Pre-order
1
of
1
The Poisoned King
Discover the epic adventure series loved by readers around the world
Series: Impossible Creatures
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 4,718 ratings, 799 reviews)
Brief Description
'Katherine Rundell returns with a perfect fantasy' Telegraph** BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS' AWARD WINNER **The unmissable new story in the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling Impossible Creatures series, for fans of Philip Pullman, Percy Jackson and Skandar. 'There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$1999
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Pre-order
Releases
4th
August 2026
(Approx. Date)
Pre-order "The Poisoned King" now to secure your copy from our first shipment
Found a better price? Request a price match
The Poisoned King
$1999
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Latest News
Why Is Harry Potter Still So Magical?
Today, 31 July, is Harry Potter's birthday. Every year it rolls around, I find myself...
Book Hero's Favourite Biographies!
The Book Hero team are sharing their favourite biography or memoir - some are recent...
Lizzy has a TBR issue thanks to the Booker Prize Longlist
Lizzy's TBR was already out of control and now there are 11 more books she...
Dr Paul Wood Visits Book Hero HQ
We absolutely loved having Dr Paul Wood pop into Book Hero HQ this week to...
The Longlist for the 2026 Booker Prize has been announced
The Longlist for the 2026 Booker Prize has been announced consisting of 13 novels also known...
See moreReturn to the magic of the Archipelago… The Poisoned King is the dazzling second book in Katherine Rundell's epic and bestselling Impossible Creatures series.
Return to the magic of the Archipelago… The Poisoned King is the dazzling second book in Katherine Rundell's epic and bestselling Impossible Creatures series.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
'Katherine Rundell returns with a perfect fantasy' Telegraph
** BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS' AWARD WINNER **
The unmissable new story in the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling Impossible Creatures series, for fans of Philip Pullman, Percy Jackson and Skandar.
'There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell' – Michael Morpurgo
When Christopher Forrester is unexpectedly woken by a miniature dragon chewing on his face, his heart leaps for joy. For months he’s dreamed of returning to the Archipelago – the secret islands where all the creatures of myth still live. But he did not know it would involve a rescue mission on the back of a sphinx, or a plan to enter a dragon’s lair. Nor did he imagine it would involve a girl with a flock of birds at her side, a new-hatched chick in her pocket and a ravenous hunger for justice...
Awards and praise for Impossible Creatures
WINNER Waterstones Book of the Year
WINNER British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year
WINNER Foyles Children's Book of the Year
WINNER Books Are My Bag Readers Award
'A book stuffed full of fantastical, magical delight' – Cressida Cowell
'Readers will seize this with delight' – Philip Pullman
'A masterpiece to rival Tolkien' – Daily Telegraph
'Every sentence sparkles ... Magnificent' – The Times
Impossible Creatures Sunday Times bestseller, December 2023
Series: Impossible Creatures
View all-
Impossible Creatures
‘There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell. Wondrous invention, marvellous writing.' – Michael Morpurgo ‘Rundell’s first foray into fantasy is both a deft, rich homage to the greats of children’s literature and an absorbing, profoundly poignant quest story for those aged 9+ – quite possibly her best yet’ – The Guardian 'A book stuffed full...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Poisoned King
The dragons call out, and the ratatoskas tell of murder. Come with us now. There is justice to be done. Return to the magic of the Archipelago... The Poisoned King is the dazzling second book in Katherine Rundell's epic and bestselling Impossible Creatures series. 'There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell' – Michael Morpurgo When...Paperback$2000Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Impossible Creatures
There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell. Wondrous invention, marvellous writing. – Michael Morpurgo ‘Rundell’s first foray into fantasy is both a deft, rich homage to the greats of children’s literature and an absorbing, profoundly poignant quest story for those aged 9+ – quite possibly her best yet’ – The Guardian A book stuffed full...Paperback$2000Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid August -
Impossible Creatures
‘There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell. Wondrous invention, marvellous writing.' – Michael Morpurgo ‘Rundell’s first foray into fantasy is both a deft, rich homage to the greats of children’s literature and an absorbing, profoundly poignant quest story for those aged 9+ – quite possibly her best yet’ – The Guardian A book stuffed full...Hardback$2499Elsewhere:$2699Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid September -
The Poisoned King
Katherine Rundell returns with a perfect fantasy Telegraph The unmissable new story in the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling Impossible Creatures series, ideal for fans of Philip Pullman, Percy Jackson, and Skandar. There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell – Michael Morpurgo When Christopher Forrester is unexpectedly woken by a miniature dragon chewing on his face,...Hardback$2499Elsewhere:$2699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Impossible Creatures
There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell. Wondrous invention, marvellous writing. – Michael Morpurgo ‘Rundell’s first foray into fantasy is both a deft, rich homage to the greats of children’s literature and an absorbing, profoundly poignant quest story for those aged 9+ – quite possibly her best yet’ – The Guardian A book stuffed full...Hardback$3299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pre-orderThe Poisoned King
'Katherine Rundell returns with a perfect fantasy' Telegraph** BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS' AWARD WINNER **The unmissable new story in the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling Impossible Creatures series, for fans of Philip Pullman, Percy Jackson and Skandar. 'There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell' – Michael MorpurgoWhen Christopher Forrester is unexpectedly woken by a miniature...Paperback$1999Unit price /UnavailableOut 4 Aug 2026Pre-order -
The Poisoned King
'Katherine Rundell returns with a perfect fantasy' Telegraph BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS' AWARD WINNER The unmissable new story in the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling Impossible Creatures series, for fans of Philip Pullman, Percy Jackson and Skandar. 'There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell' – Michael Morpurgo When Christopher Forrester is unexpectedly woken by a...Hardback$3299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pre-orderThe Neverfear
A world of richly-imagined wonder Cressida Cowell It’s the Midsummer Feast on the Islet of Glimt and on this magical moonlit evening, the word on everyone’s lips is bandits. Reports of masked men burning villages are spreading throughout the Archipelago, but worse is still to come: Christopher and Anya are ambushed and one of the people they love most is...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableOut 1 Sep 2026Pre-order -
Impossible Creatures
#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...Paperback$3900Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781408897478
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 07 May 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
DIMENSIONS
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 336
About the Author
Katherine Rundell is a multi-million-bestselling author whose novels for children have won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Costa Children’s Book Award, among many others. Impossible Creatures was Waterstones Book of the Year 2023, and in 2024 Katherine was named the British Book Awards Author of the Year and Impossible Creatures won the Children’s Fiction Book of the Year. She is a Quondam Fellow of All Souls College and a Fellow of St Catherine’s College, Oxford, where she works on Renaissance literature. Her books for adults include Super-Infinite, winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize. Very occasionally she goes climbing across the rooftops of Oxford, late at night.
More from
View all-
Impossible Creatures
‘There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell. Wondrous invention, marvellous writing.' – Michael Morpurgo ‘Rundell’s first foray into fantasy is both a deft, rich homage to the greats of children’s literature and an absorbing, profoundly poignant quest story for those aged 9+ – quite possibly her best yet’ – The Guardian 'A book stuffed full...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Poisoned King
The dragons call out, and the ratatoskas tell of murder. Come with us now. There is justice to be done. Return to the magic of the Archipelago... The Poisoned King is the dazzling second book in Katherine Rundell's epic and bestselling Impossible Creatures series. 'There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell' – Michael Morpurgo When...Paperback$2000Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Impossible Creatures
There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell. Wondrous invention, marvellous writing. – Michael Morpurgo ‘Rundell’s first foray into fantasy is both a deft, rich homage to the greats of children’s literature and an absorbing, profoundly poignant quest story for those aged 9+ – quite possibly her best yet’ – The Guardian A book stuffed full...Paperback$2000Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid August -
Impossible Creatures
‘There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell. Wondrous invention, marvellous writing.' – Michael Morpurgo ‘Rundell’s first foray into fantasy is both a deft, rich homage to the greats of children’s literature and an absorbing, profoundly poignant quest story for those aged 9+ – quite possibly her best yet’ – The Guardian A book stuffed full...Hardback$2499Elsewhere:$2699Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid September -
The Poisoned King
Katherine Rundell returns with a perfect fantasy Telegraph The unmissable new story in the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling Impossible Creatures series, ideal for fans of Philip Pullman, Percy Jackson, and Skandar. There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell – Michael Morpurgo When Christopher Forrester is unexpectedly woken by a miniature dragon chewing on his face,...Hardback$2499Elsewhere:$2699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Impossible Creatures
There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell. Wondrous invention, marvellous writing. – Michael Morpurgo ‘Rundell’s first foray into fantasy is both a deft, rich homage to the greats of children’s literature and an absorbing, profoundly poignant quest story for those aged 9+ – quite possibly her best yet’ – The Guardian A book stuffed full...Hardback$3299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pre-order
The Poisoned King
'Katherine Rundell returns with a perfect fantasy' Telegraph** BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS' AWARD WINNER **The unmissable new story in the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling Impossible Creatures series, for fans of Philip Pullman, Percy Jackson and Skandar. 'There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell' – Michael MorpurgoWhen Christopher Forrester is unexpectedly woken by a miniature...Paperback$1999Unit price /UnavailableOut 4 Aug 2026Pre-order -
The Poisoned King
'Katherine Rundell returns with a perfect fantasy' Telegraph BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS' AWARD WINNER The unmissable new story in the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling Impossible Creatures series, for fans of Philip Pullman, Percy Jackson and Skandar. 'There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell' – Michael Morpurgo When Christopher Forrester is unexpectedly woken by a...Hardback$3299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pre-order
The Neverfear
A world of richly-imagined wonder Cressida Cowell It’s the Midsummer Feast on the Islet of Glimt and on this magical moonlit evening, the word on everyone’s lips is bandits. Reports of masked men burning villages are spreading throughout the Archipelago, but worse is still to come: Christopher and Anya are ambushed and one of the people they love most is...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableOut 1 Sep 2026Pre-order -
Impossible Creatures
#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...Paperback$3900Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
