Omer 2025 Day 30

Day 29 | Day 31

Day 30: Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
Gevurah in Hod, Bravery in Glory/Humility

I read Impossible Creatures with my kids earlier this year, and we were swept into a magical world where griffins, sphinxes, and unicorns run wild and girls can fly. The story begins in a hidden part of Earth, where mythical creatures and people with magic still live, but the magic is fading. The one person entrusted to protect its source, an immortal soul reincarnated across generations, has disappeared. Without that person, the magic, and the balance of the world, is dying.

Two children, Christopher and Mal, find themselves thrown into an adventure to save the magic. Their journey is dangerous and mysterious and at many points they want to say no to the task. They feel overwhelmed and hopeless and they want to go home and leave it for someone else to deal with. But they keep going.

That’s the most relatable part of this book. It recognizes that bravery doesn't always feel brave. Heroes don't always embrace their destiny and rush toward danger. They hesitate, question, and doubt. They wonder why someone else can't do it or what would really be so bad about just going back to their own lives and leaving the world to work itself out? Their bravery feels real because of their self-doubt, because we can see our own humanity in their fears and insecurities. Their glory when they go through with their mission is tempered by the humility of knowing that they could have chosen to go home and let the magic die. Recognizing that glory and humility are intertwined is what makes their adventure brave.