I have mixed feelings about this sequel but in different ways from how I felt about the first book. I really disliked the flashbacks to the villain in the first book so I’m happy to say that this book is nowhere near as dark but unfortunately it also seems to have less magic. This book lacks the fun of learning about the magical world and what it can do and instead becomes more of a mystery where the characters have to figure out who the villain is that’s working to cause them problems. I also really disliked the paternity issue from the first book feeling like an afterthought here. Merritt has had his life disrupted because of this and he’s obviously very affected by it but after all the build up it’s given very little page time. For what might be the conclusion of the series I’m just not sure it’s a series worth reading. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am reviewing this from the perspective of someone who has not read the first book.

Heir of Uncertain Magic is the second book in the Whimbrel House series about a man who inherited a haunted house, Merritt Fernsby. Together with a house tamer, Hulda Larkin, Merritt discovered his magical lineage and sought to master it.

Jumping into the second book without reading the first book was not as hard as I thought it would be. I could fill in the gaps quite quickly as the story progressed, however, I did struggle a bit with understanding the magic system. Even without reading the first book, I think the premise of this story is unique for fantasy audiences, combining haunting phenomena with an elaborate magic system. Once I got the hang of the magic system, I think it is out of the ordinary and was enjoyable to read.

I guess the negative side of not having read the first book is that it hinders me from bonding with the characters. I think Merritt and Hulda were written consistently and I saw each of their development but in all honesty, I have not sympathized with them. I understood each of their motivations but I could not say I related to them. The only character I felt a semblance of relatability with was Owein. In my honest opinion, I also think the characters acted more like the 21st century people instead of people from the 19th century.

The plot and pacing of the storytelling seemed too slow for me that it took me quite a while to finish the book. The writing was easy to read, beautiful, and flowed naturally. However, I am used to more fast-paced, action-driven fantasy stories so regrettably; I have to say this book felt a little flat for me. It just didn't pull me instantly to the story or to the character. I am sure if I had read the first book, I would have a different opinion. I wish I have a different opinion because the premise of the story really intrigued me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for honest feedback.

This sequel to “Keeper of Enchanted Rooms follows the further adventures of Merritt Fernsby and Hulda Larkin. The duo and their companions deal with the fallout of their encounter with magical madman Silas Hogwood. Hulda’s boss, Myra, has resigned from her director position at BIKER (Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms) and disappeared. LIKER (London…), the parent company of BIKER, has sent representatives to Boston to perform an audit. Hulda will have to figure out what this group is after and who she can trust while protecting Myra and the secret of Silas Hogwood’s misdeeds.

Meanwhile, Merritt is exploring his newfound powers with the help of his 8-times great uncle, who happens to embody a dog. In order to control his gifts, Merritt will have to confront his biological father and reacquaint himself with his estranged family. Only by embracing all of who he is can he come into his power and help Hulda determine who is after BIKER’s secrets.

As with the first book, I found this story witty, surprising, and well-written. Merritt and Hulda are complex, interesting characters that will have you rooting for them to succeed. The world of magic the author has created is so fun to explore, and I can’t wait for more!

This was just as good as the first book, Keeper of Enchanted Rooms (Whimbrel House #1). There was even more intrigue and mystery in this sequel and I really liked that. I’m getting a little invested in this “world” and the lives of these characters, I would love more books in this series!

A special thanks to Netgalley, 47North and Charlie N. Holmberg for this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. Heir of Enchanted Magic will be published in April 2023.

I cannot say it enough: Charlie Holmberg must be made of magic, or else she's got the best muse sitting on her shoulder. Her stories are always immersive and her characters fully - realized. I adore everything she's ever written, this included.

A couple of weeks after the events involving Silas Hogwood, we find Merritt Fernsby struggling to understand and control his newfound magical abilities. Only two people can help him: Myra, the head of BIKERS; and his biological father, Nelson Sutcliffe. But Myra disappeared without a trace after their confrontation with Silas, and Merritt is hesitant to return to his hometown and meet Sutcliffe. Meanwhile Hulda is intent on contacting Myra as she fears for the future of BIKERS. To complicate matters, LIKERS, their London father company, has sent three representatives to conduct an audit and to interview individuals for Myra’s position. Hulda wants the job, but senses something is off with the auditors. In addition, she is trying to find out how to balance her romantic life and the demands of her professional aspirations, while supporting Merritt through his own situations. Owein, on the other hand, comes to terms with his life in the body of a dog, but fears the loneliness he will return to should something happen to the people he loves. As Hulda’s investigation progresses and Merritt starts to understand his abilities, they fall into the crosshairs of people that seek power through Myra’s secret activities by wielding their own magical abilities to endanger Merritt's and Hulda’s freedom.

The second installment to the Whimbrel House series wastes no time in getting us acquainted with the consequences of the Silas Hogwood affair. The magic becomes even more interesting and the emotional stakes higher. Slowly but surely, the author weaves a plot around the surprising mystery surrounding Myra, immersing the reader in a whirlwind of events that will not let our main characters catch a break. They evolve in their feelings and make their best effort in facing their shortcomings and seeking the support of those around them. The ending is satisfying and leaves space for more of Owein, Merritt, Hulda, and their family and friends.
I highly recommend this enjoyable and immersive story to lovers of cozy mysteries, magic, romance, found-family themes, and female empowerment.

Thanks to NetGalley and 47Northfor providing me with a free digital copy to review this book.

#HeirofUncertainMagic#NetGalley#bookstagram#booktrovert#booklover#netgalleyreviewer#bookstagrammer#bookreviews#goodreads#netgalleyreviews#bookstagram#booktrovert#booklover

I received a temporary digital advanced copy of Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg from NetGalley, 47North, and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Life for Merritt Fernsby has calmed down after Hulda Larkin's rescue, but with the disappearance of BIKER's director and LIKER coming to audit their American counterpart, Merritt and Hulda's work is far from finished. Will the two with Owein and their friends' assistance be successful in finding the answers to their many questions or will BIKER fall into the hands of the enemy?

I truly enjoyed Heir of Uncertain Magic and think it is an excellent sequel to Keep of Enchanted Rooms. Being able to get Owein's perspective was refreshing and a great addition to the others. Being able to follow Merritt on his journey to learning about his magic and repairing bonds that have been broken was also very intriguing. There were some points of the story that were a bit too slow-paced for me and that was why I gave it four stars instead of five.

Charlie N. Holmberg has become an instant buy for me, and I was so excited for this series. I devoured the first one to realize the second one wasn’t yet out. When I got the ARC I immediately started reading it.

The world building of magic is one of my favorite things about this series. The idea of magic dying out, the categories, the enchanted houses. It’s all so fun. It never feels overwhelming, and you’ll always be learning new things as needed. Honestly, it’s what makes Holmberg’s books so different and all so much fun. It’s always a new world, and I’ve never failed to enjoy them.

The plot is quick paced, occasionally a wee bit slow in the middle, but nothing terrible. The characters are all so much fun, and I love learning more and more about them as we go along.

It ends wonderfully, and in a way to let you know there will be third!

Not as thrilling as the first book, but still enjoyable nonetheless. In this sequel, the exploration of the magic system is more striking because the story follows through Merritt’s adjustments to his 'new' ability and Hulda’s problems with BIKER. But, I do like how Owein got his own POV too here and also the ending was very intriguing. It seems like a good start for a new sequel!

Oooh, I love this book! I read the first one ( this is book 2) by sheer random chance and could not wait to read more in this series. Our protagonists Merritt and Hilda are again ensnarled in magical mysteries while falling in love with one another. The world building is seamless in this alternate end of Victorian era fantasy. There is less intense horror than the first book but the same pace and character development strengths. The book was a very fast read for me, left me wanting more. I always like it when the secondary characters are as well fleshed out as the primary ones. Thats certainly the case here. A hearty recommendation to my fellow fantasy lovers. .

I love Charlie Holmbergs writing. Every time I read one of their books, I get lost in the story right away and this was no exception. The characters were fun and the story was well-written.

We meet the entire cast of Keeper of Enchanted Rooms again in this book, and they are equally as charming as they were the first time around! I really enjoyed reading Heir of Uncertain Magic, living in this fantasy world for a bit longer and understanding the magic system a bit better.

A part of me wanted more from the climax of the story - I felt the mystery was resolved too early and the resolution a little underwhelming, but it was still a very good read.

First things first, I need this NOT to be the last book in this series. I MIGHT have been okay with just Keeper of Enchanted Rooms, but then Charlie adds this little slice of perfection and I NEED MORE. First, the love story is perfect. So sweet. So healing. Just perfect. I need it to be seen through. Second, I have several questions that weren’t answered in this second book of the Whimbrel House series. Thirdly, this story is just so, so good. It can’t end yet.
Thank you NetGalley for this Arc! I absolutely loved it.

Another win for Holmberg! This is the second book in this series and I loved the deepening of the characters' relationships with each other and with their magic. I felt that there were some plot points that weren't fully resolved in this book, but there's always the next one! I can't wait for it.

Absolutely love this series — this one wasn’t quite as charming or character-based as the first one, which had me skimming quite a bit since there were a fair few chunks of repetitive plot explaining. But the characters are lovable as ever!

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

Another awesome and incredible book. So glad to follow the characters some more and can’t wait to hear more!

I picked this book up as soon as I finished the first book in the series. It starts right off where the first one ends and you continue on with the lives of the characters. I thought that it wasn't as engrossing as the first one because there wasn't as much magic in it but still I thought it was 5 stars.
I just reviewed Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg. #HeirofUncertainMagic #NetGalley
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I really loved this book! It took be a little bit to get in the groove ( I felt that the beginning was a lot of information and fluff that I personally didn’t care about…I wanted adventure lol) but once I did I could barely put it down!! Merritt, Hulda, and Owein have a way of worming themselves into your heart
At times I felt parts of it were a bit word heavy…but at the same time the author has such a great way of painting a picture that you really feel like you can SEE.
I also didn’t realize this was the second book in the series but the author did an amazing job of giving you all the pieces of information you needed to keep up

I was so happy and thrilled to find the arc of Charlie N. Holmberg’ s new book, Heir of Uncertain Magic on the Read Now section of NetGalley. After just finishing Keeper of Enchanted Rooms, I was excited about being able to go back and revisit with the characters and read more about the magic along with the obstacles and dilemmas they go through. I was really quite surprised at how much I enjoyed reading these books since this isn’t a genre that I normally tend to read. But these books are really good! I love reading about the romance that is blossoming between Merritt and Hulda especially since Hulda is so shy, inexperienced and proper. These stories are a historical romance, fantasy and a little bit of mystery. I do recommend other readers check them out, even if this isn’t your normal type read. I think you might just be surprised like I was at how much you enjoy them. I would start with the first book if possible. If not, that’s fine too, as the author has recapped everything in the second book so you won’t feel lost, confused or like you’ve missed out on anything important. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc to read and review. I’m happy to have found a new author to enjoy and I’m giving this book a 5 star rating!

Charlie N. Holmberg’s work Heir of Uncertain Magic grounds a beautiful and enchanting tale of the magic world. The story keeps the reader intact and curious through every chapter. Merritt Fernsby and Hulda Larkin’s love amidst their entangled situation with BIKER and Merritt’s struggle with spells and magic is one of the bright aspects of it. The romantic notions are exquisite. They deliver a ray of hope throughout Merritt’s journey of finding his lineage and Hulda’s effort of investigating the disappearance of Myra.
Owein’s phenomenal character gives a lighter tone to the story. The feelings of a dog who happened to be a house before touch one’s heart. The painful past yet the childish nature of Owein adds to the rhythm of the story. His dedication to his recent family which happens to be Merritt, Hulda, Miss Taylor and Baptiste is phenomenal. His emotions when they are not around him support the fact of his loyalty and unconditional love.
The magical realm, spells and stones portray Charlie’s own knowledge of magical fantasy. Her deep insight into this genre is much appreciated by the reader. The dialogues are well-placed and fit the story's plot, time, place and phase.
BIKER, LIKER, and Myra’s character keep one involved in a kind of trance and curiosity for what will happen next with Hulda. The story has a detective touch which with romance is the strength of Heir of Uncertain Magic. It’s a happy ending for almost every character involved specifically Merritt and Hulda. Everything begins to sit perfectly in its place as the story reaches its end. The proposal, in the end, is a beautiful exit to the story by Charlie.
Throughout the story, the reader keeps praising Charlie for her beautiful narration and stronghold on writing a magical fantasy. Heir of Uncertain Magic is highly recommended for whoever loves reading magical, romantic and detective stories.