Rating: 7/10
The premise of this book was really interesting, the second I came across it I knew that I had to request it. Lucky for me, the people at Blackstone Publishing were very nice and they were gracious enough to send me an ARC to review! Before I get into the review, I would like to thank Blackstone Publishing for sending me the book! I really appreciate it, I'm so glad I was able to read it!
Summary from the back cover:
"The Adam Binder Novels Book 1
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."
Let me start off by saying that this felt like a very unique fantasy novel. The majority of urban, contemporary fantasy always seem to take place in large cities (i.e. New York) with upper-middle class characters who are from said cities. Having a protagonist who is from a poor, backwoods trailer park was certainly a unique perspective. As somebody who is from the rural South and grew up in a trailer, I found it refreshing. Adam didn't feel like some caricature of white trash, but he also didn't feel like he was just posing as some poor backwoods character. Not only was his background totally different from that of the normal urban fantasy protagonist, he's also gay. This adds a whole other layer to his character, especially given his background. Homosexuality is certainly something that is still not widely accepted in places like Adam's trailer park in Oklahoma. All of these features culminate to turn the fantasy genre on its' head. This book is a great, creative addition to the fantasy genre, I'm so glad that I got to experience it. I'm certain that books like this will make so many people feel like they can get into fantasy because they feel like they can relate on some level. Adam growing up in a trailer in some nowhere, rural town just made his character feel relatable to me personally (my graduating class was 40 people, to add some perspective).
The writing of the book was not incredibly extra, and it made it a quick, effective read. Even though there was not an excess of overly complicated writing, Slayton was still able to paint a vivid picture of the events and creatures throughout the book. It was very easy to feel transported into the scene with Adam. Not only because of the effectiveness of his writing, but also to imaginative way that he went about creating the world. The magic system is obviously based in reality, particularly on the "occult." The way that tarot cards were used in the story, for their obvious functions (i.e. helping point someone in the right direction or hinting at the future) and also for less obvious reasons (invoking the embodiment of the card for spirit walking) helped the story to feel rooted in reality. Adam himself felt very rooted in reality, he was just a very realistic character. He wasn't overly flashy, nor was he particularly exceptional. He doesn't have very much magic to speak of, he's poor, and had a very bad home life. He is not the embodiment of the overpowered protagonist and that makes him far more interesting to read about. Another very perceptive concept was broached in the story as well: The concept of someone with magic being treated as though they are mentally ill, when they are really just experiencing something that the people around them just don't understand. Because, realistically, anybody experiencing what Adam was experiencing would be seen as mentally ill. Especially if you live in a very conservative, judgmental environment (as rural towns tend to be). Adam was sent away to suffer in a mental hospital, because he had these abilities that he, nor his family, understood. This leads to some very tense family dynamics, as he struggles with his latent love with his family, but also the hell they put him through.
I didn't give the book 10/10, so clearly I did have some problems with some aspects of the story. Some of the characters felt one dimensional, particularly Vic. He just felt like the supportive love interest who didn't really seem to have too much personality beyond that. We got some things out of him, but that was more in the way of a little bit of back story than actual personality. Don't get me wrong, I liked Vic, I just want more from him. In that same vein, the romantic relationship between Adam and Vic felt too rushed and thereby unrealistic. It was mentioned that it was moving very quickly in the book, but that didn't really make it feel more realistic. I feel like maybe if we had gotten more interaction/a kind of baseline prior to the gunshot, that it would have helped. It was just very "all of a sudden they are dating now but with nothing really to indicate why." It just didn't allow the reader to feel attached to the relationship itself. I'm attached to Vic and to Adam, but I'm not invested in what they have as a couple, if that makes sense.
In the same vein of the relationship feeling rushed and insubstantial, there were times when the stakes in the story, were really just very small obstacles. A lot of troubling things that happened outside the main plot line were just resolved too quickly. It was like "oh man here is this thing that could have very bad results if it goes on for too lo- oh it's done now." Which means that these things didn't have very high stakes at all when you look at the story as a whole. What I'm saying is that the story lacked a build up of tension, outside the primary story arc. I also wish we had gotten more out of the warlock hunting plot line. It was how the story began and how it ended, but there wasn't much about it in the middle. To be honest, you would forget about it if it wasn't brought up here and there. I think it could have been interesting to maybe get some chapters (maybe just one or two) that were from this evil warlock's perspective, just to see what he's got going on. Maybe a glimpse into what he's doing. It wouldn't have even needed to reveal anything, we are getting POV shifts from Adam to Robert anyway, I think it would've just been a good addition. Finally, my last complaint is that it had the tone of a YA book, even though it isn't (from what I can tell). Just something about it has the feeling of a young adult fantasy, but with cursing and adult characters. If you like YA books, then this probably won't feel like a problem, but if you don't like to read young adult books, then you may not like this one just because of that.
I know that I said a lot of negative things, but these things are kind of nit-picky and I have a tendency to write more about things that I didn't like than things that I did. As a whole, I enjoyed the book. Adam was a great protagonist, who breaks the mold of what we usually see in fantasy protagonists. The story was creative and the way that magic was used and experienced felt unique (in a very good way). This book doesn't feel like repetition of something you already know. It feels like its' own thing in such as way that it keeps you on your toes, because you don't anticipate what will happen next. Of course, there are some bad things. The lack of depth in the romantic relationships, the lack of tension during some of the conflicts, and the young tone of the book, made the book feel a little off. The book could've benefitted from being like 100-150 pages longer, but I truly believe that it will improve in the next book. And on the YA topic, I think this would be a great book to read if you're trying to bridge the gap between YA and adult fantasy. The book ended in such a way that I can't wait for the next book to come out. Regardless of everything, I am very attached to Adam and whatever he personally has going on (also Sue, I love Sue). Basically, if you want a contemporary fantasy novel that feels unique, has a great LGBT+ protagonist from an unusual background, and some tense family drama, I think you should strongly consider reading this one.
White Trash Warlock will be available on October 13, 2020! It is currently available for preorder! Once again, thank you so much to Blackstone Publishing for sending me the ARC and to David R. Slayton for writing such an awesome, fascinating book!
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