The Middling Affliction

The Conradverse Chronicles

By: Alex Shvartsman

Narrated by: Patrick Boylan

Guard Brooklyn, fight monsters, taunt bad guys.

"Shvartsman delivers real magic action and surprise twists.... You're going to want more." (Esther M. Fiesner, Nebula award-winning author of the national best seller Warchild)

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.

©2022 Alex Shvartsman (P)2022 Spotify Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Shvartsman takes a kitchen sink approach to urban fantasy, packing enough plot into this volume to span a whole series. His supernatural New York City is vibrant and authentic, and Conrad fits right in with wisecracking fan favorite heroes like Harry Dresden and Simon Canderous. The result is a thoroughly satisfying romp…Shvartsman delivers a laugh-out-loud, snarky adventure." (Publishers Weekly)

the snark is first class

this is a story about a wizard without magic of the typical kind. Conrad's magic lies in his great big heart. the story is fun, filled with action, and made me smile a lot.

A Unique Urban Fantasy You Won't Want To Miss!

This first entry to the Conradverse Chronicles is an absolutely fun and engaging audiobook! This is my first entry into Alex Sharvtsman's novels, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit! The plot has enough expected turns and twists to make you feel the comfort of a well-written urban fantasy novel, and yet there are many surprising aspects to the story that keep you wondering exactly how it's all going to turn out. The narrator Patrick Boylan demonstrates a phenomenal knack for truly embodying all characters very well. As a fellow writer, I can also say that this novel is a Masterclass in how to write effective, impactful, and entertaining urban fantasy! I can't recommend this one highly enough!

A modern fantasy adventure

Q:What if David Baldacci attempted a novel in a Harry Potter like world?

A:His best effort wouldn't have been half as good as this Shvartsman masterpiece

Conrad Brent is every bit the action hero with a wand you could hope for. The supporting characters are great and the antagonists aren't cliched cheap Bond villain knock offs so many action epics tend to produce. A solid gripping plot set inside a rich world, this story is fast paced and involves the reader from page one. Patrick Boylan's voice fits perfectly with the character.

I loved it. It deserves a 6th star.

Absolutely hooked!

This book has it all. It’s a beautifully written urban fantasy that reels you in page by page, chapter by chapter. Absolutely Satisfied!!

I've heard better ai books

cool concepts but this book fails on to many levels can't wait to return it