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The Poisoned King

Part of Impossible Creatures

Author Katherine Rundell
Illustrated by Ashley Mackenzie
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Hardcover Library Binding
$22.99 US
RH Childrens Books | Knopf Books for Young Readers
On sale Sep 11, 2025 | 304 Pages | 9780593809914
Age 10 and up | Grades 6-8
Reading Level: Lexile 640L | Fountas & Pinnell Z
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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Return to the magic of the Archipelago in the dazzling sequel to the runaway, smash hit Impossible Creatures, hailed as “an instant classic” (Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal Winner for The One and Only Ivan)!

A GOOD HOUSEKEEPING KIDS' BOOK AWARD WINNER

Christopher Forrester woke to find a dragon chewing on his face—and his heart leapt for joy! He’d been dreaming of going back to the Archipelago, the secret cluster of islands where all the creatures of myth still live, and here was his summons.

But there is a poison spreading in the Archipelago. Rooting it out will involve a daring rescue mission on the back of a sphinx, a stealthy entrance to a dragon’s lair, and a death-defying plan to save a prisoner held in the heart of a castle. At the center of this storm is Anya: a small girl with a flock of birds at her side, a new-hatched chick in her pocket, and a ravenous hunger for justice.

Katherine Rundell’s second thrilling installment in the Impossible Creatures series involves castles, dragons, and revenge—the things of which great stories are made. The splendors within are brought to life with more than fifty illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures.
"Rundell is back with a sequel....which offers magical thrills for young readers and adults alike." —The New York Times

"A brilliantly imaginative, wildly adventuresome, heartstring-tugging sequel in a series destined to become a classic....With many moments of deadly peril, luminous triumph, deep grief, and sweet wisdom, it's a thrilling, emotional ride." —Common Sense Media

★ "A spectacular return to a magical world." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Rundell’s ability to render the nobility and pathos of the human experience will take readers on a profoundly affecting journey that they will remember long after the book is closed." —The Horn Book, starred review

"A high-energy and imaginative sequel....Rundell expertly shapes another magical adventure in The Poisoned King." —Shelf Awareness
© Nina Subin
KATHERINE RUNDELL is the internationally bestselling author of Impossible Creatures. Her other books for children include Rooftoppers, Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms, The Wolf Wilder, The Explorer, and The Good Thieves. She grew up in Zimbabwe, Brussels, and London, and is currently a Fellow of St. Catherine’s College, Oxford. For adult readers, Rundell has written Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures and Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne, which won the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. She was the recipient of the British Book Award for Book of the Year and Author of the Year. View titles by Katherine Rundell
ASHLEY MACKENZIE is a Canadian artist and illustrator with a special affinity for dragons, dryads, and all magical creatures. View titles by Ashley Mackenzie

About

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Return to the magic of the Archipelago in the dazzling sequel to the runaway, smash hit Impossible Creatures, hailed as “an instant classic” (Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal Winner for The One and Only Ivan)!

A GOOD HOUSEKEEPING KIDS' BOOK AWARD WINNER

Christopher Forrester woke to find a dragon chewing on his face—and his heart leapt for joy! He’d been dreaming of going back to the Archipelago, the secret cluster of islands where all the creatures of myth still live, and here was his summons.

But there is a poison spreading in the Archipelago. Rooting it out will involve a daring rescue mission on the back of a sphinx, a stealthy entrance to a dragon’s lair, and a death-defying plan to save a prisoner held in the heart of a castle. At the center of this storm is Anya: a small girl with a flock of birds at her side, a new-hatched chick in her pocket, and a ravenous hunger for justice.

Katherine Rundell’s second thrilling installment in the Impossible Creatures series involves castles, dragons, and revenge—the things of which great stories are made. The splendors within are brought to life with more than fifty illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures.

Reviews

"Rundell is back with a sequel....which offers magical thrills for young readers and adults alike." —The New York Times

"A brilliantly imaginative, wildly adventuresome, heartstring-tugging sequel in a series destined to become a classic....With many moments of deadly peril, luminous triumph, deep grief, and sweet wisdom, it's a thrilling, emotional ride." —Common Sense Media

★ "A spectacular return to a magical world." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Rundell’s ability to render the nobility and pathos of the human experience will take readers on a profoundly affecting journey that they will remember long after the book is closed." —The Horn Book, starred review

"A high-energy and imaginative sequel....Rundell expertly shapes another magical adventure in The Poisoned King." —Shelf Awareness

Author

© Nina Subin
KATHERINE RUNDELL is the internationally bestselling author of Impossible Creatures. Her other books for children include Rooftoppers, Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms, The Wolf Wilder, The Explorer, and The Good Thieves. She grew up in Zimbabwe, Brussels, and London, and is currently a Fellow of St. Catherine’s College, Oxford. For adult readers, Rundell has written Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures and Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne, which won the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. She was the recipient of the British Book Award for Book of the Year and Author of the Year. View titles by Katherine Rundell
ASHLEY MACKENZIE is a Canadian artist and illustrator with a special affinity for dragons, dryads, and all magical creatures. View titles by Ashley Mackenzie

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