The Poisoned King (Impossible Creatures 2) by Katherine Rundell

What worked:

The book opens with Christopher, the returning main character from the first book, being summoned to the Archipelago to help discover what’s killing dragons. Upon arriving, the story switches scenes to follow Anya, a reluctant princess who’s second in line to the throne. A major conflict arises when her father is accused of poisoning the king, her grandfather. Christopher and Anya bring their separate stories together a third of the way into the book. They discover their problems are linked, and they must unite their efforts. They’re aided by a few characters from the first book, but a tiny, three-inch dragon named Jacques supplies humor. Jacques envisions himself as a mighty, superior creature, and everything he says exemplifies that attitude.

Anya has a special connection to nature and is constantly accompanied by one of the royal birds, a Gagana named Gallia. These birds resemble crows, with silver claws and golden beaks, and they can communicate with Anya. She’s raising a baby Gagana from birth, and Koo provides levity while learning about the world. His first word is “Mine”, and it’s frequently repeated in almost every situation. While Anya’s nature connection is limited to the forest near the castle, Christopher is known across the lands as Guardian of the Archipelago. He’s earned the moniker due to his deeds in the first book, and many creatures are willing to offer assistance. The variety of mystical and hybrid animals, such as unicorns, manticores, chimeras, and sphinxes, is an attractive part of this series. An illustrated glossary of the creatures can be found in the back of the book.

The conflict is a bit of a mystery, although readers will suspect Anya’s Uncle Claude is behind everything going wrong. Anya finds evidence of her grandfather’s poisoning, but wonders who might have done it and how a vial got in her father’s pocket. Claude tries to have her poisoned while transporting her to “safety”, and that begins a threat of assassins throughout the book. No one has heard of a poison that kills dragons or one that works so quickly. Anya and Christopher search for information, while dangers await. Some creatures become unexpected allies, while others distrust all humans.

What didn’t work as well:

This book can be enjoyed without reading the first one. However, readers wanting to see the Immortal’s return will be disappointed. Readers will know Mal, the new Immortal, perished in the first book, but the new Immortal isn’t introduced to the cast until the final pages of this one.

The final verdict:

You should read the first book, but it’s not absolutely necessary. The plot is captivating, as the conflict affects everyone in the Archipelago, with the impossible creatures, Anya, and Christopher teaming up to save the day. I highly recommend you read this book along with Impossible Creatures.