Genre: Fantasy fiction, Adventure
Key Stage: Upper KS2 to adult!
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (2023)
‘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
Plot: Inspired by an unfinished poem by John Donne ‘Metempsychosis’ about a soul that is born from the first apple of the first tree, Impossible Creatures is the first in a new fantasy trilogy about a magical Archipelago where all mythical creatures live and thrive alongside humans.
At the beginning of the book there is a beautifully illustrated compendium of mythical creatures of the Archipelago, some you’ll have heard of (unicorns, centaurs) and some you won’t (the horrific Karkadann and flaming Kludde). It quickly becomes apparent that these fantastical creatures are in danger and so our two protagonists Mal (together with a baby griffin) and Christopher bravely set out to bring the magical world back into balance.
My thoughts: as with all the best adventures, there’s a quest and a journey and (much) danger with twists and turns every step of the way – a number literally blindside – as the pair sail the seas, make use of a flying coat and battle through a maze. I loved how each mythological creature comes to life during their quest in fascinating, terrifying, wild, powerful, shrewd, magnificent, treacherous ways and find myself looking back to the compendium to better understand character and vices. Jacques, the tiny but mighty dragon, won my heart especially. I also loved the friendship that develops between the pair.
There are shadows of other fantasy stories (much has been made of this and it did initially dampen my enjoyment): Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Lewis’ the Chronicles of Narnia (whilst reading Impossible Creatures, I read (and fell in love with all over again) The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to my young son) and Pullman’s His Dark Materials – Mal and Lyra have much in common: both brave and determined, and when Mal reaches for the compass… however, it quickly became a story and world that is entirely its own. The ending is one of the best I’ve read (no spoilers) and I can’t wait for the next instalment.
Recommendations: do check out Rundell’s Wolf Wilder if you enjoy Impossible Creatures as well as the fantasy titles above and Dabos’ The Mirror Visitor quartet too.
Reviewer: Ms Harrison