Impossible Creatures (#1)
Mal lives in a world called the Archipelago, where the magic of the Glimourie Tree sustains creatures like unicorns, griffins, and others, which exist alongside humans. Christopher lives in the human world. Following the appearance of a baby griffin, Christopher discovers that his grandfather is Guardian of the portal between the two worlds—a role he will someday inherit. The griffin, Gelifen, belongs to Mal, and the two of them are on the run from a killer who is after Mal, although she doesn’t know why. When Mal appears in the human world too, Christopher accompanies her and the griffin back to the Archipelago, where the magic of the Glimourie Tree has been weakening; the populations of some magical creatures, like griffins, are nearing extinction. Their flight from the murderer becomes a quest to save the Glimourie Tree once they realize why Mal is being pursued: Hers is the soul of the Immortal, reborn each generation and charged with tending the tree. But evil has suppressed the Immortal’s knowledge for several generations. Mal is initially resistant to embracing the responsibility, which comes with knowledge of all the bad and good in the world, until an attack and wrenching loss steel her commitment. This lushly designed middle grade fantasy features an array of arresting magical creatures along with human characters (including a kindhearted berserker named Fidens Nighthand) as Mal and Christopher (both white) complete one challenge after another to save the magic of the Archipelago. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Ashley Mackenzie
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 8-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Fantasy
Good and Evil
Journeys and Quests
Magic
Diversity subject:
Brown Skin Unspecified
Publishers:
Knopf, Random House
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 358
ISBN: 9780593809860
CCBC Location: Fiction, Rundell