White Trash Warlock (Adam Binder, #1)

by David R Slayton

Meredith Lustig

• ISBN10: 1094067962
• ISBN13: 9781094067964
• Publish Date: 13 October 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Blackstone Publishing
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 307
• Language: English

Reviews

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton is the first book in the Adam Binder series. It tells the story of a young gay protagonist who grew up under the most unfavourable of circumstances because of his gift of sight and sexual orientation. The synopsis intrigued me and despite this being my first experience with the author’s work; I went into the story hoping for an exciting read.

Now, as stated before, I expected an exciting read. However, it didn’t go as expected. There were parts of the story I enjoyed and some not so much. The story started off on a good note, but by the middle of the book, it all changed. The pacing slowed, and it pulled me out of the story. However, at around the twenty percent, the story picked up, and it had me breezing through it. The main story arc was tied up, but like all books in this genre, there were underlying issues that will probably spill over into the next book.

Adam’s childhood was filled with abuse, pain, and sorrow. Abandoned by his father and institutionalized by his brother. He had a unique gift, which no one understood. A gift which gave him the ability to connect with the spiritual plane and feel everyone’s emotions. This, coupled with his sexual orientation, made him an outcast among his peers and, by extension, his family. Adam is now an adult now and is on a quest for answers in relation to his father. While on his quest for the truth, he received a call from his brother, who he has not spoken to since the day he had him committed. Bobby’s wife is in serious trouble and Adam is the only who can help. 

I thought it rather interesting that Adam’s brother had to turn to him for help after what he did to him. It took me sometime to warm up to Bobby. As the story progressed, my sympathy for him increased, but I am still not team Bobby. Adam was such a strong and relatable character. One cannot help but emphatise with him for all he has been through. His concerns and emotions permeated the pages of the story. 

The story served up some romance, one which occurred in the past and another that is currently blossoming. It was interesting learning about the past romance. I am not so sure about the current one as it doesn’t feel as authentic as the one from the past. Besides, there are still lingering feelings from one in the past.

The world the author created intrigued me and it’s different from anything I have read before. The author takes the reader to a world where fairies, gods and reapers abide. Some parts of the story were engaging, while there were parts that dragged, causing me to lose interest. I pushed on, as I was keen to learn if Adam could save his sister-in-law.

Michael David Axtell, a new to me narrator, provided the narration for White Trash Warlock. He brought life to the characters and his portrayal of their emotions was on point. The voice he gave to each character was distinct. I thought he did a good job and I believe his narration enhanced the story.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

[kimbacaffeinate]

Adam has the sight, a gift that allows him to see/feel magic, fairies, elves, gnomes, dragons and more that exist outside of our realm. He can also sense people’s feelings from sorrow to fear. This made things difficult for him as a teen, and his own brother institutionalized him.

He now lives in a trailer park with his Aunt. His Aunt has the gift and accepts Adam. He hasn’t spoken to his brother Bobby in years, which is why he is surprised when Bobby asks for help. It seems something is very wrong with Bobby’s wife (understatement of the year). Adam gets in his old Cutlass and heads to Denver.

I loved how this tale unfolded. Slayton filled us in on a need to know basis, giving the story a pleasant flow. Truth be told, Adam doesn’t know a lot about himself, which is why he is tracking the warlock making these magical items. As luck would have it that lead also leads to Denver.

“All the signs points to Denver.”

Trips to the spirit world, fairies, gods, reapers and more await you in this tale with its Supernatural and old-school vibe. The writing is vivid, suspenseful, and balanced against Adam’s dysfunctional family. Secondary characters from the gods to family were unique and developed. I am very interested in some key players in the other realm. Can I just say I loved Vic and hope for more?

There is some romance both past and present, and it was interesting witnessing the present and learning about the past. Adam’s concerns and emotions felt raw and genuine. This added depth and severed as a side dish to the malevolent spirit trying to enter our world. It was all quite clever.

The second point of view is that of Adam’s brother Bobby, who prefers Robert. He worries about his social status and has worked hard to leave the smudge of rural Oklahoma behind. He was complex, and over the course of the story we learn a great deal about Robert and what makes him who he is. I loved seeing strides made to heal the family dynamics, and the author did a stellar job of showing all sides.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Michael David Axtell, who brought these characters and their emotions to life. He assigned unique voices to everyone. His voices for Adam captured our young protagonist from insecurities to benevolence. He enhanced an already brilliant story. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer