Vanya loves books, especially the ones that talk to her in the annexe off her parent’s bookshop. She knows this isn’t normal, so hasn’t told anyone at school. Not that any one would believe her. She’s deemed difficult, awkward, or weird by her teachers and classmates, no matter how hard she tries to fit in.

She’s been told that her drifting off in class, never finishing projects, or getting school work in on time is all down to her ADHD, which is good to know, but still hard to deal with. Her parents are very supportive, and also positive about her other traits. One of which is courage.

This shines through one morning when she realises she has forgotten her homework (again) and rushes home to get it. What she finds is a many-mouthed-monster attacking her mother. Facing the monster with a glowing dagger, she fights back, saving her mother’s life.

Her mum has always kept her past to herself, no matter how many times Vanya has asked about it. Mum also has a terrible scar down her back which often causes her pain. The battle in the kitchen can’t be ignored like Vanya’s questions in the past, and Vanya finally gets some of the answers she needs. But only some.

To find out more, she will have to attend a special school that will teach her more about her parent’s world, and hopefully keep her safe at the same time.

Finally, Vanya has a place she can be herself, make some friends and not be bored silly in her classes. But Mum’s past and the story of her scar still evades her. Will she ever get the answers she has wanted all her life?

Vanya and the Wild Hunt is a mix of monsters, Indian mythology and legend – with creatures we know from British fairytales and some that hail from ancient lands. Stir in a school to learn about how to defeat them, an entire new realm of waterfalls, beautiful towers and doors that transport you between them, and you have Vanya and the Wild Hunt.

Vanya herself is kind, brave and keen to fit in. Her ADHD challenges her every day with her studies and friendships, but as she realises it isn’t all that she is, she comes into her true self, doing well and finding answers about her mother’s hidden past.

This is the first book in a series, leaving the reader keen to know what Vanya is going to do with all she has gained.

Author – Sangu Mandanna

Illustrator – Kristina Kister

Age – 9+

(2025, Macmillan Publishers, School, Magic, Action, Fantasy, Animals, Conflict, Courage, Family, Monsters, Portals, ADHD, Secrets, Indian Mythology, British Folklore, Legends, Neurodivergent, Powers, Baba Yaga)