About the Book!

Guthrie was a good place to be from, but it wasn’t a great place to live, not when you were like Adam, in all the ways Adam was like Adam.

Adam Binder hasn’t spoken to his brother in years, not since Bobby had him committed to a psych ward for hearing voices. When a murderous spirit possesses Bobby’s wife and disrupts the perfect life he’s built away from Oklahoma, he’s forced to ask for his little brother’s help. Adam is happy to escape the trailer park and get the chance to say I told you so, but he arrives in Denver to find the local magicians dead.

It isn’t long before Adam is the spirit’s next target. To survive the confrontation, he’ll have to risk bargaining with powers he’d rather avoid, including his first love, the elf who broke his heart.

The Binder brothers don’t realize that they’re unwitting pawns in a game played by immortals. Death herself wants the spirit’s head, and she’s willing to destroy their family to reap it.

Review!

First off a big thank you to Dave over at the Write Reads for once again bringing us a fantastic and quirky fantasy read. I received a free copy of the book for the blog tour and can confirm all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really had very few expectations going into this book, having never heard of it before, but what I got was a whole lot of magic, well written and relatable characters, brilliant world building and lots of snarkiness packed into a fun and easy read. Adam Binder hasn’t talked to his mother or brother in years, not after they left him in an asylum claiming his magical ability to be ‘in his head.’ So when he receives a text from his brother Bobby asking for help, Adam would rather tell him to shove it than give in, but Bobby’s not the one in trouble, it’s his wife Annie, someone who has always been kind to Adam, emailing him regularly with updates about their lives. But Adam has no idea what he’s getting involved with, when he arrives in Denver he instantly knows something is wrong, and not just because of the big heart like being hovering over the city. To save Annie Adam will have to delve more into his magical side than usual, making bargains with powers he would usually hide from, and along the way will find the Elf who broke his heart, and the man that just might be able to fix it. That is if they make it out alive.

We get two main POV’s in the book, Adam and his brother Bobby. Adam is naturally wary of working with his brother, especially since the last time they met he was putting Adam into an Asylum for his ‘behaviour issues.’ Since accepting that he was a witch and embracing his magical ability he has become more sure of himself, but all it takes is one glance or phrase from Bobby for all that to unravel. He is determined though, determined to save Annie, to save Denver from the spirit that has a hold over it, and to find the Warlock who has been killing magical creatures for his own gain. Adam is the biggest cinnamon roll character, he puts on a brave face, but inside he’s still the little boy whose family abandoned him, and it will take a lot of work on both sides if he is to forgive Bobby. Bobby loves his life, he has the perfect job (doctor), the perfect wife, the perfect house and car. So when all that comes tumbling down, he does the only thing that makes sense and contacts the little brother he hasn’t seen in years. He felt he was doing the right thing leaving Adam in the asylum, but slowly but surely he stars to realise that the things Adam claimed to see might just be real, even if he isn’t ready to accept it yet. He comes off a little dickish at first, but he is living with a big secret, one that will either bring the binder boys closer, or divide them forever.

As well as Adam and Bobby we are treated to a brilliant cast of side characters, some human and some most definitely not. Every single one of them is well built, my favourite definitely being Argent the Elf Queen and her brother Silver, both Guardian’s of the magical realm. They all play a pivotal part in Adam’s journey, some deceiving and others simply wanting to help him destroy the spirit.

I really enjoyed travelling through the world Slayton builds. Yes, the story is mainly set in Denver, but through Adam’s dealings we also get to travel to the other/ magical realm on multiple occasions. I loved how it appeared differently each time we set foot in it, meeting lots of different species of magical creatures from Elf’s to the Reapers of death herself. It was a wonderful mix of the magical and the mundane. I’m not usually the biggest Urban Fantasy fan, but White Trash Warlock has definitely given me the urge to find others like it.

The story is incredibly fast paced, with the obvious fantasy elements but also a little horror thrown in. Maybe it’s just cause i’m a huge wimp but there were definite parts that creeped me out a little. Slayton gets just the right balance between action, backstory and current events. It doesn’t feel rushed in anyway, but at the same time I would have loved for it to have been a little longer. Luckily though, with it being a series, we will get the chance to visit Adam’s world again.

I described this as Stranger Things, only for adults, and honestly I think its perfect. It has everything I love in a book, fantastic and sometimes sarcastic characters, sweet romance, intriguing world building and a fast and energetic plot that has you absolutely flying through the pages…. I could have easily read this book in one sitting, but alas work got in the way, and I am incredibly excited to get my hands on the sequel. An easy 4 Stars.