Impossible Creatures

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       September 14, 2023

 

Author  Katherine Rundall

Distributor:      Bloomsbury Children's Books
ISBN:                 9781408897416
Publisher:         Bloomsbury Publishers. Imprint Bloomsbury Children's Books
Release Date:   September 2023  

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To open Impossible Creatures is to be catapulted straight into a fascinating fantasy world. Even for a non-fantasy reader, it is very hard to stop turning pages. The first page we come to is a map of an archipelago. The next pages show drawings and explanations of many creatures, some familiar such as Centaurs, and some not so well known such as Avancs. There are also the Longma, which are winged scaled horses of “Breathtaking beauty.”

The first chapter begins with the sentence, “It was a fine day, until someone tried to kill her.” Mal is a young girl who has discovered a coat which can help her fly. She has not mastered the art of landing yet and still has skun knees and elbows. Her adventures are about to begin.

Christopher is the next character we are introduced to. He has an amazing rapport with all animals and birds. He has been sent to the wilds of Scotland to stay with his grandfather. The chapters are labelled to give a warning as to what to expect. One is headed” Before the Murder”.

Christopher and Mal meet and become partners as they discover the archipelago and all the mystical creatures there. But their adventures are only just beginning as not only their lives are under threat, but the secret location and destiny of the creatures they have discovered.

Impossible Creatures from Katherine Rundall is a splendid example of a fantasy that is credible, readable and engrossing.