Review - White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton

Adam has “the Sight,” the ability to see into other realms and even visit them in spirit. The gift hasn’t been very beneficial to Adam. When Adam was in high school and had very little control over his abilities, his older brother had Adam committed to a mental hospital. When he comes of age, Adam goes in search of his father, who abandoned the family when Adam was still a small boy. Adam wants answers and also believes his father might be a malevolent warlock producing evilly charmed items. The search takes him to Denver and his estranged older brother, Bobby.

“White Trash Warlock” is a finely crafted fantasy mystery. It creates a very convincing picture of a present-day middle America where some people can see into spiritual realms populated by elves, gnomes, leprechauns, and other magical beings. The story draws you in with a very sympathetic main character in the form of Adam, as well as a mystery that gets revealed bit by bit.

The story is related mostly from Adam’s point of view, although there are a few chapters narrated by Adam’s brother Bobby. We get to know Adam quite well as he recounts memories of his childhood and time in the mental hospital. We get an intimate idea of the influences that shaped Adam into the man he has become. The young man is no angel, but he is still determined to do good, which includes tracking down the evil charms he thinks might lead to his father.

It’s Bobby’s wife Annie that brings Adam to Denver to free the woman from an ancient spirit that has possessed her. In his quest, Adam meets royal elves, Death, and a charming young police officer. There are a lot of surprises along the way as the story takes twists and turns on the way to defeating the ancient spirit. Note that while the primary challenge of the spirit gets resolved, there are still more mysteries for Adam to solve, which makes this the start of an interesting series.

“White Trash Warlock” is available from Amazon (commissionable link).