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VANDELLA

How much are you willing to sacrifice for those who you love?

Orphaned under mysterious circumstances and raised by her grandmother, Maia thinks she’s left her tragic past behind her.

Now a dreamy seventeen-year-old, Maia longs to find true love with her high school crush when she receives the appalling news that her long-dormant Cancer has returned, not just to mess with her romantic plans, but to ruin her entire life.

One night, during her stay at the hospital, Maia is visited by a peculiar young man who confesses he is about to claim the soul of her beloved grandmother. But Maia offers her own soul instead and joins this gorgeous harbinger of death in an odyssey to the hereafter. The dizzying journey takes Maia and her beguiling companion from an elaborate ball, to a steam locomotive in the sky, to a haunted abandoned country house, to the bottom of a lake, and other magical locales. They face otherworldly obstacles as Maia attempts to save her only relative and determine if there is any hope for her own tortured soul.

VANDELLA is a Young Adult (YA) magical realist tale with a heartbreaking and vividly surreal story, layered with intriguing characters, lush settings, and a fast-paced and exciting narrative. This novel is the first entry of the VANDELLA series.

October 15th 2021

“Dark, intriguing, and guaranteed to tug the heartstrings, M. Ch. Landa’s Vandella is a young adult paranormal romance novel packed with mystery, danger, and highly relatable characters.” San Francisco Book Review ★★★★☆

Vandella by M. Ch. Landa is a masterpiece when it comes to creativity. The author created a world we can easily lose track of time in.” Online Book Club ★★★★★

“Any book that truly makes you ask questions and holds your interest until you find the answers is a great book, and this one goes way beyond that. It should be added to everyone’s list of must-reads, not just those who enjoy the Fantasy genre.” Feathered Quill

“Paranormal YA readers will absolutely devour Vandella. It’s emotional, dark, surprising, and fun. Landa has this wonderful skill of shocking readers with every chapter.” Independent Book Review

“The writing in Vandella is exquisite. The narrative is fascinating, dramatic, dark, and engaging. I wish M. Ch. Landa would write more books of this caliber because Vandella is such a fantastic story.” Readers’ Favorite Review ★★★★★

“Landa spins readers headlong into a jarring but intriguing odyssey through an underworld where dreams and nightmares trump logic.” Kirkus Reviews

“Strong worldbuilding and an engaging teen protagonist ground this fantasy in real emotion.” Booklife Reviews

“A vivid depiction of life after death and the sacrifices we make for the ones we love.”  Reedsy Discovery ★★★★☆

“Vandella is a refreshing, gentle read that explores human connection and the will to survive.” Literary Titan ★★★★☆

“The afterworld portrayed in this novel might give Dante himself nightmares.” Booklife Prize

VANDELLA’S CHRONICLES

Scientists say that time is relative and that the universe in which we live our ordinary lives can be as illusory as a dream. But, if it is truly a dream, can death be relative too?

After finishing his shift as cashier in the supermarket to pay the bills, old Harvey spends his nights watching over and over the VHS tapes with the recordings of his televised show to relive his long-gone moments of fame and success as a magician.
One night, Harvey receives the visit of an enigmatic being that will take Harvey through a roller-coaster of memories which will challenge all his beliefs.
Is magic the sole key for Harvey to solve the life-threatening puzzle given by The Man with a Thousand Names?

VANDELLA’S CHRONICLES is a series of side stories which expand and complement the events in the VANDELLA novel series.
The Man with the Thousand Names is a magical realist graphic novel intended for young audiences (T+, Teen Plus).

Coming soon

VANDELLA: Resilience

If Death came to warn you about your imminent passing, would you dare to defy it?

Young Bund Deutscher Mädel Peach lives with her mother in the quiet German countryside, longing to return to Berlin once the war ends and realize her dream of stardom as an Olympic hurdler for the Fatherland.

At her friend’s wedding to an SS officer at Wewelsburg Castle, the heart and soul of the SS, she witnesses a séance wherein a supernatural entity promises Nazi victory in exchange for seven children held prisoner in the dungeon. Sickened, Peach rescues the children and leads them across a war-torn Germany toward the Dutch border, with the SS forces in hot pursuit.

On her perilous journey, Peach suffers all the horrors of war—loss of innocence, loss of dignity, loss of loved ones—all while haunted by the eerie company of the Harbinger of Death.

VANDELLA: RESILIENCE is Book Two in the Young Adult VANDELLA Series. This is a cross-genre novel with elements of dark fantasy, magical realism, paranormal romance in a real historical setting! This heart wrenching tale of survival delves into the horrors committed by the monsters, not fantastical, but those embodied in human beings, their hearts drunk by anger and darkened by the shadow of war. This novel ponders on the meaning of motherhood, the unrelenting nature of Death and our continuous struggle to own our fate.

November 15th 2023

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