Impossible Creatures ~ SIGNED TO TITLE PAGE FIRST/FIRST

Rundell, Katherine

ISBN 10: 0593809866 / ISBN 13: 9780593809860

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2024

INCREDIBLY SCARCE SIGNED! FIRST EDITION, first printing. Full number line present. Book is brand new and unread. Stunningly beautiful book, sprayed edges, and more! Personally hand signed by Ms. Rundell to full title page! NOT inscribed to anyone. NOT a tip in. NOT a bookplate. Dust jacket hand covered in protective archival grade Mylar for many worry free years of reading/collecting! 'There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell. Wondrous invention, marvellous writing.' Michael Morpurgo THE TIMES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK THE INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK There's a place where all the wildest stories began … From Katherine Rundell, winner of the Costa Children's Book Award, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize comes the first novel in a landmark trilogy for 9+ fans of His Dark Materials It was a very fine day, until something tried to eat him. A boy called Christopher is visiting his reclusive grandfather when he witnesses an avalanche of mythical creatures come tearing down the hill. This is how Christopher learns that his grandfather is the guardian of one of the ways between the non-magical world and a place called the Archipelago, a cluster of magical islands where all the creatures we tell of in myth live and breed and thrive alongside humans. They have been protected from being discovered for thousands of years; now, terrifyingly, the protection has worn thin, and creatures are breaking through. Then a girl, Mal, appears in Christopher's world. She is in possession of a flying coat, is being pursued by a killer and is herself in pursuit of a baby griffin. Mal, Christopher and the griffin embark on an urgent quest across the wild splendour of the Archipelago, where sphinxes hold secrets and centaurs do murder, to find the truth with unimaginable consequences for both their worlds. Together the two must face the problem of power, and of knowledge, and of what love demands of us. 'A marvellous, imaginative fantasy told with great style and sparkle a book to race through in a day and keep for a lifetime.' Jacqueline Wilson 'The world of this new book is so intriguing and so well put together that I couldn't resist it. Readers who already know her books will seize this with delight, and new readers will love it and demand all her others at once.' - Philip Pullman 'Katherine Rundell is a phenomenon. ' Neil Gaiman 'A book stuffed full of fantastical, magical delight, and a world of richly imagined wonder' Cressida Cowell 'Fantastically exuberant, wildly imaginative, impossibly brilliant. Rundell's best, which is something to be marvelled at.' Kiran Millwood Hargrave 'Between the covers of Impossible Creatures is a world as enchanting, as perilous, as richly imagined as Narnia or Middle Earth.' Frank Cottrell-Boyce 'Rundell's book packs a punch with imagination and creativity in its purest form. She has created a story with potential to be adored by fantasy lovers for years to come.' The Independent 'With a delightful cast of characters, breathless adventure, and an abundance of myth and magic, Impossible Creatures offers the very best of fantasy.' Aisha Bushby 'A fierce, fantastic, wild-hearted adventure that roars and bristles with imagination. I devoured it like a hungry dragon' Sam Sedgman 'A rare and remarkable feat of glittering imagination from a truly masterful storyteller.' Catherine Doyle 'The action is gripping. Every sentence sparkles. You can feel the flutter of griffin feathers and the menace of strange poisonous shrews. Magnificent.' The Times 'My Book of the Year.' Lauren St. John. Seller Inventory # ABE-1729467562958

Synopsis:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • THE FIRST BOOK IN THE LANDMARK NEW FANTASY SERIES THAT CONTINUES WITH THE POISONED KING

“A glorious fantasy adventure . . . Brimming with intelligence, inventiveness and generosity of heart.”—The Wall Street Journal (One of the Best Children’s Books of the Year)

Two kids race to save the world’s last magical place in this instant classic from “a writer with an utterly distinctive voice and a wild imagination.” (Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass)

*This spectacular book features foil and embossing on the jacket, full-color designed endpapers, red stained edges, and a red case cover with gold stamping.*

The day that Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever.

It’s the day he learned about the Archipelago—a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years, until now. And it’s the day he met Mal—a girl on the run, in desperate need of his help.

Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what’s happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.

Katherine Rundell’s story crackles and roars with energy and delight. It is brought vividly to life with more than 60 illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures.

A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, KIRKUS REVIEWS, AND SHELF AWARENESS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

About the Author: KATHERINE RUNDELL is the author of Rooftoppers (an ALA-ALSC Notable Book, winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize), Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms (a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner), The Wolf Wilder, The Explorer (winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award), and The Good Thieves. She grew up in Zimbabwe, Brussels, and London, and is currently a Fellow of St. Catherine’s College, Oxford. Her books for adults include Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne (winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize) and Why You Should Read Children’s Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise.
 
ASHLEY MACKENZIE is a Canadian artist and illustrator with a special affinity for dragons, dryads, and all magical creatures.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Impossible Creatures ~ SIGNED TO TITLE PAGE ...
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2024
Binding: Hardcover
Illustrator: Mackenzie, Ashley
Condition: New
Dust Jacket Condition: New
Signed: Signed by Author(s)
Edition: 1st Edition