*The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell

The Poisoned King is the second installment in Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures series, with some old friends and new characters.

*The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell. Knopf, 2025. 304 pages.

• Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12
• Recommended For: ages 10-15

“Christopher Forrester woke up to find a dragon clawing on his face.” Normally this would not be pleasant except that a) the dragon was only three inches tall, not counting tail and b) the dragon is Jacques, one of Christopher’s best friends from the Glimouria Archipelago, land of Impossible Creatures. This is not a joyful reunion, though: Jacques brings dire news that the dragons of his homeland are dying off from some unknown cause. As gatekeeper of the portal to that world, Christopher has a duty to help in any way he can.

Meanwhile, on the island of Dousha in the Archipelago, Princess Anya Argen has rescued a gagana egg from a ruthless hunter and seen it hatch into an adorable chick she names Koo. Gaganas are intelligent crows, one of which, Gallia, has helped raise the 12-year-old princess since her mother died. Despite the loss of a mother, Anya has enjoyed a happy childhood, running free in the woods under the loving eye of her naturalist father. As the 70th birthday of her grandfather the king approaches, Anya and her father Argus have been summoned to the castle, not only to celebrate but to begin acting like the heir and the heir apparent – a role neither of them wants. On the night of the celebration comes dire news that the king has been poisoned, and suspicion falls on Argus. Or rather, suspicion has been placed there by Argus’ younger brother Claude.

It doesn’t take long to determine that Claude is the murderer, and Anya is his next target.

Fleeing with Gallia and Koo, she is pursued by her uncle’s henchmen and barely escapes by a sphinx swooping from the sky. Riding the creature is Christopher, diverted from his mission to save the dragons. But is rescuing Anya a diversion, or might their missions be connected? It doesn’t seem so, for Anya doesn’t just need rescue; she needs revenge. The craving to see her uncle suffer comes from depths of her soul she didn’t know existed. But their separate quests will lead them in the same direction, and to characters readers will recognize from the first book.

It’s not necessary to read the first book in the series to pick up on the action. In fact, as The Poisoned King is shorter and tighter than Impossible Creatures, this might not be a bad place to start. As always with Rundell, this story has more under the surface of an exciting adventure fantasy, particularly in relation to human nature. For, 

The human creature is such a deceptively simple thing to look at. You can watch someone peel an orange or trip up a flight of stairs, and forget that inside they are both strange and infinite. Take a human by the wrist and you have in your hand a piece of unending longing.

Considerations: none

Bottom Line: An absorbing fantasy with depth, humanity, and humor.

*indicates a starred review, a best of the best in its field

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

• Reviews: Besides Impossible Creatures, other books by Katherine Rundell include Into the Jungle (starred review), The Explorer, The Good Thieves, and One Christmas Wish.
• Review: Younger fantasy lovers will love the Mistmantle series.
• Resource: You want dragons? See Here Be Dragons: Our Megalist of Fantasy and Sci-Fi.

You may purchase The Poisoned King from Amazon.

As with many of the books we review, we received a free copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair, unbiased review.