Katherine Rundell, Impossible creatures, Bloomsbury, London, September 2023, 368 pp, RRP $18.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781408897409
Katherine Rundell is a phenomenon. She is a prize-winning YA novelist, a children’s picture book author, Fellow of All Souls College at the University of Oxford and author of prize-winning books of literary history. This, her latest fantasy novel, comes with commendations from Neil Gaiman and Philip Pullman on the back cover.
And indeed, we are transported by this novel to a secret place, a sanctuary, somewhere inaccessible to normal humans in the seas north of Scotland, a place where all the mythical creatures still survive among a local population. However, there are small ‘ways’ between these worlds. Young Christopher Forrester, about eleven years old, discovers that he is a guardian of one of the ways between the worlds. This helps to explain why animals of all kinds are so attracted to him. He has some of the safe magic (the glimourie) of the other world about him.
Meanwhile in the magical archipelago, a young girl, Mal, discovers not only how to fly, but that she is being pursued by a man intent on killing her. She will, of course, meet up with Christopher through a series of accidents, mishaps and luck. There is a larger problem at foot, and that is the degradation of the magic that keeps the mythical creatures alive among the secret archipelago. Mal, Christopher and a young scientist attempt to let the ruling Senate of the archipelago know of this degradation threatening the viability of their world. And what happens? What happens is not too different to what is happening on our benighted planet at present. Despite the calls of science and despite the alarm of the coming generation, little or not enough is done to confront the problem — perhaps out of narrow self interest, pride, a reluctance to upset the world order, or perhaps out of willed ignorance. Will these children, with the assistance of a griffin, a sailor and his crew, beset by the kraken of the sea, ratatoska, lavellan and other creatures, be able to uncover the source of the archipelago’s sickness?
Mal will discover more about herself, Christopher will be tested to his limits, and we readers will learn a lot about mythical creatures, ultimate sacrifices will be made, and we will discover, if we are lucky, the kind of change necessary in our hearts if the world is to be saved. A thrilling ride – and with much at stake.
Reviewed by Kevin Brophy
