Impossible Creatures (Impossible Creatures #1) by Katherine Rundell
Published by Penguin Random House on September 14, 2023
ISBN: 0593809866
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Magical Realism
Format: Middle Grade Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

This magical adventure story follows Christopher, a Scottish boy who discovers he is destined to be a Guardian of the last remaining bit of magic on earth, and Mal, a girl who lives in that hidden land and is determined to save it at whatever cost. Reminiscent of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia – particularly Voyage of the Dawn Treader – and Angie Sage’s Septimus Heap series, characters are varied and well developed, and the story is simultaneously simple and multi-layered, giving it appeal to a wide range of readers. Though it is Christopher’s story first, he and Mal share the main character role in many ways, and the balance makes for a positive reading experience. This is the type of story so many of us read when young but still remember when we are adults; it is the secret land found in the back of the wardrobe or through the looking glass. There is love, risk, fear and terrible loss, but also success in the face of vanishingly small odds. It’s a gem, and gorgeously packaged with a vibrant cover hinting at the dragons within. Highly recommend for every library; an easy book to put in the hands of readers from early middle grade on up.

5 Stars/Cream

Reviewed by: Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library