Going into this book i didn't know what to expect. The title seemed as though it was poking fun at itself and perhaps the whole thing would be some bad take on impoverished folk playing D&D. But do not let the title fool you. It's not that at all.

This is an 'rural-fantasy' about Magic, spirit realms, and a young queer man who is cast away and put into a psych ward by his small-town family for his magical 'sight' abilities to see into the spirit realm . He then has to work on re-building those burned bridges with his family who he dropped contact with in order to save his sister-in-law at the request of his older brother. Along the was we follow Adam as he comes to terms with who he is personally as well as magically. Alternating his site on a whim between the real-world and the magical realms really played well to add intrigue to the world around him.

The story is a bit funny here and there just to keep you engages and warm up to the characters, it keeps the story feeling fresh and enjoyable. The writing really takes you places with the use of synesthesia where our Main Character associates colors to moods and smells to magical objects that really immerse you in the story.

There is quite a cast of characters that appear in this story including reapers, Manticors, Elves, and even Leprechauns. They were all done really well, each with their own emotions and motives that they play to.

All in all I feel that this is really a well-rounded and solid story that possibly suffers from a poor title. I would recommend that you check it out.

Such an interesting world building and plot, many details, a few unexpected twists, an ending that made me want more! And there will be more! Yay!

The book is from two brothers POV, Adam and Robert, but it's mostly is the story of Adam, his magic, and how he goes back to his hometown to help his brother's wife who's been possessed by an evil spirit.

I really liked how the story was written, how easy and interesting it was to follow the plot and how many feelings were there even among all the fantastical creatures. And I loved the characters, both main and side characters. I loved Vic, and how he accepts his feelings for Adam and everything magical that's happening around him. He just accepts it and faces it heads up!

I really liked it all and I can't wait to read the sequel!

I love starting a new series, as I think for me the discovery part at the beginning, when everything is new - characters, magic system and world - is my favorite part. I enjoyed learning about these aspects as they unfolded throughout the story and interestingly, whilst this is a modern-feeling setting, there was something about the magic system that felt really old-school? Not sure how else to explain it...but it was a relatively good thing. I also liked the fact it felt like there would be more to discover, more to learn going forwards in the next story, whilst still coming to a relatively decent ending for the moment.

This is primarily urban fantasy, but there is a romance sub-plot in there too - whilst this played a relatively key role in the story and was introduced early on, it evolves as the story progresses and it isn't the main focus. I have to say, I am not 100% sure how much I like this aspect yet, but willing to hold judgement until we find out how that will progress.

Really looking forward to the next book!

Slayton's White Trash Warlock is a fine entrant into the crowded urban fantasy space - his characters are likeable and vivid, his worldbuilding feels authentic, and he does a nice job setting up for a series.  Too often you find urban fantasy starters that build their protagonist to superhuman levels, limiting the options of the author in challenging them and allowing them to grow.  Slayton does a fantastic job of inserting realism into his characters, slowly unraveling their backstories and, through their eyes and growth, allowing the reader to begin to understand the world they inhabit,.  I look forward to continuing the series.

I requested this because I thought the title was hysterical. I didn't expect much from it. Turns out, I was wrong. I found this to be a completely engaging story, well written and well thought out. I look forward to more.

This book had cool world building, and I really want to read more of it—I particularly want to see more of where the romance is going! I hope there are additional books in the series.

White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton is the first book in a new urban fantasy series. 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.
 
White Trash Warlock is an urban fantasy novel that hooked me right away, and kept dragging me deeper into its world until I did not want to leave when I finished the book. Adam is a character that is flawed, and aware of most of those flaws. His relationships and understanding of himself is complicated and only becomes more so when his brother asks him for help and he has to face all the messy history and manipulation that leads to the current situation. I thought the characters were very well developed, complex and none perfect or too static. The world building was well done s well, I would love to dive in a little deeper to the hows and whys of things, but that really did not have any place in this story and look forward to more being revealed as the series continues. I thought the world and character building and development were nicely balanced with the action and mystery aspects of the story. Relationships, self perception, and family and hard and complicated- more so when magic and destruction is involved. The fact that the characters were complex, diverse, and outside the scope of what I normally see in the genre made it even better. I never found myself bored, and often found myself wishing I was reading while I was forced to do other things, and then when I finished it I was sad that there was no more waiting for me. 

White Trash Warlock grabbed my interest right away and left me wanting more. I am eager to see where this series goes.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Rating: 3.5 stars

I love queer fantasy, so when I came across this book on NG, I instantly hit request!

I adored the writing style and the main character, Adam. This book started off all action which I also loved. The magic & world-building was a little confusing at times and I did find my mind wandering here and there, but still super intriguing. 

I couldn’t help but love Adam and I felt so sad at everything he had to go through. I was especially mad at his mother, and also Bobby (his brother), at the start. But as Bobby also had his own POV, I could sympathise with his character a lot more. 

One of the things that was a bit lacking for me was the romance element, there seemed to be a bit of a love triangle going on, which I really don’t enjoy. But also the romance felt super underdeveloped and rushed. It probably would’ve worked better for me if the romantic arc was spread out over the course of the series. 

Overall, a great debut and a wonderful start to a new series, I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC!

I really liked this! I liked all of the reveals we got and they all made sense given the information. I also really liked the world building and the magic system this is built in this novel. It felt unique while still pulling from a lot of the common elements of "magic" you traditionally think of. 

the romance is cute, and I support it. 

anyways I'm an Argent simp, we love a lady with a sword in this house

I think those are all my thoughts atm.

This has a fantastic title and the book more than lived up to it.  It was a whole lot of fun.  The author does a great job with world-building and takes your typical fantasy cast (witches, elves, dragons, etc.) and really turns them on their heads. I really enjoyed the characterization and even the characters that weren't particularly likeable are still pretty intriguing.  One aspect of this book that stood out with me was that the author took something like imposter syndrome, that plays out with many of us on a day-to-day basis and weaves those real feelings and insecurities into an exciting adventure.  I'm already looking forward to the second book. I’m extremely grateful that I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good-a perfect blend of urban fantasy and originality. I loved the characters and the setting, as well as the little Denver Easter Eggs the author put in. The romance was one of the cutest I’ve read in a while-I’m already Team Vic. Can’t wait to read the next in the series. 

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

I had such a good time reading White Trash Warlock! It gave me massive Supernatural TV show feels. (I  used to watch that show obsessively). But make it gay with complicated mysteries and brothers warring with betrayal and healing. It’s the kind of book I always wanted, but never found until now, and am super glad it’s a series because I need more of this world of elves and magic, witches and warlocks, barely contained evil and people with surly fronts but hearts of gold.

Adam Lee Binder grew up in a trailer park with everyone thinking him crazy for hearing voices, when really he has the Sight and can see other worlds. His past will break your heart, but the way he rebuilds himself and doesn’t hesitate to save and help, no matter the cost, was everything. Also it’s perfect as an YA-to-adult crossover since Adam is only 20, and there are sassy elves and demons and magic. Super intrigued by Adam’s complicated past with Perak, and his uncanny and accidentally meeting with the young cop, Vic. That feel when you randomly save a life and fall a little bit in love. The high stakes of ancient unearthed demons and worlds cracking apart was just so enthralling too. I whipped through the whole book so fast.

Addictive and fun, White Trash Warlock will break and remake your heart and take you on a dark spiralling adventure.⁣

This urban fantasy deals with Adam on the trail of a dark warlock who he is believes is his dad.  His older estranged brother Bobby calls him begging for help with his wife, Annie has been possessed by something that has taken out the mortal magic users in Denver. When Adam was younger and struggling to deal with magic Bobby had him committed until his 18th birthday.  Adam has always blamed his brother for this but Annie has always been nice to Adam so he goes to help on her behalf.  When Adam gets there things are very complicated very quickly. The guardians of the magical towers in the area know about what has attacked and killed people and they want Adam to take care of it and they will help him.  


So much of this book gives you background on Adam and how that affects everything happening in the story. It isn’t a happy story since there is so much grief in Adam’s life as a child that comes up in all his adult encounters with his family.  Hopefully in the next book things will be a bit better for Adam, he does get a boyfriend and makes peace with his past in this one even as it has him traveling to see his great aunt at the end of the book.

🔮|| 𝚆𝙷𝙸𝚃𝙴 𝚃𝚁𝙰𝚂𝙷 𝚆𝙰𝚁𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙺 ||🔮

Adam is on a hunt for his father. A father that could potentially be an evil warlock, so that’s great. He’s pretty sure he inherited his Sight, and what little magic he has, from his dad, chasing monsters from the Other Side as a way to atone for his dad’s evil actions, but things derail fast when he gets a call from his brother, someone he’d rather not ever look at or speak to again, frantically asking for his help. Turns out his sister-in-law is being possessed by a heinous spirit. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰, 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘮’𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.

This book was so calming to read, even though Adam was being attached by a disgusting otherworldly spirit. I wouldn’t say boring, just something that really pulls you in even though not a lost is happening.

The world seemed to keep expanding and becoming more interesting through every chapter. He befriended an Elven Queen, even though he’s slightly terrified of her and thinks all Elves utterly obnoxious. 

“𝘌𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴”

It was 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺, which made me like a bit more, and also the 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱  between Adam and Vic was so endearing, especially because Adam didn’t really think he’d ever actually have someone by his side who wouldn’t judge him for who he was and what he could do.

“𝙃𝙚’𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘, 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚’𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠. 𝙃𝙚’𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣.”

Family is a tough subject for him, having been sent away by his mom and brother to be “taken care of” by professionals, but all that did was make his life more miserable, what with the failing grades and seeing fantasies others can’t, and strengthen his hate towards them. He wishes he could love them but what they did scarred him and he doesn’t think he could ever forgive them for it.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗴𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗜 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸. 𝗜𝘁’𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀.

|| THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR THE CHANCE TO READ & REVIEW THIS BOOK ||

WTW is a book that seems to be made for me. Adam Binder is, maybe, a regrettable person. He hasn’t talked to his mother or brother ever since he left Liberty House, more a jail than a school, and he lives with his aunt Sue. When his brother calls to ask him for help with his wife he will find himself obligated to return because family is family, ¿isn´t it?
The author's writing style is pretty simple and it’s easy to connect with the story; it involves us greatly in the world and through the narration the book flies by. For this being the first in the series I think it couldn’t have been done better: there’s a mystery to solve, lovable characters and a lot of diverse themes (LGBTQ+ and latin characters).
Adam Binder is not the perfect protagonist, he’s not the most powerful of his kind and he doesn’t know everything that needs to be done, which makes him a character that’s easy to relate with. It is his flaws and suppressed emotions, learning how to use “the sight” to help people and a sad past that makes us connect with him instantly. The way Adam is so connected with his magic, how he defends it and how he describes it has made me immensely happy, and the use of colors, too, to talk about his and others emotions is unique and beautifully done.
The relationship between Bobby and Adam is a HUGE part of the plot. Adam's problems with his family are gradually revealed to us, a conflict from the past based on bad decisions and regrets. I think that it was wonderful to see the evolution in both of them: two brothers that stopped talking to each other due to open wounds and that, little by little, they start healing.
Bobby was my favorite without a doubt (even though i would’ve liked for him to be more present in the novel). I have always thought that being the one in charge is a difficult position to being in. Bobby is the oldest brother, and having had an irresponsible and abusive father, soon he needed not to be only in charge of Adam, but his mother and the house alike.
Throughout the novel there’s a message about empathy, about seeing further than our own circumstances. Everyone has problems, everyone makes bad decisions and we can’t demand that only ours are listened to: just as we want everyone to understand us we need to understand them, and Adam slowly realizes that he judges too fast and that he needs to put himself in the shoes of the people that he loves.
The romance was pretty tamed. Did I like it? Of course, Vicente is a charming character and worthy of being mexican; his family, the Martinez, was one of the most precious things of the story in general. Nonetheless, I was missing a lot of his presence to see the development of the emotions that he started feeling for Adam and vice versa. Maybe me liking him so much was what made his absence so obvious: I need more pages with Vic in them please.
I also enjoyed a lot of the other characters, such as Argent and Silver, especially the badass princess Argent. The part that the fantastic creatures play was special: the saurians, elfs, the leprechauns, etc. I think that having this variety elevated the story to new heights and I also loved the importance of tarot and death. The other side, the one only a few people can see, was presented so well by Adam, doing it in a simple way and it was incredible. I would definitely love to be a warlock.
The ending left me with my mouth hanging open, this is a story that leaves you wanting more, of wanting to continue immediately. WTW is a book about fantasy, characters and love, love in every one of its representations, about love that sacrifices, helps and saves. It is a story that keeps you at the edge of your seat, that makes you connect with the world, its emotions and its lives. It has been a delightful read that I highly recommend to any fantasy lover, to anyone that enjoys great character development and someone who is looking for a story that will not leave your mind for a long time.

Am I officially obsessed with White Trash Warlock? Yup, I think I am!

This is the kind of book that makes you flip pages non-stop. Adam Binder lives in our world but has the Sight, the magical ability that allows him to see into another realm full of elves, spirits and demons. This ability is what allowed him to pull through those cold days spent in the psych ward his brother, Bobby, had put him in so he could study a medical career. But as soon as he turned 18, Adam has lived with his Aunt Sue (and epic seer!) in a trailer park, and has lived estranged to his mother and brother, until his sister-in-law is possesed by an ancient demon and Bobby needs his help.

Adam is the type of characters I absolutely adore to read about! His heart is just in the right place?! He has gone through so much and yet he doesn’t hesitate to help those that need his help. When he first sees his sister-in-law, Annie, lying down in a state that reminds him of his days spent in the psych ward, he puts his grudge aside and dives straight into solving the mystery that surrounds the ancient demon hovering over Annie. And I 100% loved that about him.

Parts of this book reminded me a lot about the spirit world in Avatar & The Legend of Korra, particularly of Vaatu (who is the spirit of darkness and chaos). But I absolutely loved how in White Trash Warlock you get all sorts of spirits and witches/warlocks, including a certain elf called Perak who was the one that taught Adam how to spirit walk. There’s a lot of room to explore in this world and something I highly anticipate doing in the sequel!

Oh, but I also adored meeting Vic who is a young cop and the superior love interest for Adam, if I do say so myself. He also has an adorable sense of humor and I 10/10 need more of Adam and Vic together. (Oh, and he’s Mexican!!!)

If you are looking for a magical read set partly in our world with adorable characters that will cling to your heart and have you rooting for them, then look no further than White Trash Warlock!

Thank you to NetGalley and Black Stone Publishing for the copy of this book!

White Trash Warlock is the story of Adam Binder, a gay wizard with very little power who nevertheless makes it his mission to track down the warlock he thinks might be his father. When his estranged brother calls him to help his possessed wife, Adam grudgingly agrees. He ends up on a journey rife with deep magical roots, elves and reapers, and all manner of magical beings. Helping his brother is going to end up costing someone something big, and it might just be Adam that has to pay.

I really love Adam as the main character. He's the type of character who's good to the point of exasperation. Self-sacrifice is something that just seems like a no brainer to him, his only option in some cases. He's good, but he's also self-conscious and angry at his family and perpetually annoyed both at his lack of magic and his possession of any magic at all.

The strained dynamics of the family felt real, and I was glad we got to see both Adam's point of view and his brother Robert's point of view. It's easy to write Robert off as materialistic and vain, but through his lens, we get to see his guilt at how he's treated his brother in the past, and his very real emotion over his wife being possessed. David Slayton made a great choice giving us both voices. 

The story itself is well done, keeping us the readers invested emotionally and intellectually with the magic system. It's familiar to anyone who reads fantasy with any regularity, but still has it's own unique flavor. The elves are central characters here, but they're just a touch warmer than what we're used to seeing. We even get to see leprechauns, which is something new for me! The end will definitely leave you wanting the next book!

The one thing I would change about this book if I could would be the occupation of the LI and main POC in the book. He's a cop, and while it doesn't have any real bearing on the story, it still just didn't sit quite right in the current climate. He's a great character and the romance is very sweet. It certainly didn't put me off the book, just something I wish was different.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I can't wait for the second one!

White Trash Warlock by David Slayton

Honestly, I enjoyed this story and am interested in seeing where this series goes. There are some really cool bits, and others that had I realized this was a debut novel would have lessened how harshly I judged this book while reading. I’d absolutely recommend reading White Trash Warlock, though, so please take anything negative I say about it with a teeny tiny grain of salt. 

Cool bits
•	Gay representation 
•	Love triangle
•	Colors used to describe feelings
•	Showcases multiple families, each with a unique dynamic
•	Pretty diverse cast of characters and personalities 
•	Story flows well
•	Magical world was really present throughout story
•	Interesting story
•	That cover

Less cool bits
•	Why a color was chosen to describe a feeling wasn’t explained, and at least for me, wasn’t always obvious as to why they were associated with each other. 
•	Transitions were not always mentioned or detailed. A character was in a location one second and then a completely different one the next and I have no idea how he got there (wasn’t a magical movement).
•	Unclear on why Adam cared so much for Annie. He wasn’t close with his brother and didn’t respond to the emails Annie sent with updates on her life with Bobby. She showed kindness but the extent to which Adam was protective of her doesn’t feel earned to me.
•	Very minor gripe that has absolutely no effect on the story and will most likely not bother anyone else…from my experience people that poor generally don’t throw away food the first time they have a chance to eat a full meal in who knows how long because the person they’re with upsets them. You either finish the meal or take that shit to go.

A lot of this can be overlooked since this is a debut novel, though, and doesn’t excessively detract from the story

Spoiler bit because I don’t know how else to talk about it
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I enjoyed the twist with Adam’s dad at the end; giant however, why was so much of the story aimed at directing the reader to buy into the idea that he was the warlock only for that possibility to be ripped away at the end of the first book? Unless the author is trying to subvert expectations for a later book or direct attention away from, I dunno, Jesse, I don’t understand why so much time was spent on that storyline.

Again, on whole this is an enjoyable read and if you are into urban fantasy I recommend checking it out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings for miscarriage, postpartum, and abuse from a parent.

This novel starts with Robert Binder’s wife, who has been acting strangely, and he must contact the one person who can help. Adam Binder, who lives with his Aunt Sue, receives a call from his older brother to help his wife. But. There is much more wickedness going on in their hat Adam will have his hands full. There is a male-male romance that made my heart flutter. I could not put this novel down, and I recommend this novel!

I'm going to be real honest and say I picked this up ENTIRELY because of its title and I didn't even bother to read a synopsis. I expected this to be stupid but boy was I wrong. 

This is an adorable queer low fantasy (note below) about a young man named Adam who is just a good person. He also has magic, but so little its pretty much useless for anything other than seeing the magical realm. Without spoiling anything the author isn't shy about killing people, which is my vibe for books. 

A note on the term "low fantasy", for some reason this sounds offensive but all it means is that it takes place in the real world with magic. "high fantasy" is a newly created universe that has nothing at all to do with earth.