My book reviews for The Night Things series by Cinnaon Smart, including Rayleigh Mann in the Company of Monsters and Rayleigh Mann and the Quest of Misfits. Please be aware that the review for the second book contains spoilers.

Enter the world of Below London, where causing a ruckus is the best thing you can do!

When notorious troublemaker Rayleigh Mann sneaks out to go trick-or-treating on Halloween, he gets more than he bargained for - in the form of a monster straight out of his nana's stories.

The weirdest thing though? The monster tells Rayleigh that the father he never knew is actually the Bogey Mann, the most terrifying of all monsters, the Supreme Scarer himself.

And there's more - Bogey is missing and Rayleigh is the only one who can find him. But to do so, Rayleigh must travel to Bogey's world, Below London... There Rayleigh's penchant for tricks might just help him survive an adventure straight out of his wildest dreams - or perhaps his most terrifying nightmares.

This book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

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I enjoyed Ciannon Smart’s debut duology, Witches Stepped in Gold, so when she announced that she was writing a middle-grade book next, I knew I had to check it out even though I’m not a huge middle-grade reader. I was not disappointed. Rayleigh Mann in the Company of Monsters by Ciannon Smart is a wonderfully dark and fun tale about monsters.

Set in London, Rayleigh Mann in the Company of Monsters is a unique coming-of-age story. Rayleigh Mann’s plans for trick-or-treating with his friends turn upside down when a strange girl tries to kidnap him. As the night gets even stranger, Rayleigh learns that he’s actually only half human; his dad is a monster. Not just any monster, the infamous Bogey Mann. Now that he’s twelve, it’s time for him to learn all about monsters and Below, the hidden subterranean city of monsters beneath London.

Whisked away to Below-London by his uncle, Rayleigh learns all about monsters and being a monster. Everything he knows about monsters is wrong; they’re not bad, they’re good. They exist to scare children straight during childhood, so they don’t grow up to become murderers or worse in their adulthood. As a monsterling, Rayleigh has to take part in an induction to determine his monstrous heritage, consisting of three trials. Each trial is designed to help monsterlings uncover their monstrous identity and powers, and decide whether they wish to remain in Below-London or return to their human family.

It’s a hard decision for Rayleigh, who misses his Mum, Nana, and friends, but recognises the advantages of Below-London. Labelled as a trouble-maker at school, in monster society, he’s encouraged to cause trouble. He can also walk around the city without anyone watching him, crossing the street to avoid him or dubiously eyeing his fashion and afro. There’s also the biggest benefit of all: getting to know his dad.

Unfortunately, his Dad is missing, and as Rayleigh tries to focus on his trials, he finds himself getting drawn into dangerous conspiracies. With his new family and friends by his side, can he get through the induction and save his Dad?

I loved everything about Rayleigh Mann in the Company of Monsters. The world of monsters that Smart has created is brilliant, pulling on mythology, folklore, legends and urban legends from all around the world, with an emphasis on Jamaican mythology like her previous duology. Her world-building is once again top-notch. Also, as a South East (SE) Londoner, I was delighted to have a book set in East London rather than central London – not much of a surprise, as Smart is also from SE London. There’s London vernacular used in the dialect, including some cockney rhyming slang in there, which was a delight to see!

If you’re wondering if the topic of monsters and nightmares is a topic too dark for a middle-grade novel, don’t worry. Although there’s an edge of darkness, there is so much fun and humour in this book that readers of all ages will fall in love with the “monsters”. Older readers like myself will adore the sassiness of Bloody Mary and the charm and sarcasm of Shade.

The characters and their relationships are at the heart of Rayleigh Mann in the Company of Monsters, and Smart has done a fantastic job with their dynamics. I loved the relationship between The Terrors, in particular, and their moments of banter were great. Here are some of the most terrifying monsters, and they’re sniping at each other as best friends do. I also appreciated the way that Smart represented relationships between young people, showing that sometimes people are just scared and mess up. Not everything in a book needs to turn into full-on drama.

Smart’s dedication reads “I hope this story gives the different among you, the shelved, a chance to be seen as you deserve: the hero of your story”, and I felt that in every word of this book. Rayleigh Mann in the Company of Monsters is a must-read for everyone, and I’m certain that young readers are going to love this one, as will the adults in their lives.

Welcome back to the world of Below London, the magical home of monsters, where causing a ruckus is the best thing you can do!

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.

This book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

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!

Thanks for reading my book reviews for The Night Things series by Cinnamon Smart!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of my reviews if you’re looking for some more book recommendations 🙂 You can also now sign up for my newsletter to get an email each month with a list of my new reviews!

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