Impossible Creatures
by Katherine Rundell
4.2/5
A boy discovers a secret archipelago of mythical creatures and, alongside a new companion, must fight to save it from a creeping, deadly threat.
$7.98 on AmazonAt a glance
Pages400
First published2023
SettingHidden mythical-creature world, contemporary
Audiencemiddle grade (8-12)
K
About the Author
Katherine Rundell1 book reviewed · 4.2 avg
Ask LuvemBooks
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell is a richly imagined middle grade fantasy following Christopher and Mal through a world teeming with endangered mythical beasts, where themes of extinction, belonging, and courage give the adventure real emotional weight. Rundell earns her 4.2/5 rating with one of the most original children's fantasy worlds in years, even if the mid-book pacing dips and the ending leans into series territory rather than full standalone satisfaction.
- Summarize this book
- Impossible Creatures is a middle grade fantasy adventure in which Christopher and Mal journey through a hidden world populated by extraordinary mythical creatures facing extinction. Katherine Rundell builds a fully realised parallel world with genuine emotional stakes, weaving themes of loss, courage, and belonging into a fast-moving (if occasionally uneven) plot. The central friendship between the two protagonists is the beating heart of the story, giving the action real meaning beyond spectacle.
- Is it worth reading?
- Yes — LuvemBooks rates it 4.2/5 and calls it one of the best children's adventures in years. The combination of a genuinely original fantasy world, a friendship between Christopher and Mal that carries real emotional weight, and accessible prose that stretches without overwhelming makes it easy to recommend. The pacing slows in the middle and the ending is more series-launcher than standalone, but neither issue undoes the book's considerable strengths.
- About Katherine Rundell
- Katherine Rundell is a British author and Oxford academic whose children's novels are known for their lyrical, adventurous prose and morally rich storytelling. Her previous books include Rooftoppers, The Wolf Wilder, The Explorer, and The Good Thieves, all of which share Impossible Creatures' hallmarks: original settings, fierce young protagonists, and themes that take children seriously. She also wrote the adult non-fiction work Super-Infinite, a biography of John Donne, demonstrating a range well beyond children's fiction.
- Similar books
- Fans of Impossible Creatures will likely enjoy Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series for its richly built parallel worlds and weighty themes, Erin Hunter's Warriors series for creature-centred world-building, and Cornelia Funke's Inkheart for the same balance of wonder and genuine peril. Closer in tone and age range, The Explorer by Katherine Rundell herself is a natural companion read, and N.D. Wilson's 100 Cupboards offers a similarly inventive approach to hidden worlds.
- Who should read this?
- Impossible Creatures is ideal for middle grade readers aged roughly 8–12 who love fantasy adventure with emotional depth — think children who devoured His Dark Materials or The Explorer and are ready for something equally imaginative. It also works for adults who enjoy middle grade fantasy, given its thematic substance around extinction and belonging. The reviewer specifically flags that sensitive younger readers may find the extinction and loss themes upsetting, so it's worth a parental browse first for the most tender readers.
- Is this appropriate for teens?
- Yes — Impossible Creatures is perfectly appropriate for teenagers, though it's written primarily for the middle grade (8–12) bracket. Teens who enjoy fantasy world-building and emotionally resonant adventure will find plenty to engage with, and the themes of extinction and courage carry enough weight to feel relevant beyond childhood. There is no content that would concern parents of teen readers.
- What are the main themes?
- The three central themes the reviewer highlights are extinction, belonging, and courage. The extinction thread is particularly prominent — the mythical creatures in Rundell's hidden world are dying out, giving the adventure an elegiac undercurrent that makes it more than a simple quest story. The friendship between Christopher and Mal carries the belonging theme, while the courage theme emerges through the genuine danger both protagonists face rather than through easy heroics.
- What's the reading level?
- Impossible Creatures is written for middle grade readers — broadly ages 8 to 12 — but the reviewer specifically praises Rundell's prose for being accessible without being simplistic, noting it stretches young readers without overwhelming them. Confident readers at the younger end of that range will manage it well; the vocabulary and sentence structure reward rather than exclude developing readers.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
About Katherine Rundell
Who should read this?
Is this appropriate for teens?
What are the main themes?
What's the reading level?
Summarize this book
Impossible Creatures is a middle grade fantasy adventure in which Christopher and Mal journey through a hidden world populated by extraordinary mythical creatures facing extinction. Katherine Rundell builds a fully realised parallel world with genuine emotional stakes, weaving themes of loss, courage, and belonging into a fast-moving (if occasionally uneven) plot. The central friendship between the two protagonists is the beating heart of the story, giving the action real meaning beyond spectacle.
Follow up
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What kinds of creatures are in it?
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Based on our expert reviews · LuvemBooks
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Editorial Review
A richly imagined middle grade fantasy with a vivid world, genuine emotional depth, and characters worth rooting for — slight pacing issues aside, this is one of the best children's adventures in years.
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