The Poisoned King

LoveReading4Kids Says

September 2025 Book of the Month

There are some books so highly anticipated, and some authors so justifiably revered that you don’t want to rush your reading. You want to savour every well-crafted word. But Katherine Rundell does not let you get away with that! The story is so engrossing that you literally are swept away and cannot stop reading - you just have to settle with rushing it and then re-reading at a more leisurely pace; and my word is she a writer that can withstand re-reading!

There has been much talk of future classics and while that can often be hyperbole, it is not in this case! This is such a rich world, with so much to discover and appreciate. What I love more than anything is that Katherine respects her readers; she does not think they need lots of expositional reminders of Book1! Indeed, you would absolutely have no problem in reading The Poisoned King as a standalone.

You realise that Christopher has been to the Archipelago before, his reputation and status as Guardian precedes him. There is a trauma behind him, but we do not need to know how and why the new Immortal was created, only that this meant a lot to him. Instead, we are immediately gripped by his new adventure and by new characters and the new creatures we meet. (As ever the Bestiary is an absolute joy to read and pore over). Jacques, the tiny, but fierce and very funny Jaculus dragon, will hook you in straight away. Of course, if you know his background….but this is just a hook to draw you further into the world. I can guarantee that everyone encountering The Poisoned King will immediately seek out Impossible Creatures, so parents and librarians be prepared!

In this second instalment, we follow Christopher as he is called back to the Archipelago to help Jacques save the dragons who are mysteriously dying. But, met by Naraviralas, the awesome Sphinx, they are told that Anya, the Princess of Dousha, would die without their help. Anya then becomes the emotional heart of this story, as she battles to escape murder and save her father, who is wrongly accused of killing the King, her beloved grandfather, and she and Christopher realise that their objectives are inextricably aligned, with the same villain to outwit.

I think Katherine Rundell is cleverly constructing these books to act as companion novels rather than as a series which must be read in sequence. On the evidence so far, each book is a perfectly satisfactory read that will only leave the reader wanting more; whether it is moving forward or back in the timeline really will not matter. There are also, of course, valuable underlying messages and truths for readers of any age to discern. For example: the dragons’ long held wisdom about hoarding gold to prevent it being accumulated and concentrated in the hands of just a few men, and wise reflections on the power of reading and the absolute necessity of books and libraries, as well as messages about self-esteem and self-determination.

An absolute, exquisitely written, expertly plotted, emotionally affecting and totally immersive triumph!

Joy Court

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