The Poisoned King (Impossible Creatures)

When Christopher Forrester is unexpectedly woken by Jacques, 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 . . .

In this wonderful, magical sequel to Impossible Creatures, The Poisoned King launches Christopher into a race against time adventure, to save the magical dragons, save a princess and her father and to save the balance of the Archipelago. Will Christopher, the new guardian of this mystical world, be able to achieve all he sets out to do with the help of his amazing and magical helpers, who not only add to the drama of the story but bring humour, loyalty and love.

The Poisoned King is a magical second book, it's well written, the world building perfect, making it totally immersive for its intended audience of 9+ readers. I'm an adult reader addict to this series, I couldn't put it down as I adore the world, the characters and the mystical creatures that the author has created. This is a breathtaking adventure with many twists and turns and I cannot find a bad thing about it.

To add to the book's mystery, the author has added a map of the mystical world at the beginning and a Guardian's Bestiary at the back, where readers can get further information about the mythical creatures within the story.

I'm so looking forward to book three, and have found out that there will be a further two more books to follow. This is, as you can possibly tell, an easy recommendation. Get a copy and start reading today.

336 pages / Reviewed by Linda Brown, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 9+

Christopher returns to the Archipelago in order to save the dragons, who are mysteriously dying. His story is bound up in that of Anya, a princess in mortal danger who is somehow connected to what is happening to the dragons. Christopher and Anya must work together with some of the mythical creatures from the previous book, to try and save both Anya and the dragons from dark forces intent on destroying them.

The Poisoned King is the second book in the Impossible Creatures series and Katherine Rundell’s writing is so glorious it is a pleasure to read. The story is as compelling as the first one and the lingering sadness over the loss of Mal Arvorian pervades this book until the end.

The world building is magnificent and compelling and there is a map (by Virginia Allyn)  - and who could resist a book with a map? The cover and internal illustrations by Tomislav Tomic are also wonderful. The bestiary at the back was pounced upon by my 12-year-old as a read in itself. The sphinx on the front cover is an extraordinary piece of art that looks as if it will leap off the cover and into life.

On the front cover it refers to Tolkien and Philip Pullman - now Katherine Rundell - high praise indeed from Michael Morpurgo, and not entirely unmerited. Children who love Pullman and other great fantasy stories will love this. As a fan of Katherine Rundell already, I simply can't wait until book three is released!

336 pages / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+