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cokimberly 's review for:
White Trash Warlock
by David R. Slayton
Urban fantasy that covers trailer park Oklahoma and suburban / Metro Denver, with a lead character not ashamed of his roots, but still dealing with the fallout of a rough upbringing and the hard life he's led since. As a Denver local raised in Oklahoma, Slayton creates both worlds well, and I pretty much loved the characters and settings here, with tons of moments that feel 100% true to life, clever use of local landmarks, and an alternate spirit side of Denver that's great fun to explore.
I also loved the family dynamics here, with two adult brothers who've never seen eye to eye and have lots of mistakes to account for. Family secrets and mutual blame abounds, but the looming spirit that threatens a loved one causes them to work together, however much they don't want to. Watching them work through their misconceptions and past mistakes while they learn a little understanding of each other forms the heart of the story, but Slayton doesn't make the mistake of oversimplifying things to force a convenient resolution.
Other relationships here are just as compelling, including a handsome cop with a strange bond to Adam and two powerful elf siblings with their own stake in the outcome. (Also, bonus points for an excellent interpretation of elves that I kinda wish was the default for elves - powerful immortal magic that's so far above our level that it's hard to even see clearly without burning yourself out, but damn it's intoxicating. For me, White Trash Warlock's elves are not far off from Trent Kalamack (Kim Harrison's Hollows series) for favorite urban fantasy elves, and that's saying a lot.)
I also loved the family dynamics here, with two adult brothers who've never seen eye to eye and have lots of mistakes to account for. Family secrets and mutual blame abounds, but the looming spirit that threatens a loved one causes them to work together, however much they don't want to. Watching them work through their misconceptions and past mistakes while they learn a little understanding of each other forms the heart of the story, but Slayton doesn't make the mistake of oversimplifying things to force a convenient resolution.
Other relationships here are just as compelling, including a handsome cop with a strange bond to Adam and two powerful elf siblings with their own stake in the outcome. (Also, bonus points for an excellent interpretation of elves that I kinda wish was the default for elves - powerful immortal magic that's so far above our level that it's hard to even see clearly without burning yourself out, but damn it's intoxicating. For me, White Trash Warlock's elves are not far off from Trent Kalamack (Kim Harrison's Hollows series) for favorite urban fantasy elves, and that's saying a lot.)