Impossible Creatures : INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

In the pantheon of fantasy literature, alongside Tolkien and Pullman, Katherine Rundell now stands as a luminary. Her work, hailed by Michael Morpurgo as "wondrous invention, marvellous writing", has captivated readers and critics alike. Cressida Cowell describes it as "a book stuffed full of fantastical, magical delight, and a world of richly imagined wonder".

This paperback edition of the first instalment in the Impossible Creatures series, penned by the British Book Awards Author of the Year, has garnered numerous accolades. It clinched the British Book Awards Children's Fiction Book of the Year, the Waterstones Book of the Year, and the Books Are My Bag Readers' Award, among others. The tome includes a bonus short story, "The Centaur's Spectacles".

Our protagonist, Christopher, stumbles upon a gateway to the Archipelago - a realm where mythical creatures flourish. Here, he encounters Mal, a girl with a flying coat and a baby griffin, fleeing from a deadly pursuer. Together, they embark on a perilous quest to uncover the cause of the creatures' sudden demise, navigating a world where sphinxes guard secrets and centaurs commit murder.

Rundell's foray into fantasy has been lauded as a masterful homage to the giants of children's literature. The Guardian describes it as "an absorbing, profoundly poignant quest story for those aged 9+ - quite possibly her best yet". Jacqueline Wilson calls it "a marvellous, imaginative fantasy told with great style and sparkle", while Philip Pullman praises its "intriguing and well put together" world.

Critics have drawn comparisons to the works of Tolkien and Pullman, with The Daily Telegraph dubbing it "a masterpiece". Fellow authors have showered it with praise: Kiran Millwood Hargrave deems it "fantastically exuberant, wildly imaginative, impossibly brilliant", while Frank Cottrell-Boyce likens its world to Narnia or Middle Earth in its enchantment and richness.

With its gripping action, sparkling prose, and vivid imagery, Impossible Creatures promises to be a classic in the making. As The Times puts it, "You can feel the flutter of griffin feathers and the menace of strange poisonous shrews. Magnificent".

Product Information:

Book ISBN:	9781408897430
Book Author:	Katherine Rundell
Book Format:	Paperback / softback
Book Imprint:	Bloomsbury Childrens Books
Book Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Book Dimensions:	197 x 129 x 25 cm
Book Publication Date:	2024-08-29
Book Pagination:	384 pages
Book Weight:	314g