“You’re a sword-wielding being of immense power, an immortal. And you’re teasing me.”
“Yes, I am,” she said. “What use would I have for a mortal soul?”
“I don’t know,” he said.
“I’m not some sort of petty hoarder,” she said. “Not like dragons.”― David R. Slayton, White Trash Warlock
CBR15Bingo: North America square
Adam Binder has been on his own for as long as he can remember. Disturbing visions have plagued him his entire life, the intensity peaking during his adolescence. Eventually, his mother and his older brother, Bobby, put him in a mental institution. While there, Adam remained drugged and bound, his only reprieve coming at night when he learned to hone his Sight and slip into a parallel world, rife with elves, dwarves, demons, and other unbelievable creatures.
We find Adam years later, shooting pool in a roadhouse while searching for a cursed artifact that he suspects some low-level warlock is using to hustle unsuspecting rednecks. He gets the cursed pool cue and discovers that it came from Denver, one of the most cursed cities in America. When he gets a desperate call from his brother, who incidentally also lives in Denver, Adam packs up his beloved car, says goodbye to his aunt, the only family member who knows he isn’t crazy, and hits the road.
As a huge Supernatural fan, I knew I would enjoy this book as the first scene has Adam fending off beasts outside of an Oklahoma roadhouse while having a meet-cute with the oblivious pool hustler. As one review put it beautifully, “This is an urban fantasy debut starring a broke, gay wizard living in an Oklahoma trailer park.” Adam makes enough money to get by, repairing cars and crashing in his aunt’s trailer. Meanwhile, he searches for clues about his long-dead father, whom he suspects was a warlock.
I haven’t spent much time in Denver, but knowing a little bit about the airport, and its bizarre design, is enough to make anyone believe that it is a hub for the occult.
Oh, and there are elves too – wealthy, beautiful, deadly if seen in their true form, too sly to trust but too powerful to ignore.
The world-building is fantastic. I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance side plot. The true heart of the story comes from the scenes between Adam, his brother, and his estranged mother. Adam convinces himself he is there to help Bobby’s wife, who is a victim of supernatural forces. But his excuses are thin at best and self-sabotaging at worst. He wants to know what it would be like to be part of a family again, even if it hurts him more in the long run.
I will definitely read the other Adam Binder books Deadbeat Druid and Trailerpark Trickster.
