Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier

I wasn't planning on fixing up a review for this particular book, because it was a sequel/companion story. But it really does deserve a place of its own. I loved Wildwood Dancing the second time through, but adored Cybele's Secret from the first experience of readage.

Recalling the Jena/Tati conflict of the previous book, it was refreshing to focus on Paula, everyone's favorite scholarly sister. Due to her knowledge of languages and persistence, Paula is permitted to accompany her merchant father to Istanbul, a city full of secrets and danger. The prize is Cybele's Secret- a cult idol for an ancient earth goddess. But there is more to the simple figurine than meets the eye.

Upon arriving in the city, they discover that the previous owner has been brutally murdered. Paula is immediately put under the care of a bodyguard. But even he cannot protect her from pirates, ancient mysteries, and the darkness of the Other Kingdom. She must use her love of knowledge and growing knowledge of love to survive the cult of Cybele.

Okay. Shevraeth moment. As in, I completely and utterly fell in love with the male characters of this book. Stoyan, the bodyguard, was that excellent and almost familiar stoic type while Paula's other interest, a piratey (word?) rogue was fawesome as well. Le swoon. Okay. Recovered.

I loved the progression of the mystery. There were so many elements that I never guessed at and the twists were extremely... uhhh... twisty. And there were alot of them. You'd get settled into the rhythm and then BAM something crazy and unexpected occurred and threw you for one huge fictional loop. Also, the character development was great. Everything fit together. I may have even enjoyed Cybele's Secret more than it's predecessor. All the same, Juliet Marillier's writing is stunning!

6.7 out of 7 evil priestesses! Highly recommended! Plus, there are all sorts of little things in the cover art that correspond to the story. Look for them as you read through.


Hoping for a 3rd Wilwood Dancing story,
Aella Siofra

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

I was overjoyed when I learned that our almost pathetically limited library was shipping in Ink Exchange, the newest novel by Wicked Lovely author, Melissa Marr. It was worth borrowing from Aella to read and review (how she always gets on the hold list before me I will never know...).

First of all, Ink Exchange is not the sequel to Wicked Lovely though it does take place in the same world and shares characters with the novel. However, I would like to recommend reading Wicked Lovely first. It's much easier to understand what's going on in Ink Exchange that way.

Ink Exchange tells Leslie's story. Haunted by the past, Leslie tries to maintain the facade of familial perfection, even when that means paying the cable bills out of her own pocket or "helping" her brother when he gets low on drug money. When she isn't working or at school she often lurks around Rabbit's tattoo shop, Pins and Needles. The one thing that Leslie thinks will help her reclaim her body and sense of self is the perfect tattoo, which comes in the form of an intricate winged eye design. Rabbit warns our heroine that tattoos can change people more than she ever thought, but Leslie plunges forward, now the test subject of an Ink Exchange with Irial, King of the Dark Court.

Throughout the novel, I felt Leslie's aversion to drugs of all sorts and was sickened when she became the drug. The dark fey were wonderfully malicious and intrigued me to no end. Their shadowy ways and interesting source of sustenance was a far cry from the Summer Court, which seemed almost tame in comparison.

Ink Exchange is awarded 6 out of 7 lightnings *insert sound effects here* for being a deliciously intoxicating read.

From the Shadows,