Reviews with content warning for Violence - White Trash Warlock

I enjoyed this book. It's definitely more of a beach read for me than I typically read. That said it was a fun urban fantasy and I'm excited to finish out the series.

Adam is a warlock who has very tenuous relationships with his family. He's looking for his dad who left the family a long time ago and he's pretty certain is now making objects from magical people's bones. Get the text from his brother that his sister-in-law is ill and he goes to Denver to try to figure out what's going on.

His family is never really accepted him for who he is both as a warlock and as a gay man. His brother has done everything he can in his power to exercise the white trashness from his personality and his public image.

In this world we've got Fey, leprechauns, dragons, and much more. It feels like a lived in world.

There's a love triangle. Adam's ex-boyfriend who dumped him without telling him and Adam's new love interest who is a cop that Adam saved.

All in all, it was a fun read that touched on growing up gay in rural America, family Dynamics and family secrets, and becoming who you were meant to be.

Content Warnings

tifftastic87's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really enjoyed this! I chose it based on the title, which got a laugh from me. But what I found was surprisingly excellent.

Adam was born in a trailer and being gay in OK was rough on him, but then add in that he is descended from witches and has a touch of magic unlike theirs. He has a rocky relationship with his family, both due to his sexual orientation and his magical one, who had him committed in high school.

This book focuses on Adam's relationships, his romantic ones, his familial ones, and his magical one. This is a story of a traumatized youth healing and finding his path in life while fighting monsters.

Adam is amazingly well adjusted. He communicates his feelings, even if he struggles to do so, asks for help when he needs it and doesn't do the typical chosen one nonsense, even though he was literally chosen by not one but two powerfu magical beings. He also is aware that his use of his magical abilities creates a power imbalance between him and the love interest and is careful not to abuse that.

This was a fun and sad listen, and I am definitely going to be reading or listening to the rest.

There were a few things I wasn't a fan of,

such as that Adam's first teenage relationship was an ancient elf who was supposed to be teaching him and that wasnt addressed as problematic.

But it could have been worse.

Content Warnings