Why am I passionate about this?

I've lived in Brooklyn for over 30 years now. I've always had a weakness for fun, snarky urban fantasy where the city is always a supporting character—and sometimes a major one. One day I decided to write a short story in the style of Simon R. Green's Nightside books, only instead of London, it'd feature New York City. And thus, the Conradverse was born. I tend to combine action, humor, real Brooklyn and NYC locations and history, and copious pop culture references when writing in this setting, and I seek out other books that do a great job at handling some or all of these elements.


I wrote

The Middling Affliction: The Conradverse Chronicles, Book 1

By Alex Shvartsman,

Book cover of The Middling Affliction: The Conradverse Chronicles, Book 1

What is my book about?

Conrad Brent protects the people of Brooklyn from monsters and evil wizards. The snarky, wisecracking guardian also has a dangerous…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Hex Is In: The Fast Life and Fantastic Times of Harry the Book

Alex Shvartsman Why did I love this book?

Mike Resnick is a master of writing humor, and Hex collects all of his Harry the Book stories, a Damon-Runyon style tales of a down-on-his-luck bookie and his oddball crew, operating out of a booth in a Manhattan bar. I love this noir-ish version of NYC with zombies, werewolves, and even dragons mixing with human New Yorkers who are even more colorful.

If you love this book, Resnick's Hunting the Unicorn (and sequels) take place in the same setting. 

By Mike Resnick,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Hex Is In as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From boxing matches to dragon races to elections, there's no wager Harry won't cover—so long as the odds are right.

Harry the Book operates out of a Manhattan bar booth, with his personal wizard and his zombie bodyguard close at hand. He'll dope out the odds on any sort of contest, even if that gets him into a heap of trouble.

Be it conniving gamblers, lovelorn wizards, or flea-bitten werewolves, when it comes to the misadventures of Harry and his crew one thing is certain: the hex is always in.

This book contains fifteen tales of Harry the Book—the complete…


Book cover of Tune in Tomorrow: The Curious, Calamitous, Cockamamie Story of Starr Weatherby and the Greatest Mythic Reality Show Ever

Alex Shvartsman Why did I love this book?

A struggling actress catches her big break when she's hired onto a reality TV/soap opera show produced by and watched by mythical creatures. They're fascinated with humans and more than willing to accept the soapiest of soap opera plots as reality. Dawn is an entertainment journalist and she mixes humor with insider details that make the set seem authentic. Well, as authentic as a set populated with fawn producers, cameradryads, and security dragons can get.

Although much of the story happens on set, the New York City bits by this Brooklyn-based author feel both authentic and fun to me.

By Randee Dawn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tune in Tomorrow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

She's just a small town girl, with big mythic dreams.

Starr Weatherby came to New York to become... well, a star. But after ten years and no luck, she's offered a big role - on a show no one has ever heard of. And there's a reason for that. It's a 'reality' show beyond the Veil, human drama, performed for the entertainment of the Fae.

But as Starr shifts from astounded newcomer to rising fan favorite, she learns about the show's dark underbelly - and mysterious disappearance of her predecessor. She'll do whatever it takes to keep her dream job…


Book cover of Dead Jack and the Pandemonium Device

Alex Shvartsman Why did I love this book?

Dead Jack is a zombie private detective with fairy dust addiction and a homunculus sidekick. He plies his trade in the Five Cities of Pandemonium which are very clearly the five boroughs of New York City.

I'm a sucker for a snarky voice first and foremost. Staten Island-based Aquilone melds horror and humor into a page-turner series that deliver my recommended daily dose of Vitamin Snark.

By James Aquilone,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dead Jack and the Pandemonium Device as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Dead Jack is wicked fun! Undead noir with a devious sense of humor. Highly recommended!" ― Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of V-Wars and Rot & Ruin

JACK WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR DUST―MAYBE EVEN SAVE THE WORLD!

Dead Jack and the Pandemonium Device kicks off a wild and irreverent fantasy / horror series following the exploits of a zombie detective and his homunculus frenemy. In the fast-paced novel, the drug-addicted zombie detective and his shapeshifting sidekick battle and outsmart supernatural creatures, from tough-guy leprechauns to sex-obsessed shark women and insane bat gods, in a hellish, alternate New York…


Book cover of The Shambling Guide to New York City

Alex Shvartsman Why did I love this book?

A recent transplant from the South gets hired as a travel book editor and finds herself the sole human employee in a company run by a vampire. Her coworkers include zombies, incubi, and even a goddess. As part of her job, she must write a tourist guide to the city—for the undead.

To me, the most fun parts are the actual pages from the guide, interspersed with the narrative. 

By Mur Lafferty,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Shambling Guide to New York City as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A travel writer takes a job with a shady publishing company in New York, only to find that she must write a guide to the city -- for the undead!

Because of the disaster that was her last job, Zoe is searching for a fresh start as a travel book editor in the tourist-centric New York City. After stumbling across a seemingly perfect position though, Zoe is blocked at every turn because of the one thing she can't take off her resume -- human.

Not to be put off by anything -- especially not her blood drinking boss or death…


Book cover of Brooklyn Knight

Alex Shvartsman Why did I love this book?

If Indiana Jones was based in Brooklyn and was also an expert at magic and arcane lore, you'd have Piers Knight, the titular character of this book. Although a bit lighter on humor than the other entries here, I found this book to be fun and snappy, and as an additional bonus delves into the real (and weird!) historical factoids about New York City.

By C. J. Henderson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Brooklyn Knight as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Professor Piers Knight, an esteemed curator at the Brooklyn Museum, is regarded by many on the staff as a revered institution of his own, if not an outright curiosity. Knight's portfolio includes lost civilizations; arcane cultures, languages, and belief; and, more than a little bit of the history of magic and mysticism. His colleagues don't know that, in addition to being a scholar of all things ancient, he is schooled in the uses of magical artefacts, the teachings of forgotten deities, and the threats of unseen dangers. If a mysterious object surfaces, Professor Knight makes it his job to figure…


Explore my book 😀

The Middling Affliction: The Conradverse Chronicles, Book 1

By Alex Shvartsman,

Book cover of The Middling Affliction: The Conradverse Chronicles, Book 1

What is my book about?

Conrad Brent protects the people of Brooklyn from monsters and evil wizards. The snarky, wisecracking guardian also has a dangerous secret. He's a middling—a despised half-gifted who can perceive magic but has no powers of his own.

When a shady corporation develops a bioweapon against magic users, Conrad's secrets are revealed. Stripped of his rank, magical objects, friends, and allies, he must save the world—and a fellow middling—using only his wits and copious amounts of coffee.

You might also like...

Tasha and the Biologist

By Amy Q. Barker,

Book cover of Tasha and the Biologist

Amy Q. Barker Author Of Bailey and the CEO: A Corporate Love Story

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Avid reader Nature lover Park ranger wanna be Best Nana ever

Amy's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Tasha and the Biologist is the second book in the "A Better Man" series. It's a contemporary romance about second chances, two lonely birders, and the healing power of love.

Tasha Moore is a visiting nurse with a family secret. She just went through a bad breakup. Caleb Drexel is a bird biologist trying to start a new life in a small town. He just got out of an unhappy marriage.

What happens when hope and romance bloom between these two nature lovers?

Tasha and the Biologist

By Amy Q. Barker,

What is this book about?

Tasha
He was handsome, confident, nice, smart—a good guy.
How did he end up here in the middle of Indiana?
And how did he know so much about whooping cranes?
I’d never met someone as passionate about birds as I was.
Was it too soon for me to be thinking about love again?
Caleb
She was sweet, kind, caring—a nurse and a birder.
I really liked her. Maybe more than liked.
And I’d only spent two hours—three, tops—with her.
Yet, I’d promised myself I wouldn’t get involved with anyone for at least a year after my divorce.


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in New York City, New York State, and Brooklyn?

New York City 1,123 books
New York State 547 books
Brooklyn 108 books