Vanya and the Wild Hunt

by Sangu Mandanna Narrated by Safiyya Ingar

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Overflowing with magic and wonder, this is an action-packed fantasy adventure inspired by Indian mythology and steeped in British folklore. Perfect for fans of Harry Potter, this story offers a relatable cast of characters and vivid world-building.

Amari and the Night Brothers meets Nevermoor in this enchanting middle-grade fantasy, inspired by Indian mythology and British folklore, about a neurodivergent heroine, a mysterious school, and a world of magical creatures.

"Thrilling, funny, and suspenseful." - Craig Kofi Farmer, author of Kwame Crashes the Underworld

¿ "Fast-paced and engaging... This is a beautiful, inclusive work that's also a terrific story." - School Library Journal

Eleven-year-old Vanya Vallen has always felt like she doesn't fit in. She's British-Indian in a mostly white town in England, her parents won't talk about their pasts, and she has ADHD.

Oh, and she talks to books. More importantly, the books talk back.

When her family is attacked by a monster she believed only existed in fairytales, Vanya discovers that her parents have secrets, and that there are a lot more monsters out there. Overnight, she's whisked off to the enchanted library and school of Auramere, where she joins the ranks of archwitches and archivists.

Life at Auramere is unexpected, exciting and wonderful. But even here, there's no escaping monsters. The mysterious, powerful Wild Hunt is on the prowl, and Vanya will need all her creativity and courage to unmask its leader and stop them before they destroy the only place she's ever truly belonged.

From the critically acclaimed author of the Kiki Kallira series and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches comes an action-packed and magical middle grade fantasy, perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Roshani Chokshi.

A Macmillan Audio production from Roaring Brook Press.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This book will speak to you. Sangu Madanna has crafted a spellbinding, charming, and inclusive fantasy that is sure to draw a rune of enchantment on your heart. Thrilling, funny, and suspenseful, Vanya and the Wild Hunt is a contemporary folktale that contains some heartfelt messages of accepting oneself—fully—no matter what others think." - Craig Kofi Farmer, Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award-winning author of Kwame Crashes the Underworld

★ "A compelling blend of folklore and adventure that will appeal to fans of B. B. Alston's Amari and the Night Brothers and Jessica Townsend's Nevermoor, this is a beautiful, inclusive work that’s also a terrific story; highly recommended for middle grade collections." - School Library Journal

"This jovial series opener...features all the hallmarks of an exciting magical school tale, including an enchanting setting, fantastical monsters, and intriguing magic systems." - Publishers Weekly

"Magic abounds in this coming-of-age story about finding strength in the face of formidable odds... The vivid worldbuilding weaves characters from world mythology into a narrative that crackles with action." - Kirkus

'Weaving together myth and folklore from all over the world into a fabulous, fast-paced adventure, Vanya is a magical, page-turning read, full of twists and surprises!' - Smriti Halls, internationally bestselling author

'Vanya is my new favorite neurodivergent fantasy heroine! A wondrous magical world, curious secrets and monsters from myths makes an exciting new fantasy adventure. I adored it!' - Lizzie Huxley-Jones, author of Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend

Kirkus Reviews

2024-12-14
Magic abounds in this coming-of-age story about finding strength in the face of formidable odds.

Eleven-year-old Vanya Vallen struggles to belong in the small English city where her parents, both of Indian descent, run a bookstore. Her brown skin makes her a target at school, her ADHD gets her into trouble, and she seems to be the only one who can hear the rare books in the store talking. When she finds her mother battling a terrifying monster, she discovers a web of secrets shrouding her parents’ lives. Before long, Vanya’s parents send her away to Auramere, a school of magic hidden in the Nilgiri Mountains of South India, where they were once students themselves. Under the guardianship of Irish Jasper and his husband, Roman, old friends of her parents’, Vanya makes new friends, discovers her strengths, and comes to terms with her neurodiversity, all the while trying to unearth the mysteries surrounding her mother’s past. But when the Wild Hunt, a dark, sentient force, threatens Auramere, Vanya steps up to take on a burden she’s unready for—and that could well destroy her. The vivid worldbuilding weaves characters from world mythology into a narrative that crackles with action. While taking little from the lore or culture of the region of India the school is set in, the book does feature nuanced characterization and positive portrayals of the diverse cast. Final art not seen.

An engaging, well-developed introduction to a magical world.(Fantasy. 8-12)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940191555522
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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