Candlewicke 13: Curse of the McRavens (Book 1); Milan Sergent

“Candlewick 13: Curse of the McRavens” is the whimsical story of Valor McRaven, a Sorcerer in hiding on an island nation full of “normal” witches. These witches despise Sorcerers, mainly due to the fact that the Grim Warlock has placed a spell over the nation to ensure that the Knight of Night can’t undue the dastardly plans that he’s trying to enact. Early in the story, Valor and his entire family are tossed into a sanatorium-like prison, where dark forces are constantly trying to get rid of Valor, all ahead of the unwinnable tournament that Valor has been selected to partake in. With the help of his adopted sister, Doomsy Gloomsy, and a group of misfits, Valor must accept his role as the leader of their coven, and stop the Grim Warlock before he can enact his plan for the terrible Thirteenth Hour. But first, Valor has to survive this tournament. It’s an exciting Middle Grade fantasy adventure for sure, but I struggled with the story.

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Ultimately, I think that I was expecting something a little different based on the synopsis. While I adored the dark and whimsical vibe this book and the whole series has, I was expecting the adventure to be more focused on this tournament that Valor is expected to compete in, and not survive. But the tournament itself doesn’t occur until the last 80% of the book, and then is over in about a chapter, which was very fast given the huge set up, and the emphasis the synopsis gave this event. Mostly, the book focused on little subplots that are setting up things that will, I’m assuming, be addressed in later books in the series.
 
While the whimsical nature is fun for younger readers, I did find it a bit disorienting at times as leaps are made as characters go from scene to scene or chapter to chapter, where they end in one place and then the next chapter they are in the middle of a new scenario. It can be a little hard for younger readers to follow, even if it does fit the atmosphere of the book, so that’s just something to keep in mind if you are giving this to a younger reader to enjoy. Supposedly the writing includes hints to spells and who is responsible for all the trouble Valor faces, which could account for the unique style this book is written in, though I found the culprit to be fairly obvious early on.

A great deal of world building and subplots are introduced in this first book with very little in terms of resolution of any of the things that got introduced, which did make this book feel long, and ultimately was what made it so hard for me to get into. Keeping track of characters who would pop in to introduce themselves, and a little mystery, who then never returned had me losing sight of what the ultimate goal and plot of this particular story was supposed to be focused on. The characters can be a bit over the top which may be more fun for younger readers again, but I think it would lose its charm for young adult readers, which is part of the reason this gets 3 stars from me. I had a hard time getting into the story or really connecting to the main cast, and it just took so long to get to the tournament… Clearly, I am in the minority though, so this book probably just wasn’t for me. But if you’re a fan of epic middle grade fantasy that’s heavy on the dark whimsy, you may really enjoy this book! And thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy for an honest review.