I Am Reading: Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull in The Beast From Beneath by Martin Howard
Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull in The Beast From Beneath by Martin Howard 👉
| Illustrated by: | Pete Williamson |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Nosy Crow |
| Publish date: | 25 September 2025 |
Good news for fans of weirdness, gothic adventures, and wigs – Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull are back in another ludicrously silly book from Martin Howard!
The wise-cracking, wig-obsessed talking skull is back and he's as non-stop as ever. Mallory is trying to come to terms with her new powers, and worried about the whole turning-into-an-evil-necromancer thing, but all Maggoty cares about is the AMAZING new wig in the window of the glamorous Les Wigs boutique… So when Aunt Lilith makes a teeny tiny mistake and accidentally summons up the lord of Nightmare, Maggoty is as much help as ever, i.e. none. It's up to Mallory to save the day again…
I loved Mallory Vayle and the Curse of the Maggoty Skull – the constant off-beat silliness, the recurring jokes, and the whole gothic vibe are wonderful (not to mention Pete Williamson's gorgeous illustrations). This second outing is another dollop of the same, and more – the creepiness of Carrion Castle really does get under your skin, and there are secrets and terrible forces (and other skulls, much to Maggoty's disgust) all over the place. The plot rackets along, Maggoty's jokes and insults never stop, and there's some brilliant tension as we find out just who is sealed up deep in the bowels of the castle…
Gloriously silly and deceptively clever. Maggoty Skull IS the hero we deserve.
Many thanks to Nosy Crow for sending me a copy of this!
Find out more and buy Mallory Vayle and Maggoty Skull in The Beast From Beneath here 👉