First there a strange green horse-thing running through the trees, followed by a beautiful silver unicorn. Next there was the cry of something in trouble which sent Christopher looking for what turned out to be a young griffin drowning the lake. Christopher rescued it and took it to his grandfather. Who took care of it and told Christopher that the lake was a hidden entryway into the Archipelago, a string of islands concealed by magic from the world, a land where the creatures of mythology survived, kept alive by the same magic that kept the islands hidden. He also revealed the he was the guardian of the portal in the lake and that someday Christopher would be the guardian after him.
Returning to the lake with the griffin, Christopher was attacked by a demon dog with flaming ears. He tried to fight it off and would have died if a stranger hadn't appeared and told him to kill the monster by dousing the flames with mud. Together they put out the monster's fire which stopped it dead in its tracks. The girl, Mal, short for Malum, had come through the lake portal and she wanted the griffin and to return back through the lake.
Things back at her home were not safe and Mal begged Christopher to return with her as she was on the run from an assassin who murdered her aunt and had tried but failed to murder her. But she feared he was hot on her trail and she had no one else to help her. And so he followed her into the lake and into the magical Archipelago and into a grand and dangerous adventure trying to figure out not only why Mal is targeted for death but why the magic that keeps the legendary creatures of the Archipelago alive is fading away.
Young adult or older kid's novel, the two main characters are probably about middle school age. They have lots of adventures together and encounter lots of strange, mythical creatures. Eventually they learn why Mal has been targeted for death and of her unique status in the Archipelago and in the whole world. It was a fairly enjoyable story although I did not like that the author killed off Mal's friend, the young griffin, the last of his kind. And Mal has a rather grim fate too which made for a not very happy ending.
Here is a review by Kirkus Reviews.
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