Just when Valor McRaven and his sister, Doomsy Gloomsy, are minutes from becoming apprentices of magic at Mystic Steeples, their parents snatch them away in an escape from the sanatorium with two nutty Nizzertits they have befriended. Valor and Doomsy find themselves fleeing Hoopenfangia all the way to the Bumbling Boonies where Valor’s father plans to live in a hole in the ground in order to escape the Grim Warlock’s Thirteenth Hour—if Houmas McRaven can get his family through the enchanted door of the Ambergis Divide, that is.
But has Houmas led his family into the very pit of danger and death, he had imagined escaping? Will Valor’s friends show up after the war that ignites the Thirteenth Hour traps him and Doomsy in its sticky web?
Come along as Valor and Doomsy encounter magic creatures, a tombstone amusement park, and a tower of sorcerers, while unraveling more clues to the mysteries surrounding the McRavens.
Winner of the 2019 Readers’ Favorite Finalist Award in the Children - Fantasy/Sci-Fi category
Winner of the 2020 Book Excellence Finalist Award in the Fantasy Category.
Candlewicke 13 and the Tombstone Forest, the second book in the CANDLEWICKE 13 series, contains hidden clues throughout the novel. It also contains chapter illustrations as well as a variety of maps.
"Candlewicke 13 and the Tombstone Forest: Book Two of the Candlewick 13 Series by Milan Sergent was an excellent read. I did read the first one and I recommend anyone do the same – trust me, this book will make more sense if you do! This was an extremely well-written book, with shades of Harry Potter mixed with the Addams family in a story that starts high and stays there all the way. Illustrations and maps help the story along and there are plenty of little clues hidden along the way – if you can spot them. This is an adventurous action-filled tale, a story that never lets up from start to finish. I hope there is a third story because this is proving to be an excellent series. The characters are wonderful and the writing is such that they are brought alive in your mind, allowing you to get to know them (and maybe wish you had friends like them!). Great story and I'm looking forward to more from Milan Sergent."
Review Rating: 5 Stars
"I loved this fantasy and the characters and can’t help smiling at names like Doomsy Gloomsy. Valor is an unusual hero in a wonderful narrative and it is interesting to notice the clumsiness that characterizes his family. This family has a much deeper secret and a strength that isn’t quite evident in the magical world that surrounds them. Readers who have read Septimus Heap or fans of Harry Potter will find much to enjoy in this series. The prose is awesome and the world building impeccable, featuring settings that reflect the sentiments of the characters or the sense of magic that inhabits the world. Author Milan Sergent keeps it fast and maintains the attention of readers from one gripping page to the next. The action is intense and the excitement builds up to an explosive climax."
Review Rating: 5 Stars
"It was an absolute delight to return to the bizarre, macabre and utterly entertaining world of the McRavens in this latest edition of Candlewicke 13. Valor and Doomsy developed a lot during book one, so it’s wonderful to see their new skills at work as they struggle through the mess their wayward parents have gotten them into now. The mystery of the McRavens continues with fluid prose, immense wit and highly engaging dialogue as author Milan Sergent weaves an intelligent tapestry of ideas. It is masterfully simple for younger readers but has plenty of depth left to explore. In this novel, I particularly enjoyed the role reversal of precocious kids with insane parents, and the amusement park was a truly wild ride. Overall, Candlewicke 13 and the Tombstone Forest is another superb YA fantasy novel, not to be missed."
Review Rating: 5 Stars
"This story was very entertaining from the start until the very end. The mystery had me hooked while the suspense had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I wanted to know more about Valor and Doomsy and I enjoyed the interaction between these two. They seemed a lot more intelligent than their parents, which was a great turn of events and made the story a lot funnier. I loved the flow, I enjoyed the fast-paced plot and I enjoyed these characters."
Review Rating: 5 Stars
"What I always look for in magical tales are the surprises, clues, and ironies and they abound in this narrative. It is curious that someone puts so much effort into escaping danger just to find it staring him in the face. Valor McRaven is from humble origins, belonging to the neglected and often despised class of witches and wizards, but he has a strong destiny to fulfill. What makes him even more interesting is that he hasn’t even completed any apprenticeship in magic. The narrative features creatures of magic and myth, characters that are well developed with enough backstory, powerful plot points, and a conflict that grows in magnitude through each page. Milan Sergent’s writing is filled with imagination and a setting that is transporting as it reflects the excitement of the magical adventure."
Review Rating: 5 Stars
09/01/2019 Milan Sergent's second novel in the Candlewicke 13 series wins award!
On September 1, 2019, Readers’ Favorite announced that "Candlewicke 13 and the Tombstone Forest" by Milan Sergent won the Finalist Award in the Children - Fantasy/Sci-Fi category in its annual international book award contest.
