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Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull in... The Beast from Beneath
The second in a spooky and hilarious new series about a talkative skull and a necromancer-in-training. Full of brilliant illustrations!
Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Wednesday.
Mallory Vayle and her talkative skull, Maggoty, star in another fabulous adventure!
Mallory is getting to grips with her new powers and her new talkative friend, Maggoty. But when Maggoty sees a wig in Les Wigs shop, he just won't shut up about it! It's expensive, and no one seems able to pay Mallory properly for her cosmic services.
So her Aunt Lilith takes matters into her own hands, but in her quest to increase her own supernatural skills, she accidentally summons a Nightmare. It, inevitably, goes HORRIBLY wrong and Mallory must take a perilous journey into the bowels of Carrion Castle in search of the solution to Aunt Lillith's problem... But it's only when a bony fella with a scythe turns up (that's Death – himself! – by the way) that she knows she and Maggoty are in for some terrifying fun and games!
With proper laughs and proper scares, this series is not only the perfect Halloween treat but a side-splitting and spine-tingling year-round read.
Have you read the spooktastic...
Mallory Vayle and the Curse of Maggoty Skull (Waterstones Children's Book of the Month, October 2024)
Praise for Mallory Vayle and Maggoty
"Effortlessly blends outrageous humour and genuine creepiness" - The Guardian
"Skullduggery pleasant meets A Series of Unfortunate Events. Do not miss! Spooky AND funny, a killer combo!" - Louie Stowell
Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Wednesday.
Mallory Vayle and her talkative skull, Maggoty, star in another fabulous adventure!
Mallory is getting to grips with her new powers and her new talkative friend, Maggoty. But when Maggoty sees a wig in Les Wigs shop, he just won't shut up about it! It's expensive, and no one seems able to pay Mallory properly for her cosmic services.
So her Aunt Lilith takes matters into her own hands, but in her quest to increase her own supernatural skills, she accidentally summons a Nightmare. It, inevitably, goes HORRIBLY wrong and Mallory must take a perilous journey into the bowels of Carrion Castle in search of the solution to Aunt Lillith's problem... But it's only when a bony fella with a scythe turns up (that's Death – himself! – by the way) that she knows she and Maggoty are in for some terrifying fun and games!
With proper laughs and proper scares, this series is not only the perfect Halloween treat but a side-splitting and spine-tingling year-round read.
Have you read the spooktastic...
Mallory Vayle and the Curse of Maggoty Skull (Waterstones Children's Book of the Month, October 2024)
Praise for Mallory Vayle and Maggoty
"Effortlessly blends outrageous humour and genuine creepiness" - The Guardian
"Skullduggery pleasant meets A Series of Unfortunate Events. Do not miss! Spooky AND funny, a killer combo!" - Louie Stowell
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 10, 2025
Kids insisted we listen to this as soon as we finished the first book. I would argue it was better than the first, even if Maggoty called Mallory “bumcrack” too much lol!
September 16, 2026
What is The Beast From Beneath about?
Mallory Vayle’s Necromancer skills are growing, and so is her reputation in town as ‘The Skull Girl.’ She is helping her Aunt Lilith with running and improving Carrion Castle, using her skills to banish troublesome ghosts and spirits from her town’s resident’s lives. Payments are however, often pitiful.
This need for money makes Aunt Lilith perform a spell to try and improve their lives – but it goes terribly terribly wrong. Mallory and Maggoty are the only ones who can save Aunt Lilith, and soon the entire world from a malevolent force in the shape of a Nightmare.
Review
The laughs are plenty and continuous as the tension and terror builds in the 2nd part of this illustrated Middle Grade series.
I laughed out loud and was glued to the page as Mallory faced increasingly powerful spirits from the lounge of Carrion Castle to deep in the depths below it. Maggoty Skull is hilarious, if not annoying as he goes on and on, and ON about the new wig he wants.
His desire to be human again is tested, with surprising results as they face Death himself. Mallory’s vastly improved and tested necromancy skills have also left her with an intriguing question, and I can’t wait for the next in the series to learn the answer.
Book Style
286 Pages / 27 Chapters / Q&A with Author Martin Howard
FAQ’s
What age is it for?
8+
Where & When is it set?
In a fictional Castle (Carrion Castle) in a small historical English Victorian town called Stabbings.
What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?
Third person / Past tense
Is there Violence?
No
What genre is The Beast From Beneath?
Middle Grade Spooky Historical Humour
Themes
Humour / Historical / Horror / Series / Family / Courage
Is it part of a series?
Yes
1) Mallory Vayle and the Curse of Maggoty Skull
2) Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull in… The Beast from Beneath
3) Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull in… The Castle of Horrors
Mallory Vayle’s Necromancer skills are growing, and so is her reputation in town as ‘The Skull Girl.’ She is helping her Aunt Lilith with running and improving Carrion Castle, using her skills to banish troublesome ghosts and spirits from her town’s resident’s lives. Payments are however, often pitiful.
This need for money makes Aunt Lilith perform a spell to try and improve their lives – but it goes terribly terribly wrong. Mallory and Maggoty are the only ones who can save Aunt Lilith, and soon the entire world from a malevolent force in the shape of a Nightmare.
Review
The laughs are plenty and continuous as the tension and terror builds in the 2nd part of this illustrated Middle Grade series.
I laughed out loud and was glued to the page as Mallory faced increasingly powerful spirits from the lounge of Carrion Castle to deep in the depths below it. Maggoty Skull is hilarious, if not annoying as he goes on and on, and ON about the new wig he wants.
His desire to be human again is tested, with surprising results as they face Death himself. Mallory’s vastly improved and tested necromancy skills have also left her with an intriguing question, and I can’t wait for the next in the series to learn the answer.
Book Style
286 Pages / 27 Chapters / Q&A with Author Martin Howard
FAQ’s
What age is it for?
8+
Where & When is it set?
In a fictional Castle (Carrion Castle) in a small historical English Victorian town called Stabbings.
What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?
Third person / Past tense
Is there Violence?
No
What genre is The Beast From Beneath?
Middle Grade Spooky Historical Humour
Themes
Humour / Historical / Horror / Series / Family / Courage
Is it part of a series?
Yes
1) Mallory Vayle and the Curse of Maggoty Skull
2) Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull in… The Beast from Beneath
3) Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull in… The Castle of Horrors
December 30, 2025
Highly recommend this excellent British series that is equal parts truly creepy and hilarious! Edgar Gorey-esque illustrations punctuate and drive the reading to the darkest secrets hidden in the bowels of Carrion Castle! If you enjoy Wednesday or Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood and Company series The Screaming Staircase / The Whispering Skull / The Hollow Boy / The Creeping Shadow / The Empty Grave, this second book is a hit and foretells more fun and necromancy to come.
February 22, 2026
Just so good. It’s not often I prefer a sequel, but this one really delivered. Fabulous returning characters, some great new villains, a cleverly spooky plot, and a serious pace that keeps you glued to the page. I completely devoured this hilariously haunting middle grade story just as fast as the first one, & I will be waiting on the edge of the sofa for the wonderfully dulcet tones of Maggoty Skull to return. Not sure how he’s gonna top that wig though! 💀
November 21, 2025
This sequel is not as good as the previous book. I really enjoyed the first novel, this one though missed the mark a little bit. I found it less exciting and the characters (especially Maggoty which I loved in the first book) a little annoying. It seems there may be a following book, considering the ending. Hopefully it will be better than this and more like the original story.
December 24, 2025
This got darker and scarier than the first book. Eldritch terrors for children 😉 it took me a while to get into it but I was glued to the book towards the end. Absolutely worth it. It also seems like there will be a book 3? Can’t wait!
P.S. Book has a chapter that can be challenging for people with claustrophobia
P.S. Book has a chapter that can be challenging for people with claustrophobia
October 23, 2025
Comedy-horror for middle grade readers! You can read a review on my blog: http://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home....
January 2, 2026
I love these books. They always make me smile. it's very rare I read a book that makes me laugh but both of the books in this series have. I've been eagerly waiting for this book to come out and it didn't disappoint.
looking forward to more adventures with Mallory and Maggoty.
looking forward to more adventures with Mallory and Maggoty.
November 10, 2025
way off the mark compared to the first one
March 24, 2026
some hilarious moments. (Olive and Neil iykyk) Daughter loved it.
Read
March 26, 2026all of these are for work… but they still count though!
March 27, 2026
Yet again a dark but funny story. I enjoyed it a lot and I genuinely hope that there's more to come! 😄💀
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews