Impossible Creatures

By Katherine Rundell

Published by Bloomsbury

Ages 9 +

Once upon a time, magical creatures such as unicorns, dragons, lavellans (the description of lavellans in the bestiary made me laugh out loud btw) and ratatoskas wandered the whole earth. Now they live in Archipelago, part of our world that is hidden by magic. But they are dying. Mal, from the Archipelago and Christopher, staying in Scotland, meet and unite both to save Mal from a murderer (!) and to find out what is happening to the creatures in the magical world...

As an animal lover I felt an immediate connection to Christopher who attracts animals wherever he goes: 'his allegiance was to wild and living things.' and I loved this feature. The unicorns are beautifully described: 'like a cluster of ambulant stars' in varieties of silver and white. And the Sphinxes 'yellow-gold winged cats: cats that stood ten feet high' are so wonderfully proud and all-knowing. I like Jacques the tiny dragon. 

The chases are tense, mysteries are revealed, I cried through one chapter. Mal and Christopher have to be brave in more ways than one.

I felt the frustration of The Senate:

'There was true learning here, and a great sweep of understanding. But there was also a love of procedure, and resistance to change',

Not listening to the children, or people, not taking action against the suffering of the magical creatures. As Frank says at the start of the novel: 'we're a forgetful people, humanity'.

I feel like 'The Golden Mole' and 'Impossible Creatures' could be read together. Their messages are the same (as the Sphinx warns in the book) - all creatures are magical and we are not doing enough to save them from becoming myth. 

Rundell's writing is always witty and perceptive. I am also reminded of Pullman and Northern Lights throughout this story... no doubt an inspiration. Impossible Creatures is a sharp, fast, fantasy with a urgent message to humans underneath. It is vivid, nerve-wracking, magical and poignant.