My book reviews for the Delores Mackenzie series by Yvonne Banham; The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackezsie and The Haunted Life of Delores Mackenzie.

Sent into the care of the mysterious Uncles in Edinburgh's Old Town, Delores Mackenzie must learn to control her paranormal gifts without crossing the accepted bounds of paranormal activity and angering her strange new housemates. But when a sinister apparition appears and threatens the lives of her friends, can Delores really push back the dead?

This book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

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I was drawn in by the gorgeous cover, but it was the description of “Beetlejuice meets Lockwood & Co with added Tartan Noir” that sold The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie by Yvonne Banham for me.

In this stunning debut, Yvonne Banham introduces Delores Mackenzie, a fourteen-year-old who has known magic all her life and is quite happy living alone with her sister, thank you very much. So when her sister Delilah informs her that it’s time for Delores to study with the Uncles she’s not interested. Unfortunately, her sister has been assigned to Norway, a post she was recommended for after studying with the Uncles and the protections their parents put on their cottage are beginning to fade. Even if Delores could stay there on her own it wouldn’t be safe, and her magic is becoming too unpredictable and attracting dangerous restless spirits called bócans.

Whether Delores likes it or not it’s time for her to go through the same period of study that all paranormals must go through. It’s something she has to do alone, and one week later she’s left alone on the doorstep of Tolbooth Book Store in Edinburgh’s Old Town. Her experiences at Tolbooth are mixed and confusing at first, and Delores struggles with life with her strange new housemates as a ghostly presence makes itself known to her. As she does battle with her awful housemate Prudence, she tries to unravel a mystery with the help of her other housemate Gabriel. All the while attempting to avoid catching the attention of the Uncles whose she’s afraid will notice just how dark and strange her powers truly are.

With The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie, Banham has written a wonderfully spooky tale filled with lots of delicious mysteries that unfold within this cracking world she has created. It more than lives up to the description of “Beetlejuice meets Lockwood & Co with added Tartan Noir” which is what drew me in originally. Banham has seamlessly blended gothic horror and mystery together to create a thrilling story filled with magic, ghosts and friendship. Her characters are so awkwardly real that they made me laugh and cry with familiarity. Delores is such a colourful character and watching her grow during her time at Tolbooth’s was such a pleasure. I have to admit that by the end of the book, I had a soft spot for Prudence; I like complicated girls, and she is very well-written.

I loved the whole magical teacher/student relationship setting outside a traditional academic setting. A bookshop in Edinburgh’s Old Town is as unique as everything else in this book, and it’s the perfect backdrop for an independent teenager with the power to talk to the dead. The lack of a traditional school setting also lets Banham explore the daily lives of her characters in a way reminiscent of fantasy novels. The lines blur between reality and fantasy a lot in The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie, adding to the atmosphere and drama.

My only complaint about this book is that there isn’t a lot of representation in this book. It was good to see some disability representation though, in the form of Gabriel whose eyesight is fading as his power as a seer grows. 

If you’re looking for a book with a great story, delicious world-building and a dark academic setting suitable for younger readers then The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie is for you!

Paranormal students Delores and Prudence are being hounded by inquisitors after they broke the rules and helped rescue fellow student Maud from death at the hands of an evil spirit. Cruel inquisitor Magoria Jepp is searching for secrets at their home in Edinburgh's Tol Booth Bookstore, but does she have an uncanny history of her own to hide? As Delores tries save them both, she attracts the unwelcome attention of a murderous Boçain, or evil spirit, intent on stealing her paranormal gifts. Can she defeat her enemies, and maybe her own family too, to save everyone she loves at the Tol Booth?

This book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

I enjoyed the first book in this series a lot and was eager to pick up The Haunted Life of Delores Mackenzie by Yvonne Banham. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one as much, with many of the great features in book one diluted or written out in this book. The way the book starts was very confusing, and initially made me think that I had missed a book. There is very little preamble to the current situation, with Delores and Prudence returning home from a time away with Prudence’s mother to find that the inquisitor they were hiding from is still present. While some details are given about their time away, it is mostly just vague comments about doing things they didn’t like.

In the first book, there was a wealth of wonderful characters, and while new ones are introduced to fill some of the void, it felt very odd for a whole new cast and new settings in the second book. It all felt a bit rushed, and up in the air, whereas book one felt comfortable.

In book one it seemed certain that there were three main characters; Delores, Prudence and Gabriel. Yet in this one, it felt like it was the Delores and Prudence show, despite the cover clearly showing all three. I’m not sure if the author isn’t sure what direction she’s taking the series in, or if this is the case of an editor or publisher making suggestions.

As a disabled reader with low vision, I was not particularly impressed that the reason for writing out the male main character was that his eyesight had deteriorated to the point that he didn’t feel safe leaving the building. Not only are there accessible options available, but the character has magic at their disposal. The deterioration of his vision was known to him and the adults caring for him, and while one of them was unavailable, the doctor played a large role in this book.

I found the whole situation to be badly handled, especially as this is a young adult book. It worries me what young readers will take from this. As someone who started wearing glasses at age seven, reading something like this as a teenager would have left me with some very dark thoughts.

Likewise, the introduction of a new power ‘beguiling’, made me uneasy as a queer reader. It felt very much like a suitable excuse for why two teenage girls are mesmerised by the female doctor. Nothing specific is mentioned in either book regarding their sexuality, and the way they act around the character could be read as a teenager looking up to an authority figure or as an infatuation. What bothers me is that whatever it is has now been labelled as false, as something caused by magic. It very much felt like a quick fix in case any conservative parents read the book and complain about it.

The representation issues aside, The Haunted Life of Delores Mackenzie by Yvonne Banham came together at the end and quite literally the last page was amazing. It ends on a powerful note that not only echoed the feelings of the first book but surpassed it.

Thanks for reading my book reviews for the Delores Mackenzie series by Yvonne Banham!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of my reviews if you’re looking for some more book recommendations 🙂 You can also now sign up for my newsletter to get an email each month with a list of my new reviews!

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