Review: Impossible Creatures & The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

Okay, everyone take a deep breath because Katherine Rundell has just SNUCK her way into my top middle grade fantasy authors list with a series that is equal parts Narnia, Ghibli, and full-blown mythological mayhem.

Book 1: Impossible Creatures
This one had me by the throat from page one. Rundell opens with a literal storm of magic—creatures long thought extinct (griffins, manticores, sassy unicorns) still exist, tucked away in the Archipelago, a hidden world pulsing with ancient magic. When a grieving boy named Christopher finds out he is the next guardian of the World Tree and stumbles in, he’s thrown into a world of myth—and danger. Alongside Mal—a girl with secrets deeper than the ocean—they go full chosen-one-mode, but without the cringe. Think fierce friendships, incredible creatures, and a world so richly imagined you’ll want to eat the pages.

Book 2: The Poisoned King
She did not let up with the sequel. Rundell goes darker here—the stakes are higher, the magic is messier, and the villain? Deliciously awful. This book explores grief, betrayal, and what it means to protect a world that doesn’t always protect you back. (Kinda like the world we live in now) The pacing is tight, the character arcs are emotionally satisfying, and the reveals? I gasped. Out loud. Alone.

📚 Rundell's writing is just… unreal. Her prose is lyrical without being overwrought, and her imagination is giving Studio Ghibli meets Philip Pullman, with just enough darkness to make it feel grounded. This is middle grade with teeth and grit. I love this series so much

✨ Final thoughts: If you’ve ever wished your favourite fantasy creature books were just a little more raw, more magical, more alive—this series is for you. Katherine Rundell understood the assignment and then wrote a love letter to myth and magic and made it feel brand new.