Whimbrel House was supposed to be a trilogy. This delightful series is about an enchanted house on a remote island off the coast of Rhode Island and the magician who inherited it from a previously unknown relative. Merritt Fernsby becomes trapped in the house by the spirit, and when he reaches out for help, he meets the woman who becomes his wife. But after the third book, BOY OF CHAOTIC MAKING, Charlie N. Holmberg felt that the house's spirit, the soul of a boy named Owein who had died as a youngster but had lived in the house for centuries, deserved his own story. Thus we have WIZARD OF MOST WICKED WAYS.

"WIZARD OF MOST WICKED WAYS is a wonderful wrap-up to the series. But is it really an ending? Even though there is a conclusion to this charming story, it does pave the way for a fresh beginning."

In BOY OF CHAOTIC MAKING, after many battles both magical and physical, Silas Hogwood finally has been vanquished and killed. No longer will Merritt, Hulda, Owein and their friends have to fear the powerful magician's enmity. But surprise! The wizard is back --- as evil, venal and bloodthirsty as ever, and out for revenge. While some might wonder how Holmberg will make this book enthralling and touching, she manages to do so in spades.

Merritt and Hulda definitely take second place to Owein, and it's a pleasure to get to know him. He went from a boy who was dying, to inhabiting the walls of the structure that was his home, to being thrust into the body of a dog, when he was taken to England and betrothed to Cora, a young woman who is related to the queen. The queen is determined to keep the royal bloodlines as magical as possible. When the dog was dying, the queen's wizard managed to transport Owein's soul into that of a young man who had just drowned. The relationship between Owein and his uncle, a powerful wizard, is one of the most touching parts of the novel.

When Silas manages to resurrect himself in someone else's body, the sense of danger is palpable. Owein is falling deeper in love with Fallon, a Druid who he has known and been friends with forever. Between the ever-present danger and the love triangle, there's plenty to keep us reading. Holmberg narrates the tale with accessible language, while at the same time she forces us to look up some of the more esoteric words she includes, such as "pejorate" and "deliquesce." While the language reminds us that the setting is the mid-1800s, it is not stilted in any way.

WIZARD OF MOST WICKED WAYS is a wonderful wrap-up to the series. But is it really an ending? Even though there is a conclusion to this charming story, it does pave the way for a fresh beginning. One can only hope that Holmberg decides to keep Owein alive with a new series.