Section 1: Urban Fantasy Books Similar to White Trash Warlock
While set in dramatically different worlds and eras, it’s interesting that both stories have main characters who possess some magic but have yet to appreciate or develop their skills fully. Adam from White Trash Warlock has more knowledge of his ability in the magical world, but he also had a teacher. Technically, Ning, from A Magic Steeped in Poison, also had a teacher, her mother, but Ning didn’t believe in herself and never dedicated the time she needed to improve. Despite how well they learned or grew in magic, Adam and Ning get pulled into their plotlines and must find the magic within to get out.
Both Adam and Ning have troubled pasts and significant trust issues. So, of course, both authors threw in love interest storylines to push the characters even further out of their comfort zones. I enjoyed how Slayton and Lin added risk factors to the love interest scenarios. For Adam, as a poor southern boy only somewhat out of the closet, falling in love with Vic risked significant exposure, ridicule, and potential physical harm. Ning falls for someone socially higher above her station, and if she pursues it, she risks becoming a social outcast or formal execution. These risk factors certainly add deadly degrees of tension to both stories.
Section 2: Most Powerful Themes Represented in White Trash Warlock
Adam has no issue accepting himself as poor, southern, gay, and capable of using magic. But when Adam first used magic as a teen, his non-magical mother and brother didn’t see a budding wizard. They saw what looked like schizophrenic episodes. As a result, his mother and brother had Adam committed, which he took as a complete rejection of his identity. When Adam left the asylum, he lived with a relative who married into the family but also had magic and could accept Adam for everything he was. Still, Adam tried to live his life apart from his immediate family.
Adam’s brother, Robert (a.k.a. Bobby), has tried desperately to separate himself from his immediate family, mainly from his poor southern past. He left the family homestead, went to school, became a doctor, and married a beautiful non-southern woman. Everything seemed to be going fine until his wife got possessed, and all the weird magic stuff he tried to pass off as his brother’s psychosis crashed into Robert’s reality.
No matter how much Adam and Robert try to forget their connections or what happened in the past, magic is in their roots, and magic forces their lives to collide. For the two brothers to survive, they must work together, admit hard truths, and uncover old secrets that were thought long buried.
Section 3: What I Did Not Like about White Trash Warlock
I mean, I totally understand how non-human supernatural creatures born with innate abilities would be more powerful. That said, in this world, it noted that humans have been crossbreeding with immortal creatures for a reasonably long time. Yes, the blood may be diluted, but if magic is the more robust set of genetics, wouldn’t magic-wielding humans be somewhat more formidable than shown?
One could argue that lack of training makes a huge difference, even with power. Non-human supernatural beings live in cultures that normalize magic, whereas humans do not. In modern times, humans are put in asylums if they display any signs of magical aptitude, which further makes humans afraid of using their abilities. Nevertheless, if you can get past the fear and get some training, how powerful can a human magic user become in this world?
We start to see the answer to that question form as the series continues and Adam grows in strength, which is nice. Still, it’s something that always pokes at me in UF and fantasy.
Section 4: Who Will Love and Hate White Trash Warloc
Suppose you prefer urban fantasy stories that stay within one realm of existence, focus on powerful human mages, and include more drama/mystery than love story. In that case, you’ll probably not be a big fan of this book or the series.
Section 5: L. Rigdon’s Star Rating of White Trash Warloc
The story flow works beautifully, and I appreciated the framework of going back and forth between the two main characters' perspectives. In this book, you see the world through Adam’s eyes and then through Robert/Bobby’s eyes. With such diverse world views, the stark contrast enriches the plotline and provides so much additional backstory and emotion.
How Slayton introduces and portrays supernatural creatures offers a throwback to myth and legend mixed with a modern twist. In the mortal world, you can only see these beings in their human disguises. In the parallel dimensions, which is beyond the mortal world's veil, you can see their true form. That said, their true form can blind you, as mortals can’t withstand the awe and might of such power.
For those of you who have read my other reviews, you know I am not a huge fan of cliffhangers. While this book does end on one, Slayton cleverly closes up all the main storylines before enticing you with the cliffhanger to the next part of the series. His method is the example of how to use cliffhangers effectively. From a marketing perspective, how Slayton finishes the first book and creates tension and urgency to move to the second one is an intelligent tactic. I can tell you from experience the tactic worked on me as I raced to consume the rest of the series.