both types.
    • 4/5
      3.5 starsThis is the sequel to Wildwood Dancing. This one has the second youngest sister, Paula, as the main character. It is now six years after the events of the first book and Paula is 17-years old. She is going with her father (a merchant) to Istanbul to attempt to buy a rare item, Cybele's gift. Being a woman in Istanbul, though, is not easy. Especially a smart, independent woman - a scholar. Her father hires her a bodyguard, and Paula “locks horns” with a pirate. She also becomes friendly with a local woman scholar who is willing to help her out.Although I thought it was good, it was not nearly as good as the first one, Wildwood Dancing (which will likely make my favourites list for this year). There was a little twist, but I had (kind of) guessed it a bit earlier. I listened to the audio, and as so often happens with audio, there were things I missed, as I would occasionally lose focus.
    • 3/5
      The characters are not very realistic, well developed or dimensional and yet somehow the stories stick with me and keep me interested. Many people have said that you have to remember that this series is for children/YA but that shouldn't be an excuse -- there are many books written for young people with excellent, well rounded and well developed characters. This author is a superb story teller though, even with that flaw. I listened to the book rather than read it, though, so some of my criticism may be due to the reader's job of portraying the characters.

      I did not enjoy this one as much as the first book in the series.
    • 4/5
      I loved it. Paula is an excellent heroine with wit and intelligence to aid her toward her goal; however, that's not to say she doesn't learn many lessons. Her two love interests were great as well - both were unique, well-drawn characters that I had trouble choosing between. I especially liked how Paula openly admitted to not being beautiful and clearly charmed both men with her intelligence. Too often in books with strong heroines, the heroines still manage to get the boy because they're beautiful. Paula really only had a good heart and a scholarly way that intrigued these men. I hope Marillier writes another companion novel with these five sisters and The Other Kingdom.
    • 4/5
      The second book in the Wildwood series. Eighteen-year-old scholar Paula, is travelling with her merchant father. From their home in Transylvania, they are on their way to bid for an ancient pagan artifact rumoured to be in Istanbul and sacred to the goddess Cybele. On arrival they discover that her father's advisor has been murdered - probably over the artifact; and there are others who will stop at nothing to acquire it for themselves. Paula keep's catching glimpses of her sister, who several years ago vanished into the Other Kingdom. Why are the folk of the other world using her sister to guide her? Who can Paula trust? Her newly hired bodyguard, a women who has created a safe place for female scholars, or the handsome pirate who seems to be pursuing the artifact too? A good fantasy read in a completely different setting from Marillier's other books. Being reminded that Paula is highly intelligent is slightly irritating, as are her sometimes foolish actions!
    • 5/5
      O segundo livro da série Wildwood da querida Juliet é uma colecção de charadas enigmáticas, provas tortuosas, desafios inconcebíveis, conspirações do mal, e feitos de coragem e astúcia para mais tarde recordar (personagens a fazer trapézio num barquinho a remo enquanto apanham criaturas minúsculas do tecto é algo que dificilmente se esquece). Os desafios e quase tudo mais que referi são características típicas da escrita da autora, mas sem dúvida que ela se esmerou neste Segredo de Cibele.Para resolver estes dilemas e coisas do género temos então a equipa maravilha, constituída pela estudiosa-bookish-Hermionish Paula, pelo grande e belo e forte e perfeito Stoyan, e pronto, pela melga do Duarte. Ele até me pode ser um tuga, e de fisicamente me fazer lembrar o Victor Baía mas não deixa de ser um chato do caraças. Só apetece mesmo dizer-lhe – citando o senhor Manuel Moura dos Santos – Oh Duarte, vai-te encher de moscas, quer dizer, não há paciência...Antes de terminar tenho que dizer o quanto é impossível ficar indiferente à belíssima capa deste livro, é mais que bela, é uma obra de arte... vénias e mais vénias para Kinuko Y. Craft.5 estrelas.---------------------------------------------------The second book in the Wildwood series by my beloved Juliet is a collection of enigmatic riddles, inconceivable challenges, conspiracies of evil, and cunning and brave deeds to remember (characters doing the trapeze in a rowing boat while catching tiny little creatures from the ceiling are hard to forget). The challenges and almost everything else I've mentioned are typical of the writing of the author, but no doubt she surpassed herself in this one.To resolve these dilemmas and so on, we have the Marvel team: the studious-bookish-Hermionish Paula, the great and beautiful and strong and perfect Stoyan, and the very annoying Duarte. He may be my fellow countryman, and physically look like Victor Baía to me, but still he's an annoying bastard, just as his character is supposed to be. Quoting Mr Manuel Moura dos Santos - Duarte, go and fill yourself up with flies. I mean, there's no patience enough in the world...Before concluding I must say how much it's impossible to remain indifferent to the beautiful cover of this book... it's more than beautiful, it's a piece of art... bows and more bows to Kinuko Y. Craft. 5 stars.