""An epic adventure set in a world of wonderful, mythological creatures, sometimes benign but frequently savage""
Brimful of ideas, award-winning Katherine Rundell’s epic adventure is set in a world that joyfully and provocatively stretches the imagination as Christopher and Mal, two children with exceptional futures, explore the secret and mysterious world of the Archipelago where mythological creatures, sometimes benign but frequently savage, still live.
Mal’s destiny propels the course of their thrilling and desperate sea voyage on which so much of the future of the world depends while Christopher’s special qualities are also a mark of the vital role he is to play in it too. Both have skills of strength and insight on an heroic scale especially with regard to caring for and understanding the special qualities of all living creatures – including trees. And both are readily recognisable from other fantasy epics such as Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials and Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea sequence.
With her fabulous new bestiary of wonderous creatures with curious conflations of physical and psychological characteristics Katherine Rundell has created a new mythology which is simultaneously crammed with her own innovative ideas and packed with references to other mythologies and imaginary worlds.
| Primary Genre | Fantasy |
| Other Genres: |
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER THE FIRST BOOK IN THE LANDMARK NEW FANTASY SERIES THAT CONTINUES WITH THE POISONED KING
"A glorious fantasy adventure . . . Brimming with intelligence, inventiveness and generosity of heart."-The Wall Street Journal (One of the Best Children's Books of the Year)
Two kids race to save the world's last magical place in this instant classic from "a writer with an utterly distinctive voice and a wild imagination." (Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass)
The day that Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever.
It's the day he learned about the Archipelago-a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years, until now. And it's the day he met Mal-a girl on the run, in desperate need of his help.
Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what's happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.
Katherine Rundell's story crackles and roars with energy and delight. It is brought vividly to life with more than 60 illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures.
A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, KIRKUS REVIEWS, AND SHELF AWARENESS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Impossible Creatures features in the following genres: Fantasy, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Fantasy, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Supernatural and mythological creatures, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Friends and friendships, Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Mysteries and the unexplained, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Relationships (non-family / groups), Children’s / Teenage: Personal and social topics
Impossible Creatures is available in Paperback, Hardback
Impossible Creatures was written by Katherine Rundell and published by Random House an imprint of Diversified Publishing
Impossible Creatures has 400 pages
