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Conradverse Chronicles #1
The Middling Affliction
What would you do if you lost everything that mattered to you, as well as all means to protect yourself and others, but still had to save the day? Conrad Brent is about to find out.
Conrad Brent protects the people of Brooklyn from monsters and magical threats. The snarky, wisecracking guardian also has a dangerous secret: he’s one in a million – literally.
Magical ability comes to about one in every 30,000 and can manifest at any age. Conrad is rarer than this, however. He’s a middling, one of the half-gifted and totally despised. Most of the gifted community feels that middlings should be instantly killed. The few who don’t flat out hate them still aren’t excited to be around middlings. Meaning Conrad can’t tell anyone, not even his best friends, what he really is.
Conrad hides in plain sight by being a part of the volunteer Watch, those magically gifted who protect their cities from dangerous, arcane threats. And, to pay the bills, Conrad moonlights as a private detective and monster hunter for the gifted community. Which helps him keep up his personal fiction – that he’s a magical version of Batman. Conrad does both jobs thanks to charms, artifacts, and his wits, along with copious amounts of coffee. But little does he know that events are about to change his life…forever.
When Conrad discovers the Traveling Fair auction house has another middling who’s just manifested her so-called powers on the auction block, he’s determined to save her, regardless of risk. But what he finds out while doing so is even worse – the winning bidder works for a company that’s just created the most dangerous chemical weapon to ever hit the magical community.
Before Conrad can convince anyone at the Watch of the danger, he’s exposed for what he really is. Now, stripped of rank, magical objects, friends and allies, Conrad has to try to save the world with only his wits. Thankfully though, no one’s taken away his coffee.
Conrad Brent protects the people of Brooklyn from monsters and magical threats. The snarky, wisecracking guardian also has a dangerous secret: he’s one in a million – literally.
Magical ability comes to about one in every 30,000 and can manifest at any age. Conrad is rarer than this, however. He’s a middling, one of the half-gifted and totally despised. Most of the gifted community feels that middlings should be instantly killed. The few who don’t flat out hate them still aren’t excited to be around middlings. Meaning Conrad can’t tell anyone, not even his best friends, what he really is.
Conrad hides in plain sight by being a part of the volunteer Watch, those magically gifted who protect their cities from dangerous, arcane threats. And, to pay the bills, Conrad moonlights as a private detective and monster hunter for the gifted community. Which helps him keep up his personal fiction – that he’s a magical version of Batman. Conrad does both jobs thanks to charms, artifacts, and his wits, along with copious amounts of coffee. But little does he know that events are about to change his life…forever.
When Conrad discovers the Traveling Fair auction house has another middling who’s just manifested her so-called powers on the auction block, he’s determined to save her, regardless of risk. But what he finds out while doing so is even worse – the winning bidder works for a company that’s just created the most dangerous chemical weapon to ever hit the magical community.
Before Conrad can convince anyone at the Watch of the danger, he’s exposed for what he really is. Now, stripped of rank, magical objects, friends and allies, Conrad has to try to save the world with only his wits. Thankfully though, no one’s taken away his coffee.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2022
17 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
About the author
Alex Shvartsman
158 books145 followersAlex Shvartsman is a writer, editor, and translator from Brooklyn, NY. He's the author of The Middling Affliction (2022) and Eridani's Crown (2019) fantasy novels. Kakistocracy, a sequel to The Middling Affliction, is forthcoming in 2023.
Over 120 of his stories have been published in Analog, Nature, Strange Horizons, and many other venues. He won the 2014 WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction and was a two-time finalist (2015 and 2017) for the Canopus Award for Excellence in Interstellar Fiction.
His collection, Explaining Cthulhu to Grandma and Other Stories and his steampunk humor novella H. G. Wells, Secret Agent were published in 2015. His second collection, The Golem of Deneb Seven and Other Stories followed in 2018.
Alex is the editor of over a dozen anthologies, including the Unidentified Funny Objects annual anthology series of humorous SF/F.
Over 120 of his stories have been published in Analog, Nature, Strange Horizons, and many other venues. He won the 2014 WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction and was a two-time finalist (2015 and 2017) for the Canopus Award for Excellence in Interstellar Fiction.
His collection, Explaining Cthulhu to Grandma and Other Stories and his steampunk humor novella H. G. Wells, Secret Agent were published in 2015. His second collection, The Golem of Deneb Seven and Other Stories followed in 2018.
Alex is the editor of over a dozen anthologies, including the Unidentified Funny Objects annual anthology series of humorous SF/F.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
December 18, 2024
The Middling Affliction
By Alex Shvartsman
It's a fun fantasy about a guy who knows only some magic and spells but is not gifted with true magic like the Watchers. He is in the Watchers group and trying not to get caught because being like him, half magic, is a death sentence.
He is undercover at a site, and people are bidding on a middling, like him, so they can have the right to kill her. Well, he saves her, and then the two are on the run for their lives. It's pretty exciting.
By Alex Shvartsman
It's a fun fantasy about a guy who knows only some magic and spells but is not gifted with true magic like the Watchers. He is in the Watchers group and trying not to get caught because being like him, half magic, is a death sentence.
He is undercover at a site, and people are bidding on a middling, like him, so they can have the right to kill her. Well, he saves her, and then the two are on the run for their lives. It's pretty exciting.
March 22, 2025
2022
Actual rating: 2.5
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This started out as an interesting urban fantasy with the potential for comicbook quality in terms of an interesting premise for a superhero story and the flashiness and action that comes with it. Unfortunately, while the story is quite action-packed and spectacular in its displays of magic, there never seemed to be a real hook to the story both in terms of plot and characters. The characters are very one-dimensional and emotionless, and the plot, while having a general direction, was unevenly paced with some portions feeling more like afterthoughts than intentional parts of the story. Since this is set in modern times, there are a lot of pop culture references which didn't quite land for me and sometimes felt a bit cringey.
I thought this was conceptually strong and could have done great as a graphic novel, video game, or even animated series, especially given the very episodic structure of the story, but this book overall fell flat for me. It kept me mildly entertained all throughout, but never invested enough to find out what happens next. I still think it has a fantastic cover though.
Actual rating: 2.5
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This started out as an interesting urban fantasy with the potential for comicbook quality in terms of an interesting premise for a superhero story and the flashiness and action that comes with it. Unfortunately, while the story is quite action-packed and spectacular in its displays of magic, there never seemed to be a real hook to the story both in terms of plot and characters. The characters are very one-dimensional and emotionless, and the plot, while having a general direction, was unevenly paced with some portions feeling more like afterthoughts than intentional parts of the story. Since this is set in modern times, there are a lot of pop culture references which didn't quite land for me and sometimes felt a bit cringey.
I thought this was conceptually strong and could have done great as a graphic novel, video game, or even animated series, especially given the very episodic structure of the story, but this book overall fell flat for me. It kept me mildly entertained all throughout, but never invested enough to find out what happens next. I still think it has a fantastic cover though.
March 12, 2022
“Vampires, morgues, and nuclear power plants. This isn’t the tour of Europe I’d dreamed about taking someday.”
Such a good start to a new series!!!
What I liked about it (minor spoilers below):
1. I liked all the world building. Vampire bankers, sword-wielding necromancers, werewolves, wizards, trolls, portals to other time zones and places. What’s not to love?
Within the world, there are also groups of people/creatures, which gets really interesting.
Middlings (aka voids or mudlarks) - can perceive magic but cannot cast it. They can use stored magic in artifacts but cannot recharge the artifact as they have no magic to do so with.
While 1 out of 30,000 are born gifted, 1 out of 1,000,000 are born middlings, and most of them are dead or in hiding because of extreme prejudices in society against them. Thus, our main character Conrad, has a very big secret he is keeping.
The Watch – a volunteer organization of gifted (oops, except Conrad snuck in there!), whose goal is to protect the mundanes, or non-magic folk. They don’t care about squabbles between magic folk vs. magic folk or non-magic folk vs. non-magic folk, they only care about defending the most vulnerable (magic vs. non-magic).
The Cabal – an organization of sorcerers that frequently butts heads with the Watch. We are first introduced to the Cabal when they have their mundane client Bradley Holcomb (a completely hilarious character I can only assume is supposed to be Trump in this world) contact the Watch for assistance with magical interference at one of his construction sites.
The Druids – magical folk who have been trespassing on Holcomb’s construction site and using magic to derail human endeavors of overtaking the area in order to save the land and burial plot of their leader.
In the past, the Cabal drove the Druids out of Britain and Ireland like criminals. For Conrad, he has mixed emotions about their goals: he understands their want to save the land, but at the end of the day, the Watch must protect the mundanes from any magic. Thus, he negotiates peace talks between the Druids and Holcomb.
However, Holcomb doesn’t show up because the Cabal never told him and took the opportunity to try to attack the Druids. Moira and her band of Cabal renegades never had their client’s (Holcomb’s) best interest at heart, they just wanted to hunt down the Druids and kill them.
The Sanctuary - “After the nuclear plant accident made the land around Chernobyl unsafe for humans in the 1980s, a group of magical creatures moved in. Unaffected by radiation, they built a community in a place where they didn’t have to worry about being harassed by humans. More and more creatures flocked to this so-called Sanctuary, and we have no idea how many live there now. Once the radiation level began to subside, humans attempted to return to the area. The inhabitants of the Sanctuary took it upon themselves to keep their territory, by whatever means necessary. Any human found on their land is killed on sight.”
Obviously, that doesn’t sound in alignment with the Watch’s goals. It’s also where the mastermind behind the most dangerous bioweapon in the book is hiding, so this is kind of an important place.
2. I really liked how complex, morally and otherwise, all the characters were.
Conrad has his own agenda and set of morals, but at the end of the day he is a protector. He is smart, sarcastic, and the ultimate underdog. I had a lot of faith in him as a main character and he didn't let me down.
He describes himself as the magical Batman – “a grumpy and possibly somewhat unhinged vigilante with no special powers, who relied on his gadgets to keep up with the super-Joneses.” So, no wonder I love him!
Willodean, aka the middling Conrad rescues, is snarky and gets Conrad’s jokes, being able to throw them right back at him. She is also calm, cool, and collected when presented with a new situation, but also the first person to befriend a stranger once she has enough information. This side of her personality mixed with her patiently waiting “dark side”, creates a super interesting package and moral dilemma at times.
Dale, is another middling Conrad and Willodean meet in prison. Hmmm, for a rather boring middling, he sure knows a lot about picking locks and tying people up…
I love the “side” of Dale we get to know and everything he teaches Conrad. Honestly, I wanted more of him and really hope he is in the next installments of the series.
Moira, a cabal sorceress and leader of the attack on the Druids previously mentioned. I love Moira even though she is a baddie. She is a fantastic character and is definitely one of the stronger magical-folk in this book. She has sass for days and is always competing with Conrad for bad jokes/lines/pop culture references.
She’s not a great person, but she owns it. At the end of the day, she’s just doing her job and she still banded together with them to escape bad situations and fight with them against magical beings when she was the only one with magic. She is a very complex character and I love this about her. She’ll be back and she’s always going to be in Conrad’s world. If he is Batman, she is definitely Catwoman.
3. A big theme in this book is moral absolutism vs. relativism. The thought of “does the end justify the means?” comes around a lot in this book and adds to the complexity of characters and their thoughts. I really enjoyed watching Conrad think this over, as well as the little places it popped up but wasn’t outright called out.
4. SO MANY POP CULTURE REFERENCES!!! I’m an absolute sucker for these, especially when used in a super cheesy dad joke!!! Batman, Rorschach, Star Wars...the list goes on.
5. I liked the bit of redemption given to middlings.
---Spoilers ahead---
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Middlings are basically god larvae. Yep, the middlings are thrown the bone of becoming some of the most powerful magic wielders ever after being dealt the shitty hand of being born social pariahs.
What I didn’t like about the book:
1. They fucking Donna’d Willodean!
I’m beyond upset about this and I almost want to give up…but I won’t because the good outweighs this very, very bad!
2. I feel like there were a lot of scenes that played out that had very little impact on the larger plot and could have been described more generally than having a full-fledged chapter. Because of how many scenes there were, there was a lot of jumping all over the place and it got hard to follow at times.
As someone who assumes every detail is going to be important later, it was a bit overwhelming trying to keep up with everything sometimes. My kindle highlights are all over the fucking place.
Assumptions for the rest of the series:
1. The ultimate bad guy is obviously still out there and I don’t think we’ve seen the end of him.
2. Where the hell did Mose (leader of the Watch) go? Where the hell did Dale go? I’m sure they’ll show up when it’s most convenient to Conrad
3. I’m sure Conrad will find his “god” again
4. Moira will be back and even more fabulous
5. Please no more Willodean. At this point, let her be.
Special thank you to NetGalley, CAEZIK SF & Fantasy, and Alex Shvartsman for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Check out the book May 31!
4 stars!
Such a good start to a new series!!!
What I liked about it (minor spoilers below):
1. I liked all the world building. Vampire bankers, sword-wielding necromancers, werewolves, wizards, trolls, portals to other time zones and places. What’s not to love?
Within the world, there are also groups of people/creatures, which gets really interesting.
Middlings (aka voids or mudlarks) - can perceive magic but cannot cast it. They can use stored magic in artifacts but cannot recharge the artifact as they have no magic to do so with.
While 1 out of 30,000 are born gifted, 1 out of 1,000,000 are born middlings, and most of them are dead or in hiding because of extreme prejudices in society against them. Thus, our main character Conrad, has a very big secret he is keeping.
The Watch – a volunteer organization of gifted (oops, except Conrad snuck in there!), whose goal is to protect the mundanes, or non-magic folk. They don’t care about squabbles between magic folk vs. magic folk or non-magic folk vs. non-magic folk, they only care about defending the most vulnerable (magic vs. non-magic).
The Cabal – an organization of sorcerers that frequently butts heads with the Watch. We are first introduced to the Cabal when they have their mundane client Bradley Holcomb (a completely hilarious character I can only assume is supposed to be Trump in this world) contact the Watch for assistance with magical interference at one of his construction sites.
The Druids – magical folk who have been trespassing on Holcomb’s construction site and using magic to derail human endeavors of overtaking the area in order to save the land and burial plot of their leader.
In the past, the Cabal drove the Druids out of Britain and Ireland like criminals. For Conrad, he has mixed emotions about their goals: he understands their want to save the land, but at the end of the day, the Watch must protect the mundanes from any magic. Thus, he negotiates peace talks between the Druids and Holcomb.
However, Holcomb doesn’t show up because the Cabal never told him and took the opportunity to try to attack the Druids. Moira and her band of Cabal renegades never had their client’s (Holcomb’s) best interest at heart, they just wanted to hunt down the Druids and kill them.
The Sanctuary - “After the nuclear plant accident made the land around Chernobyl unsafe for humans in the 1980s, a group of magical creatures moved in. Unaffected by radiation, they built a community in a place where they didn’t have to worry about being harassed by humans. More and more creatures flocked to this so-called Sanctuary, and we have no idea how many live there now. Once the radiation level began to subside, humans attempted to return to the area. The inhabitants of the Sanctuary took it upon themselves to keep their territory, by whatever means necessary. Any human found on their land is killed on sight.”
Obviously, that doesn’t sound in alignment with the Watch’s goals. It’s also where the mastermind behind the most dangerous bioweapon in the book is hiding, so this is kind of an important place.
2. I really liked how complex, morally and otherwise, all the characters were.
Conrad has his own agenda and set of morals, but at the end of the day he is a protector. He is smart, sarcastic, and the ultimate underdog. I had a lot of faith in him as a main character and he didn't let me down.
He describes himself as the magical Batman – “a grumpy and possibly somewhat unhinged vigilante with no special powers, who relied on his gadgets to keep up with the super-Joneses.” So, no wonder I love him!
Willodean, aka the middling Conrad rescues, is snarky and gets Conrad’s jokes, being able to throw them right back at him. She is also calm, cool, and collected when presented with a new situation, but also the first person to befriend a stranger once she has enough information. This side of her personality mixed with her patiently waiting “dark side”, creates a super interesting package and moral dilemma at times.
Dale, is another middling Conrad and Willodean meet in prison. Hmmm, for a rather boring middling, he sure knows a lot about picking locks and tying people up…
I love the “side” of Dale we get to know and everything he teaches Conrad. Honestly, I wanted more of him and really hope he is in the next installments of the series.
Moira, a cabal sorceress and leader of the attack on the Druids previously mentioned. I love Moira even though she is a baddie. She is a fantastic character and is definitely one of the stronger magical-folk in this book. She has sass for days and is always competing with Conrad for bad jokes/lines/pop culture references.
She’s not a great person, but she owns it. At the end of the day, she’s just doing her job and she still banded together with them to escape bad situations and fight with them against magical beings when she was the only one with magic. She is a very complex character and I love this about her. She’ll be back and she’s always going to be in Conrad’s world. If he is Batman, she is definitely Catwoman.
3. A big theme in this book is moral absolutism vs. relativism. The thought of “does the end justify the means?” comes around a lot in this book and adds to the complexity of characters and their thoughts. I really enjoyed watching Conrad think this over, as well as the little places it popped up but wasn’t outright called out.
4. SO MANY POP CULTURE REFERENCES!!! I’m an absolute sucker for these, especially when used in a super cheesy dad joke!!! Batman, Rorschach, Star Wars...the list goes on.
5. I liked the bit of redemption given to middlings.
---Spoilers ahead---
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Middlings are basically god larvae. Yep, the middlings are thrown the bone of becoming some of the most powerful magic wielders ever after being dealt the shitty hand of being born social pariahs.
What I didn’t like about the book:
1. They fucking Donna’d Willodean!
I’m beyond upset about this and I almost want to give up…but I won’t because the good outweighs this very, very bad!
2. I feel like there were a lot of scenes that played out that had very little impact on the larger plot and could have been described more generally than having a full-fledged chapter. Because of how many scenes there were, there was a lot of jumping all over the place and it got hard to follow at times.
As someone who assumes every detail is going to be important later, it was a bit overwhelming trying to keep up with everything sometimes. My kindle highlights are all over the fucking place.
Assumptions for the rest of the series:
1. The ultimate bad guy is obviously still out there and I don’t think we’ve seen the end of him.
2. Where the hell did Mose (leader of the Watch) go? Where the hell did Dale go? I’m sure they’ll show up when it’s most convenient to Conrad
3. I’m sure Conrad will find his “god” again
4. Moira will be back and even more fabulous
5. Please no more Willodean. At this point, let her be.
Special thank you to NetGalley, CAEZIK SF & Fantasy, and Alex Shvartsman for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Check out the book May 31!
4 stars!
June 20, 2022
4.5/5
This superhero novel blew me away!
I'm new to Shvartsman's work, but after reading this I am very impressed and can't wait to continue this epic journey in the next book.
Our main character is Conrad Brent, a middling who uses magical artifacts to pose as a gifted with powers like his friends at the Watch. Together, they stop any disruption to the average human being's life, and he's been able to fly under the radar for years by being careful with his secret. But when a chance to rescue another middling like himself arises, Conrad embarks on an epic journey that not only endangers his life, but those of the entire gifted community of New York and the world at large.
Pretty much everything worked for me with this novel.
First and foremost, I'd say the world this novel is set sold me right off the bat. Middlings, gifted, gods, monsters. You name it, this world has it, and while we don't get all the deets up front, Shvartsman gives us enough of an understanding to hook the reader. I wanted (and still want) to explore this world and soak up as much info as I could.
Conrad is a fun main character. He's snarky, opinionated, and scrappy, three things I love in a character. He often says things at the wrong time or in the wrong way, but that endeared me to him even more. I even loved all the cheesy superhero one-liners (that's going to be a thing in pretty much any superhero novel you read).
There's also a lot of great supporting characters. The fellow members of the Watch were cool, especially Terrie. Willodean and Herc were also fun to follow along with as well.
The plot was bananas and filled with action in every chapter. Conrad's quest seems simple at first, but it grows with each development, ending in something extremely epic and entertaining. I'm holding back at saying any more than that because I don't want to spoil anything, but if you're a superhero adrenaline junkie, this is a great pick for you.
One thing I did want to see more of was pauses between all the action. Each chapter is so crazy, we don't really get much room for Conrad to breathe and get the perfect amount of depth. We do get plenty along the way, but I think it would've been a smidge better if things calmed down just a bit more in small spots.
All in all, this was a great started to a promising series, and I'll be counting down the days to the next installment. Definitely give this book a chance!
This superhero novel blew me away!
I'm new to Shvartsman's work, but after reading this I am very impressed and can't wait to continue this epic journey in the next book.
Our main character is Conrad Brent, a middling who uses magical artifacts to pose as a gifted with powers like his friends at the Watch. Together, they stop any disruption to the average human being's life, and he's been able to fly under the radar for years by being careful with his secret. But when a chance to rescue another middling like himself arises, Conrad embarks on an epic journey that not only endangers his life, but those of the entire gifted community of New York and the world at large.
Pretty much everything worked for me with this novel.
First and foremost, I'd say the world this novel is set sold me right off the bat. Middlings, gifted, gods, monsters. You name it, this world has it, and while we don't get all the deets up front, Shvartsman gives us enough of an understanding to hook the reader. I wanted (and still want) to explore this world and soak up as much info as I could.
Conrad is a fun main character. He's snarky, opinionated, and scrappy, three things I love in a character. He often says things at the wrong time or in the wrong way, but that endeared me to him even more. I even loved all the cheesy superhero one-liners (that's going to be a thing in pretty much any superhero novel you read).
There's also a lot of great supporting characters. The fellow members of the Watch were cool, especially Terrie. Willodean and Herc were also fun to follow along with as well.
The plot was bananas and filled with action in every chapter. Conrad's quest seems simple at first, but it grows with each development, ending in something extremely epic and entertaining. I'm holding back at saying any more than that because I don't want to spoil anything, but if you're a superhero adrenaline junkie, this is a great pick for you.
One thing I did want to see more of was pauses between all the action. Each chapter is so crazy, we don't really get much room for Conrad to breathe and get the perfect amount of depth. We do get plenty along the way, but I think it would've been a smidge better if things calmed down just a bit more in small spots.
All in all, this was a great started to a promising series, and I'll be counting down the days to the next installment. Definitely give this book a chance!
July 13, 2022
This book is a mess.
The main character is a cut-price Harry Dresden, the plot is three or four different plots rather aggressively hacked apart and stuck back together with spit and spite.
It meanders all over the place, each idea could have some merit but its so crudle strung together its almost painful.
The Core idea, has potential, but by the 50% mark I found myself wondering where the hell this story was going and why it couldn't seem to strap its grown up trousers on and stick to a storyline.
Every plot twist in this story is eye-rollingly contrived, the main character has near to no agency in the plot and the characters have all the spark and chemistry of trying to work a lighter in a lukewarm glass of three day old tap water.
And then, to cap it all off, it ends with a deus ex machina because that was the only way to write an ending for this book.
2 Stars and be thankful for that.
The main character is a cut-price Harry Dresden, the plot is three or four different plots rather aggressively hacked apart and stuck back together with spit and spite.
It meanders all over the place, each idea could have some merit but its so crudle strung together its almost painful.
The Core idea, has potential, but by the 50% mark I found myself wondering where the hell this story was going and why it couldn't seem to strap its grown up trousers on and stick to a storyline.
Every plot twist in this story is eye-rollingly contrived, the main character has near to no agency in the plot and the characters have all the spark and chemistry of trying to work a lighter in a lukewarm glass of three day old tap water.
And then, to cap it all off, it ends with a deus ex machina because that was the only way to write an ending for this book.
2 Stars and be thankful for that.
September 28, 2023
A fresh, funny and quick read; definitely recommend to fans of fantasy adventure stories and monster-fighting narratives.
This book's greatest attribute is, undoubtedly, the snarky narrative voice; there's no way you don't feel for Conrad and enjoy his various antics and attempts to compensate for his 'natural deficiencies', so to say, and at the same time admire him for his unwavering ethics and lack of an instinct for self-preservation.
I also thoroughly enjoyed – and outright laughed out loud at – some of the pop cultural references, they are a constant source of hilarity. Add to that the multicultural variety of mythological creatures (Yay for Slavic folklore and Zmey Gorynych!), and you get a really varied and colorful world. Hopefully, we'll see more of the female protagonist in the next installment, she seemed really interesting. And perhaps there will be a 'cure' for poor Conrad after all, one that he doesn't have to give up the minute he finds it? :)
P.S. Go for the audiobook. It's a gem.
This book's greatest attribute is, undoubtedly, the snarky narrative voice; there's no way you don't feel for Conrad and enjoy his various antics and attempts to compensate for his 'natural deficiencies', so to say, and at the same time admire him for his unwavering ethics and lack of an instinct for self-preservation.
I also thoroughly enjoyed – and outright laughed out loud at – some of the pop cultural references, they are a constant source of hilarity. Add to that the multicultural variety of mythological creatures (Yay for Slavic folklore and Zmey Gorynych!), and you get a really varied and colorful world. Hopefully, we'll see more of the female protagonist in the next installment, she seemed really interesting. And perhaps there will be a 'cure' for poor Conrad after all, one that he doesn't have to give up the minute he finds it? :)
P.S. Go for the audiobook. It's a gem.
September 6, 2022
2.5 stars.
This should have been rollicking great fun with all its magic, sorcerers, magical objects, fantastical beings, and those without any magic, middlings. And how teams of sorcerers must protect regular humans from nefarious, magical threats.
Main character Conrad is a smart aleck, has been lying for years about his middling status, but is also terrific at dispatching magical threats. When he’s found out, in the course of protecting another middling, he must work hard to protect the planet while dealing with the repercussions of his lies to his former team.
I found the tone of the story, as narrated by Conrad, initially amusing and enjoyable, but the more time I spent with him, the less I cared about him. Also, my concern about the threats to everyone diminished the further I read.
I had high hopes for this book, but it did not work for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and to CAEZIK SF & Fantasy for this ARC in exchange for my review.
This should have been rollicking great fun with all its magic, sorcerers, magical objects, fantastical beings, and those without any magic, middlings. And how teams of sorcerers must protect regular humans from nefarious, magical threats.
Main character Conrad is a smart aleck, has been lying for years about his middling status, but is also terrific at dispatching magical threats. When he’s found out, in the course of protecting another middling, he must work hard to protect the planet while dealing with the repercussions of his lies to his former team.
I found the tone of the story, as narrated by Conrad, initially amusing and enjoyable, but the more time I spent with him, the less I cared about him. Also, my concern about the threats to everyone diminished the further I read.
I had high hopes for this book, but it did not work for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and to CAEZIK SF & Fantasy for this ARC in exchange for my review.
June 2, 2022
"The Middling Affliction is a delightful romp through a New York City alive with Sumatran changelings, Philippine energy beetles, and all manner of bizarre and dangerous magical creatures."
Full review at the New York Journal of Books, here:
https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book...
A funny book, easy to read, but with lots of surprising twists and a lot more going on than you expect!
Full review at the New York Journal of Books, here:
https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book...
A funny book, easy to read, but with lots of surprising twists and a lot more going on than you expect!
June 3, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc for this book.
I went into reading The Middling Affliction expecting a fun urban fantasy story, and in some aspects my expectations were met. The world building in particular was interesting and the plot had interesting concepts that were often well executed on a scene to scene basis. However as a whole novel this potential seemed wasted.
Initially I loved Conrad’s character, and he was primed to be a favourite of mine (considering the characters I usually enjoy) however as the story progressed, and particularly in the second half, he lacked much development; with the plot demanding rapid jumps between scenes and locations. Willodean was a character I really enjoyed however her arc felt particularly rushed and almost purposeless by then end. Besides these main two, many other characters provided fun interactions but on the whole had little depth.
I feel these issues can largely be attributed to the poor pacing of the novel. The pace is frantic, and messy. Huge plot reveals and information which appeared to be setting up plot lines were solved within the timeframe of a chapter. The second half of the book particularly provides an information overload in which there was no time to process the significant things happening in the book before the next plot point is introduced and dealt with in similar fashion.
Additionally I found issue with a lot of the humour and the overall tone of the book. I feel as though I understand what tone the author was trying to achieve with the large focus on comedy in this story, however the jokes rarely landed for me. Going beyond simply not being funny to me, as at some points I felt uncomfortable rather than amused, and personally found a lot of the humour here to be out of touch. Making it abundantly clear that I most likely wasn’t the target demographic for this book.
Overall The Middling Affliction is a fun story with some extremely cool concepts and ideas and a world I would love to see explored more thoroughly. It had a strong start with its main character Conrad being great to begin with, however for me, the story fell apart as the poor pacing rushed past many points for development and depth, and favouring humour that had me pushing myself through sections of the story, craving the great character moments and plot points that unfortunately couldn’t outweigh the negative aspects for me.
I went into reading The Middling Affliction expecting a fun urban fantasy story, and in some aspects my expectations were met. The world building in particular was interesting and the plot had interesting concepts that were often well executed on a scene to scene basis. However as a whole novel this potential seemed wasted.
Initially I loved Conrad’s character, and he was primed to be a favourite of mine (considering the characters I usually enjoy) however as the story progressed, and particularly in the second half, he lacked much development; with the plot demanding rapid jumps between scenes and locations. Willodean was a character I really enjoyed however her arc felt particularly rushed and almost purposeless by then end. Besides these main two, many other characters provided fun interactions but on the whole had little depth.
I feel these issues can largely be attributed to the poor pacing of the novel. The pace is frantic, and messy. Huge plot reveals and information which appeared to be setting up plot lines were solved within the timeframe of a chapter. The second half of the book particularly provides an information overload in which there was no time to process the significant things happening in the book before the next plot point is introduced and dealt with in similar fashion.
Additionally I found issue with a lot of the humour and the overall tone of the book. I feel as though I understand what tone the author was trying to achieve with the large focus on comedy in this story, however the jokes rarely landed for me. Going beyond simply not being funny to me, as at some points I felt uncomfortable rather than amused, and personally found a lot of the humour here to be out of touch. Making it abundantly clear that I most likely wasn’t the target demographic for this book.
Overall The Middling Affliction is a fun story with some extremely cool concepts and ideas and a world I would love to see explored more thoroughly. It had a strong start with its main character Conrad being great to begin with, however for me, the story fell apart as the poor pacing rushed past many points for development and depth, and favouring humour that had me pushing myself through sections of the story, craving the great character moments and plot points that unfortunately couldn’t outweigh the negative aspects for me.
March 14, 2022
Disclaimers upfront: I got this via Netgalley (at no charge) for review, and I know the author slightly online. We're on the same writers' forum, and he's written me several very encouraging rejection notes for stories I've submitted to his Unidentified Funny Objects anthologies. I get a strong impression that he's a decent guy. I don't think any of this has influenced my review.
This is the promising first installment in an urban fantasy series, reminiscent of the Dresden Files. The protagonist isn't a private investigator who's also a wizard, though; he's a member of a vigilante group of wizards who secretly also isn't a wizard. He manages, by projecting a lot of confidence and using a lot of magic items (which he is able to use, but not recharge), to get away with it. That's not entirely plausible, when you step right back and think about it (what with the high price of magic items he repeatedly mentions and the fact that absolutely everyone else who does his job routinely uses spells and can apparently tell the difference), but the story's pace is such that I tended to just accept it and be carried along.
He's something called a "middling," neither mundane nor magically gifted, visually indistinguishable from a Gifted but without any personal ability to cast unaided magic - and also traditionally hated and feared by Gifted, for reasons that are no longer remembered by most people but are revealed in the course of the story. The inciting incident that gets him involved in events is an underground auction of another middling, who turns out to be a young woman who was kidnapped and is being sold probably for vivisection or sacrifice. The protagonist, a born protector, can't be having with that, and sets out to rescue her, which kicks off a whole series of investigations, chases, try-fail cycles, pitched battles, fraught conversations, betrayals and rescues. One of the rescues is pretty much literally a deus ex machina, but since it does turn out to be narratively justified (once behind-the-scenes maneuverings get taken into account) I'll allow it.
I referred to the story above as "promising," because it's solid without, for me, making it all the way to amazing. The author is better known for his short stories (and his humour; much to my relief, he didn't try too hard to make this story humourous, just let the banter happen where it needed to), and for an early novel this is sound in its craft and shows a lot of potential. Let's recall that the first Dresden Files books weren't nearly as good as the later ones.
Please don't think, either, that I'm damning it with faint praise. I enjoyed it, and expect to enjoy future entries in the series even more. And the door is left wide, wide open for more in the series by the ending, which sets up a sequel as strongly as a sequel can be set up, without detracting at all from the completeness of the first volume.
Definitely better than middling.
This is the promising first installment in an urban fantasy series, reminiscent of the Dresden Files. The protagonist isn't a private investigator who's also a wizard, though; he's a member of a vigilante group of wizards who secretly also isn't a wizard. He manages, by projecting a lot of confidence and using a lot of magic items (which he is able to use, but not recharge), to get away with it. That's not entirely plausible, when you step right back and think about it (what with the high price of magic items he repeatedly mentions and the fact that absolutely everyone else who does his job routinely uses spells and can apparently tell the difference), but the story's pace is such that I tended to just accept it and be carried along.
He's something called a "middling," neither mundane nor magically gifted, visually indistinguishable from a Gifted but without any personal ability to cast unaided magic - and also traditionally hated and feared by Gifted, for reasons that are no longer remembered by most people but are revealed in the course of the story. The inciting incident that gets him involved in events is an underground auction of another middling, who turns out to be a young woman who was kidnapped and is being sold probably for vivisection or sacrifice. The protagonist, a born protector, can't be having with that, and sets out to rescue her, which kicks off a whole series of investigations, chases, try-fail cycles, pitched battles, fraught conversations, betrayals and rescues. One of the rescues is pretty much literally a deus ex machina, but since it does turn out to be narratively justified (once behind-the-scenes maneuverings get taken into account) I'll allow it.
I referred to the story above as "promising," because it's solid without, for me, making it all the way to amazing. The author is better known for his short stories (and his humour; much to my relief, he didn't try too hard to make this story humourous, just let the banter happen where it needed to), and for an early novel this is sound in its craft and shows a lot of potential. Let's recall that the first Dresden Files books weren't nearly as good as the later ones.
Please don't think, either, that I'm damning it with faint praise. I enjoyed it, and expect to enjoy future entries in the series even more. And the door is left wide, wide open for more in the series by the ending, which sets up a sequel as strongly as a sequel can be set up, without detracting at all from the completeness of the first volume.
Definitely better than middling.
August 10, 2022
As an author, a long-time sf/fantasy fan, and a Brooklyn chauvinist pig, I loved this book. It made me laugh a lot, for one thing. Yes, there are in-jokes and references, most of which I did get, and yes, the main character was just as angsts and as cocky as any Brooklyn resident I know. His depiction of Sheepshead Bay, was so spot on I thought he’d modeled his landlord there on my landlord (yes, I live in Sheepshead Bay).
True, this is more action-driven than introspective, character-driven, but that was just what I needed to read way early this morning. Sometimes, a good, light, rollicking story is just what you need to be able to deal with real life, and this was perfect for the purpose.
This is supposed to be the first in a series, and I only hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next one.
True, this is more action-driven than introspective, character-driven, but that was just what I needed to read way early this morning. Sometimes, a good, light, rollicking story is just what you need to be able to deal with real life, and this was perfect for the purpose.
This is supposed to be the first in a series, and I only hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next one.
November 5, 2023
I don’t read a lot of urban fantasy, but I had so much fun reading this one that I feel like I should check out the genre more often! I really liked the magic system and the world building here. I was intrigued right away, and I found the story unique and thought-provoking, on top of being plain fun. Not to mention, I feel like I found a cast of characters that I’d love to follow through subsequent books. If I had any complaints, I’d say that the pacing was a little hectic and uneven at times, but as this was a book that I was just having fun with and not taking too seriously, I didn’t mind too much. Overall, I thought this was a great read & I’m looking forward to the next book!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions presented here are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions presented here are my own.
March 26, 2022
The Middling Affliction started off strong with an interesting take on the unlikely/anti hero trope. Grumpy, abrasive, and dishonest, our hero Conrad Brent wasn’t exactly likable, but then it doesn’t seem as if he was supposed to be. There were some humorous moments, and many pop culture references to ground the urban fantasy setting. The story kept me interested, although the world spanning settings missed out some of the metaphorical magic that Shvartsman imbued on NYC. It was still an enjoyable read, overall.
June 18, 2022
It started well but the world building is very rushed, you just start to get used to it and they change it again. I had high expectations for this story.
April 13, 2022
This book has a breakneck-pace plot, a diverse cast of characters, and an interesting world. It is evident that the author has a lot of experience writing as the book greatly succeeds on the scene-by-scene level. While the fight choreography could use some work, overall every encounter felt life like and engaging.
That being said the pacing of the book stumbles beyond the individual moments. Conrad jumps from emergency to emergency, taking very narrative time to move on to the next point. This could have been remedied by giving Conrad more internal life during the "downtime" when he is traveling or doing odd jobs to kill time.
Additional, towards the end of the book Karl says "your jokes usually suck" and i unfortunately have to agree. A notable amount of the "comedy" in this book is just low-blow digs at things primarily enjoyed by teenage girls, like Kpop and Twilight. While I understand that I may not be the target demographic of this book, and the protagonist may feel himself above these things, I see "jokes" like that as punching down, which is in poor taste.
My final criticism is that Conrad constantly describes himself as a loner, but has a ton of contacts. I understand that work colleagues aren't really friends, but he can hardly say he "works alone" when he has a team of magical coworkers he can call on, a Jewish jeweler who is willing to do him enormous favors, and rapport with the magical TSA agent.
All of that said this book is interesting and I will likely read the next one. The mystery of this book may wrap up with a nice little bow, but there are enough open ended avenues and unexplored relationships to bring me back.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
That being said the pacing of the book stumbles beyond the individual moments. Conrad jumps from emergency to emergency, taking very narrative time to move on to the next point. This could have been remedied by giving Conrad more internal life during the "downtime" when he is traveling or doing odd jobs to kill time.
Additional, towards the end of the book Karl says "your jokes usually suck" and i unfortunately have to agree. A notable amount of the "comedy" in this book is just low-blow digs at things primarily enjoyed by teenage girls, like Kpop and Twilight. While I understand that I may not be the target demographic of this book, and the protagonist may feel himself above these things, I see "jokes" like that as punching down, which is in poor taste.
My final criticism is that Conrad constantly describes himself as a loner, but has a ton of contacts. I understand that work colleagues aren't really friends, but he can hardly say he "works alone" when he has a team of magical coworkers he can call on, a Jewish jeweler who is willing to do him enormous favors, and rapport with the magical TSA agent.
All of that said this book is interesting and I will likely read the next one. The mystery of this book may wrap up with a nice little bow, but there are enough open ended avenues and unexplored relationships to bring me back.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 1, 2022
The Middling Affliction is the first book in Alex Shvartsman's The Conradverse Chronicles series. This urban-fantasy novel hits stores on May 31, 2022. The publisher CAEZIK SF and Fantasy made an early galley available to me in exchange for an honest review.
This novel started out strong for me. I liked what Shvartsman put into his worldbuilding; he seamlessly blends modern New York City with fantasy elements to create an exciting and fun setting. His protagonist Conrad Brent was also initially likeable. For the first few chapters, I was pulled into the story.
However, I was not a big fan of the heavy use of comic book references. Holding iconic characters like Batman and Rorschach as comparisons for your main character really sets up a no-win situation. They both bring up very distinct images that leave the protagonist in an unfair light. The various Star Wars, zombie and vampire TV shows and movies, and other sci-fi references were not really needed. The reliance on winks and nods to other properties that the author likes seemed too much of a service to fanboys. As a fanboy myself, I found they did more harm than good.
Also, the inspiration for the character of Bradley Holcomb was instantly obvious to me. If his professional resume wasn't enough, his way of speaking and choices of certain phrases were the clinchers. Again, my having a strong opinion of this individual immediately took me out of the narrative.
If the author had stuck to the original spirit, I think I would have been along for the long ride.
This novel started out strong for me. I liked what Shvartsman put into his worldbuilding; he seamlessly blends modern New York City with fantasy elements to create an exciting and fun setting. His protagonist Conrad Brent was also initially likeable. For the first few chapters, I was pulled into the story.
However, I was not a big fan of the heavy use of comic book references. Holding iconic characters like Batman and Rorschach as comparisons for your main character really sets up a no-win situation. They both bring up very distinct images that leave the protagonist in an unfair light. The various Star Wars, zombie and vampire TV shows and movies, and other sci-fi references were not really needed. The reliance on winks and nods to other properties that the author likes seemed too much of a service to fanboys. As a fanboy myself, I found they did more harm than good.
Also, the inspiration for the character of Bradley Holcomb was instantly obvious to me. If his professional resume wasn't enough, his way of speaking and choices of certain phrases were the clinchers. Again, my having a strong opinion of this individual immediately took me out of the narrative.
If the author had stuck to the original spirit, I think I would have been along for the long ride.
May 27, 2022
TL;DR
The Middling Affliction by Alex Shvartsman is a wonderful opening to the Conradverse Chronicles. This urban fantasy dives right into a deep mystery of Shvartsman’s world, and its main character, Conrad Brent, will never be the same. Recommended.
Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.
Read more reviews this at my blog, Primmlife.com
Review: The Middling Affliction by Alex Shvartsman
I love Urban Fantasy. When done right, it balances the best of fantasy and mystery to become something more. I like the detective fiction, and I enjoy the fantastical elements inserted into the story. But the first person narration makes or breaks the story. The main character has to be likeable yet flawed. Superman would make a terrible urban fantasy narrator. Typically, the narrators that I enjoy are snarky, hard-boiled types. Conrad Brent in Alex Shvartsman’s The Middling Affliction fits this mold exactly while maintaining his own independent creation. He’s not a Dresden copycat or a re-skinned Alex Verus, but he can stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Though, he’s the only one who can’t do magic, and if his secret ever got out, he could be hunted for sport by other magicians. Conrad’s world is dangerous, big, and waiting to be explored.
In a world where some people can do magic, ignorance would be bliss. Not knowing about the magical community would be a blessing. But what if one knew about the magical community, could see auras and creatures, but not perform any magic themselves? That person would be at an extreme disadvantage. All the knowledge, none of the power. This is where Conrad Brent finds himself. He’s what’s known as a middling. He knows magic is real, can see magical creatures, and can even use magical devices, but he is incapable of performing any magic on his own. Even worse, middlings are loathed, despised, even hunted, by other magical users. Conrad, however, has learned to hide his inability to perform magic so well that he works for the Watch, a quasi-law enforcement agency for magical beings. The Watch protects the non-magical from the magical, but it does not intervene in beefs between magicians. Brent’s borough is Brooklyn, and he’s the line in the sand between the normies and the magical world. He even has an apprentice that he’s training. Brent relies on his wits and constant deception to survive.
The Middling Affliction begins with Conrad acting as animal control for a supernatural creature. During the job, he learns that the Traveling Fair is coming to New York. This magical auction house is selling a middling. That’s right, they’re selling a human being. Conrad begins to scheme how to save the middling. When his attempt to purchase the middling fails, he recruits help to break into the corporation that bought the female middling. During the rescue, Conrad’s help gets infected with something that prevents him from doing magic. In other words, the corporation has invented a weapon to reduce magic users to middlings. Soon, Conrad gets outed as a middling to the Watch. Due to past performance, he’s allowed to leave. But he knows that a target has been put on his back. So, Conrad’s got a lot going on. In addition to surviving, he’s got to find the cure to help return magic to the afflicted. Hopefully by finding the cure, he can figure out why he’s unable to do magic. Can Conrad find a cure? Can he survive his secret being outed into the world?
The Middling Affliction is a first person point of view (POV) book that follows Conrad Brent. It’s a linear story with settings bouncing from New York to Bern to Chernobyl. Yes, that Chernobyl in Ukraine. The book rests on Conrad Brent. Do you like him or not? Well, I did. He’s likable, smart, a little too snarky, paranoid, and slow on the uptake. His POV is an excellent introduction to Shvartsman’s world.
Mysteries
This is the first book in an ongoing series (hopefully). Shvartsman could have dragged out the mystery of what exactly it means to be a middling. However, he doesn’t. The book dives right into the main mystery, which surprised me. When discovering the secret of being a middling, Conrad’s universe expands, and more questions arise than are answered. This made me interested to see where Shvartsman plans to take the series. There’s a mythological cosmos here that begs to be explored.
Pacing
While the reader learns early on the overall plot, it takes some time to get going. The first third of the book feels a bit disjointed. It feels like Conrad’s on some side quests. Once the story lines converge, the pacing feels more sure. It’s worth sticking with it.
Conclusion
Alex Shvartsman’s The Middling Affliction takes a bit to find its footing, but when it does, it takes off. Conrad Brent is a likeable narrator who has to navigate a dangerous magical world. Shvartsman’s world begs to be explored to see more magical creatures, more vampires, more wizards, and more middlings. I’m looking forward to Conrad’s future adventures.
The Middling Affliction by Alex Shvartsman is available from CAEZIK Science Fiction & Fantasy on May 31st, 2022.
The Middling Affliction by Alex Shvartsman is a wonderful opening to the Conradverse Chronicles. This urban fantasy dives right into a deep mystery of Shvartsman’s world, and its main character, Conrad Brent, will never be the same. Recommended.
Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.
Read more reviews this at my blog, Primmlife.com
Review: The Middling Affliction by Alex Shvartsman
I love Urban Fantasy. When done right, it balances the best of fantasy and mystery to become something more. I like the detective fiction, and I enjoy the fantastical elements inserted into the story. But the first person narration makes or breaks the story. The main character has to be likeable yet flawed. Superman would make a terrible urban fantasy narrator. Typically, the narrators that I enjoy are snarky, hard-boiled types. Conrad Brent in Alex Shvartsman’s The Middling Affliction fits this mold exactly while maintaining his own independent creation. He’s not a Dresden copycat or a re-skinned Alex Verus, but he can stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Though, he’s the only one who can’t do magic, and if his secret ever got out, he could be hunted for sport by other magicians. Conrad’s world is dangerous, big, and waiting to be explored.
In a world where some people can do magic, ignorance would be bliss. Not knowing about the magical community would be a blessing. But what if one knew about the magical community, could see auras and creatures, but not perform any magic themselves? That person would be at an extreme disadvantage. All the knowledge, none of the power. This is where Conrad Brent finds himself. He’s what’s known as a middling. He knows magic is real, can see magical creatures, and can even use magical devices, but he is incapable of performing any magic on his own. Even worse, middlings are loathed, despised, even hunted, by other magical users. Conrad, however, has learned to hide his inability to perform magic so well that he works for the Watch, a quasi-law enforcement agency for magical beings. The Watch protects the non-magical from the magical, but it does not intervene in beefs between magicians. Brent’s borough is Brooklyn, and he’s the line in the sand between the normies and the magical world. He even has an apprentice that he’s training. Brent relies on his wits and constant deception to survive.
The Middling Affliction begins with Conrad acting as animal control for a supernatural creature. During the job, he learns that the Traveling Fair is coming to New York. This magical auction house is selling a middling. That’s right, they’re selling a human being. Conrad begins to scheme how to save the middling. When his attempt to purchase the middling fails, he recruits help to break into the corporation that bought the female middling. During the rescue, Conrad’s help gets infected with something that prevents him from doing magic. In other words, the corporation has invented a weapon to reduce magic users to middlings. Soon, Conrad gets outed as a middling to the Watch. Due to past performance, he’s allowed to leave. But he knows that a target has been put on his back. So, Conrad’s got a lot going on. In addition to surviving, he’s got to find the cure to help return magic to the afflicted. Hopefully by finding the cure, he can figure out why he’s unable to do magic. Can Conrad find a cure? Can he survive his secret being outed into the world?
The Middling Affliction is a first person point of view (POV) book that follows Conrad Brent. It’s a linear story with settings bouncing from New York to Bern to Chernobyl. Yes, that Chernobyl in Ukraine. The book rests on Conrad Brent. Do you like him or not? Well, I did. He’s likable, smart, a little too snarky, paranoid, and slow on the uptake. His POV is an excellent introduction to Shvartsman’s world.
Mysteries
This is the first book in an ongoing series (hopefully). Shvartsman could have dragged out the mystery of what exactly it means to be a middling. However, he doesn’t. The book dives right into the main mystery, which surprised me. When discovering the secret of being a middling, Conrad’s universe expands, and more questions arise than are answered. This made me interested to see where Shvartsman plans to take the series. There’s a mythological cosmos here that begs to be explored.
Pacing
While the reader learns early on the overall plot, it takes some time to get going. The first third of the book feels a bit disjointed. It feels like Conrad’s on some side quests. Once the story lines converge, the pacing feels more sure. It’s worth sticking with it.
Conclusion
Alex Shvartsman’s The Middling Affliction takes a bit to find its footing, but when it does, it takes off. Conrad Brent is a likeable narrator who has to navigate a dangerous magical world. Shvartsman’s world begs to be explored to see more magical creatures, more vampires, more wizards, and more middlings. I’m looking forward to Conrad’s future adventures.
The Middling Affliction by Alex Shvartsman is available from CAEZIK Science Fiction & Fantasy on May 31st, 2022.
May 9, 2022
‘If it isn’t too much of an inconvenience, I’d like you to save the world’
New York author Alex Shvartzman is a writer, editor, and translator who has published his short stories in such magazines and anthologies as Nature, Analog, Strange Horizons, having been awarded the WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction. He is the editor of Unidentified Funny Objects and Future Science Fiction Digest among others such as Humanity 2.0, and Coffee: 14 Caffeinated Tales of the Fantastic.
One of the many reasons Alex’s writing is so magnetic is his astute grasp of melding science fiction fantasy with very ‘now’ pop culture idioms that provide instant checkpoint for the YA crowd (and adults whose gamut of literary genres include appreciation of weird fantasy!). He zings the opening of this wild ride as follows: ’My job that morning was to banish a demon, but I was determined to finish my cup of coffee first. I sipped my java in front of Demetrios’s warehouse in Sunset Park, enjoying the panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline and New York harbor. I stared at the Statue of Liberty, which appeared the size and shade of a toy soldier at this distance. A warm breeze caressed my face. Next to me, Demetrios was shaking like a leaf. “What in the world are you thinking. Conrad?” Demetrios spoke in his typical rapid-fire fashion. “You’re just going to go in there, alone, to face this infernal thing?”….”I can handle it…it’s not like I haven’t dealt with an occasional demon before..’Jocular conversations lighten the following tale.
The scope of the story is as follows: ‘Conrad Brent protects the people of Brooklyn from monsters and magical threats. The snarky, wisecracking guardian also has a dangerous secret: he’s one in a million – literally. Magical ability comes to about one in every 30,000 and can manifest at any age. Conrad is rarer than this, however. He’s a middling, one of the half-gifted and totally despised. Most of the gifted community feels that middlings should be instantly killed. The few who don’t flat out hate them still aren’t excited to be around middlings. Meaning Conrad can’t tell anyone, not even his best friends, what he really is. Conrad hides in plain sight by being a part of the volunteer Watch, those magically gifted who protect their cities from dangerous, arcane threats. And, to pay the bills, Conrad moonlights as a private detective and monster hunter for the gifted community. Which helps him keep up his personal fiction – that he’s a magical version of Batman. Conrad does both jobs thanks to charms, artifacts, and his wits, along with copious amounts of coffee. But little does he know that events are about to change his life… forever. When Conrad discovers the Traveling Fair auction house has another middling who’s just manifested her so-called powers on the auction block, he’s determined to save her, regardless of risk. But what he finds out while doing so is even worse – the winning bidder works for a company that’s just created the most dangerous chemical weapon to ever hit the magical community. Before Conrad can convince anyone at the Watch of the danger, he’s exposed for what he really is. Now, stripped of rank, magical objects, friends and allies, Conrad has to try to save the world with only his wits. Thankfully though, no one’s taken away his coffee.’
For a completely enjoyable fantasy this novel satisfies on all counts. Exceptional writing and a bristling imagination bring Alex Shvartzman to the forefront! Very Highly Recommended
New York author Alex Shvartzman is a writer, editor, and translator who has published his short stories in such magazines and anthologies as Nature, Analog, Strange Horizons, having been awarded the WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction. He is the editor of Unidentified Funny Objects and Future Science Fiction Digest among others such as Humanity 2.0, and Coffee: 14 Caffeinated Tales of the Fantastic.
One of the many reasons Alex’s writing is so magnetic is his astute grasp of melding science fiction fantasy with very ‘now’ pop culture idioms that provide instant checkpoint for the YA crowd (and adults whose gamut of literary genres include appreciation of weird fantasy!). He zings the opening of this wild ride as follows: ’My job that morning was to banish a demon, but I was determined to finish my cup of coffee first. I sipped my java in front of Demetrios’s warehouse in Sunset Park, enjoying the panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline and New York harbor. I stared at the Statue of Liberty, which appeared the size and shade of a toy soldier at this distance. A warm breeze caressed my face. Next to me, Demetrios was shaking like a leaf. “What in the world are you thinking. Conrad?” Demetrios spoke in his typical rapid-fire fashion. “You’re just going to go in there, alone, to face this infernal thing?”….”I can handle it…it’s not like I haven’t dealt with an occasional demon before..’Jocular conversations lighten the following tale.
The scope of the story is as follows: ‘Conrad Brent protects the people of Brooklyn from monsters and magical threats. The snarky, wisecracking guardian also has a dangerous secret: he’s one in a million – literally. Magical ability comes to about one in every 30,000 and can manifest at any age. Conrad is rarer than this, however. He’s a middling, one of the half-gifted and totally despised. Most of the gifted community feels that middlings should be instantly killed. The few who don’t flat out hate them still aren’t excited to be around middlings. Meaning Conrad can’t tell anyone, not even his best friends, what he really is. Conrad hides in plain sight by being a part of the volunteer Watch, those magically gifted who protect their cities from dangerous, arcane threats. And, to pay the bills, Conrad moonlights as a private detective and monster hunter for the gifted community. Which helps him keep up his personal fiction – that he’s a magical version of Batman. Conrad does both jobs thanks to charms, artifacts, and his wits, along with copious amounts of coffee. But little does he know that events are about to change his life… forever. When Conrad discovers the Traveling Fair auction house has another middling who’s just manifested her so-called powers on the auction block, he’s determined to save her, regardless of risk. But what he finds out while doing so is even worse – the winning bidder works for a company that’s just created the most dangerous chemical weapon to ever hit the magical community. Before Conrad can convince anyone at the Watch of the danger, he’s exposed for what he really is. Now, stripped of rank, magical objects, friends and allies, Conrad has to try to save the world with only his wits. Thankfully though, no one’s taken away his coffee.’
For a completely enjoyable fantasy this novel satisfies on all counts. Exceptional writing and a bristling imagination bring Alex Shvartzman to the forefront! Very Highly Recommended
June 17, 2022
4 Stars - Fun urban fantasy with plenty of potential
Everybody knows the trope of superhero vigilantes protecting the world secretly, fighting all sorts of villains and supernatural creatures. But what if you are a member of such a vigilante group but actually don't have magic powers - and nobody must ever find out?
This is the basic setup for Alex Shvartsmans's Middling Affliction in which Conrad is fighting for all that is good in New York as a member of the Watch. Conrad is not completely without magic, though - he is a "Middling", meaning he is able to use magical artifacts, but cannot wield magic of his own. Since in the secret world of the gifted (the rest of us are the "Mundane") Middlings are hated with a passion, Conrad has many good reasons for not wanting his secret to come out. This also means that he is constantly lying to his gifted friends and is always in fear of being found out.
Add to this high-stakes setup plenty of action, a lot of it connected that very Middling status and you get a highly entertaining urban fantasy with great potential for many stories to come. There are many secondary characters that felt well realized, surprising twists and great villains. I liked Moira in particular. I also LOVED Willowdean's storyline until quite suddenly I didn't any more. The way her subplot was wrapped up was a rather disappointing and I very much hope that Shvartsman will do a bit more with that storyline in the future.
The writing is very readable, with some humour thrown in here and there, but it is (thankfully) not a "funny" book, as these only very rarely work for me. There are plenty of pop-culture references, from the Simpsons to Star Trek, Stargate and whatnot that will surely appeal to the target reader. I also enjoyed the explorations of Conrad's constant ethical dilemmas. Shvartsman also somehow manages to make the plot to feel surprisingly character-driven in spite of the many many events of cosmic relevance taking place.
I am very happy I stumbled upon this and will definitely keep an eye out for any sequels. Highly recommended.
I have received an advance review copy via NetGalley and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you very much!
Everybody knows the trope of superhero vigilantes protecting the world secretly, fighting all sorts of villains and supernatural creatures. But what if you are a member of such a vigilante group but actually don't have magic powers - and nobody must ever find out?
This is the basic setup for Alex Shvartsmans's Middling Affliction in which Conrad is fighting for all that is good in New York as a member of the Watch. Conrad is not completely without magic, though - he is a "Middling", meaning he is able to use magical artifacts, but cannot wield magic of his own. Since in the secret world of the gifted (the rest of us are the "Mundane") Middlings are hated with a passion, Conrad has many good reasons for not wanting his secret to come out. This also means that he is constantly lying to his gifted friends and is always in fear of being found out.
Add to this high-stakes setup plenty of action, a lot of it connected that very Middling status and you get a highly entertaining urban fantasy with great potential for many stories to come. There are many secondary characters that felt well realized, surprising twists and great villains. I liked Moira in particular. I also LOVED Willowdean's storyline until quite suddenly I didn't any more. The way her subplot was wrapped up was a rather disappointing and I very much hope that Shvartsman will do a bit more with that storyline in the future.
The writing is very readable, with some humour thrown in here and there, but it is (thankfully) not a "funny" book, as these only very rarely work for me. There are plenty of pop-culture references, from the Simpsons to Star Trek, Stargate and whatnot that will surely appeal to the target reader. I also enjoyed the explorations of Conrad's constant ethical dilemmas. Shvartsman also somehow manages to make the plot to feel surprisingly character-driven in spite of the many many events of cosmic relevance taking place.
I am very happy I stumbled upon this and will definitely keep an eye out for any sequels. Highly recommended.
I have received an advance review copy via NetGalley and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you very much!
April 3, 2023
Conrad Brent is a proud member of the Watch, a volunteer group of magical practitioners who protect Brooklyn from the kinds of magical threats mundane law enforcement simply can't handle. In his world, a special few are born with magical abilities which allow them to cast spells, see auras, and use magical items. Unfortunately, an even more special subset of these are born without the ability to cast spells. These are called Middlings and are despised throughout the world. And, naturally, Conrad has the fortune to be a middling.
Most middling do the sensible thing ... hide. Conrad is not in the least sensible. He's risen rapidly through the ranks and made quite a name for himself among the Watch. He succeeds through wit, sarcasm, leaning on allies, and carrying a wide assortment of magical items. For some reason, the need to cast a spell has just never come up. But he knows he's living on the edge. Middlings are not just disliked, they're hated. Several religions call for them to be killed on sight. He has no idea why middlings are treated so, but he knows that even his closest friends on the watch would turn on him in an instant if they were to find out.
Which is why he does the mind-numbingly stupid thing ... make that ethically and morally mandatory thing, of rescuing a young middling woman that is being sold at auction. The auction isn't really legal, but then middlings aren't really human, so the whole thing is rather a grey area from the viewpoint of the Watch. And once Conrad takes action, his life, and the world as he knows it, begin to unravel. Because, in the process of rescuing an innocent, his secret is revealed and, as he feared, all the doors are now being slammed in his face and he's stripped of every resource he's spent a lifetime gathering.
Which would be bad enough except, in the process, he's also stumbled upon a global conspiracy that threatens every magical practitioner on Earth. He'd be happy to tell them all about it, but nobody will listen to a middling.
Fortunately, Conrad isn't the kind of person to let being shunned by everyone he's ever known stop
Most middling do the sensible thing ... hide. Conrad is not in the least sensible. He's risen rapidly through the ranks and made quite a name for himself among the Watch. He succeeds through wit, sarcasm, leaning on allies, and carrying a wide assortment of magical items. For some reason, the need to cast a spell has just never come up. But he knows he's living on the edge. Middlings are not just disliked, they're hated. Several religions call for them to be killed on sight. He has no idea why middlings are treated so, but he knows that even his closest friends on the watch would turn on him in an instant if they were to find out.
Which is why he does the mind-numbingly stupid thing ... make that ethically and morally mandatory thing, of rescuing a young middling woman that is being sold at auction. The auction isn't really legal, but then middlings aren't really human, so the whole thing is rather a grey area from the viewpoint of the Watch. And once Conrad takes action, his life, and the world as he knows it, begin to unravel. Because, in the process of rescuing an innocent, his secret is revealed and, as he feared, all the doors are now being slammed in his face and he's stripped of every resource he's spent a lifetime gathering.
Which would be bad enough except, in the process, he's also stumbled upon a global conspiracy that threatens every magical practitioner on Earth. He'd be happy to tell them all about it, but nobody will listen to a middling.
Fortunately, Conrad isn't the kind of person to let being shunned by everyone he's ever known stop
April 10, 2022
**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**
Actual rating: 3.5
Alex Shvartsman presents The Middling Affliction, the first in a new urban fantasy series set in New York. The series follows Conrad Brent, a middling, who is able to see magic, but cannot use magic himself except through the aid of objects and artifacts. Brent is a protector in the Watch, duty-driven to defend the mundane population from ill-intentioned magic practitioners. Being a middling is rare and possesses stigma, so when Brent is found out, he is summarily dismissed. When a bioweapon emerges that transforms the magically gifted into middlings, Brent might have to risk everything to solve the problem.
First and foremost, I found The Middling Affliction to.be entertaining. Dresden Files by way of Supernatural, Conrad is a main character whose smart mouth leads the way. Like the characters in the aforementioned series, Conrad tends to get himself in trouble as well as gain himself loyal friends. Some of the humor didn't always land for me, but that's just the risk an author takes with incorporating humor as a main trait of a perspective character. I did like the varied species and groups that were represented in the story. However, I feel that The Middling Affliction suffered from what many first books to long series do: they spend so much time building the magic, the world, and the rules, that you aren't very invested in the individual characters yet.
I do feel like Shvartsman has created a good start with a lot of room to continue this series, with this book acting effectively as a "pilot" type book. There is a lot of potential here and I hope that readers will be willing to continue the series and allow it to build. After all, it's rarely the "pilot" episode that is the best in the series, and I look forward to seeing Conrad's universe play out.
Actual rating: 3.5
Alex Shvartsman presents The Middling Affliction, the first in a new urban fantasy series set in New York. The series follows Conrad Brent, a middling, who is able to see magic, but cannot use magic himself except through the aid of objects and artifacts. Brent is a protector in the Watch, duty-driven to defend the mundane population from ill-intentioned magic practitioners. Being a middling is rare and possesses stigma, so when Brent is found out, he is summarily dismissed. When a bioweapon emerges that transforms the magically gifted into middlings, Brent might have to risk everything to solve the problem.
First and foremost, I found The Middling Affliction to.be entertaining. Dresden Files by way of Supernatural, Conrad is a main character whose smart mouth leads the way. Like the characters in the aforementioned series, Conrad tends to get himself in trouble as well as gain himself loyal friends. Some of the humor didn't always land for me, but that's just the risk an author takes with incorporating humor as a main trait of a perspective character. I did like the varied species and groups that were represented in the story. However, I feel that The Middling Affliction suffered from what many first books to long series do: they spend so much time building the magic, the world, and the rules, that you aren't very invested in the individual characters yet.
I do feel like Shvartsman has created a good start with a lot of room to continue this series, with this book acting effectively as a "pilot" type book. There is a lot of potential here and I hope that readers will be willing to continue the series and allow it to build. After all, it's rarely the "pilot" episode that is the best in the series, and I look forward to seeing Conrad's universe play out.
April 30, 2022
The Middling Affliction is set in a world where some people can manipulate magic (the "gifted"), and others can't (the "mundanes"). A dedicated group of Gifted, human and other, takes responsibility for protecting mundanes from monsters and certain Gifteds who might persecute them. The Watch is a volunteer group, and Conrad Brent's assignment is to protect the "normal" folks in Brooklyn.
However, Conrad is only impersonating being gifted; he uses magical charms and objects, which he can perceive, but he can't create spells or imbue objects with magic. Technically,
Conrad is a Middling, something anathema to the Gifted, which is the reason he is dissembling. His true outsider status may have given rise to his snarky retorts and all-around "grumpy" (his own word) nature.
Conrad's character can seem bad-tempered, but I found the resemblance to Harry Dresden, a protector with a pure heart, to be closer to his real personality. The inevitable happens in this urban fantasy when Conrad's true status is revealed, but before this he has successfully overpowered supernatural beings and brokered a truce between a rich land developer and Druids who have a sacred place on the property destined to become a theme park.
He also saves another Middling who was going to be sold at an auction -- thus a nod to the oppression facing those seen as "not us." Together, they flee from the close-minded Cabal, which takes pleasure in killing Middlings, in a fast-paced series of chases, battles, betrayals, reversals and rescues.
As the first in a series, author Alex Shvartsman has created a world with much potential -- and a second installment is now available. This first installment has its own rapid momentum leading to closure while nimbly keeping around certain malevolent dangers.
I received a free copy of this book from CAEZIK SF & Fantasy via BookSirens. This is an honest review.
However, Conrad is only impersonating being gifted; he uses magical charms and objects, which he can perceive, but he can't create spells or imbue objects with magic. Technically,
Conrad is a Middling, something anathema to the Gifted, which is the reason he is dissembling. His true outsider status may have given rise to his snarky retorts and all-around "grumpy" (his own word) nature.
Conrad's character can seem bad-tempered, but I found the resemblance to Harry Dresden, a protector with a pure heart, to be closer to his real personality. The inevitable happens in this urban fantasy when Conrad's true status is revealed, but before this he has successfully overpowered supernatural beings and brokered a truce between a rich land developer and Druids who have a sacred place on the property destined to become a theme park.
He also saves another Middling who was going to be sold at an auction -- thus a nod to the oppression facing those seen as "not us." Together, they flee from the close-minded Cabal, which takes pleasure in killing Middlings, in a fast-paced series of chases, battles, betrayals, reversals and rescues.
As the first in a series, author Alex Shvartsman has created a world with much potential -- and a second installment is now available. This first installment has its own rapid momentum leading to closure while nimbly keeping around certain malevolent dangers.
I received a free copy of this book from CAEZIK SF & Fantasy via BookSirens. This is an honest review.
March 20, 2022
Nathan Fillion fans, Conrad Brent may be your next favorite character!
The Middling Affliction introduces an amusing cast of characters and takes readers on a fun, worldwide adventure. The novel's protagonist, Conrad Brent, is a member of a volunteer organization called the Watch. As the member of the Watch assigned to Brooklyn, NY, he is in charge of keeping "the gifted" (people and other beings that possess magic) from picking on "the mundanes" (normal humans who have no idea that magic exists) in his borough. This job doesn't pay the bills however, so he moonlights as a private investigator/exterminator, helping his clients figure out what arcane creatures or objects are causing them problems.
Conrad is different than his Watch counterparts though. Though he can see the gifted for what they are, he does not possess any magic of his own. In their world, he is called a middling, a label that is very dangerous to have as many of the gifted want to rid the world of middlings. This affliction makes working at the Watch a little difficult for Conrad as he must keep his coworkers from knowing that he is a middling. He fares fine for the most part though due to his street smarts, magically imbued items, sarcastic quips, and plucky plans.
This book was a very enjoyable read. It was very fast paced and I was never bored. The world building was great and had a different feel than a lot of the urban fantasy books that I've read in the past. The characters were witty and quirky making them all pretty loveable. The only issue I had with the book was that the beginning felt a little disjointed. The worldbuilding in those first few chapters was good and necessary, but it felt like Conrad was doing side quests instead of discovering the main conflict of the book. Despite the disjointed start, this book was an incredibly fun read and I will definitely recommend this book to others.
I'm looking forward to book 2!
The Middling Affliction introduces an amusing cast of characters and takes readers on a fun, worldwide adventure. The novel's protagonist, Conrad Brent, is a member of a volunteer organization called the Watch. As the member of the Watch assigned to Brooklyn, NY, he is in charge of keeping "the gifted" (people and other beings that possess magic) from picking on "the mundanes" (normal humans who have no idea that magic exists) in his borough. This job doesn't pay the bills however, so he moonlights as a private investigator/exterminator, helping his clients figure out what arcane creatures or objects are causing them problems.
Conrad is different than his Watch counterparts though. Though he can see the gifted for what they are, he does not possess any magic of his own. In their world, he is called a middling, a label that is very dangerous to have as many of the gifted want to rid the world of middlings. This affliction makes working at the Watch a little difficult for Conrad as he must keep his coworkers from knowing that he is a middling. He fares fine for the most part though due to his street smarts, magically imbued items, sarcastic quips, and plucky plans.
This book was a very enjoyable read. It was very fast paced and I was never bored. The world building was great and had a different feel than a lot of the urban fantasy books that I've read in the past. The characters were witty and quirky making them all pretty loveable. The only issue I had with the book was that the beginning felt a little disjointed. The worldbuilding in those first few chapters was good and necessary, but it felt like Conrad was doing side quests instead of discovering the main conflict of the book. Despite the disjointed start, this book was an incredibly fun read and I will definitely recommend this book to others.
I'm looking forward to book 2!
November 1, 2022
This was not a great book, no offense to the writer who has created a very interesting world. The problem is the central conceit is difficult to believe. (No spoilers because this is in the book's blurb). 1 in 30,000 people turn out to be gifted with the ability to see, create, and use magic. This ability can manifest at any time. 1 in a million people is a 'middling', someone who can see magic and use magical items but can't create their own or recharge magic items. The whole plot points revolve around the idea that the magical world hates middlings. Every single religion in the world condemns them to death and the whole magical population is happy to get right on board with it. But that doesn't make sense because the magical world is made up of, mostly, normal people? People who've lived with mundane friends and loved ones for all of their lives until their gifts manifest. And we're supposed to people that these normal people, once they're able to throw spells, are absolutely right on board with hating and even killing innocent people who can't cast spells? It's not believable. A better conceit would have gone there are long magical families who produce magical offspring more often than anyone else and *these* are the ones who drive the pogroms against middlings while the 1 in 30,000 magical mundanes are generally too busy learning to cope with magic to interfere.
The book also suffers from pacing issues. It's a short book and a LOT happens. Nothing is given time to develop or sink in because the author is too busy running off to the next bit. At the same time, it's a pretty linear and predictable story. No one really has complicated personalities or motivations. But you know what, that's okay. It's a fun read and I picked it up on sale.
The book also suffers from pacing issues. It's a short book and a LOT happens. Nothing is given time to develop or sink in because the author is too busy running off to the next bit. At the same time, it's a pretty linear and predictable story. No one really has complicated personalities or motivations. But you know what, that's okay. It's a fun read and I picked it up on sale.
February 9, 2024
Conrad Brent exists somewhere between the pages of Percy Jackson and Harry Dresden. He is a smart-mouthed unconventional modern-day wizard in the middle of New York's bustling metropolis. Brooklyn, to be exact.
Nothing he does is by the book, but he is one of the few entrusted with the task of protecting muggles (I mean mundies) from the things that use magic in the night. Or the middle of broad daylight. See, the magical world isn't hidden so much as those who live outside of it can't see it for what it is.
It keeps things interesting.
A delightful blend of sarcastic wit and fast-paced storytelling kept me riveted throughout the pages of The Middling Affliction. It's been a long time since an urban fantasy grabbed me, and this one had me on page one. If you want an extra treat, consider Middling Affliction in audio so you can hear the range of characters in their element. And believe me, do they vary. Every character is colorful and three-dimensional right down to the ogre at the front desk. (But I'll let you meet Tiny for yourself.)
In all honesty the only thing I didn't love were the sheer number of point-blank pop culture references. I'm talking Ready Player One tongue-in-cheek, there's no escaping them pop culture references. While I was able to understand and appreciate all of the nerd culture interwoven in the narrative, I couldn't help but wonder if it really made an impact on the story. Or if it might outdate the series too quickly.
Overall Middling Affliction was a magical roller coaster cover-to-cover and I cannot wait to follow Conrad Brent on his future adventures.
[Thank you to NetGalley and Arc Manor for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
Nothing he does is by the book, but he is one of the few entrusted with the task of protecting muggles (I mean mundies) from the things that use magic in the night. Or the middle of broad daylight. See, the magical world isn't hidden so much as those who live outside of it can't see it for what it is.
It keeps things interesting.
A delightful blend of sarcastic wit and fast-paced storytelling kept me riveted throughout the pages of The Middling Affliction. It's been a long time since an urban fantasy grabbed me, and this one had me on page one. If you want an extra treat, consider Middling Affliction in audio so you can hear the range of characters in their element. And believe me, do they vary. Every character is colorful and three-dimensional right down to the ogre at the front desk. (But I'll let you meet Tiny for yourself.)
In all honesty the only thing I didn't love were the sheer number of point-blank pop culture references. I'm talking Ready Player One tongue-in-cheek, there's no escaping them pop culture references. While I was able to understand and appreciate all of the nerd culture interwoven in the narrative, I couldn't help but wonder if it really made an impact on the story. Or if it might outdate the series too quickly.
Overall Middling Affliction was a magical roller coaster cover-to-cover and I cannot wait to follow Conrad Brent on his future adventures.
[Thank you to NetGalley and Arc Manor for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
April 17, 2022
The start of a new series, I am looking forward to seeing more from this author and the Worldline he has created. It consists of an interesting riff on the Superhero/Magic User genre. The main protagonist, Conrad, is a member The Watch tasked with protecting mundanes from conflict between magic users. In the world there are mundanes, magic users, magical creatures, and middlings/mudlarks.
Conrad is Middling:
"Only one out of every thirty thousand people is born gifted. Those lucky few can perceive auras, recognize supernatural beings for what they are, cast spells, and imbue their magic into artifacts by enchanting physical items the way batteries store electricity . I could perceive perfectly; casting was another story . I could use stored magic as well as any gifted but could never recharge the metaphysical battery of even the simplest of charms."
Middlings are treated as the red-headed step-childred of the magical world, even worse.:
"As best I could tell, while the gifted appeared roughly once among every thirty thousand humans, the odds of a middling were well north of one in a million. And the smart ones were hiding.
'They’re anathema to many of the traditionalist groups,' Demetrios said , looking at me like I was an infant who needed really simple things explained to him— slowly. 'Some will pay good money for a chance to kill a middling.'"
Conrad attempts to rescue a middling who is being auctioned off at The Traveling Fair, an auction house, sort of a magical Sotheby’s. This is where the plot lines of the novel really take off. There is plenty of action along with a solid foundation for the World the author has built.
Conrad is Middling:
"Only one out of every thirty thousand people is born gifted. Those lucky few can perceive auras, recognize supernatural beings for what they are, cast spells, and imbue their magic into artifacts by enchanting physical items the way batteries store electricity . I could perceive perfectly; casting was another story . I could use stored magic as well as any gifted but could never recharge the metaphysical battery of even the simplest of charms."
Middlings are treated as the red-headed step-childred of the magical world, even worse.:
"As best I could tell, while the gifted appeared roughly once among every thirty thousand humans, the odds of a middling were well north of one in a million. And the smart ones were hiding.
'They’re anathema to many of the traditionalist groups,' Demetrios said , looking at me like I was an infant who needed really simple things explained to him— slowly. 'Some will pay good money for a chance to kill a middling.'"
Conrad attempts to rescue a middling who is being auctioned off at The Traveling Fair, an auction house, sort of a magical Sotheby’s. This is where the plot lines of the novel really take off. There is plenty of action along with a solid foundation for the World the author has built.
December 22, 2023
I received a free copy of this book and my thanks to the author-translator team and the team of NetGalley for the copy.
All views expressed in this review are my own and based on my reading of this book. Some of the initial comments were made as I progressed in this book and I have not tried editing them as it expresses my contiguous thoughts as I proceeded with the story.
"What would you do if you lost everything that mattered to you, as well as all means to protect yourself and others, but still had to save the day? Conrad Brent is about to find out."
This was a very interesting blurb with the protagonist basically a hero in a magical world but in a world full of supermen. Initial feel was very much like a witching/wizarding world where magical ability is common and there are three categories, many who are people with no ability, some who are gifted and others who are half magical and ironically the most despised.
The story and its connotations both obvious and read between the lines is tailor made for mayhem and the book delivers at many levels especially in terms of action and displays of superpower. This is also a well crafted world with the characters very well defined and varied and their wisecracks. The world is varied and has a lot of potential and Alex has made an effort to map it perfectly.
There is quite a bit of back and forth between incidents but for such a massive world that is par for the course and ultimately it is the sarcasm and wisecracks dripping all over that takes this book beyond the mundane and the middling.
Waiting to read the next one. Cheers.
All views expressed in this review are my own and based on my reading of this book. Some of the initial comments were made as I progressed in this book and I have not tried editing them as it expresses my contiguous thoughts as I proceeded with the story.
"What would you do if you lost everything that mattered to you, as well as all means to protect yourself and others, but still had to save the day? Conrad Brent is about to find out."
This was a very interesting blurb with the protagonist basically a hero in a magical world but in a world full of supermen. Initial feel was very much like a witching/wizarding world where magical ability is common and there are three categories, many who are people with no ability, some who are gifted and others who are half magical and ironically the most despised.
The story and its connotations both obvious and read between the lines is tailor made for mayhem and the book delivers at many levels especially in terms of action and displays of superpower. This is also a well crafted world with the characters very well defined and varied and their wisecracks. The world is varied and has a lot of potential and Alex has made an effort to map it perfectly.
There is quite a bit of back and forth between incidents but for such a massive world that is par for the course and ultimately it is the sarcasm and wisecracks dripping all over that takes this book beyond the mundane and the middling.
Waiting to read the next one. Cheers.
May 29, 2022
‘If it isn’t too much of an inconvenience, I’d like you to save the world’
New York author Alex Shvartzman is a writer, editor, and translator who has published his short stories in such magazines and anthologies as Nature, Analog, Strange Horizons, having been awarded the WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction. He is the editor of Unidentified Funny Objects and Future Science Fiction Digest among others such as Humanity 2.0, and Coffee: 14 Caffeinated Tales of the Fantastic.
One of the many reasons Alex’s writing is so magnetic is his astute grasp of melding science fiction fantasy with very ‘now’ pop culture idioms that provide instant checkpoint for the YA crowd (and adults whose gamut of literary genres include appreciation of weird fantasy!). He zings the opening of this wild ride as follows: ’My job that morning was to banish a demon, but I was determined to finish my cup of coffee first. I sipped my java in front of Demetrios’s warehouse in Sunset Park, enjoying the panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline and New York harbor. I stared at the Statue of Liberty, which appeared the size and shade of a toy soldier at this distance. A warm breeze caressed my face. Next to me, Demetrios was shaking like a leaf. “What in the world are you thinking. Conrad?” Demetrios spoke in his typical rapid-fire fashion. “You’re just going to go in there, alone, to face this infernal thing?”….”I can handle it…it’s not like I haven’t dealt with an occasional demon before..’Jocular conversations lighten the following tale.
The scope of the story is as follows: ‘Conrad Brent protects the people of Brooklyn from monsters and magical threats. The snarky, wisecracking guardian also has a dangerous secret: he’s one in a million – literally. Magical ability comes to about one in every 30,000 and can manifest at any age. Conrad is rarer than this, however. He’s a middling, one of the half-gifted and totally despised. Most of the gifted community feels that middlings should be instantly killed. The few who don’t flat out hate them still aren’t excited to be around middlings. Meaning Conrad can’t tell anyone, not even his best friends, what he really is. Conrad hides in plain sight by being a part of the volunteer Watch, those magically gifted who protect their cities from dangerous, arcane threats. And, to pay the bills, Conrad moonlights as a private detective and monster hunter for the gifted community. Which helps him keep up his personal fiction – that he’s a magical version of Batman. Conrad does both jobs thanks to charms, artifacts, and his wits, along with copious amounts of coffee. But little does he know that events are about to change his life… forever. When Conrad discovers the Traveling Fair auction house has another middling who’s just manifested her so-called powers on the auction block, he’s determined to save her, regardless of risk. But what he finds out while doing so is even worse – the winning bidder works for a company that’s just created the most dangerous chemical weapon to ever hit the magical community. Before Conrad can convince anyone at the Watch of the danger, he’s exposed for what he really is. Now, stripped of rank, magical objects, friends and allies, Conrad has to try to save the world with only his wits. Thankfully though, no one’s taken away his coffee.’
For a completely enjoyable fantasy this novel satisfies on all counts. Exceptional writing and a bristling imagination bring Alex Shvartzman to the forefront! Very Highly Recommended.
New York author Alex Shvartzman is a writer, editor, and translator who has published his short stories in such magazines and anthologies as Nature, Analog, Strange Horizons, having been awarded the WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction. He is the editor of Unidentified Funny Objects and Future Science Fiction Digest among others such as Humanity 2.0, and Coffee: 14 Caffeinated Tales of the Fantastic.
One of the many reasons Alex’s writing is so magnetic is his astute grasp of melding science fiction fantasy with very ‘now’ pop culture idioms that provide instant checkpoint for the YA crowd (and adults whose gamut of literary genres include appreciation of weird fantasy!). He zings the opening of this wild ride as follows: ’My job that morning was to banish a demon, but I was determined to finish my cup of coffee first. I sipped my java in front of Demetrios’s warehouse in Sunset Park, enjoying the panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline and New York harbor. I stared at the Statue of Liberty, which appeared the size and shade of a toy soldier at this distance. A warm breeze caressed my face. Next to me, Demetrios was shaking like a leaf. “What in the world are you thinking. Conrad?” Demetrios spoke in his typical rapid-fire fashion. “You’re just going to go in there, alone, to face this infernal thing?”….”I can handle it…it’s not like I haven’t dealt with an occasional demon before..’Jocular conversations lighten the following tale.
The scope of the story is as follows: ‘Conrad Brent protects the people of Brooklyn from monsters and magical threats. The snarky, wisecracking guardian also has a dangerous secret: he’s one in a million – literally. Magical ability comes to about one in every 30,000 and can manifest at any age. Conrad is rarer than this, however. He’s a middling, one of the half-gifted and totally despised. Most of the gifted community feels that middlings should be instantly killed. The few who don’t flat out hate them still aren’t excited to be around middlings. Meaning Conrad can’t tell anyone, not even his best friends, what he really is. Conrad hides in plain sight by being a part of the volunteer Watch, those magically gifted who protect their cities from dangerous, arcane threats. And, to pay the bills, Conrad moonlights as a private detective and monster hunter for the gifted community. Which helps him keep up his personal fiction – that he’s a magical version of Batman. Conrad does both jobs thanks to charms, artifacts, and his wits, along with copious amounts of coffee. But little does he know that events are about to change his life… forever. When Conrad discovers the Traveling Fair auction house has another middling who’s just manifested her so-called powers on the auction block, he’s determined to save her, regardless of risk. But what he finds out while doing so is even worse – the winning bidder works for a company that’s just created the most dangerous chemical weapon to ever hit the magical community. Before Conrad can convince anyone at the Watch of the danger, he’s exposed for what he really is. Now, stripped of rank, magical objects, friends and allies, Conrad has to try to save the world with only his wits. Thankfully though, no one’s taken away his coffee.’
For a completely enjoyable fantasy this novel satisfies on all counts. Exceptional writing and a bristling imagination bring Alex Shvartzman to the forefront! Very Highly Recommended.
March 26, 2022
A delightful romp wrapped around an introspective core: What does it mean to be a hero? Someone with magic? A … deity?
In Alex Shvartsman's compulsively readable rollercoaster ride of a book (which covers a lot of territory in a short space), there are those who are gifted with magic, mundanes – and those in the middle, who can perceive magic but can only wield it with artifacts. Conrad is a middling, hiding out among the gifted, and when his secret is exposed he'll need help from all corners. But there are twists even he couldn't expect.
Though it takes place mostly in Brooklyn, good chunks of the book whirl around the world – including the author's native Ukraine, which carries a particular poignancy in this spring of 2022. It's a fast moving, quickly-paced adventure steeped in the various cultures of NYC, which lends it an extra layer of texture and oomph. And Shvartsman is a nimble enough writer to turn what could have been a deus ex machina (in more ways than one) into a necessary plot point – that leads to a character defining moment.
Well executed, a lot of fun, and leaves you yearning for the next installment. Magic!
Note: I read the book from an advanced copy sent to me by the author.
In Alex Shvartsman's compulsively readable rollercoaster ride of a book (which covers a lot of territory in a short space), there are those who are gifted with magic, mundanes – and those in the middle, who can perceive magic but can only wield it with artifacts. Conrad is a middling, hiding out among the gifted, and when his secret is exposed he'll need help from all corners. But there are twists even he couldn't expect.
Though it takes place mostly in Brooklyn, good chunks of the book whirl around the world – including the author's native Ukraine, which carries a particular poignancy in this spring of 2022. It's a fast moving, quickly-paced adventure steeped in the various cultures of NYC, which lends it an extra layer of texture and oomph. And Shvartsman is a nimble enough writer to turn what could have been a deus ex machina (in more ways than one) into a necessary plot point – that leads to a character defining moment.
Well executed, a lot of fun, and leaves you yearning for the next installment. Magic!
Note: I read the book from an advanced copy sent to me by the author.
May 28, 2022
Thank you to CAEZIK SF & Fantasy and Netgalley for a review eARC
Now this book was truly not what i expected going in. I vaguely remember the summary from when i got the copy a few months ago and I went in thinking this was just vigilantes in NYC with magic.
What I got wrong was that this was much much much more. This is an Urban Fantasy that takes place in NYC, about magic beings protecting humans or mundanes as they are called in the novel, from magic, and being meaning them harm. It follows one man in particular that is head of the Watch in the borough of Brooklyn. He is not like most magical beings, as he is a Middling, a magic user who has no magic of their own but can see magic around them and use magical objects. His kind are usually hunted and killed. When he get word that another being like him is up for auction at a fair, he rushes to save her and sets off a cascade of events that threaten the entire magical community of NYC.
The characters of this novel and their relationship were the highlight. This novel was also fun and adventurous, and never took itself too seriously. I only wish the stakes were a little higher and the magic and how it works was more prevalent.
Now this book was truly not what i expected going in. I vaguely remember the summary from when i got the copy a few months ago and I went in thinking this was just vigilantes in NYC with magic.
What I got wrong was that this was much much much more. This is an Urban Fantasy that takes place in NYC, about magic beings protecting humans or mundanes as they are called in the novel, from magic, and being meaning them harm. It follows one man in particular that is head of the Watch in the borough of Brooklyn. He is not like most magical beings, as he is a Middling, a magic user who has no magic of their own but can see magic around them and use magical objects. His kind are usually hunted and killed. When he get word that another being like him is up for auction at a fair, he rushes to save her and sets off a cascade of events that threaten the entire magical community of NYC.
The characters of this novel and their relationship were the highlight. This novel was also fun and adventurous, and never took itself too seriously. I only wish the stakes were a little higher and the magic and how it works was more prevalent.
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