Wizard of Most Wicked Ways - Charlie N. Holmberg - ★★★.¾

AUTHOR: Charlie N. Holmberg

SERIES: Whimbrel House, #4

GENRE: Historical Fantasy

PUBLICATION DATE: March 4, 2025

RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A historical fantasy with amazing characters and magic. The fourth book of the Whimbrel House series and not to be read as a standalone. Great seeing all the beloved (and not so beloved) characters again. Takes a while to get going but engrossing after that point. Mixed feelings about the inclusion of a love triangle. A good ending - not a major cliffhanger but also not complete. Looking forward to the final book!

Plot Preview: (Contains spoilers from the earlier books.)

1851. Whimbrel House is the same, but its residents have new challenges to face. Merritt and Hulda are raising a family on Blaugdone Island, and Owein is awaiting the next step of his royalty-approved marriage contract with Lady Cora, who's on the other side of the ocean. Fallon, the shapeshifting Irish druid, now spends a lot of her time with Owein, and his heart wants to go in a different direction from his head.

The peace at Whimbrel is shattered when old nemesis Silas Hogwood, who has been dead since five years, somehow re-enters their lives. With little children around, the stakes at Whimbrel are much higher. Will Owein be strong enough to defeat Silas yet again?

The story comes to us in the third-person perspective of four key characters.

Ever since I read the first Whimbrel House book, I've been a fan of its outstanding magic and its endearing characters. The titles of the first three books clearly indicated who the main focus of the plot would be: Merritt in 'Keeper of Enchanted Rooms', Hulda in 'Heir of Uncertain Magic', and Owein in 'Boy of Chaotic Making' respectively. Using the same code, it doesn't take much for Whimbrel-familiars to guess that the focus on this book is on that ultra-powerful wizard from Book One, Silas Hogwood, who has made his way into the living world again. We knew he would return, but not how he would do so. The reveal is brilliant! He is indeed the “Wizard of Most Wicked Ways.”

Bookish Yays:

😍 Owein. The boy has become a young man (at least in physical years if not in calendar years), and his character has grown not just in age but also in maturity and complexity. One scene in particular solidified my respect for him. I won't stop rooting for him and his happiness!

😍 Merritt and Hulda- just the same as always, and hence, just the same feelings. It’s amazing to see them grow in their relationship so organically – they are so good for each other. Also nice to see Beth and Baptiste return in active roles.

😍 The littlies in the book, especially three-year-old Mabol. Wish there had been more of them, but even what was there was adorable. The presence of kids changes the plot dynamics, especially for Hulda.

😍 Silas – I had complained in Book One that his creepiness wasn’t fully utilised. I take back my words. Brrr! This is the first book where the potential of the antagonist is capitalised upon completely.

😍 Great continuity. The first three books were set within a year of each other, but this fourth story occurs four years since the events of the last book. There are enough details to help us bridge the gap successfully without feeling like questions are unanswered. There’s no time wasted in plot recapitulation.

😍 The characters are not just older in this one but also more mature, but without compromising on the original character sketch. While Merritt still has some joviality, we get to see his mature side. Hulda too has improved from her earlier dispassionate behaviour, though we still see glimpses of that attitude at times. I love how the author has accounted for the passage of time through her characters’ attitudes.

😍 The magic – as astounding as ever.

😍 The great confrontation – the best part of the book. Felt like I was watching a (good) Marvel movie!!

😍 The ending – not a cliffhanger, just a journey into the next step. Perfect for the story.

Bookish Mixed Bags:

😐 Though fast-paced, the plot takes a while to get things going. The initial 20% or so is mostly musings about the love triangle and the impending major decision. Only once Silas appears on the scene does the tension amp up.

😐 While the earlier books could be tagged as ‘cosy fantasy’, this book is certainly not ‘cosy’. The overall atmosphere is tense and there are even some gruesome scenes. The earlier books balanced the tension with many lighthearted and/or romantic moments, but the banter and fun are mostly missing from this one. Then again, with such a formidable opponent to overcome, the seriousness of the overall plot is to be expected.

Bookish Nays:

😢 I didn’t expect a love triangle in this plot, and definitely didn’t foresee it taking so much of the page space. A part of me feels like this complication has been added just so that the fifth book has something solid to continue the story with. As it is, I am not a big fan of the triangle trope. But when only two of the three parties are actually present on page, it isn't even a fair triangle. Plus, the connection between the two seems more forced than organic. The letters from the third person contained more heartfelt emotions than the actual dynamic between the two characters who had scenes.

😢 I remember not being a fan of the decision to add druids to the plot of Book Three. This plot development might have been somewhat justified if they had a role to play in this story. But it looks like they are being saved for the final book because the only druid in Book Four is Fallon, who didn’t have a big role in Book Three, and whose main role in Book Four is either to serve as a full-time security for the residents of Whimbrel House or to be the voice of protest for Owein’s upcoming British fate. Fallon is a great character, but I don’t think the story did her justice, or vice versa.

All in all, this book continues the story of Whimbrel House well, but changes the tone, being darker and more sombre than the earlier books. It serves as an interesting bridge to what’s next in store for Owein, but the love triangle really bugged me. Had it not been for the return of Silas and the magical action sequences, this would easily have been my least favourite of the series. Right now, it is tied for the position with Book Three.

I am not convinced that a fifth Whimbrel book was needed. This is the shortest book so far with just 269 pages. All the others had 300+ pages. So by adding 80-100 pages more (and culling out the needless romantic interactions), the series could very well have ended here. But it’s too early to judge, I suppose. I’ll just have to wait and hope that there’s enough plot left for the grand finale.

I have my suspicions about what the upcoming book will tackle, but as all those are major spoilers, I will keep my mouth shut until Fall 2026, when we will get Book Five: “Lady of Uncanny Charms.” (Will this be Cora or Fallon? Both are strong candidates for the title! My heart says Fallon. Let’s see…)

As the fourth book of a running series and the precursor to the finale, ‘Wizard of Most Wicked Ways’ is best discovered in continuity and is absolutely not to be read as a standalone work. I hope Book Five redeems my overall feelings about the series. I want this to end on a high note and not be a damp squib like the final book of the Emily Wilde series was. 😢

Recommended to those who have read the first three Whimbrel House books.

My thanks to 47North for providing the DRC of “Wizard of Most Wicked Ways” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The digital version of this book is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.