KEEPER OF ENCHANTED ROOMS, the opening installment in the Whimbrel House series, was so wonderful and complete that it might have seemed impossible that Charlie N. Holmberg could create a sequel as compelling, gripping and touching as that first novel. Well, now we have the third entry, BOY OF CHAOTIC MAKING, and the story is just as lovely. It features the same characters we have come to admire for their strengths and their failings, and the plot keeps us guessing.

"Holmberg delights us with magical antics and nonstop action. She makes us care even more about the characters... This is a beautifully conceived fantasy..."

Despite the name of the series, we spend scant time at Whimbrel House. Instead, Holmberg takes us to London, England, where none other than Queen Victoria has invited Merritt Fernsby and his great-great uncle Owein (and many more greats) to visit. Her ulterior motive is plainly expressed. Owein is a dog with the soul of a human, due to circumstances outlined in the first two books. The Royal Family in England is full of strong magic, but with every subsequent generation, it dwindles. So because Owein's magic is stronger since it’s older, she offers to find him a human body in exchange for his marrying into her family. To keep the royal bloodlines filled with powerful magic, of course.

Merritt is thrilled that Owein possibly will be able to get a human body again after so many centuries of being first a house, then more recently a dog. And a dog's life span is short, so this needs to happen soon. The two travel to London full of optimism. They stay with a cousin of the Queen, whose daughter is the one who would be marrying Owein --- if a suitable body can be found. Cora is only 13 but appears demure and willing to abide by whatever her parents and her queen demand. Her sister, Briar, is not so complacent.

Briar was wed in an arranged marriage and is not happy about it. She doesn't want the same for her sister and is very vocal about that. And when strange things start happening that threaten Merritt's safety, like the ceiling in the bedroom he was to sleep in collapsing, the whole process is in jeopardy. Hulda follows Merritt to England to make sure that he and Owein are safe, and her dire premonitions are, as usual, more confusing than helpful.

Holmberg delights us with magical antics and nonstop action. She makes us care even more about the characters, especially Hulda, who is now the director of BIKER, the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms. BOY OF CHAOTIC MAKING works best for those who have read KEEPER OF ENCHANTED ROOMS and HEIR OF UNCERTAIN MAGIC so that the backstory and magical references are familiar. This is a beautifully conceived fantasy, and Holmberg makes it clear that Hulda and Merritt’s adventures are far from over.