Action, adventure, humor, creativity, and a quest-- neatly packaged in the second installment by Rundell of the tale of an archipelago of magical creatures and those that are helping to protect them at all costs. Though in this book, a girl needs protection as her uncle has killed her grandfather, and then blamed her father who he wants to put to death, and is now ready to take her out (as the presumptive queen) so that he can be king. She is on a quest to prove this is the case and a boy has been summoned to help. Christopher and Anya have work to do.

Rundell skillfully creates hysterical banter between the magical creatures and Anya and Christopher. There are illustrations sprinkled within the pages for an extra incentive to keep reading, but there is no real need because it's magical, sparkly awesomeness that sucks a reader into a world even though there are villains. The villains need to be vanquished. Justice will prevail. Good will triumph over evil.

This is an epic tale that I can't wait to share.

Quick, cute fun read. A lovely continuation from the first book. Sometimes It felt like the author was trying to be deep and meaningful but it came across as patronizing. It's like she said "I will be the next cs lewis and no kids author is as great as me" and then forgot to.

I always worry that a sequel will not be as good as the first book. Poisoned King is just as good as Impossible Creatures. The storyline has a different arc with Princess Anya instead of Mal. Christopher goes back to the Archipelago at the summons of Jacques because the dragons are dying. In the process he finds that he needs ot prevent Anya's death. Nighthand and Irian return in this story to again assist Christopher. I am excited to share this with my book club students when it releases.

This sequel to Impossible Creatures is just as stunning and lush as the first one. Every sentence drips magic. Christopher Forrester returns to save the dragons that are mysteriously dying. Princess Anya needs helping saving her father, who has been falsely accused of killing her grandfather the King. Together they will work the creatures of the Archipelago, and some returning favorite friends, to find a justice that satisfies them without wrecking them. This book will live in my heart and will definitely be read again and again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for this DRC.
#ThePoisonedKing #NetGalley

In a time when there is so much multimedia entertainment that it can overwhelm the senses of adults, much less children, we also have a book so incredible that it draws on that extra sense, the sense of imagination. Return to the Archipelago to meet new Impossible Creatures with Christopher Forrester and follow him on his next adventure with his new friend, Anya. They quest to save the dragons, but also her kingdom and their journey is a page turner. The illustrations are enchanting and pair with the prose perfectly. For kids that are reluctant readers, this is the kind of book that I would consider both a physical copy and audio, so they can listen and follow along to view the illustrations, also following the text as it is read. I enjoyed the bestiary of magical creatures at the end, similar to the first book but concentrated on those creatures that we encountered in this story. I have been captivated by this series and look forward to sharing this book with the young readers in my life and await the next volume of Impossible Creatures.
(4.5* rounded up to 5*/5 for the illustrated Beastiary included).
I received advanced digital access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Katherine Rundell has done it again -- a magnificent sequel, full of the hope and adventure and beautiful language of the first. I devoured this book, cannot wait to read it again, and cannot wait for others to read it, too.