Indian mythology meets a protagonist with ADHD! Be still my young heart that needed exactly this book growing up! Mandanna's writing is filled with whimsy, wit, and so much charm. I cannot wait to share this adventure with every kid I know!

Vanya lives with her parents in a small town in England, and she has trouble fitting in at school because of her ADHD. She gets accomodations, but she doesn't want to act differently from other students when she already feels like an outside because of her Indian heritage. She has long heard books talking to her; it's rather comforting, and she doesn't really talk to her parents about it. When monsters attack the family, Vanya learns about her parents' lives in the past, and about the fact that they went to a magical school called Auramere. Since her parents are worried that the monsters might attack again, they send Vanya off to go to the school and to live with their old friends, Jasper and his husband Roman. The school is a beautiful and fascinating place, the students are kind, and the food and magic are enthralling. Vanya loves her classes, and feels so much more at home. She even has a therapist to help her navigate her ADHD in her new environment, and talks to her parents frequently. Auramere is a very diverse community, and Vanya soon makes friends with Ben and Kasha. When Vanya decides to enter the yearly Monsoon races on a patrallak, a creature that is notoriousl hard to tame, she has plenty of challenges before her, but when monsters manage to infiltrate Auramere, there are even more important things to do. A lot of family history is uncovered, and Vanya makes some choices that put her in a very precarious place. This definitely leaves room for another book in the series.
Strengths: I don't want to give away too much of the story; of course there are things that jeopardize the wonderful magical academy, but they were a bit of a surprise. The best part of this was all of the cool stuff at Auramere; there's a village, and there are even many families who live there to stay safe. Vanya's ADHD and sensory issues, as well as Ben's autism, are given a good treatment, which is good to see since there aren't as many fantasy books with neurodivergent characters. (Lerangis Max Tilt is the only one that comes to mind immediately.)
Weaknesses: I had trouble getting my head around the idea that the "wild hunt" was a person/creature and not an event. Fantasy readers who love figuring out all the politics of the magical world will understand the back story of the Old Ones better than I did.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed this author's Kiki Kallira series or want magical academy books with lots of good world building, like Okogwu's Oneyka and the Academy of the Sun or Bell's The Uncommoners.

I really enjoyed the use of Indian mythology to tell the story in this children’s fiction novel. The concept worked well overall and enjoyed the way the characters worked with the fantasy element. Sangu Mandanna has a great writing style and was glad I got to read this. I hope there is more in this series and from Sangu Mandanna as I enjoyed this a lot.