Review: Backwoods Banshee (The Adam Binder Novels, #5) by David R. Slayton

Rating: /10

Synopsis:

While Adam copes with fresh trauma and relationship trouble, he must investigate banshees and the Between in the newest book in the Adam Binder series from beloved author David R. Slayton.

Months after Annie’s return, Adam Binder is still plagued by nightmares about his unborn nephew, and tension is building between him and his boyfriend, Vic, as Adam struggles to recover from the torture he suffered at the hands of a vicious cult.

Meanwhile, banshees have begun preying on humans and fae alike, the Lost Ones—mortals trapped in the Spirit Realm—are on the brink of an uprising, and the Between, a forbidden magical realm where Adam battled the Red Wolf, holds a secret that elves are desperate to keep.

Even more mysterious, someone is purging knowledge about the elven religion from every known repository of information, and not even Jack, the librarian at Rogue Community College, can figure out how or why.

Somehow, these things are all connected, and Adam needs to piece it together and find out who is behind the chaos before the Spirit Realm is destroyed.

Review:

I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again for the sake of this particular review: I adore this series. Backwoods Banshee is book 5 in the Adam Binder novels, and after reading it, I’ll be here for the next book too, whenever it’s available.

At this point in the series, Adam has been through some serious stuff. He’s struggling with PTSD (understandably so after the previous book), and while not every day is good, he’s learning to appreciate those good moments when they happen. But the universe isn’t content to leave him alone to heal, and he’s once more thrown into a magical mess not of his making. But he feels responsible for solving it, since it ties into his family’s past (and a future he’s trying to prevent.)

Adam isn’t fighting alone. His partner, Vic, is always there, in whatever capacity Adam needs him in. Vic is, in my opinion, the best fictional boyfriend anyone could ask for. One of the things I’ve loved about this series from the start was the relationship between Vic and Adam, and it only gets better over time. They support each other, give one another space when it’s called for, and they always communicate. It’s one of the few fictional relationships that feels healthy and real, which is why I appreciate it so much. I really think need more of this in fiction.

Many of my other favorite side characters are featured in this book too. Argent, the Queen of Swords, is always fun (I love her penchant for fast cars and just how badass she is in a fight.) Jack is another favorite, but in a different way (he’s a librarian with unrivaled tech/hacking skills, and as an avid reader, I can’t help but like a bookish character.) And Sara… She’s a complicated character and only makes a brief appearance in this book, but I am constantly intrigued by who she is and what she might do (if you’ve read the earlier books, particularly Deadbeat Druid, you’ll be familiar with Sara.)

All of this to say that I really enjoyed this latest installment in the Adam Binder novels, and I’m looking forward to what’s in store for Adam next. If you’re unfamiliar with the series, it starts with White Trash Warlock.

A final note: I want to say a huge thank you to David Slayton for gifting me an early copy of this book. I was fully prepared to buy a paperback once they were available, but after meeting him and talking with him at a local convention, he decided to give me one—early, without asking for anything in return. It was an incredibly kind gesture…and the least I can do is post this review in the hopes that someone else out there will pick up his books. This is one of my favorite on-going series, and he’s a really wonderful person.

Backwoods Banshee is available for preorder and will release on October 27, 2026.