Rayleigh Mann and the Quest of Misfits: The Thrilling Sequel - A Halloween Monster Mystery in Below-London for Middle Grade Readers

by Ciannon Smart

A lot has changed for Rayleigh Mann in the last few months.

On the previous All Hallow's Eve, Rayleigh was just a regular boy. Or he thought he was. Now, Rayleigh has embraced his monster heritage, passed all the tests to stay in Below London with the rest of monster society, and even saved his father - the Bogey Mann - from the notorious Illustrious Society.

But his adventures are far from over.

With the return of the Imposter and the Illustrious Three, Below London is on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Since Rayleigh's own actions foiled the Illustrious Three's sinister plot last time, he's supposed to be staying far away from trouble. But as strange shadows start to reach out to him for help and clues begin to fall into place, Rayleigh and his new friends find themselves embroiled in a mysterious treasure hunt to prevent Below London from falling into chaos - and not the good kind this time.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

336 pages, Hardcover

Published June 24, 2025

About the author

Ciannon Smart grew up in a small town in the south-east of England. As the only daughter in a house full of boisterous sons, she developed a voracious appetite for reading from an early age, preferring anarchy in stories rather than real life. In YA she loves her heroines exactly as she loves her villains: wilful, wily, and unpredictable. When not writing, Ciannon can be found reading, painting, or taking the long way home to listen to a good song more than once.

Reviews

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you HarperAudio Children’s, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this book. This is a continuation of Rayleigh Mann’s adventures and in this book he and his friends are on an exciting treasure hunt through the Below-London to unravel a mystery and prevent chaos that is about to befall Below-London. I really enjoyed the audiobook version. Great narration, fast moving plot, awesome world-building, and the familiar characters combine into a wonderful story that I just devoured in one sitting. If you enjoyed Aru Shah and/or Amari and the Night Brothers, this book is for you! Looking forward to the next installment!

[Heather - Just Geeking By · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.


Content warnings:
This book contains scenes of violence, death, minor gore, vomit, betrayal, fire, and references to war and wounds sustained during a war.

In this sequel to Rayleigh Mann in the Company of Monsters, Smart continues the adventures of Rayleigh and his best friend, Marley, who have embraced their monster heritage. After the perilous events of the first book, Rayleigh has been reunited with his father, Bogey Mann. Not everything is going well, though, with his overprotective father keeping him at arm’s length and insisting that he stay safe in Terror Tower. As the only person who knows what the Imposter looks like, Rayleigh is keen to help out. Despite his promise to stay out of trouble and the Terrors’ attempts to keep him safe, he and Marley once again find themselves hurtling towards danger.

I liked the first book a lot, and was looking forward to Rayleigh Mann and the Quest of Misfits. Unfortunately, the sequel didn’t quite live up to its predecessor. I’m sure that middle graders will continue to love the series; however, as an adult, I felt like too much was happening. While I got a good giggle out of ‘ULEZ’ and other London-related easter eggs, the plot didn’t feel as though it flowed very well. The synopsis mentions a treasure hunt, suggesting that it’s a significant part of the plot. Whereas, in actuality, it happens quite late in the book.

The world-building is as solid as ever, with Smart expanding on Below London and Monster society. In the first book, Marley transformed fully into her monster persona, whereas Rayleigh is still discovering his abilities. It is clearly a metaphor for adolescence, and Smart handles the topic very well. We do get to learn what Rayleigh is, and wow, it’s an incredible addition to Below London lore! The world Smart is developing is fascinating, and I can’t wait to see where The Night Things series goes next.

I think what put me off a bit about Rayleigh Mann and the Quest of Misfits was the quick exchange of characters. I can’t say more without giving major spoilers. Sometimes big changes work, and other times it feels like the author isn’t quite sure what they’re writing. Unfortunately, in this instance, the vibe I got was the latter. Sometimes sequels can be a bit off while the author builds things up, and as mentioned, there is plenty of room for Smart to play with. I’ll definitely be tuning in for the next book!

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[Stephanie Davy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
I saw the cover and immediately wanted to read this book. There aren’t many Black boy fantasies around and one focused on monsters? Exciting!

This is the second in the series and I haven’t read the first, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could follow along for the most part, though I definitely recommend getting into the first book for the details.

This story involves Rayleigh, a brave young adolescent who is determined to help people despite there being a dangerous entity out to get him.

I loved how the author drew Rayleigh, as a boy with loving family all around, both blood and found, great friendships, and positive role models. There was sufficient conflict to propel the story along too, with significant stakes that kept things exciting. I also found the London jokes quite amusing. There was a range of language styles that lovers of word play would delight in (Peri Pheral as a name was genius. ‘Wotcha’ as a greeting felt like a little joke and made me giggle).

I did feel the whole thing could have been tighter overall though. There was so much joy, fun and affection in the story and many other emotions that didn’t get space to breathe. The pacing felt rushed in places and I struggled to really pin down the focus of the story at times. It’s almost like there could have been a little less going on to allow some of the plot lines to shine. The treasure hunt deserved more space in my opinion and would have been a great main quest alongside the hunt for the traitor. More time to build up clues for other aspects to the story would have been good too.

I admired Rayleigh’s qualities and those of his friend Marley. I also loved the portrayal of the ‘monsters’, who I would struggle to call that being that so many of them were lovable. This is one for lovers of Percy Jackson.

[Miss Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the second installment in the Rayleigh Mann series. The story picks up in the days before Yule, and Rayleigh is supposed to spend time in Above London with his mom and nana, but he is eager to learn more about being a monster and sharpening his new monster skills. However the Imposter is still on the loose and seems intent on taking Rayleigh down. Rayleigh grates at his father and uncle’s reluctance to inform him of updates for the hunt for the Imposter and wonders what kind of monster he will fully grow into. As threatening events mount up, it's time to wonder if the Imposter has found more members of the three that will bring about the end of the world as they know it. It is imperative to have read the first book in the series to completely grasp the plot and characters. The author provides almost no background or context on characters as they enter the story or the vocabulary used in this magical world. For example the characters are often using B-Cabs to get around the city in Below London, but it isn’t until after page 200 a description is used where the cab sprouts beetle-like legs to help them get around obstacles. The book does end with a clear indication that there will be a 3rd installment. Optional purchase for any library serving children in grades 4th through 8th which already own the first book in the series.