I wanted to read something that was magical, unique, and adventurous which is what this story gave me. Though this story is advertised as YA I would say this could resonate with all ages.

The author did a beautiful job of creating a fresh, creative, and fantastical realm without complicating that reader. I liked the characters, the writing style, the mission to save the realm, it all blended nicely. I picked this up completely by chance and am very happy to have been part of this world. I love a world of myths, legends, beasts, and heart. Readers who love fantasy will love this.

This is a spellbinding adventure that whisks readers into a fantastical world where mythical beings and human characters intertwine in unexpected ways. Rundell's masterful storytelling and vivid prose breathe life into a realm teeming with wonder and danger, making it an enchanting read for both young and adult audiences. Impossible Creatures stands out not just for its inventive premise, but for its emotional depth and the way it challenges readers to see the magic in the everyday. Rundell's ability to blend whimsy with profound insights makes this novel a delightful and thought-provoking read. Fans of fantasy and adventure will find themselves captivated by the rich tapestry of Rundell's world and the unforgettable journey of her characters.

’It was a very fine day, until something tried to eat him.
It was a black doglike creature, but it was not like any dog he had ever seen. It had teeth as long as his forearm and claws that could tear apart an oak tree.
It says, therefore, a great deal in Christophor Forrester’s favor that he refused—with speed and cunning and courage—to be eaten.’

A magical, whimsical read, beautifully illustrated, this is a story of a journey that is filled with both danger and love. A story of a magical place and magical creatures, some of which include a darker side, a story of facing demons as well as finding magic in those who believe in themselves, and how that magic helps others to believe in themselves, as well.

The illustrations feel almost magical in themselves, and are a perfect addition to this story that will appeal to those who enjoy adventure stories with a sprinkling of magic, as well as magical creatures.


Pub Date: 10 Sep 2024

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Children’s / Knopf Books for Young Readers

A wonderful adventure on magical islands populated with marvelous creatures, and dangerous beings. Magic is fading and magical creatures: unicorns, griffins, dryads, etc. are dying out. This is the story of a quest to save the creatures and their world. There is beauty and heartbreak in this tale.

Impossible Creatures soared its way to be among the top of my favorite middle grade fantasy books! Christopher and Mal are on a mission to find out why magic seems to be fading in the Archipelago. Filled with talking magical creatures, a crew of lovable misfits, and an array of different settings, Impossible Creatures has every element that I love in a middle grade fantasy. Throughout Christopher and Mal's adventure, they face danger and create the unlikeliest of friendships as a result of their bravery and kindness. I absolutely loved the illustrated bestiary of magical creatures at the end!

Perfect for fans of Fablehaven, Nevermoor, and Harry Potter.

I received an ARC from Random House Children's | Knopf Books for Young Readers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb:
When Christopher saves a baby griffin from drowning, he discovers the Archipelago, a cluster of hidden islands where magical creatures live. He meets Mal, a girl in need of help, and together they embark on a quest to find out why the magic is fading and creatures are dying. Enlisting the help of several magical beings and facing numerous challenges, they realize they must be the ones to save the Archipelago.

Review:
This was a fun children’s fantasy combining whimsy and adventure along a harrowing magical journey. It gave how to train your dragon, meets Harry Potter, meets Alice in wonderland vibes and we enjoyed it. There are beautiful illustrations throughout the book including a map at the beginning and art of the creatures they encounter. Each of the creatures features a write up describing them, which we enjoyed. Overall we thought this was a fun read for older kids. There were some darker themes at times and difficult to pronounce words. This was fine for younger readers as a read along with a parent, but otherwise would say suitable around age 12 or more advanced elementary readers.

I read this and bought a copy from the UK because I watched an interview with Katherine Rundell and I was not disappointed! Lovely read for anyone and it is nice being able to find books that are entertaining for both children and adults to share and discuss. Ordering the BN exclusive now as a second copy.

This is about two kids who go on a quest. Magical creatures, flying cloaks. All that jazz. As an ADULT reading this book, here’s my review. Please keep in mind that I requested this ARC because I’m always on the lookout for books to recommend to parents and children.

What I liked about it:
- Absolutely STUNNING illustrations throughout the book and at the end.
- Great for advanced readers or adults who enjoyed this type of book as children.
- The idea (LOTR Jr.)

What I didn’t like about it:
- This is a lower middle grade story with an upper middle grade reading level. I cannot recommend it to most of the children I see because the storyline is too immature for many 13 year olds and the reading is too advanced for many 10 year olds.
- I struggled to stay with the story and only pushed through to give honest feedback for this ARC. Otherwise I would have DNFed at the 20% point. It did not hold my interest, but I am not the target audience.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. Readers of all ages will be drawn into this fantastical land. The characters are interesting and there are many challenges for them to overcome.

Impossible Creatures is a stunning children's book that adults and children alike will love and treasure. The stories are short and succinct and the drawings are stunning. 9/10

This book pulled me back to some of the wonderful fantasy books I read as a child. The book was imbued with magic, love, friendship, and hope. The characters were delightful, especially all of the magical creatures. This book will stay with me for a long time and will be a favorite for both adults and children!

I could say a million more things about this book, but all I’ll say it go read this book ASAP!

Thank you to Katherine Rundell, NetGalley, and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell is a Middle Grade fantasy where Christopher, a young boy visiting his grandfather in Scotland, learns that his family are the guardians of a magical realm where magical creatures still roam the Earth. Mal is a young girl who can fly with the help of an extremely long cloak and wants to save the last griffin in existence.

The art in this is so stunning. It’s dreamy and fairy tale-esque and wonderfully drawn to make the most out of the limited color palette. I loved every single piece and how they complimented the storytelling of the prose. The unicorns were especially fantastic and full of movement.

For the story, I loved it. I devoured this book in a single sitting because I had to know what happened to Christopher and Mal and Gilfen, the last griffin. All of the characters feel distinct and fleshed out, with Mal and Christopher feeling like ten-year-olds . Mal’s arc was one of strength and impossible choices while Christopher feels like a fresh take on the portal fantasy-style main character.

Another thing I really liked was the pacing. Everything felt tightly paced but not in a way that felt breathless. Katherine Rundell knows when to let a story breathe and when to give us character moments that enrich their dynamics with each other.

The opening is extremely grabbing and the Voice will not let you go until the end. I cannot recommend this enough for lovers of Middle Grade fantasy and middle school classrooms.

Thank you, Katherine Rundell and NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

I truly enjoyed reading this. The artwork throughout the book was wonderful, and just the details were phenomenal. I couldn't stop looking at them. Not only that, the story was funny, sad, witty, and just a great storyline, and I couldn't put it down. It certainly had me staying up waaay past my regular bedtime as I just got lost into what was happening. Notably that at the very end you get a bestiary! That's wicked!

A book full of magic, magical creatures, adventure, and danger! This book is definitely for young adults who want a fast-paced book filled with lore. Creatures, murder and mystery. Not only that, there's even a slight budding romance between the main characters!

If magic was disappearing and magical creatures were dying, wouldn't you try and figure out why it was happening? Wouldn't you try to help and stop it if you were able to? Read this book to find out what's happening to this magical world and the creatures living in it. Will the creatures continue to die off and the magic vanish completely, or will things get better?

This book was well worth the read and losing some sleep doing it. It deserves the stars I'm giving it.

Oh my goodness, when I say I cried…

I knew I was going to love <i>Impossible Creatures</i> one chapter in. The second chapter only furthered my absolute certainty that Katherine Rundell had entirely captured me with her brilliant writing.

There’s so much to love about this novel, but much of it comes down to the acknowledgement that Rundell is a master of character, plot, and world-building. The fact that she is a phenomenal writer only further enhances the brilliance of this story. <i>Impossible Creatures</i> follows Mal and Christopher on one of the most entertaining and grueling adventures I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. And my goodness, the tears. There were so many tears.

It is downright impossible not to love these beautiful characters, especially the adorable little creatures that pop up throughout the story. Gelifen, Ratwin, and Jacques were such an absolute delight that I was truly in despair when they were not present on the page. Mal and Christopher begin their journey as children, innocent and naïve to many of the worlds ills, and end the adventure with growth and knowledge to span lifetimes. The band of characters they meet along the way are all quirky and wonderful in their own ways, whether they are the sidekicks you live for or the villainous sort you root against.

I do think that parts of this story may hit differently, depending on what sort of reader you are and what you’re expecting from a book that is clearly middlegrade. It’s important to note that there is genuinely a surprising amount of death included for a children’s book. For this reason, I would probably err on the side of reading this to older middlegrade kiddos and young YA readers. Rundell does not shy away from the sadness and cruel realities of such dangerous excursions and it’s important to know that going in. But, if you’re ready to have the tough conversations or a child is ready to work through those kind of emotions, <i>Impossible Creatures</i> truly is one of the best books I’ve ever read.

This was such a strong start to this fantasy series. It had everything that I was looking for and had that children's fiction novel perfectly. Katherine Rundell has a great writing style for this type of book and that the characters worked in this story. It left me wanting to read more in this series and from the author. I loved the illustrations of this book and enjoyed the way this was written.

What worked:
The story has an effective hook right from the beginning as page one informs readers a black doglike creature tries to eat Christopher while page two lets us know someone is trying to murder Mal. Details aren’t shared until a little later but readers are immediately captured by curiosity. The early chapters alternately tell the stories of the two characters until their separate paths converge. All kinds of animals are drawn to Christopher like a magnet which leads to teasing from classmates and strange stares from adults. Mal also has a connection with animals and she defies her father’s wishes by flying into the air with her magical coat. A baby griffin eventually brings the two characters together and adds an adorable animal to the cast.
The plot begins as an adventure to find out why magical creatures are dying in the Archipelago. They all need the power of the glimourie, magic emanating from the first tree, but it’s slowly disappearing. All signs point to the absence of the Immortal, the caretaker of the tree. An Immortal will always exist as its death will result in a new one arising somewhere in the Archipelago. An innovative twist arises as the Immortal isn’t always human. Consequently, no one knows where to find the new Immortal or what form it will take. Will it be a centaur, dryad, another human, or something else entirely? Christopher and Mal must locate the new Immortal to save the glimourie from disappearing.
Young readers will be delighted to see all kinds of mythical, magical creatures such as unicorns, mermaids, and manticores. Some of the animals are safe and helpful while others, like the kraken, are aggressive and can destroy ships or eat humans. Christopher and Mal are assisted by a Berzerker whose ship is navigated by a small creature called a ratatoska. Along the way, the kids face a dragon that threatens to eat them but later becomes an ally. The survival of all creatures, both in the Archipelago and the Otherworld, depends on Mal and Christopher succeeding in their quest. Ironically, some of the beasts don’t know that killing the pair will result in their own deaths.
What didn’t work as well:
The plot doesn’t have everything work nicely and neatly as in many other books. Young readers might be surprised and upset when some characters are seriously injured or die in the course of events. A couple of main characters are among the casualties. However, the real world doesn’t always work out as people plan and this story is a reminder. The loss of characters helps to stress the importance of the conflict and adds suspense to the book.
The final verdict:
The author develops an imaginative story that blends magical creatures with a dire quest for survival. The narrative is written with highly descriptive, colorful language that adds to the reader’s pleasure. This book will be a sure hit and I highly recommend you give it a shot.

Wow, I absolutely adored this fantastical & adventurous novel! The prose was beautiful and gave me such a lovely feeling of nostalgia for the fantasy stories I read as a child. I feel like Impossible Creatures is going to become such a special book for so many young readers!

Follow Christopher and Mail as they travel Archipelago to find out why magical creatures are dying. They make friends along the way, that help and protect them. Katherine Rundell had done it again with her wonderful fantasy book. I laughed, cried and routed for the characters and the mythical creatures. I enjoyed Rooftoopers and this one didn’t disappoint. This was a quick read and I read it in a few days.

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Randell is a delightful children’s book full of mystic creatures and two heroes that are on a mission to protect the Archipelago, where the magical creatures live. The main characters, Christopher and Mal, are lively children who are brave as they face down several challenges in their quest. It’s an action packed story with new creatures and adventures in each chapter.
This is a wonderful book for your middle grade age children and adults alike. There’s a bestiary of the creatures at the back of the book with beautifully rendered illustrations. There will be a special edition for the first printing which sounds lovely as a collector’s item on your bookshelf.

Thank you Random House Children’s and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this DRC.
Mal is from the Archipelago and Christopher is from the Outside. The instant they meet they know they will do anything to the magic of the Archipelago that keeps the magical, impossible creatures alive and safe. An impossibly engaging adventure quest with Berserkers, sphinxes, naiads and more, this book is one you won’t want to put down.
The first two short chapters had me squirming in my seat with excitement. I loved every moment whether I was excited, tense or crying! I hope to read more in this world.
#ImpossibleCreatures #NetGalley