While I still enjoyed Heir of Uncertain Magic I enjoyed the first book more. This one seemed to take much longer before the story picked up. The ending ends on a happy note but I had hoped for a little more.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and Charlie N. Holmberg for the ARC.

Charlie N. Holmberg builds a fantastical world of magic in this series. Shortly after finishing the first book, 'Keeper Of Enchanted Rooms', I was sad to see that I would have to wait until April 2023 for the 2nd book. But thankfully, I was able to pick up the e-ARC and continue the story of Merritt, Hulda, and OWEIN (my favorite). I really loved that we get to see how everyone progresses in this book and what lies beyond BIKER and Whimbrel House. 'Heir of Uncertain Magic' is a slow burn and is definitely a comfort read, but once the story picks up the pace, I did not want to put it down. I was definitely rooting for the underdogs the whole way through.

It was refreshing to read an adult fantasy that didn't rely heavily on the spice. There was just enough romantic tension without taking away from the mystery and storyline.

I can't wait for the rest of what's to come for our Whimbrel House family.

I didn't pay enough attention while requesting because I love another book by the same author, so I was jumping head on to the second book. Surprisingly, I could follow the story rather well, although I think I would need to read book 1 later.
Love Hulda and Merritt! And Owein too. As usual, Charlie's world building and the cute wholesome small moments are amazing. There are a couple chapters that felt a little slow, but I enjoyed this book a lot!

The first couple of chapters felt slow since there was a lot of set up. Yet, I felt the characters that I loved from the first book seemed a little off and perhaps stiff but after the first couple of chapters, the action picked up and I fell in love with the characters again. Hulda and Merritt are great main characters together and at first I worried that they would spend the whole book separated but thankfully they weren’t. I love all the secondary characters as well! I am looking forward to the next story!

Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg
(Whimbrel House #2)

My favorite Whimbrel House characters are back but not all is right with their world. Merritt Fernsby and his former housekeeper, Hulda, know they have feelings for each other but Hulda, so new to romance, is unsure and hesitant about how to proceed with their relationship. She also isn't sure what future Biker has since her former boss, Myra, has done more manipulation of the company than is probably legal. In fact, Biker is being investigated by the home office, Liker, and a new director must be picked. The investigators don't seem very friendly towards Hulda so she's afraid she won't get the job even though she is the best person for it.

At Whimbrel House, chef Baptiste is still there but Beth as been removed by Liker and sent who knows where. Adorable Owein, eight or so times Merritt's uncle, a 12 year old boy, once enchanting a house but now inside the body of a dog, is learning to spell and Merritt is getting classes to help him better understand his new found magic abilities. Merritt, Hulda, Baptiste, Beth, and Owein love Whimbrel House and its island but evil forces are afoot to tear up this family-like group. Plus, Merritt feels the need to go back to his hometown and face his father, er, fathers.

I worried about Merritt and Hulda and their naivety. Even once they had discerned that shadiness was afoot at Biker, they, especially Hulda, just goes about her business there, with less care for her safety than I would like. Yes, she wants the director's job at Biker but magic is a real thing in this world and it seems you can never trust what you think is going on when there could be someone around you manipulating emotions, senses, everything. In the end, almost everyone needs saving. What have you done, Myra? Hulda wants to trust her friend/former boss but she and her friends may be paying for Myra's misdeeds. When I say this story is confusing, it makes sense because confusion is one of the spells that get used in this story.

Thank you to 47North and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy before the release date.
It started out quite well and I enjoyed it in the beginning but at some point it felt like nothing was actually happening and I got bored pretty quickly.

What a wonderful sequel! The characters continue to evolve, albeit along separated paths at times. I look forward to the next book in the series!

While books by Charlie Holmberg are usually an instant request/borrow for me, some how I missed the first in this series. So, I picked this one up and realized about 20% in that I was clearly missing the context that the first book in the series must have given. I stuck it out because the writing is pretty good, but it was difficult to really follow all of story given how much seemed to depend on the knowing what happened in the first one. I would have preferred it to at least stand on its own even if missing background details, but it doesn't ever really. I'm sure those who read the first book first will enjoy this much more.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Such an amazing sequel to the first book. This book dives deeper into the magic created by the author and shows the reader a wider view of the world and how magic interacts with it. The relationship between the main characters is so sweet and genuinely made me smile throughout the tale. Highly recommended.

I adore Charlie Holmberg. I was over the moon to receive this eARC from Net Galley. Holmberg is a fantastic writer and I love her world building around magic.

Heir of Uncertain Magic does not disappoint. This is the second installment of the Whimbrel House series. I think you could easily read this as a stand alone, but reading Keeper of Enchanted Rooms gives you more depth to the world the main characters live in. I love the idea of BIKER and LIKER and would love a spin off for more backs story.

Merritt finds himself in the middle several mysteries. His family, the outcome from the first book, and his affections towards Hulda. Oh my gosh and Owein. His character tugs at my heart strings.

I’m a little partial to the setting (since I’m from New England) but, I love the setting and description of Whimbrel house. The plot is faced paced (it slows down a bit in the middle - but there are important facts that are needed for the conclusion).

I love the magic, mystery and romance in Heir of Uncertain Magic. Read this series - you don’t be disappointed..

Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N Holmberg is the second book in the Whimbrel House series, a sequel to Keeper of Enchanted Rooms and I would highly recommend reading the books in order as much of the plot of this book is reliant on the events of the the first one so readers who are not familiar with the world, characters and magic system may be a little confused.
This is a charming series with a lot of warmth, and I think this is due in a large part to the characters the author has created. Hulda, a woman tasked with the care and management of magical buildings is a strong independent woman with a reserved streak that I loved seeing her start to overcome in this book. This change is largely due to Merritt, her former employer who is trying to come to terms with his own magical powers while also dealing with family trauma. I loved the first book and its setting of Whimbrel house, and of course the mystery of who or what was haunting it. Unfortunately I found that the plot of this book was lacking, I really struggled to care about what was happening at Hulda's company B.I.K.E.R. or what had happened to her friend who has disappeared, which meant that I found myself distracted and putting the book aside far more often than is normal for me. It is a shame, I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

After finishing The Keeper of Enchanted Rooms and realising I would have aggggesss to wait for the next in the series, I was delighted to come across it on NetGalley.
I Love with a capital L Charlie N. Holmbergs books, and this was no exception. I love the richness of the worlds that she builds, the fullness of the characters, and the plots that keep my nails very well worn down.
I know it says it's book 2 of 2, but I'm going to cross my fingers there is a secret 3rd in the works!

Thank you to Netgalley and author Charlie N. Holmberg for an e-copy of this ARC.

I absolutely devoured the first book in this series so was unbelievably grateful to then be able to continue my wonderful magic journey with Merrit and Hulda in this sequel. Filled with a glorious magic system the events of this sequel carried on seamlessly from the first book and the main character somehow managed to find themselves in even deeper trouble and in the middle of a murder mystery.

I love the characters and love their relationships with each other and how these continue to blossom throughout the story. And the romantic sub-plot is so tender and utterly heartwarming.

This has been such an enchanting and cosy fantasy series, I can only hope there are more books to come!

4.5/5 stars. This book was pure magic. Fans of Chrestomanci will adore this new series. This is book 2 of the Whimbrel House series and it is essential that you read the first book before diving into this one. Merritt Fernsby finally possesses a lovely magical home, but his journey into embracing his own magical powers is far from over. Meanwhile, Hulda has her own mystery to solve. The only problem I have with this series is that the chemistry between Merritt and Hulda is not as strong as I would prefer. But I recognize this is a mild fantasy novel so that's more of a personal preference. I'm very excited to read the conclusion of this series when it comes out.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love, love this series! So good!

It was great to get back with Merritt and Hulda, but the problems are even bigger this time. Merritt struggles with his newfound magic and looks for someone who can teach him to use it.
Hulda is worried for her friend and mentor who has disappeared, which brings another set of problems.
I love Owein too! He's no longer a house and can have so much more freedom as a dog, even though it still comes with restrictions. I'd love to see him get a boy body again in book 3!

There are evil forces at play and I'm not convinced a certain enemy is gone.

The writing is phenomenal and the mix of historical and magical realism makes this story a treat to read.

Can't wait for book 3!!!

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest review.

I absolutely devoured this book. Continuing the events from the first book, the characters find themselves on a new mysterious adventure. There’s not much I can say without spoiling the first book, but I loved seeing the characters come together more fully and learn to work though their problems together. This chosen family story has magic, self discovery, mystery, trauma healing, sweet romantic subplots, quirky characters, and wild conspiracies that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Plus I’m obsessed with the two main characters. Merritt and Hulda banter is my favorite! Their game of 20 questions brought me so much joy. I’m not sure how, but this second book was even better than the first. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy!

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.