White Trash Warlock
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4.2 • 99 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Not all magicians go to schools of magic.
Adam Binder has the Sight. It’s a power that runs in his bloodline: the ability to see beyond this world and into another, a realm of magic populated by elves, gnomes, and spirits of every kind. But for much of Adam’s life, that power has been a curse, hindering friendships, worrying his backwoods family, and fueling his abusive father’s rage.
Years after his brother, Bobby, had him committed to a psych ward, Adam is ready to come to grips with who he is, to live his life on his terms, to find love, and maybe even use his magic to do some good. Hoping to track down his missing father, Adam follows a trail of cursed artifacts to Denver, only to discover that an ancient and horrifying spirit has taken possession of Bobby’s wife.
It isn’t long before Adam becomes the spirit’s next target. To survive the confrontation, save his sister-in-law, and learn the truth about his father, Adam will have to risk bargaining with very dangerous beings … including his first love.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Slayton makes a splash with this urban fantasy debut starring a broke, gay wizard living in an Oklahoma trailer park. Twenty-year old Adam Lee Binder uses what modest powers he has to hunt for his absentee father, who he suspects to be a warlock. Meanwhile, Adam's brother, the decade-older Bobby, who has never believed in magic and had Adam committed to a psychiatric hospital as a teen, is terrified to realize that his wife, Annie, has been possessed by a demon and turns to Adam for help. When Adam arrives at their home in Denver, he discovers a massive, cloudlike malignancy, with Annie and many others under its thrall. While investigating a hospital that he believes to be the source of the evil, Adam impetuously binds a piece of his magic to cop Vic Martinez to save him from a fatal wound. The binding sparks confusing romantic feelings between commitment-phobe Adam and inexperienced Vic, leading to a sweet subplot that balances the tense supernatural story line as Adam allies himself with elves, gnomes, and leprechauns to fight the demon. The complex worldbuilding, well-shaded depictions of poverty, emotional nuance, and thrilling action sequences make this stand out. Slayton is sure to win plenty of fans.
Customer Reviews
Different and Interesting Urban Fantasy
“White Trash Warlock” is the first volume in the Adam Binder Novels by David R. Slayton. These might be classified as urban fantasy, as they take place in the modern world. However, there are other spirit worlds where mythological races and creatures exist adjacent to our reality.
The protagonist is Adam Binder, who has minimal magical abilities. He is, as the title suggests, from an impoverished family. He grew up in rural Oklahoma, where he discovered that he was gay, and that he had magical talent. He could see into the spirit worlds. This made him appear mentally unstable, as talking to and seeing people and things that others cannot tends to do that. These things made him an outsider, and got him sent to “treatment” by his family.
Once he regained his freedom, he became estranged from most of his immediate family, and now lives in a trailer park with his aunt. She has some magical ability herself, and makes very accurate predictions. Adam takes odd jobs, and generally just gets by.
He was therefore very surprised when his brother calls him for help. His sister in law has become ill, and his brother has reason to believe that the source of her sickness is supernatural. Adam puts aside his contempt for his brother and heads out to Denver to see if he can help. This is the beginning of an ever escalating engagement that involves powerful beings and Adam becomes the focus of this growing storm. Will he be able to save himself and those he loves from the growing darkness?
This is a refreshing type of fantasy, with emotionally realized characters. It also portrays poverty in a realistic and sensitive manner. The LGBT romantic aspects of the story are tastefully portrayed, and provide a counterpoint to the darker main narrative. I’m looking forward to the second volume in the series, “Trailer Park Trickster.”
SO UNIQUE
I love my SFF so much and am familiar with every alien, world building, plot etc. So I was pleasantly surprised to find these gems hiding in the lower eschalon. You must experience these 3 books in order get the full effect. Or as I did-2, 1, 3. Enjoy,
Surprised!
Pleasantly surprised by this book. It was good and surprising.