In her seventh studio effort, Loreena McKennitt continues to combine seemingly disparate elements, from traditional Celtic to Sufi to medieval Italian, into a blend so cohesive it borders on magical. From the haunting "Prologue," McKennitt takes us on a tour of ancient Ireland in "Skellig," the exotic east in "Marco Polo," gives a dramatic treatment to Alfred Noyes' classic poem "The Highwayman" and closes with the elegiac "Dante's Prayer." As always, her unearthly voice conveys a multitude of emotions with ease. Part history lesson, part mystical event, "Book of Secrets" may be McKennitt's best yet.

-- Beth Winegarner

This article was originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle.