Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg - Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5

Content Warnings: some themes surrounding trauma while healing trauma

Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg is a fantasy and historical fiction book about romance, found family, magic, conspiracies and mysteries, healing from trauma, and self-discovery that are practically seamlessly blended together by Holmberg's beautiful and engaging, but still easy-to-read, prose. There are so many themes and concepts swirling around in this book, and yet instead of clashing with one another, fighting to be the one that sticks out and captures all the attention, Holmberg has managed to weave the themes together in a way that they not only do not clash but even go so far as to enhance and celebrate one another.

Holmberg's talent, understanding, knowledge, and grasp of magical and fantastical worlds is clear in her writing of Heir of Uncertain Magic. She has wonderful world-building and has created a unique and intricate magic system without overwhelming or confusing the reader. The magic system particularly deserves a shout-out, and while I won't spoil anything, I will say that the idea of magic dying out, the categories with the magic system, and the enchanted house all add so much to the complexity of the story making it not only easier but extremely fun to get immersed in the world Holmberg has created.

As if the world-building and magic in this world wasn't enough, Holmberg writes quirky and unique characters and gives us such a tender romance that readers have the pleasure of watching blossom into a full-fledged romantic relationship. The chemistry between Merritt and Hulda is near perfect blend of wonderful, playful, and beautiful. The banter between the two is so fun and engaging and draws readers in, making the story feel more relatable and thus real. It is hard not to root for them and to enjoy every second of their ever-growing closeness as they dance between banter, playfulness, tenderness, and more.

To top everything off, I loved that Holmberg was able to blend this self-discovery and romance story with a mystery. I absolutely love mysteries - though I don't read them enough - because of how engaged they keep the reader, constantly guessing at what's next, what has happened, who's behind it, etc. However, as mentioned before, the element of mystery and Hulda's investigation of the institute's secrets do not detract from the other elements of the story. They truly all work together to keep the reader engaged while celebrating each unique storyline and still maintaining the sense of cohesion as one whole story.

If you love romance, fantasy, historical fiction, and mysteries then this book is absolutely for you! But don't forget to read the first book, Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg, before reading Heir of Uncertain Magic! Happy reading!

I think the plot moved a little bit slower than the first book and I was a tad confused by the conclusion (but that may be reader error). Otherwise, this sequel was just as charming as the first.

Thank you to the publisher of Heir of Uncertain Magic for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heir of Uncertain Magic is book two in the Whimbrel House series. This book should not be read without having read Keeper of Enchanted Rooms first because events and characters are referenced heavily throughout this book from the book one in the series.

I was very excited to continue on Hulda and Merritt's journey after reading Keeper of Enchanted Rooms, but I'm a little sad to say I was disappointed in this book. What I loved from book one was the overall lighthearted, whimsical feeling and the cute banter between all the characters. Heir of Uncertain Magic lacked in all of these areas for me. There seemed to be a much more anxious air hanging over our characters throughout which led to many repetitive questions with our characters. At 60% we were yet again having this discussion of:
"Where is "Character X"?"
"I wish I knew where "Character X" was."
"Have you heard from "Character X"?"
Too much discussion of a plot point that was not moving anywhere. We were also introduced to several additional characters who seemed to only serve very specific plot point progression, so it left a hole in the character development area that I was looking for.

That aside, the book wasn't bad and I was glad to see things start moving along in the last 25% of the book. Problems resolved and the plot made sense. We saw a little more of Owien, whom I loved! I'm probably more invested in Owien than anyone else at this point, he's a great character!

I'll still be recommending this series to others as I think it's a fun read. This will be a great suggestion for readers who want to try fantasy but may be intimidated by the genre.

Okay, it’s official, I’m obsessed with this series already!!😍

This is the second book in the Whimbrel House series & picks up perfectly right where #KeeperofEnchantedRooms left off! I can’t say much to avoid spoilers, but as a newbie to fantasy, this was such a great place to start!

The romance, the family drama, the magic…all so amazing🤩🤩 the story is flowing beautifully & I can’t wait to see where the story takes us in the next book!!!

Thank you @netgalley, @cnholmberg & @ for the ARC of #HeirofUncertainMagic This one publishes 4/11/23!!

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy for review.

I could not wait for book 2 of the Whimbrel House series to come out. We follow Hulda and Merritt as they try to figure out what has happened to Myra, the former head of BIKER. Merritt is struggling with his new found magical abilities. Hulda is struggling with her feelings for Merritt. Owein is enjoying having a living body again but is struggling with the limitations it has. Beth has been sent away and Myra is missing without a trace. Now LIKER has shown up to take over BIKER until they find a new head. Hulda and Merritt can sense that something is awry. Will they be able to solve the mystery?

Charlie Holmberg drew me into her world right from the beginning. I really enjoyed the characters. Hulda with her internal struggles and Owein with his mischievous nature were my favorites. Although every character has something to love.

I devoured this book! An absolutely worthy sequel to KEEPER OF ENCHANTED ROOMS, I loved the further exploration of Merritt and Hulda's characters—both separately and together—and I'm obsessed with Owein. Can't wait for the next installment in this delightful series!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc!

As a fan of another book by the same author, I didn't pay attention while requesting, so I started reading the second book without reading the first. Although, I think I would need to read book 1 later; I was able to follow the story rather well. The love story was cute and sweet and I think the character's noticeable development shined through the pages. I’m hoping this series will continue!

This book follows Keeper of Enchanted Rooms and can not be read as a stand-alone, but you wouldn't want to because this series is so good. In Heir of Uncertain Magic Merritt is learning how to use his newfound magic and trying to reconcile with his past whilst also making plans for his future with Hulda. Meanwhile Hulda is looking for Myra and dealing with the problems that have arisen within BIKER.

I really loved this book it is such a fun and sweet adventure with fantastic world building. The magic is so detailed and unique, especially involving the dilution of the magic and enchanted houses its just something completely new. Also all the characters are so loveable especially Owein you can't help but read on to see what happens to them next. I would highly recommend for lovers of period, fantasy, magic and romance readers. This is just a really cosy read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc!

What an amazing sequel this was. It was definitely en par with the first one and the character development was my favorite part. The different paths taken took you for a journey. Amazing.

As always, I love the creativity and imagination in Charlie N. Holmberg's books! Her development of systems of magic is new in every series! This was a great follow up to Keeper of Enchanted Rooms!

The conflict was complicated and hard to follow at times, with so many characters involved! But that did not take away from the overall enjoyment of the story! Hulda is finally starting to loosen up a bit, and Merritt is shaking loose of the sorrow of his past. It was lovely to watch the two of them support each other through their separate difficulties. The door is wide open for a third book, and I am looking forward to it!

I received a free ARC through #netgalley , all expressed opinions are my own!

I got the first book in this series as part of my perks for an Amazon Prime membership. As I was finishing it, I was made aware that the sequel was available on NetGalley, so I rushed over to snag a copy of it.

I loved this book more than the first, honestly, because we didn't have to go through all the tedious (though necessary, I know) details that were required to set the scene and introduce the characters in the first book.

We got to know all of the characters better, in this book, and I really appreciated having more opportunity to "visit" with them and watch them solve new problems.

I really enjoyed this book, and I'm honestly hoping that it isn't the last in the series. I recommend it to those who enjoy magic and fantasy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I stumbled across this series in late 2022 and was thrilled to dive into the next installment of Hulda, Merritt, and Whimbrel House, not to mention all of its assorted characters. Heir of Uncertain Magic did not disappoint.

It should be noted, this is not a book that can be read as a stand-alone. While there are mentions of the plot in the first book, the true backstory is not given, which I appreciated. Heir of Uncertain Magic immediately dives into the continuation of the story started in Keeper of Enchanted Rooms, picking up just days after the conclusion of the first book. We get to know some of the characters better in this installment, while some of the supporting cast are brought in just enough to keep your curiosity whetted.

The major characters, Hulda, Merrit and Owein, begin to display their humanity and motivations, and they shift from characters you're interested in, to characters that you're rooting for. Holmberg does an excellent job of building the romantic tension while keeping true to the story arc as well as the time period.

As a lover of all things magic, the way various types of magic are introduced throughout this series, as well as the side effects and dilution of the skills, is original and fascinating. I'm on the edge of my seat, already hoping to learn more about the magic each character possesses next time.

The only reason I rated this book as 4 stars instead of 5, is some of the story arc felt as if it was trying to fit a little too much in, maybe an extra character or two that complicates the details, without being significant to the end result.

As the number of people with magical abilities is declining, and the strength of their magic being diluted from marriages to nonmagic partners, Merritt Fernsby is an exception to the rule. Now that he knows he has magic in his family bloodlines he’s learning how to use and increase the different types of magic he’s inherited. His girlfriend Hulda possesses magic herself, and now it’s up to the two of them and their friends (including a boy in a dog’s body)to save the Boston Institute for the Keeping Of Enchanted Rooms from a takeover by distinctly mysterious and maybe evil Londoners from the home office. They say they’re in Boston to investigate the finances and the disappearance of the Institutes head, Myra, who is Hulda’s close friend, but Hulda is more and more uncomfortable around them, possibly because of magic. This wonderful story follows Merritt and Hulda as they
try to save the institute and look for Myra to answer questions about a dead foe. .
I loved how the author built a world that combined Massachusetts and Rhode Island in 1846 and a magical world that sees Merritt and Hulda trying to carefully move between. Definitely read book one first as you’ll need to understand the source of evil that is uncovered there, and still reaches to the magic inhabitants of Blaugdone Island.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for introducing me this author and magical crew, the mystery, the growing love between Merritt and Hulda, and Oweinn. Reading the book was a lovely way to spend a rainy day.

She’s a must buy author for me at this point…

Enchanting and Innocent Fantasy with a healthy bit of mystery and thrill. Reading Charlie is like a beautiful breathe of fresh air after you’ve been knee deep in epic fiction or fantasy. It’s like cozy fantasy meets a mild mystery fiction. We find our favorite characters where we left them from Book One and the story seamlessly continues.

Pros
•Chosen Family Vibes
•Innocent and sweet love story
•Magic is enchanting and creative
•Relatable themes such as family drama, trauma, self discover, healing, and love
•This book unfolds more magic, so creative
•Owein is my favorite character in this book
•The Banter is 5stars!

Cons
•It ended!

Highly recommend if you are newer to fantasy, or like cozy mystery, sweet romance, creative magic systems and chosen family vibes!

Thank you Netgalley, author, and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

If you thought Keeoer of Enchanted Rooms was a whirlwind of fun, magic, and adventure, then Heir of Uncertain Magic is sure to entice you with many of the same feelings. I couldn’t put it down willingly, once again staying up too late to finish the riveting story that explores further into the lives of Hulda, Merritt, Owein, Miss Taylor, and Baptiste. As yet another unexpected magical hurdle is thrown at them, Hulda and Merritt look further into their futures together and as individuals.

Thank you to 47North and NetGalley for the amazing chance to read this ARC. It was definitely my pleasure to do so.

*Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review.*

This was the second book in Whimbrel House series. And I loved even more than the first book. Fast paced, it draws you right in. The magical system is really wonderful and you just have to read it again and again to appreciate it. I highly suggest Heir of Uncertain Magic.

I love this series. This wasn't as strong as the first; possibly bc it kept everyone apart too much (although that was necessary for this plot) but it also felt like a warm hug. I do love this ragtag group and there is definitely a lot of healing happening in this installment. Hopefully now that Merritt and Hulda have gone through the ringer now - twice - the will they/won't they kind of can be removed and they can settle in now for whatever the next adventure is.

This review is for the first book Keeper of Enchanted Rooms as well as Heir of Uncertain Magic, which I read one after the other. Both worked well as stand-alone stories, though there are certainly places for the series to continue. I thought this would be a nice, light-hearted, optimistic series to read over the holidays, and it was. I appreciated that the characters were not teenagers, though they were quite new at romantic relationships. It was interesting to ponder how a woman with a history of nothing but rejection, disinterest, and derision from men could overcome the wisdom of her experience and allow herself to fall vulnerably in love, which from all her reasoning was extremely foolish. That could have all been very grim and depressing, but being familiar with this author, I had faith she wouldn't go there, and it was nice to see a happy ending, or at least a happy middle.

This is the second book in the Whimbrel House series. If you haven't already read the first, I highly recommend giving it a shot. Heir of Uncertain Magic dives deeper in Merritt's family and magical struggles. The events and revelations of book 1 have left him much to contend with. Hulda is also struggling to come out of her shell, especially when it comes to romance with Merritt. On top of it all, there are stills secrets to uncover at BIKER.

While book 1 at times felt rather cozy, this installment is more angsty since it revolves more around Merritt facing his tragic past with his family and Hulda facing the next step in her career. The book is slower paced than book 1, but focuses a lot on the emotions and inner workings of the characters, including developing the romance more and exploring both Merritt and Owein's feelings about family. The book also gives us a greater look into the workings of BIKER. Those who wanted a deeper dive into Merritt's past and more romance will enjoy this installment.

Disclaimer: thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.