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.
The series
Some houses whisper. Whimbrel House remembers.
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Set against the brooding elegance of 19th-century New England, the Whimbrel House series unfolds like a forgotten diary—one inked in mystery, magic, and unexpected intimacy. What begins as a strange inheritance for Merritt Fernsby, a reclusive writer with no family and few attachments, soon becomes a reckoning with forces far older—and far more sentient—than he ever imagined. This house isn’t haunted in the traditional sense. It’s alive, and it doesn’t take kindly to strangers.
Enter Hulda Larkin, a no-nonsense enchantment specialist from the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms. Her job is to pacify magical spaces that don’t follow the rules. But Whimbrel House isn’t just unruly—it’s protective, secretive, and deeply entwined with Merritt’s own buried history.
Laced with quiet suspense, slow-burn romance, and gothic atmosphere, the series blends historical fantasy with a tender exploration of human connection. Holmberg doesn’t just build magical worlds—she invites readers into homes with creaking floors, enchanted doorways, and hearts that beat beneath the walls. The story balances the eerie allure of sentient architecture with the emotional pull of found family, all while hinting at darker truths that ripple beneath its polished surface.
Perfect for readers drawn to character-driven historical fantasy with a touch of the uncanny, Whimbrel House leaves its doors ajar just long enough to invite you in—before deciding whether it will ever let you go.
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