White Trash Warlock (Adam Binder, #1)

by David R Slayton

[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