★ 06/03/2024

A boy with an affinity for animals, a girl who can fly when the wind blows, and a secreted-away world in need of saving propel this realms-roving dazzler, a trilogy opener from Rundell (The Good Thieves). When Christopher Forrester is sent to Scotland to stay with his maternal grandfather, he quickly makes for the only area forbidden to him: the top of a nearby hill. Meanwhile, in the Archipelago—“the last surviving magic place”—Mal Arvorian works to understand why marvelous creatures have begun dying and the soil is turning gray. Following a terrifying encounter and a near escape for Mal, the children meet, kicking off a valorous, island-hopping quest to uncover why the Archipelago’s magic is fading—a journey that has far-reaching implications. Along the way, Christopher and Mal engage with sympathetic adult secondaries and a cast of wittily rendered mythological beasts, including a cherished griffin and a watchful ratatoska. Employing plotting reminiscent of works by Ursula Le Guin and Philip Pullman, Rundell deploys fresh language, epic stakes, bonds both tender and devastating, and fierce kid characters. It’s a thoughtfully lore-informed narrative about the kinship of living things and the marvels of being alive—a story that, above all, takes children seriously. Light-tinged illustrations from Mackenzie (The 66th Rebirth of Frankie Caridi) include a map and bestiary. Cover art portrays the child protagonists with pale skin. Ages 10–up. Agent: Peter Knapp, Park & Fine Literary. (Sept.)

★ "An epic fantasy with timeless themes and unforgettable characters." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "A boy with an affinity for animals, a girl who can fly when the wind blows, and a secreted-away world in need of saving propel this realms-roving dazzler. Rundell deploys fresh language, epic stakes, bonds both tender and devastating, and fierce kid characters." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "A quintessential fantasy that will delight readers of all ages." — School Library Journal, starred review

★ "Rundell has delivered a welcome reminder of what makes the genre great. By taking risks, honoring her ancestors, and weaving a magic of her own, she adds her voice to the ancient, ongoing chorus of storytellers." — Booklist, starred review

“An instant classic from one of the most gifted storytellers of our time, Impossible Creatures is an astonishing miracle of a book.” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal Winner for The One and Only Ivan

"Entrancing and refreshing."—The Horn Book Magazine

“The action is gripping. Every sentence sparkles.” —The Times (London)

“The most staggering children’s book of the year. A tour-de-force.” —The Telegraph

“An absolute WOW of a book. Utterly enchanting and full of wonder, readers are in for a treat!” — B. B. Alston, author of Amari and the Night Brothers

“Rundell is an extraordinary writer and this first in a fantasy trilogy grips, thrills and moves—sometimes to tears.” —The Daily Mail

“I love Katherine Rundell’s writing. . . . Readers who already know her books will seize this with delight, and new readers will love it and demand all her others at once.” —Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass

★ 08/01/2024

Gr 3–7—An immersive low fantasy in a similar vein to The Chronicles of Narnia, this novel begins with a boy named Christopher who saves a griffin named Gelifen from drowning. Upon seeing the griffin, his grandfather tells him that Christopher is the guardian of the Archipelago: a wondrous world hidden within this one teeming with impossible creatures such as dragons, unicorns, and manticores. However, the creatures are dying. In order to save them and the Archipelago, Christopher goes with Mal, Gelifen's owner, to see why that world is dying and if they can save it. From start to finish, readers embark on a dragon ride with many emotional highs and lows. Both main and supporting characters are fleshed out, making it easy to empathize with them, and character development is enhanced by intense action scenes. Even though the cover is sweet, do not be fooled: Rundell is the George R.R. Martin of middle grade fantasy. Do not give to children who are sensitive to the deaths of beloved characters. Violence occurs throughout the story, but it is never explicit or gratuitous. Though the book will evoke sadness, readers will also be left with some hope. VERDICT A quintessential fantasy that will delight readers of all ages who can handle intense storylines; this will circulate well in public and school libraries alike.—Wilsinia Ocasio

Starting this audiobook with the title's bestiary gives listeners the opportunity to be introduced to the creatures who are vital to its quest story. In addition, English actor Samuel West's deadpan delivery highlights its dry humor. If Christopher weren't holding a baby griffin, he never would have come to believe his grandfather about the hidden archipelago where magical creatures live--or agreed when Mal, a girl who is looking for her griffin, asks him to go there and help her find out why they're dying. West's presentation shines as he provides voices appropriate for the magical world's denizens, depth for several emotional moments, and increasing emphasis as the journey becomes more dangerous and its consequences more dire. E.J.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

★ 2024-05-30
Two young people save the world and all the magic in it in this series opener.

When tall, dark-haired, white-skinned Christopher Forrester goes to stay with his grandfather in Scotland, he ventures to the top of a forbidden hill and discovers astonishing magical creatures. His grandfather explains that Christopher’s family are guardians of the “way through” to the Archipelago, where the Glimourie Tree grows—the source of glimourie, or the world’s magic. Black-haired, olive-skinned Mal Arvorian, a girl from the Archipelago, is being pursued by a murderer, and she asks Christopher for help, launching them both on a wild, dangerous journey to discover why the glimourie is disappearing and how to stop it. Together with a part-nereid woman, a ratatoska, a dragon, and a Berserker, they face an odyssey of dangerous tasks to find the Immortal, the only one who can reverse the draining of magic. Like Lyra and Will from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, Mal and Christopher sacrifice their innocence for experience, meeting every challenge with depthless courage until they finally reach the maze at the heart of it all. Rundell throws myriad obstacles in her characters’ way, but she gives them tools both tangible (a casapasaran, which always points the way home, and the glamry blade, which cuts through anything) and intangible (the desire “to protect something worth protecting” and an “insistence that the world is worth loving”). Final art not seen.

An epic fantasy with timeless themes and unforgettable characters. (map, bestiary)(Fantasy. 10-16)