A delightful second installment in the Conradverse Chronicles.

Picking up where the first story left off, Kakistocracy sees Conrad Brent defy the odds (again).

Many heartwarmingly familiar faces return for the sequel to 'The Middling Affliction', which maintains the same rapid-fire pace of its predecessor. Several stories unfurl simultaneously, all miraculously resolving by the book's end. (Except for the few loose and seemingly unimportant strands that you just know are going to set the tone for the next book.)

On top of witches, wizards, ogres, demi-gods and dragons, we now get to see elves, vampires, and several other fantasy creatures woven into the tapestry of mundane modern-day New York.

Even when I thought Conrad was falling into his usual bad habits, he always changed course or acknowledged them in a refreshing display of character growth. This book had me cackling and tearing up at the best of times, and left me itching for the next (henceforth unannounced) volume. My only nitpick (if any) would have to be the fact that most of the pop culture jokes and references made throughout will not age as well as the story itself.

All-in-all I have not enjoyed a serial novel this much in years and I am desperately hoping for a return to the Conradverse. I have my hopes and suspicions for what will happen next... Pro tip: audiobook is the way to go. Trust me.

[Thank you to Netgalley and CAEZIK SF & Fantasy for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

Alex Shvartsman's novel "Kakistocracy' is a fun ride! A great fantasy novel with magic but a hero who can't use magic! Conrad is a member of the Watch that protects ordinary humans from the magic world. He runs into a lot of trouble and danger en route to saving everyone. The characters are well-written and believable. Every scene is action-filled but also often humorous. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy with a comic twist.

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.

In all frankness I declare upfront that I have read and liked the first book, so this review is based as a follow-up of my reading both the volumes.

Reading the earlier story prepped me for this one and the world was familiar and the protagonist at the centre Conrad is a man with a heart who understood his limitations as a squib/middling and had a sense of responsibility. The universe has grown on me and I would love to read more books in the series.

I discovered this series by serendipity and I'm enjoying each instalment as there's a very original and well done world building, a cast of interesting characters, and well plotted stories
It's better read the series in order
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I had enjoyed the first book in this series and was hopeful that the second installment would continue in the same vein. Fortunately, Kakistocracy lived up to and exceeded my expectations! This volume felt more polished with a smoothly moving plot, although I think that may be because I already knew the rules of this world and the characters.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was how the necromancer, Moira, decides to try to be one of the good guys. Like the first book, Kakistocracy continues to examine what it means to be a hero and the different ways that one can act heroically.

Even though I felt like the plot moved forward smoothly, that didn’t mean it lacked twists and complications. Conrad is pulled in different directions by his obligations, his limitations as a middling who cannot do magic, and his personal feelings. I also loved the plot device where he loses several months in the faerie realm and has to reorient himself to all the changes that have occurred to New York City during his time away.

The humor also continues in this book, but I think there may have been fewer pop culture references (if that’s your thing). The immediate story is wrapped up by the end of the book, but still leaves room for more. I expect we’ll get to see more books in the Conradverse Chronicles in the future.

Once again, I really enjoyed my time spent reading in this universe! If I had to compare, I’d say that I enjoyed this book even more than the first. The writing definitely felt stronger in this one, and I’ve grown even more attached to Conrad and his humor. I think the pacing still felt a little frenetic, but at the same time, it truly felt like reading a superhero comic, except in novel form, so it makes sense. I really liked the set up for the series to continue—it left me wanting more without having to resort to a cliffhanger. If Shvartsman continues writing this series, I’ll definitely continue reading!

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.

Shvartsman returns to the "Conradverse" where once again middling Watch member Conrad Brent uses his wits and any gadget he can find to help protect the people of New York from magical creatures and dangers. That is when he can manage to stay out of trouble himself. This novel builds on the Middling Affliction and fleshes out the characters of the Conradverse even further. If you are waiting on the next Dresden book then this is a series you need to try.

ARC Review ~ Kakistocracy ~

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After finishing The Middling Affliction I was excited to see what adventures are next for main character, Conrad and I was thankful for a copy of the sequel as well. Like the first, Kakistocracy is action packed, with the return of ole fave characters and a few new ones. As The Middling Affliction laid the groundwork of the world, this book expands it a fun way. In the end it left me even more curious as to what comes next for Conrad and the Watch. I also think the books would work well as graphic novels as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Arc Manor for this ARC

You know, a lot of urban fantasy is the tough magic woman with the improbably hot and wealthy love interest. It’s kind of nice to have an urban fantasy series that isn’t in that mold. Conrad is a decent guy doing the right thing and taking a beating or three while he’s at it. If you want a fairly action driven story and a male lead character in your urban fantasy this is turning into a solid series.

The first book in this series earned a spot in the Silver tier of my Best of the Year list for 2022, and this one hits 2023's Gold tier. It's a solid urban fantasy in the vein of the Dresden Files, complete with the protagonist getting beaten up a lot, facing multiple adversaries, being good at recruiting allies, resisting being recruited himself by powerful factions, and cleverly figuring out that sometimes when you think you have two problems, what you actually have is a problem and its solution.

Some disclaimers: I received a pre-publication copy via Netgalley for review, and I know the author slightly online (we belong to the same writers' forum, and he has encouragingly rejected several of my submissions to his annual Unidentified Funny Objects anthology). I don't believe this has materially affected my review.

There have been a few events in my lifetime that have such a widespread impact on the shape of the world or on how people think about it that I can often reliably date speculative fiction as being written before or after them, such as the fall of the Soviet Union and September 11, 2001. A lesser, but still significant such event occurred in 2016, and I could tell, reading the previous book in this series, that the stories from which the novel was assembled were written prior to it. That book featured a bombastic, self-aggrandizing New York property developer with notable hair and a TV show, and it was pretty clear who the model was, but he was treated as a joke and not taken at all seriously. This book was written after the watershed moment, and now that same character (who doesn't appear on stage, but has a lot of influence on events) has become mayor of New York, and turned it with amazing rapidity into a dystopian place in which ordinary people who are capable of using magic are being harassed by goons who are "confiscating" their magic items, and are also being forced to work, unpaid, for the good of the city (so the mayor can boast about what a good job he's doing). It turns out that the mayor is being manipulated from behind the scenes by another character from the first book, the real adversary, but the protagonist and his friends have to contend with a city in which the legitimate authority is doing things that they feel they must, in good conscience, oppose, throwing their entire set of principles into disarray.

That's not the whole of the plot, though it's a central thread. There are also fae warriors who are threatening to kill the protagonist, angels and demons who he has to mediate between (I'm not sure why anyone would pick the irreverent smartass Conrad Brent to be a mediator between prickly eternal adversaries, but he does a surprisingly effective job), a former adversary who's becoming probably an ally, problems involving Brent's current and previous bosses, a conflict of loyalties between several groups who approach doing good from different angles, and a nascent romance. There's a lot going on, and it's all entangled together beautifully and resolved with a combination of intelligence, courage, perseverance, working together, generosity, selflessness and strong adherence to principle, by way of a lot of sacrifice and hard choices.

It's skilled work, and enjoyable; the banter is amusing, the action exciting, and the character motivations fully believable. There's some good reflection amid the action, too.

More than solid, and recommended.

"If you do it well, lying is every bit as effective as magic.

Conrad Brent has no innate magic, so he bluffs a lot and uses a myriad of magical items to protect Brooklyn from monsters and arcane threats. As a member of the Watch, the group that protects the mundane humans from such dangers, he risks his life on a regular basis. Sometimes twice before lunch. Sometimes during lunch, when he dares order his food from a street cart.

After regaining his position in the Watch which he'd temporarily lost due to the machinations of a variety of evil-doers, Conrad doesn't want to take any risks he doesn't have to. But now his boss is missing, there's a totalitarian new regime in City Hall oppressing all magic users, and the mayor has aligned himself with a diabolical villain.

In order to save the day, Conrad must team up with a recovering necromancer to mediate a dispute between two ancient enemy factions, solve a mystery of a warded house adjacent to a cemetery, and stand with his friends against tyranny.

That is, if the interdimensional fae assassins don't get him first."

If Jane Espenson recommends something I listen. Also I totally want to know how you become a "recovering" necromancer.

Alex Shvartsman scores again. Brilliant. I loved the humor and satire are top notch. I cheered for the good guys, laughed out loud, and enjoyed the heck out of it. Well done.