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Delores Mackenzie and the Dead of Winter
Not yet published
Expected 8 Oct 26236 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 8, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Firefly for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I love this series - starting with The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie, followed with The Haunted Life of Delores Mackenzie.
This is apparently the final one in the series which is sad as I've thoroughly enjoyed it, regardless of being 3x the reading age.
I will always request that authors add a small bit at the start of any sequel just reminding the reader what happened previous in the story, because my memory is terrible and I read so many books that I often forget what came before. So it took me a little while to get back into the story but it still grabs you almost instantly.
A lot of series can be read as standalones, particularly children's series, and there may be an argument for this but in my opinion I think you need to read it in order. Each book has its own main story but there are several underlying stories that you need to follow throughout and you'll get more from the characters if you start with book one.
The majority of characters are children, and as an adult, child characters can be hard to relate to or build a connection with. Now I'm not going to say I can identify with magical children obviously, but they're so well written, with such depth, and they're so likeable that they become fascinating people to walk alongside.
I love the exploration of friendship and love between the children and adults, and that family is not always made up of blood relatives but your friends, your chosen family.
It doesn't shy away from tough subjects but it also doesn't push it in your face. It's handled well and combined with the magical elements it makes it easier to read and more palatable, particularly for younger readers.
Less 'stuff' happens in this one. It's a lot more talking and travelling and plotting, than action, and I wonder if it's because it's the final book and Yvonne wants to wrap everything up from the three books.
It's a quick and easy read, for children and adults, and could easily be slotted into a spare hour or so.
I love this series - starting with The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie, followed with The Haunted Life of Delores Mackenzie.
This is apparently the final one in the series which is sad as I've thoroughly enjoyed it, regardless of being 3x the reading age.
I will always request that authors add a small bit at the start of any sequel just reminding the reader what happened previous in the story, because my memory is terrible and I read so many books that I often forget what came before. So it took me a little while to get back into the story but it still grabs you almost instantly.
A lot of series can be read as standalones, particularly children's series, and there may be an argument for this but in my opinion I think you need to read it in order. Each book has its own main story but there are several underlying stories that you need to follow throughout and you'll get more from the characters if you start with book one.
The majority of characters are children, and as an adult, child characters can be hard to relate to or build a connection with. Now I'm not going to say I can identify with magical children obviously, but they're so well written, with such depth, and they're so likeable that they become fascinating people to walk alongside.
I love the exploration of friendship and love between the children and adults, and that family is not always made up of blood relatives but your friends, your chosen family.
It doesn't shy away from tough subjects but it also doesn't push it in your face. It's handled well and combined with the magical elements it makes it easier to read and more palatable, particularly for younger readers.
Less 'stuff' happens in this one. It's a lot more talking and travelling and plotting, than action, and I wonder if it's because it's the final book and Yvonne wants to wrap everything up from the three books.
It's a quick and easy read, for children and adults, and could easily be slotted into a spare hour or so.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2.5 / 2.75 ⭐️
The beginning of this book was incredibly intriguing and immediately hooked me. The premise (featuring the sudden appearance of a dead uncle, a murdered woman's ghost, necromancy, and a string of strange occurrences) was fantastic. I genuinely enjoyed following Delores and her friends as they tried to unravel the mystery. For the first half of the novel, the pacing was perfect; the story flowed seamlessly and kept me fully invested without a single boring moment.
Unfortunately, something shifted around the 50% mark. I started to lose interest as the plot suddenly became overly complicated and confusing. The narrative pace seemed to accelerate abruptly, losing the steady, engaging rhythm that made the first half so strong. Because of this sudden tangle of plot threads, I found it difficult to focus on the story and ultimately felt disconnected from the resolution. I think it became bogged down in heavy talking and plotting rather than actual action. Some of the character dynamics also felt confusing; while I understood the group's appreciation for Oddvar, Delores's constant avoidance of her sister was never clearly explained, making it hard to stay connected to the story.
Despite these issues, it was still an enjoyable read at its core. While I haven't read the first two books in this series, this installment actually made me want to go back and check them out just to spend more time with Delores and her friends. My current rating reflects my frustration with the pacing of the second half, though I may adjust it as I sit with the story a bit longer.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The beginning of this book was incredibly intriguing and immediately hooked me. The premise (featuring the sudden appearance of a dead uncle, a murdered woman's ghost, necromancy, and a string of strange occurrences) was fantastic. I genuinely enjoyed following Delores and her friends as they tried to unravel the mystery. For the first half of the novel, the pacing was perfect; the story flowed seamlessly and kept me fully invested without a single boring moment.
Unfortunately, something shifted around the 50% mark. I started to lose interest as the plot suddenly became overly complicated and confusing. The narrative pace seemed to accelerate abruptly, losing the steady, engaging rhythm that made the first half so strong. Because of this sudden tangle of plot threads, I found it difficult to focus on the story and ultimately felt disconnected from the resolution. I think it became bogged down in heavy talking and plotting rather than actual action. Some of the character dynamics also felt confusing; while I understood the group's appreciation for Oddvar, Delores's constant avoidance of her sister was never clearly explained, making it hard to stay connected to the story.
Despite these issues, it was still an enjoyable read at its core. While I haven't read the first two books in this series, this installment actually made me want to go back and check them out just to spend more time with Delores and her friends. My current rating reflects my frustration with the pacing of the second half, though I may adjust it as I sit with the story a bit longer.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I didn't know this was the third book in a series, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it.
The story follows Delores, Prudence, and Gabriel as they try to overthrow the corrupt High Council. The society is divided into Paranormals and Normals, with the Paranormals possessing Gifts such as necromancy, shapeshifting, and more.
There were three things I liked about this book. First, it was a very fast and easy read. Second, the book explored the abuse of power, which I feel many middle-grade books don't have. Third was the friendship-the care, loyalty, and understanding they had for one another.
I couldn't fully appreciate some of the relationships, especially Uncle Oddvar's death (this is not a spoiler) and Delores's initial cautiousness towards her sister, but that's entirely my fault for not reading the previous books. I will definitely be reading the first two books because I am now extremely curious about the other outrageous things the Council might have done, as well as the true origin of the Paranormals and their Gifts.
Lastly, my favourite characters were Prudence and Bartleby, mainly because they were the most rebellious. Overall, it was a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows Delores, Prudence, and Gabriel as they try to overthrow the corrupt High Council. The society is divided into Paranormals and Normals, with the Paranormals possessing Gifts such as necromancy, shapeshifting, and more.
There were three things I liked about this book. First, it was a very fast and easy read. Second, the book explored the abuse of power, which I feel many middle-grade books don't have. Third was the friendship-the care, loyalty, and understanding they had for one another.
I couldn't fully appreciate some of the relationships, especially Uncle Oddvar's death (this is not a spoiler) and Delores's initial cautiousness towards her sister, but that's entirely my fault for not reading the previous books. I will definitely be reading the first two books because I am now extremely curious about the other outrageous things the Council might have done, as well as the true origin of the Paranormals and their Gifts.
Lastly, my favourite characters were Prudence and Bartleby, mainly because they were the most rebellious. Overall, it was a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
After reading the first in this series, I was so excited for more, but when book 2 came around I ended up giving it 1 star as it was so dire I could barely make it through. But I thought I'd give 3 a try, in case things had improved any. They really haven't. The characters at least are back to their more exciting, animated versions (as they were in book 2, this was completely missing in book 2, it's like they all lost their personalities completely), but instead the story was long, dull and insanely drawn out. I had no interest in the story nor what happened in it. So if there's any more to this series, I will be avoiding it. I can't waste any more time giving this series a chance.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews