DEADBEAT DRUID

In Slayton’s latest fantasy-series installment, Adam Binder knows two things: Immortals have rules, and a deal always comes with a catch.

Warlock Adam Binder was supposed to kill John Binder, his evil warlock ancestor, but instead he and the man Adam loves, Vicente “Vic” Martinez, used their combined powers and sent John somewhere deep in the underworld. Unfortunately, Jodi, Adam’s unstable cousin, pushed Vic into the portal as well and fell into it herself. Adam seeks an answer from Death on where Vic is and how to get him back. As it turns out, Death wants Adam to retrieve a mysterious woman named Melody, nicknamed Mel, from the underworld along with Vic. Adam sets off with his brother Bobby and elf friend Vran in his old Oldsmobile Cutlass on the road to the underworld. Along the way, they’ll meet unknown dangers, including demons in various forms. Adam will have to be careful, smart, and a bit lucky to find Vic before something sinister finds him first; he must also make good on a deal with Seamus, the leprechaun who’s the Guardian of the Western Watchtower, and kill John. Meanwhile, Vic and Jodi try to survive the weird, unpredictable place in which they find themselves. While held captive by otherworldly beings, they meet Mel, who’s been in the underworld since 1935 but has very little memory of her old life. Slayton returns to his series with a fantastic third installment that’s full of adventure and intrigue. However, it also features a good deal of angst and heartache, as the protagonist contends with many deals and many rules to get his boyfriend back: “Everything was a transaction, every conversation a chess match.” Adam is depicted as a dynamic and complex hero to whom readers will easily relate; they’ll sympathize with his problems with immortal beings as well as his challenging family relationships. Secondary characters, such as Bobby, Vran, Vic, and Jodi, are offbeat and engaging, adding to the story and supporting the complex worldbuilding.

A fast-paced adventure that’s likely to please fans of the series.