Monday, January 19, 2026

"The Poisoned King" by Katherine Rundell

The Poisoned King (Sept. 11, 2025) by Katherine Rundell.
<This is the middle novel in a trilogy.>
The call to return to the Archipelago comes when Christopher Forrester wakes to find Jacques the jaculus dragon chewing on his face. Finally! A summons! He’s joyful to return, but the news is grim. Someone has a poison strong enough to kill the dragons. Such poison does not exist in the Archipelago, so it must’ve come from the Outerlands. The great red-winged dragon Sarkany states that she’ll only trust Christopher because he’s from the Outerlands and not of the Archipelago. After correctly answering Naravirala the sphinx’s question (and thus preventing being eaten), he travels on her winged back. Before making course for Sarkany in Edem (a dragon island), they detour to save Princess Anya Phoebe Cornelia Argen of the Island of Dousha, Duchess of the Silver Mountains, Countess of the Winged Forests. The Argens are the last royal family in the Archipelago. Anya’s dad is being held prisoner, set up for a murder he didn’t commit, and Anya is about to be murdered. She’s a 12-year-old with nothing but the clothes on her back, a flock of royal gaganas at her side, a newly-hatched gagana chick called Koo in her pocket and a thirst for revenge so strong that her throat burns with injustice. One wants to save the dragons, the other wants to rescue her father, but both need the other’s help, as the avarice-filled killer connects them.
            Rundell’s sequel suffers no second-book syndrome in this mythological, magical thrill ride in a world of creatures both gentle and dangerous, intelligent, cunning and helpful (depending on the species). The fantastical fantasy adventure includes corruption in a royal family, dragons of all sizes, retribution and friends new and old. There’s triumph and new life, grief and peril, advice and wisdom. It’s emotional, cheeky, high-spirited and fast-moving. With brilliant illustrations, magnificent world-building, heart-tugging scenes and continuous adventure, this story is a resplendent return to a wondrous world. As with the previous story, there is a Guardian’s Bestiary of magical creatures at the back.
            Book One: Impossible Creatures

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