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The Neverfear

Discover the epic adventure series loved by readers around the world

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The Neverfear

By: Katherine Rundell
Narrated by: Samuel West
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Bloomsbury presents Impossible Creatures: The Neverfear by Katherine Rundell read by Samuel West

'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 kidnapped.

The two children – alongside Ratwin the ratatoska and Jacques the Jaculus dragon – set sail on the Neverfear to recover three precious treasures. Together they must face fearsome giants, win a daring race, and outwit deadly enemies to save those they love most.

Discover the magic of Katherine Rundell in the most hotly-anticipated book of the year – the third adventure in the internationally bestselling Impossible Creatures series. Adorned with beautiful blue foil, this hardcover edition makes for a perfect gift.

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

'I love Katherine Rundell and everythings she writes. I defy anyone not to lose their heart to her stories' – Maggie O'Farrell

'Readers will seize this with delight' – Philip Pullman

'A masterpiece to rival Tolkien' – Daily Telegraph

'Every sentence sparkles ... Magnificent' – The Times©2026 Katherine Rundell (P)2026 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Science Fiction & Fantasy Magic Heartfelt Adventure Fiction Fantasy
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Critic reviews

There was Tolkien, there is Pullman and now there is Katherine Rundell
This series is pure class
Rundell has become one of the most significant children's authors of our era.
A book stuffed full of fantastical, magical delight
Dazzling ... the imaginative scope of this series remains colossal
A perfect fantasy
Readers will seize this with delight
I love Katherine Rundell and everything she writes. Her books are treasure troves of glittering wisdom and breath-taking plots; her characters leap off the page, singular, passionate, and satisfyingly complex. I defy anyone to not lose their heart to her stories.
Katherine Rundell's books are an automatic purchase in my house. She is a magician, one of the great storytellers of our time
One of our Imaginers-in-chief. I am a Rundell Super-fan
All stars
Most relevant
I was enthralled by this story from start to finish (and in awe of Sam West’s wide array of voices for the many, many characters)

Gripping story. Brilliantly read

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A wonderful continuation of the Impossible Creatures series. Samuel West does another splendid job with the narration, I enjoyed the previous books so much that I pre ordered The Neverfear and it was a delight to have it pop into my library. Highly recommend it to all ages.

Simply glorious!

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I was really worried after the brilliance of the first two books that this may disappoint somehow - it most certainly didn’t.

As perfect as the first two books.

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This third installment was captivating, with a great paced story and some fantastic dialogue from Nighthand and Jacques especially, plus some adoration contributions from Koo.

Special mention also to Samuel West, whose narration of this is exquisite. Jacques sounds more grown up this time and the voice suits the dialogue perfectly. Also, Koo's miniture lines are voiced so well that the few words the creature has, still manage to evoke so much emotion.

In all, fantastic 😍

Wonderful story and narration

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Loved it. Cried multiple times. Katherine Rundell has spun her magic again; the book is filled to the brim with heart. I cannot wait for book 4.

I hope Samuel West continues as the narrator; he brings such warmth to the storytelling, and his characterisation is perfect. Once again he embudes the word "mine" with such emotion it will make you cry.

Perfect narration meets Spectacular Writing

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