Another fabulous novel from Cybil’s nominated author Juliet Marillier, yum! Another awesome cover drenched in color and mystery. A sequel to Wildwood Dancing, double yum.
Paula, the most scholarly of the five Romanian sisters from Wildwood Dancing is off to Istanbul with her trader father, to assist him by translating and doing paperwork. She also is happy to leave home — to get away from the longing she shares with her sisters Jena, Iulia, and Stela, to visit the Other Kingdom again, and see her older sister, Tati. Only she and Stela are home now, and Stela’s only twelve. It’s high time she got started on her life, and to set up her dream to be her own bookseller.
Her father is after an artifact called Cybele’s Secret. Cybele is some sort of an icon or idol, and the merchant competition in Istanbul is fierce. Will their big guard, Stoyan, be enough to protect them? People are being killed for this thing. And is the dashingly handsome pirate, Duarte involved? This is a mystery that Paula dearly wants to unlock. But there are more mysteries afoot — the Other Kingdom is closer than ever before…
Ooh, I cannot WAIT to read this one!!
How did you like this one in comparison to Wildwood Dancing ?
I actually LIKED IT BETTER. And I loved me some WILDWOOD. The backbone of the original fairytale was always on my mind in the first novel, but this one flies free. I can’t wait for other sequels. Good fun.
Oh, that’s good to hear. I’m really looking forward to it. I think Marillier does a remarkably good job of following up a traditional fairy tale with her own material.
I liked this one better, too! Excellent read.