Wizard of Most Wicked Ways

Whimbrel House, Book 4

De: Charlie N. Holmberg

Narrado por: Graham Halstead, Amanda Leigh Cobb, Nicholas Boulton

When dead enemies rise, grave matters of the heart, mind, and body clash in the fantastical fourth Whimbrel House novel by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Whimbrel House is changing. Merritt and Hulda are raising a family. Owein has signed a marriage contract with the magically compatible Lady Cora, a heavyweight of British nobility who’s an ocean away. And the lovely shape-shifting druid Fallon makes a distractingly fetching friend for Owein. But another change is in the air, and this time it’s something wicked.

The greatest wizard of the millennium, Silas Hogwood, is back—after five years dead. New body, same foul scent, and driven by madness and revenge. Owein, fearing he isn’t strong enough to fend off Silas, seeks Cora’s help and influence in England. Alarms ringing, Queen Victoria dispatches her League of Magicians, including her personal necromancer, to aid in Owein’s defense.

As magic, both good and evil, converges on Blaugdone Island, Owein realizes how harrowing the forces against them are. Combating them will require some digging—literally—for half-formed secrets of magic Hulda doesn’t want him to have. But no promise, lock, or government red tape will keep Owein from doing what’s necessary to protect those he loves. One way or another, Silas will only take Whimbrel House over Owein’s third dead body.

©2025 Charlie N. Holmberg. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Loved the four narrator audiobook version!

AHHH! I love the way Charlie N. Holmberg always transport me to an amazing, enchanted world. One of the things I enjoy about her books is that even though I picked up this story mid-series, I was fully immersed & easily figured out what’s going on by a few chapters. Despite not reading the previous books, I found Wizard of Most Wicked Ways to be thoroughly addictive & magical.

In 1851, on Blaugdone Island off the coast of Rhode Island, Owein’s life is changing. As he reads Frankenstein & exchanges correspondence with his betrothed in England, he finds himself torn between the woman he only met once years ago & his bewitching shapeshifting friend Fallon. As he struggles with his feelings, a new problem arises that threatens him & his family.

Silas Hogwood, the greatest wizard of the millennium, is back after being dead for five years & he’s out for vengeance. Unfortunately, the body he inhabits is driving him mad. Fearing he’s not strong enough to defeat the powerful wizard, Owein asks his wealthy betrothed for help. Queen Victoria gets involved & dispatches her League of Magicians, including her personal necromancer to the island to help Owein defeat Silas once & for all.

I loved Owein’s coming of age story! Though he’s technically 227 years old, he’s physically & mentally like an 18 year old boy. He’s charming, honorable, & tries to do the right thing even when it’s difficult. His relationship with Fallon is charged with chemistry & I appreciated his struggle to be loyal to his betrothal when he & Fallon have such a deep friendship. Fallon’s a free spirited, shape shifting Druid who doesn’t understand Owein’s struggle. She loves Owein & definitely tempts him at every turn.

The magical system in this story is so unique. I was enthralled by its explanation & the methods used to defeat Silas. Silas’s a cunning enemy & it was thrilling to read from his POV. There’s danger at every turn & sensitive readers should be aware there’s death & some grotesque descriptions.

I listened to the audiobook & loved listening to all the various points of view. Each narrator brought a unique, brilliant quality to the narration which made it so easy to listen to. I particularly enjoyed listening to Owein’s & Silas’ narrators, but all of them were fantastic.

Those familiar with the series will enjoy catching up with Merritt & Hulda as they help Owein. Enjoyed this closed door, magical adventure! Can’t wait for the next book. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author but also purchased a copy through Kindle Unlimited & listened to the audiobook version. All opinions are completely my own & voluntarily provided.

Content: There is one swimming scene where one character is naked & kisses another character, but nothing happens beyond kissing. Also some innuendo.

Great voices, fantastical story

Loved this whole series of enchanted rooms! The development from book to book was great! Hope there is another in the making. Want to follow Oweins”s adventures in England. And what of Fallon?

The best yet!

I love this series and this one is/was the best yet! These characters are so well developed that I feel invested in them in a weird way. You might need your box of tissues as you read or listen as it pulls on your heartstrings. I am now waiting with baited breath for the next book! This author has a distinct gift for creating magical stories filled with her unique creativity. Each character, each book, is amazing and stretches your imagination. Please don't miss this one! The series is amazing!

devastatingly wonderful

Sigh… I wish the story ended differently, but that’s just because I’m so sad lol it’s a fantastic story and the voice actors are incredible. Original, touching, exciting. So good.

Ugh I love this book

This story made me so emotional. The performance was spot on and made the reading experience more immersive. I’m literally obsessed with these narrators.

Great continuation to the series!

Another enjoyable book in a great series. Can't wait for the next one! The narration was excellent as always.

Another Good Read (or listen)

I enjoyed the fourth book in this series, but I felt it got off to somewhat of a slow start. I didn't find it quite as exciting or entertaining as the others, but still worth the read (or listen).

An excellent series, with rich characters.

Wonderfully narrated, touching and interesting. The series is a most excellent adventure. Hard to put down for the night.

I wanted something new, not just bringing back the same villain and repeating the cat and mouse chase

There were some new parts though with the magic. But overall I was pretty exhausted by all of the Silas Hogwood stuff. It was all very expected - same cat and mouse chase as before. Also I strongly disliked how many characters were killed off. Overall my least favorite book of the series. I wished new things happened instead of just rehashing with the old villain again.
But the narrators were FANTASTIC!! ALL 3 AMAZING.

A rare miss from a favorite author

I was really excited to dive into this one since Holmberg’s books usually hit the mark—but this story felt a bit unnecessary. It lacked the magic and engagement I’ve come to expect from her work. The plot didn’t grip me the way her others have, and I found myself less invested in both the characters and the stakes. It wasn’t bad, just underwhelming compared to her usual standard.