Keeper of Enchanted Rooms

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms (2022) is a historical fantasy written by fantasy and romance author Charlie N. Holmberg. First in the Whimbrel House series, the novel is set mainly in 1846 and describes how Merritt Fernsby, a man disowned by his family, comes into possession of the enchanted Whimbrel House, located on the fictional Blaugdone Island in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. With the help of augurist Hulda Larkin, Merritt learns the history of his house. He is then challenged to defend his inheritance and his new circle of friends from powerful necromancer Silas Hogwood, who is intent on punishing Hulda and taking Whimbrel House—and its magic—for his own.

This guide refers to the trade paperback published by 47North in 2022.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss physical and emotional abuse and murder.

Plot Summary

In a Prologue set in London, England, in 1818, a young man named Silas fights back when his drunken father attacks him in the stables. Silas kills his father and vows that he will give no one the power to hurt him ever again. In chapters providing flashbacks that alternate with the current moment of the story, Silas, now Lord Hogwood, increases his magical abilities by overpowering and stealing spells from others, beginning with his mother and brother and moving on to neighbors at his new residence, Gorse End.