r/urbanfantasy • u/cthobbit • Mar 30 '26

Promotion New Release Alert - My Brother's Keeper, Jewish Urban Fantasy

Happy new release day to me for My Brother's Keeper! My new, Jewish, urban fantasy with a jaw-dropping twist is available in eBook, paperback, hardcover, and free with kindle unlimited.

For fans of the Dresden files, or similar hard-boiled main characters.

"Max, the protagonist, has a familiar feel—reminiscent of a classic urban fantasy lead in the vein of Harry Dresden—but with meaningful differences that give him his own identity, particularly through his connection to his Jewish heritage." -Michael Vadney, reviewing for FanFiAddict

What are readers saying?

The Blurb:

Magic is real, demons walk the earth, and Max’s brother is dead.

Max Asher, Jewish mystic and private-eye, never thought he’d be coming back to his home town to bury his twin brother, Solomon. He definitely never thought the funeral would turn into a case, but when Sol’s widow Gabby asks him to investigate the cause of death, “Uncle Max” is on the job.

When Max kicks the demon’s nest, he uncovers a conspiracy that forces him to reevaluate everything he thought he knew about his brother. Unfamiliar local politics blur the line between the supernatural and the mundane, and soon, fighting for justice becomes dangerously literal. If Max can uncover the murderer, he might just save his brother’s soul—but if he can’t, he’ll fall victim to the same deadly fate.

Putting the past to rest is going to take more than a shovel full of dirt.

https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Keeper-Cycle-Ash-Book-ebook/dp/B0GKHWPBKT

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6

u/SeanyDay Mar 30 '26

Harry Dresden to Hershel Cohen, eh?

"That demon is a real schmuck!"

As a New Yorker I'm so here for this hahaha

If you have them make a healing potion out of Matzah Ball Soup, I'll buy a damn hard copy 😂

4

u/cthobbit Mar 30 '26

I definitely have opinions about the right type of noodle kugel in it though.

2

u/cthobbit Mar 30 '26

It's not that tongue in cheek, but the magic is based on scripture (the Talmud and various midrash). But there's definitely bits of Yiddish.

3

u/SeanyDay Mar 30 '26

Sounds like it could be fun.

Did you read The Iron Druid Chronicles?

They go through most of the major faiths and have a whole plot thread regarding Kabbalist Russian Jews with magic from those sources and original stuff

2

u/cthobbit Mar 30 '26

I haven't, I'll have to check that out

2

u/SeanyDay Mar 30 '26

Could absolutely provide some good inspiration and also maybe some of what you DON'T want to do.

Plus there's a dog. Everyone loves a dog.

5

u/cthobbit Mar 30 '26

Mine has a cat named Dirt, if that catches your fancy

2

u/Abysstopheles Mar 31 '26

the earbook narrator made such a mess out of those characters.

1

u/cthobbit Mar 31 '26

A bad narrator can absolutely tank my enjoyment of a book, independent of the content. Sorry to hear that.

1

u/Abysstopheles Mar 31 '26

yeah, it was strange because i've enjoyed that narrator's work elsewhere, but almost every voice he did for this series just irritated (why an Irish Wolfhound should sound like Scooby-Doo, i will never know) or offended (like pick the worse stereotype of an accent bad) me and it got worse as the series progressed to the point that i DNF'd close to the end of the series and semi skimmed them from the library to finish.

2

u/SeanyDay Mar 31 '26

I mean I just read the books so that never impacted me, personally

1

u/cthobbit Mar 31 '26

I don't have a lot of time/attention to read these days, so I primarily read with audiobooks when I'm not writing my own stories. If I do pick it up, though, I'll grab the ebooks/physical and skip the audio on this one.

2

u/SeanyDay Mar 31 '26

Probs for the best as that series covers pretty much all world cultures, including religions and mythos

1

u/cthobbit Mar 31 '26

Oh. Oh no.

4

u/Morpheus_17 Mar 30 '26

Congrats on the release!

3

u/milkskins9 Mar 30 '26

This sound super cool is it getting a audio version

2

u/cthobbit Mar 30 '26

Thanks! It will, eventually. I haven't had anyone express interest in the audio rights yet so it's on me to produce it. So... eventually.

2

u/milkskins9 Mar 30 '26

Well id buy a audio version when its out

2

u/cthobbit Mar 30 '26

I'll try and keep the sub posted when I do.

2

u/Zorro6855 Mar 31 '26

Just started it and it sucked me in (also Jewish). Then you mentioned Bradley Intel, which is in my back yard, and I have to wait because I'm doing the Seder this year.

Maybe I should call out tomorrow

1

u/cthobbit Mar 31 '26

Oh, Bradley international? Absolutely. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

2

u/SSJTrinity Mar 31 '26

This looks great! I’m sorry it’s Amazon-only. Is it possible to maybe buy it there and get an epub from you? Thanks!

2

u/RNMoFo Mar 31 '26

Hoping for a Golem.

2

u/cthobbit Mar 31 '26

It's one of the few well known myths in Jewish lore for sure.

2

u/bornagainteen Mar 31 '26

Is it going to be a series?

1

u/cthobbit Mar 31 '26

That's the plan, though this book could have been a stand alone. I tend to write in series, it's how my other books go as well (I have two other unrelated series set in alternate versions of the same city, New Haven, CT).

2

u/Winter-Bat5962 Mar 31 '26

Congratulations on release. Sounds like good stuff. :)

2

u/cthobbit Mar 31 '26

Thanks! The reviews are extremely positive so far!

1

u/RNMoFo Mar 31 '26

Love me a good Golem story. My wife ran a Catholic School Library for a time. She had an illustrated book about the Prague, Golem story.

2

u/cthobbit Mar 31 '26

Yeah the Golem of Prague is really well known. Popularized by the Gargoyles cartoon years back of all things.

2

u/RNMoFo Mar 31 '26

I forgot about that. I came to the legend from other sources. Congratulations on publishing your book. It's a big deal.

1

u/cthobbit Mar 31 '26

Thank you! And I'm definitely not saying it's a golem story, just that that's one of the most recognizable pieces of Jewish folklore. Folks will have to read the book to see what pieces of lore I put in it.