By Katherine Rundell (author) Part of the Impossible Creatures series
"A spectacular return to a fabulously created world for newcomers and returning fans alike."
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September 2025 Book of the Month
There are some books so highly anticipated, and some authors so justifiably revered that you don’t want to rush your reading. You want to savour every well-crafted word. But Katherine Rundell does not let you get away with that! The story is so engrossing that you literally are swept away and cannot stop reading - you just have to settle with rushing it and then re-reading at a more leisurely pace; and my word is she a writer that can withstand re-reading!
There has been much talk of future classics and while that can often be hyperbole, it is not in this case! This is such a rich world, with so much to discover and appreciate. What I love more than anything is that Katherine respects her readers; she does not think they need lots of expositional reminders of Book1 ! Indeed, you would absolutely have no problem in reading The Poisoned King as a standalone.
You realise that Christopher has been to the Archipelago before, his reputation and status as Guardian precedes him. There is a trauma behind him, but we do not need to know how and why the new Immortal was created, only that this meant a lot to him. Instead, we are immediately gripped by his new adventure and by new characters and the new creatures we meet.
(As ever the Bestiary is an absolute joy to read and pore over). Jacques, the tiny, but fierce and very funny Jaculus dragon, will hook you in straight away. Of course, if you know his background….but this is just a hook to draw you further into the world. I can guarantee that everyone encountering The Poisoned King will immediately seek out Impossible Creatures , so parents and librarians be prepared!
In this second instalment, we follow Christopher as he is called back to the Archipelago to help Jacques save the dragons who are mysteriously dying. But, met by Naraviralas, the awesome Sphinx, they are told that Anya, the Princess of Dousha, would die without their help. Anya then becomes the emotional heart of this story, as she battles to escape murder and save her father, who is wrongly accused of killing the King, her beloved grandfather, and she and Christopher realise that their objectives are inextricably aligned, with the same villain to outwit.
I think Katherine Rundell is cleverly constructing these books to act as companion novels rather than as a series which must be read in sequence. On the evidence so far, each book is a perfectly satisfactory read that will only leave the reader wanting more; whether it is moving forward or back in the timeline really will not matter.
There are also, of course, valuable underlying messages and truths for readers of any age to discern. For example: the dragons’ long held wisdom about hoarding gold to prevent it being accumulated and concentrated in the hands of just a few men, and wise reflections on the power of reading and the absolute necessity of books and libraries, as well as messages about self-esteem and self-determination.
An absolute, exquisitely written, expertly plotted, emotionally affecting and totally immersive triumph!
"Come, and bring the dragon: there is justice to be done."
The dragons call out, and the ratatoskas tell of murder.
When Christopher Forrester is unexpectedly woken by a miniature dragon chewing on his face, his heart leaps for joy. For months he's dreamed of returning to the Archipelago – the secret islands where all the creatures of myth still live. But he did not know it would involve a rescue mission on the back of a sphinx, or a plan to enter a dragon's lair.
Nor did he imagine it would involve a girl with a flock of birds at her side, a new-hatched chick in her pocket and a ravenous hunger for justice...
Discover the magic of the Archipelago... The Poisoned King is the dazzling second book in Katherine Rundell's epic and bestselling Impossible Creatures series.
Praise for Impossible Creatures;
'There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell. Wondrous invention, marvellous writing. This book is her best yet, and that's saying something. Just riveting, quite extraordinary'. - Michael Morpurgo
'A marvellous imaginative fantasy told with great style and sparkle - a book to race through in a day and keep for a lifetime.' - Jacqueline Wilson
'Katherine Rundell is a prodigiously gifted storyteller and Impossible Creatures is wildly good. Spectacularly inventive, it is both a thrilling and page-turning epic and a clarion call to young readers to use the special gifts of childhood- love, courage, imagination and open-heartedness - to fight to save precious creatures of all kinds before they vanish before our eyes. My Book of the Year.' - Lauren St. John
'Fantastically exuberant, wildly imaginative, impossibly brilliant. Rundell's best, which is something to be marvelled at. It made me want to yell, or laugh, or bite something.' - Kiran Millwood Hargrave
'A rare and remarkable feat of glittering imagination from a truly masterful storyteller.' - Catherine Doyle
'A fierce, fantastic, wild-hearted adventure that roars and bristles with imagination. I devoured it like a hungry dragon' - Sam Sedgman
'One of our most talented writers for children' - Observer
'A menagerie of delights. So packed with magic you'll want to take notes. Impossible Creatures is a world you'll want to move into.' - Patrick Ness
'Flickers with a rare and fierce beauty - unputdownable.' - Abi Elphinstone
Katherine Rundell is a multi-million-bestselling author whose novels for children have won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Costa Children’s Book Award, among many others. Impossible Creatures was Waterstones Book of the Year 2023, and in 2024 Katherine was named the British Book Awards Author of the Year and Impossible Creatures won the Children’s Fiction Book of the Year. She is a Quondam Fellow of All Souls College and a Fellow of St Catherine’s College, Oxford, where she works on Renaissance literature. Her books for adults include Super-Infinite , winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize. Very occasionally she goes climbing across the rooftops of Oxford, late at night.
Win a set of the 3 books in the Impossible Creatures series plus a pack of trading cards
Closing date: 30/09/2026
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Just as beautiful as the first one but different in its own brilliant way, full of mystery adventure.
Just as beautiful as the first one but different in its own brilliant way. Full of mystery adventure and a princess with a ravenous starvation for justice. Instead of saving the world, Christopher Forrester works hard with a fierce twelve-year-old princess named Anya to save the dying dragons of the Archipelago. Katherine Rundell's writing is as amazing and as magical as ever, enabling her to expand the secret islands of the Archipelago with brilliant creatures, dark themes, and the brilliance of reality and myth combined. Beautiful illustrations make the story feel more alive as though you're there in person making this exciting fast-paced adventure an absolute must read for any fantasy fan.... Read Full Review
Aralynne Monksummers
The archipelago is still in danger and Christopher and his friends are the only ones who can save it. Their quest continues in this fantastic second book of the Impossible Creatures series. I cannot wait for the next book! 5 out of 5!!
This series is captivating!
Christopher, a boy with a way with animals, can't stay at home anymore, so he has to leave to live with one of his relatives. When he gets there he is told he must not go to the top of the mountain...so he does!
A horde of magical creatures rush out of nowhere and a girl called Mal appears out of a nearby lake, claiming she is from a chain of magical islands called The Archipelago, which no average human can reach.
Mysterious forces keep attacking The Archipelago and it's people and Christopher and his friends must stop them.
Book 2 of the series is even more thrilling than the first!... Read Full Review
The story gripped me; it was as if my eyes could not stop reading until the end of the book
The Impossible Creatures is a book about a boy called Christopher, who is a guardian for the entrance of a group of islands called the Archipelago. On a normal map you can’t see the group of islands and there are only certain parts of the world which you can get into it. There is also a girl called Anya who is a princess of an island in the Archipelago.
My favourite character was a baby Gagana (which is a mythical type of bird which lives on the island), and his name was Koo. I liked him because the author described him as a very cute and affectionate little bird and, as he gets older, he starts saying random words which is adorable.
The Impossible Creatures – The Poisoned King, kept me guessing a lot.... Read Full Review
When Christopher Forrester is unexpectedly woken by a miniature dragon chewing on his face, his heart leaps for joy. For months he's dreamed of returning to the Archipelago – the secret islands where all the creatures of myth still live.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Impossible Creatures: The Poisoned King and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-14 years old
Impossible Creatures: The Poisoned King features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Adventure Stories, Fantasy / Magical, Mystery / Mythology, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Supernatural and mythological creatures, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s / Teenage: General interest
Paperback, Hardback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
Impossible Creatures: The Poisoned King was written by Katherine Rundell and published by Bloomsbury Children's Books an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
Impossible Creatures: The Poisoned King has 275 pages
Yes it is part of Impossible Creatures series
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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