White Trash Warlock

Starred review from June 29, 2020
Slayton makes a splash with this urban fantasy debut starring a broke, gay wizard living in an Oklahoma trailer park. Twenty-year old Adam Lee Binder uses what modest powers he has to hunt for his absentee father, who he suspects to be a warlock. Meanwhile, Adam’s brother, the decade-older Bobby, who has never believed in magic and had Adam committed to a psychiatric hospital as a teen, is terrified to realize that his wife, Annie, has been possessed by a demon—and turns to Adam for help. When Adam arrives at their home in Denver, he discovers a massive, cloudlike malignancy, with Annie and many others under its thrall. While investigating a hospital that he believes to be the source of the evil, Adam impetuously binds a piece of his magic to cop Vic Martinez to save him from a fatal wound. The binding sparks confusing romantic feelings between commitment-phobe Adam and inexperienced Vic, leading to a sweet subplot that balances the tense supernatural story line as Adam allies himself with elves, gnomes, and leprechauns to fight the demon. The complex worldbuilding, well-shaded depictions of poverty, emotional nuance, and thrilling action sequences make this stand out. Slayton is sure to win plenty of fans. Agent: Lesley Sabga, the Seymore Agency.

Michael David Axtell's agile narration will keep listeners engaged with this fantasy romp about a gay witch who is searching for his long-lost, and possibly evil, father. Adam wants nothing to do with his brother, Bobby, who had Adam committed to a mental hospital because he can see the spirit realm. But when an evil spirit possesses Bobby's wife, Adam agrees to help her and is drawn back into his family's conflict. Axtell's narration is a wonder. He captures Adam's nervous rambling, Bobby's aloofness, and their mother's raspy drawl. He also does a range of accents with ease, including the refined tones of an elf prince and the haunting speech of Death herself. Full of heart and memorable characters, this is an audiobook not to miss. L.S. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

September 1, 2020
Adam Binder is a twenty-year-old backwoods Oklahoma trailer park boy, gay, and a witch, which brings him nothing but trouble, especially from his mother and brother who committed him to an asylum when he was fifteen. Adam is not powerful, but he has the Sight and he can sense magic in objects and in people. He can also see the Other Side where Immortals and other dangerous, magical creatures reside. While tracking and destroying dark artifacts, he begins to suspect the warlock responsible for trafficking in these objects may be his long-lost father, who disappeared when he was five. Adam is following a new lead when an unusual text arrives from his estranged brother. Robert desperately?but reluctantly?needs Adam's skills to save his wife who may be possessed by an evil spirit. The two story lines collide when Adam discovers more people than just his sister-in-law are in danger. Slayton's debut uses wry humor, alternating viewpoints, and intriguing LGBTQ+ characters that will have readers eager for more of Adam Binder's escapades.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)