This has been “buried” on my TBR list for ages. Not exactly what I expected, but fun. One of my favorite rides at Disney. Many inside jokes (quotes) in the book. A very quick read.

This is a great continuation of the Haunted Mansion series. The stories aren't very scary, but will delight younger children and those who know quite a bit about the Disney attraction. I would recommend this book for either category.

This book is a case of it's not you it's me. I believe it will work for the right reader. I'm just not that reader.

Tales from the Haunted Mansion, Volume II: Midnight at Madame Leota's was a good read that had the perfect mix of 'scary' and laughter for kids. From the overly-dramatic tone to the side comments made by the narrator, it's a book filled with stories that parents would have fun reading with their children.

While some of the stories definitely have a creepy edge to them (thinking about the haunted carnival ride here!), they are perfectly suitable for middle grade readers. Older readers will probably not be enthralled, as these are targeted at a very specific range of kids.

My favorite part was that the feel of the book as a whole reminded me very strongly of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World. Right from the get-go I heard the stories in the voice used in that ride, and it brought back warm'n'fuzzy feelings.

Tales from the Haunted Mansion, Volume II was a competently written volume of child-friendly tales that would be the perfect gift for younger readers who want something 'scary' without it actually being too scary. A great book to enjoy together in a few months when the leaves are changing colours and the ghosties and goblins come out to play!

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Book Group for the opportunity to read and review Midnight at Madame Leota's (Tales from the Haunted Mansion #2) by Amicus Arcane. The disclaimer of the ARC is even written in Haunted Mansion-ese, clever and sets the spooky stage from the beginning. This book tells the tale of William and his visit with Madame Leota and contains several stories within a story. William wants to talk to his deceased sister, but has to listen as librarian Arcane reads spooky tales to him first. The first tale is about a truly haunted house attraction at a traveling carnival. The second is the history of a vampire resident of the Haunted Mansion. Third is a spooky horror story about a man losing his beloved theatre and the last story tells a young girl's tale and how she came to be at the Haunted Mansion. Finally, William meets Madame Leota and gets what he's been asking for. Fun and spooky. 5 stars for this creepy addition to the Haunted Mansion volumes!

Sophie also made her way through volumes one and two of Tales From The Haunted Mansion. These books are tie-ins to the Disneyland attraction and both contain four short stories linked together by scenes within the Haunted Mansion itself. The stories are along the lines of Goosebumps tales, spooky but aimed at younger readers–still, if you have young ones prone to nightmares, they may be best avoided because the spooks here are a little more intense than those found on the ride.

In volume one, The Fearsome Foursome, the book features one tale for each of a group of four middle schoolers who find invitations inviting them to visit the mansion the night their clubhouse is blown down by a freak storm. At the Mansion, Willa, Tim, Noah, and Steve meet librarian Amicus Arcane who insists upon reading them each a story from his extensive collection. The stories feature the kind of spooks found in a Simpsons Treehouse of Terror episode–a cursed baseball glove, a zombie hamster, and a purchase from the back page of an old comic that goes somewhat awry–but it’s not until the end that you understand what is really going on. It’s a twist Sophie saw coming, as would many mature readers, but played well enough that it will certainly shock the readers this book is aimed at.

Sophie found that she much preferred volume two, Midnight at Madame Leota’s, which follows a similar pattern in terms of how the book progresses. In this volume, we are introduced to William, a young man whose sister died when they were children and who has spent the intervening years visiting every medium, tarot reader, and voodoo practitioner he can find all over the world, hoping to find the one who isn’t a fraud. After one more failed attempt, William finds himself at his sister’s grave where he meets Amicus Arcane and finds himself visiting the Haunted Mansion in hopes of meeting the world renowned (and now, otherworldly) Madame Leota. Before he will introduce them, Amicus insists on reading William a selection of his tales. They feature a haunted traveling show, a bloodthirsty family legend, and the suggestion that the magic of cinema might be more magical than you ever realized. These stories felt less like silly Treehouse of Horror tales and more genuinely and uniquely spooky. Sophie also enjoyed the subtle references to other Disney attractions and park legends that were hidden for die hard fans to spot.

There is some minor continuation from volume one to volume two, so Sophie recommends reading these books in order. Considering they are aimed at younger readers, there was nothing especially out of this world for Sophie in terms of storytelling, yet she enjoyed them both and hopes to one day read them aloud to her son (though not for many years given his recent reactions to some far less scary books). The stories also feature frequent asides from Amicus in a different font as he makes sarcastic and foreboding commentary about what the characters in the book are up to. This takes a bit of getting used to at first, as it can disrupt the flow of the story, but Sophie found she soon got used to it.

One final thing Sophie particularly loved about the books is their design. Both have been designed to look like they belong on the shelves of the mansion itself, not only with beautiful covers but with pages filled with old-fashioned etching style illustrations, faux-stained pages, and chapters broken up by pages featuring the classic Haunted Mansion wallpaper pattern.

Goosebumps meets Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark in Disney’s new series that centers around the live-in spooks of the famous Haunted Mansion. Our ghost host and author, Amicus Arcane, is the Mansion’s resident librarian and keeper of tales. This is a fun and entertaining series, especially for those who are fans of the Haunted Mansion.

In this second volume of Tales from the Haunted Mansion, Arcane spins the story of William, a visitor seeking a seance with the famous Madame Leota in order to find out what happened to his sister many years ago. Along the way, William learns the spooky stories of a few of the Haunted Mansion’s ghosts. (Fun fact: these are based on actual ghosts that are seen in the theme park ride.)

Geared towards ages 8-12, this book is the perfect amount of creepy without being terrifying. The stories are simple, yet with enough twists and turns to fit the age range. It even manages to have a bit of morbid humor through fourth wall breaking interjections by Arcane. The design of Midnight at Madame Leota’s, which is to look like an old book from the Mansion’s library, fits excellently into the style of the book, with creepy illustrations and ghostly figures hiding between the pages.

Read at your own risk!

4/5 Stars.

I received a free e-ARC of Tales from the Haunted Mansion, Volume II: Midnight at Madame Leota’s from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really cool book about a man who came to the mansion looking for the famous Madame Leota so he could talk to his dead sister on last time, instead he encountered the mansions librarian (what a awesome job if I do say so myself) and was made to listen to several hair raising tales, (and I assure you reader, some are very creepy).

This book is really good for those middle grade readers looking for the creepy tales like goose bumps, but these come with a Disney twist as this mansion is the one of fame from the Disney park. This book will make a awesome addition to any library even the haunted ones.

Thrilling stories that will make the hair on your neck stand up.

I enjoyed the tales in this story more than the first. I did find the title to misleading and was hoping for more of a background on the ghosts that you see in the ride (though you do get some small insights). I did predict the ending and didn't find it to be much of a twist. I think upper elementary and middle school kids who enjoy scary stories will enjoy this series as well as those who love the ride at Disney.

Deliciously funny and spooky -- just like you'd expect of anything associated with Disney's Haunted Mansion!

I was incredibly excited to be invited to read the next Volume from legendary ghost of the host, Amicus Arcane. This was just as dreadfully delightful as the first set of tales and continues to conjure up impressive and imaginative ways of dying.... I particularly enjoyed the nods to the previous volume. I'm eager to see where Volume Three takes us!

As a Haunted Mansion fan, I have eagerly looked forward to this series. I enjoyed Volume 1, but this volume was even better. I already have a hard copy preordered!

I had bought the first volume for my daughter who is a huge fan of the Haunted Mansion movie and ride at Disney World. She really loved that book so of course I'll be buying her the second.

I feel like any fan of Disney's Haunted Mansion would benefit more if they read the first volume before this. The book even starts off referencing that you should've read that one in a letter to the reader. The various letters to the reader in between stories are an added bonus to make this feel like a realistic collection from someone's personal library that they're sharing.

The first volume focused on four kids who loved scary stories and this one changed focus so be prepared to find new thrills. A young man who lost his sister is on a journey to find her. Who doesn't love a spooky carnival especially if murder is involved? Vampires are a must for any scary collection, and these aren't your Twilight versions either. Ghosts make their required appearance with no sign of Casper tempering things with his friendliness. Then they added roaches, ROACHES! I think my skin is still crawling, UGH!!

The illustrations were spooky but not too bad considering the age level the volume is aimed at; the details went perfectly with the surrounding stories.

I think if you liked the first volume then you'll like this one.

Now, here's a book that will have your heart hammering even if it's a middle grade book meant to be read by kids. Other writers out there, you should take from this and not blame me for being a crabby adult. As an adult, I'm giving it four thumbs up (I had to include my big toes). The narration will carry you away with its flowing words. The author didn't do heavy descriptions, as he doesn't need to, just a manner of storytelling that will have you up on your toes.

Finishing this book puts a smile to my face. It's not always that I feel so nostalgic and this book has taken me back to my imaginative childhood. Needless to say, I like it a lot.

Kids of all ages will definitely enjoy this book. Midnight at Madame Leota's has a lilting prose that will make it easy to follow among kids. The author was really good at his craft of horror storytelling. The stories in the book were simple but ones that will gnaw on your head for its blazing uniqueness despite using overused references like the Vampire Count himself, a zombie with a singular purpose, and a haunting of an army of hideous insects (which is reminiscent of Stephen King's works). Oh wait, this book is supposed to be middle grade. Anyhow, kids who don't have background with popular horror icons (or those who just live under a rock) will still get the creeps as the author's writing style captures real terror no matter how simple the plot is.