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The Mind Over Novels #1
Mind Over Mind
There are voices in Deryl's head. They call him from consciousness, make him do odd things, overwhelm him with their needs. After five years in an asylum, he had a tenuous hold in his sanity, but no hope of a normal life--and he's only 18. Joshua, a talented but arrogant psychiatric intern, is hired to befriend Deryl. Not content with a "buddy" role, Joshua uses neuro linguistic programming to help his troubled charge. His methods work, but that's when the true danger begins.
Deryl's not crazy. He's psychic.
And the voices in his head are real.
Deryl's not crazy. He's psychic.
And the voices in his head are real.
- GenresScience Fiction
314 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2011
About the author
Karina Lumbert Fabian
81 books99 followersKarina Fabian is a science fiction and fantasy writers, author of 16 novels, three anthologies, a devotional and many stories and articles. Her latest science fiction novel, Discovery, features religious sisters in space, and she’s working on rebooting her DragonEye series, which stars a snarky dragon working under the direction of the Church. She teaches writing and is an active member of the Catholic Writers Guild. http://fabianspace.com
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 30, 2016
Most of you who follow my book reviews know that this is only the second time that I have reviewed a Science Fiction work. I only do it when the work is extraordinary. Mind Over Mind fits that bill. I couldn’t put the novel down. It kept me up late and got me up early. And that doesn’t appear to be the end. Mind Over Mind is the first of a trilogy and if the first book is any indication of the strength of the next two books, my summer reading list has grown.
Fabian weaves a tale that captivated my imagination and held my attention. In this, the first novel, we meet Joshua Lawson. Joshua is a genus in psychology although he is just a young intern. His courage and faith as he reaches out to his special patient fascinates. His use of experimental and common sense techniques to help his young patient are both brilliant and compassionate.
That young patient, Daryl {Ydrel} Stephens is a young teenage psychic who lives in three worlds, ours and two alien worlds that demand his attention at inconvenient moments. It is these two alien worlds and his belief in them that has him locked away in an expensive and luxurious mental facility. The changes that these two characters bring to each other transform both lives and leave the reader satisfied but longing for more.
Fabian’s power of description leads the reader seamlessly from one world to another. Her command of dialog flows with a smoothness that never jars, but fails to be mundane. Her plot carries the reader easily through intrigue, romance, faith, and the mysterious flawlessly. Her writing skill is superb and her gift of imagination fascinating.
I fell in love with Fabian’s characters, and after all, isn’t that the job of a talented author? To make us care about the characters. Karina L. Fabian does just that. She makes the reader not only care enough to follow the characters through three books but allows them to captivate the reader enough for you to look forward to the journey.
Fabian weaves a tale that captivated my imagination and held my attention. In this, the first novel, we meet Joshua Lawson. Joshua is a genus in psychology although he is just a young intern. His courage and faith as he reaches out to his special patient fascinates. His use of experimental and common sense techniques to help his young patient are both brilliant and compassionate.
That young patient, Daryl {Ydrel} Stephens is a young teenage psychic who lives in three worlds, ours and two alien worlds that demand his attention at inconvenient moments. It is these two alien worlds and his belief in them that has him locked away in an expensive and luxurious mental facility. The changes that these two characters bring to each other transform both lives and leave the reader satisfied but longing for more.
Fabian’s power of description leads the reader seamlessly from one world to another. Her command of dialog flows with a smoothness that never jars, but fails to be mundane. Her plot carries the reader easily through intrigue, romance, faith, and the mysterious flawlessly. Her writing skill is superb and her gift of imagination fascinating.
I fell in love with Fabian’s characters, and after all, isn’t that the job of a talented author? To make us care about the characters. Karina L. Fabian does just that. She makes the reader not only care enough to follow the characters through three books but allows them to captivate the reader enough for you to look forward to the journey.
January 17, 2012
Mind Over Mind is the story of a transformational friendship between two young men, set in an insane asylum. A cocky young intern befriends a patient who believes he is psychic and helps him cope with life and with what may or may not be his special powers. The young mens’ lives run on an inverted parallel as the intern pursues romance with a nurse and the patient is pressured to give up his fantasy woman to be considered normal. It’s a coming-of-age story under the most trying circumstances.
One of the idea threads that run throughout the book is how science fiction and fantasy influence society. The young intern can relate to his patient’s psychic beliefs by pulling examples from fantasy novels. An introductory course for budding psychics with studies on grounding, shielding, tapping and releasing energy, and so forth, can be gleaned from a few popular books.
Mind Over Mind explores the questions of what is real, what is imaginary, and if that distinction even matters. This book is on my short list for a Hugo nomination. It’s joining a select group of books that I read over and over. But it transcends genre; more than a paranormal adventure, this book is a psychological drama that has the potential to break out to the mainstream reader. Five stars.
Review by Erin Lale, Editor of Time Yarns
One of the idea threads that run throughout the book is how science fiction and fantasy influence society. The young intern can relate to his patient’s psychic beliefs by pulling examples from fantasy novels. An introductory course for budding psychics with studies on grounding, shielding, tapping and releasing energy, and so forth, can be gleaned from a few popular books.
Mind Over Mind explores the questions of what is real, what is imaginary, and if that distinction even matters. This book is on my short list for a Hugo nomination. It’s joining a select group of books that I read over and over. But it transcends genre; more than a paranormal adventure, this book is a psychological drama that has the potential to break out to the mainstream reader. Five stars.
Review by Erin Lale, Editor of Time Yarns
October 20, 2013
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Mind Over Mind is the story of two boys. One, Joshua, is a psychology intern trying to prove himself while overcoming his past. The other, Ydrel, is a patient at a mental institution who believes he has psychic powers. Asked to befriend Ydrel in order to better understand him, Joshua isn’t sure whether Ydrel’s experiences are real or merely hallucinations—but it “ shouldn’t matter ” in order to prepare him for the real world.
Fabian writes a neat sci-fi tale sprinkled with psychological details—with body language and facial expressions interpreted or demonstrated (with concise explanations) on the part of Joshua, whose psychological background allows him to manipulate his own behaviour.
Ydrel’s struggles are also matched stroke for stroke with a budding romance between two individuals who each have a negative history, although at times the romantic plot line felt too strong relative to Ydrel, whose internal conflict interested me far more.
Overall, this book gets 4.5 stars from me.
Mind Over Mind is the story of two boys. One, Joshua, is a psychology intern trying to prove himself while overcoming his past. The other, Ydrel, is a patient at a mental institution who believes he has psychic powers. Asked to befriend Ydrel in order to better understand him, Joshua isn’t sure whether Ydrel’s experiences are real or merely hallucinations—but it “ shouldn’t matter ” in order to prepare him for the real world.
Fabian writes a neat sci-fi tale sprinkled with psychological details—with body language and facial expressions interpreted or demonstrated (with concise explanations) on the part of Joshua, whose psychological background allows him to manipulate his own behaviour.
Ydrel’s struggles are also matched stroke for stroke with a budding romance between two individuals who each have a negative history, although at times the romantic plot line felt too strong relative to Ydrel, whose internal conflict interested me far more.
Overall, this book gets 4.5 stars from me.
July 8, 2021
I seriously never read a science fiction book until I met Karina Fabian at a Catholic Marketing Network convention. She traded two of her books with me and they finally made their way to the top of my TBR stack. I'm actually amazed at how much I enjoyed Mind Over Mind. Fabian is a very talented writer and what a great imagination she has. She obviously was inspired by other writers in her genre and the Star Trek series. References to any of those books or shows went over my head, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of this book. (FYI, I should mention that my brother Gordon Purcell, has been the penciller of the Star Trek comic book series for decades, but that love of science fiction apparently didn't rub off on me!). Not sure if I would consider myself a fan of science fiction now, but I'm certainly a fan of Karina Fabian!
January 4, 2012
A friend, whose taste I highly respect, predicted that Mind Over Mind would be Karina Fabian's breakout novel.
After savoring it, rushing through it, and all but writing the author to demand the sequel, I have to agree.
It has all the elements of a good story, a bit of romance, a mind-tickling plot, and characters who are fun to spend time with.
As a thumbnail review, I know this lacks a lot, but I so hate ruining a story for other people. This earned all five of the stars I gave it and I'm waiting impatiently for the next installment.
After savoring it, rushing through it, and all but writing the author to demand the sequel, I have to agree.
It has all the elements of a good story, a bit of romance, a mind-tickling plot, and characters who are fun to spend time with.
As a thumbnail review, I know this lacks a lot, but I so hate ruining a story for other people. This earned all five of the stars I gave it and I'm waiting impatiently for the next installment.
February 8, 2012
Mind Over Mind starts off right into the story, introducing the two main characters and where they are in relation to the scene. Karina L. Fabian gives the reader insight into their characteristics and gets right into the meat of the story by providing the reader with the problems that are faced by both of them.
Ydrel is a student patient at an institution because he is a cause of danger to himself and others. He has an uncanny ability to absorb the emotions of those around him. He hears voices in his head that make him collect important data and he doesn't know who or what is asking for the information. He believes it may be someone or something from another planet, which is the reason why he now lives in the institution.
Joshua is a school student who has taken on the task of working in the institution to further his career. He has been asked to befriend Ydrel in order to get inside his head and help him understand his ability enough so the doctor's can convince him that it's not real. Once Joshua does become his friend, he starts to find out that Ydrel's condition may not be all made up.
The reader experiences many conflicts through both the main characters. Ydrel is fighting his ability and feels more comfortable away from people, since he can sense what those around him are sensing. It overwhelms and overtakes him to the point where he acts out the emotion that is coursing through him. Joshua is conflicted from wanting to be Ydrel's friend and also trying to keep his professional relationship separate. When he begins to realize what Ydrel has is a true ability, he takes a different approach and helps Ydrel to understand who or what is communicating through his brain, even against the views of his fellow co-workers.
The setting is the mental hospital and the relationships that build between the characters happen within the confines of the building. Ydrel, Deryl Stephen by birth, has made most of his home between the white walls and doesn't care to live outside of it. Joshua is trying to convince him to move on with his life so he can experience what it's like, besides the life of the institution and its staff. Joshua is trying to get him to learn to cope with his abilities instead of trying to deny that Ydrel isn't a fake because clearly he is possessed with a gift.
The reader feels for both characters – Ydrel since he doesn't know much about life outside the hospital and Joshua who is trying desperately to have his new friend experience more than a clinical lifestyle. You watch two young men grow into their own and build a strong friendship between them.
Mind Over Mind is an entertaining fictional novel that is a delight to read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy and science fiction.
Ydrel is a student patient at an institution because he is a cause of danger to himself and others. He has an uncanny ability to absorb the emotions of those around him. He hears voices in his head that make him collect important data and he doesn't know who or what is asking for the information. He believes it may be someone or something from another planet, which is the reason why he now lives in the institution.
Joshua is a school student who has taken on the task of working in the institution to further his career. He has been asked to befriend Ydrel in order to get inside his head and help him understand his ability enough so the doctor's can convince him that it's not real. Once Joshua does become his friend, he starts to find out that Ydrel's condition may not be all made up.
The reader experiences many conflicts through both the main characters. Ydrel is fighting his ability and feels more comfortable away from people, since he can sense what those around him are sensing. It overwhelms and overtakes him to the point where he acts out the emotion that is coursing through him. Joshua is conflicted from wanting to be Ydrel's friend and also trying to keep his professional relationship separate. When he begins to realize what Ydrel has is a true ability, he takes a different approach and helps Ydrel to understand who or what is communicating through his brain, even against the views of his fellow co-workers.
The setting is the mental hospital and the relationships that build between the characters happen within the confines of the building. Ydrel, Deryl Stephen by birth, has made most of his home between the white walls and doesn't care to live outside of it. Joshua is trying to convince him to move on with his life so he can experience what it's like, besides the life of the institution and its staff. Joshua is trying to get him to learn to cope with his abilities instead of trying to deny that Ydrel isn't a fake because clearly he is possessed with a gift.
The reader feels for both characters – Ydrel since he doesn't know much about life outside the hospital and Joshua who is trying desperately to have his new friend experience more than a clinical lifestyle. You watch two young men grow into their own and build a strong friendship between them.
Mind Over Mind is an entertaining fictional novel that is a delight to read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy and science fiction.
November 25, 2014
I WHOLE HEARTEDLY Give this book 5 Stars!
A brilliantly engaging novel that will keep you glued to its pages till the very end!
Karina Fabian is a brilliantly amazing storyteller! Mind Over Mind is an enthralling and entertaining read full of excitement and mystery! I couldn't put it down! Her characters come alive on the page; their struggles both on the emotional level and in the real world are poignant and truly believable. Unlike other books with their cardboard one dimensional characters, her characters interactions with each other unfold unpredictably just as they would in real life. Each character has their own unique personality and pasts that color their actions in the now. Reading Mind Over Mind really was like going to visit a Psychiatric ward and getting to know the people in real life. Actually, more like becoming friends with them in real life!
Deryl's condition is also described in vivid detail. Karina dives into her characters and allows THEM to show you exactly how it feels to be the intern or in Deryls case- the overwhelmed Psychic. Deryl, a teen trapped in a psychiatric ward, struggles with being contacted constantly by two different alien beings. One, the Master, menacingly tries to teach him to be a ruthless killer and causes Deryl a lot of pain and suffering when he refuses. The other, the Miscra, constantly entreats him to teach her how to defend her home world from the invaders.
This book is a MUST read! You will laugh and cry along with the characters through each of their struggles and successes. The ending... I LOVED the ending and I can't WAIT to get started on the second book, Mind Over Psyche! I can't wait to find out what happens with Deryl, the Miscra, and the Master!
Review Written by: Virginia L. Jennings
Author of 'Visionary From The Stars'
& 'The Alien Mind'
This reviewer was given a reviewers copy for an honest review
(Also posted on my blog at: http://virginialorijennings.com/revie...)
If you get a chance- check out the book trailer I found for Mind Over Mind on youtube: http://youtu.be/Wvr5ZicV2xs
And Karina Fabian's Website: www.karinafabian.com
A brilliantly engaging novel that will keep you glued to its pages till the very end!
Karina Fabian is a brilliantly amazing storyteller! Mind Over Mind is an enthralling and entertaining read full of excitement and mystery! I couldn't put it down! Her characters come alive on the page; their struggles both on the emotional level and in the real world are poignant and truly believable. Unlike other books with their cardboard one dimensional characters, her characters interactions with each other unfold unpredictably just as they would in real life. Each character has their own unique personality and pasts that color their actions in the now. Reading Mind Over Mind really was like going to visit a Psychiatric ward and getting to know the people in real life. Actually, more like becoming friends with them in real life!
Deryl's condition is also described in vivid detail. Karina dives into her characters and allows THEM to show you exactly how it feels to be the intern or in Deryls case- the overwhelmed Psychic. Deryl, a teen trapped in a psychiatric ward, struggles with being contacted constantly by two different alien beings. One, the Master, menacingly tries to teach him to be a ruthless killer and causes Deryl a lot of pain and suffering when he refuses. The other, the Miscra, constantly entreats him to teach her how to defend her home world from the invaders.
This book is a MUST read! You will laugh and cry along with the characters through each of their struggles and successes. The ending... I LOVED the ending and I can't WAIT to get started on the second book, Mind Over Psyche! I can't wait to find out what happens with Deryl, the Miscra, and the Master!
Review Written by: Virginia L. Jennings
Author of 'Visionary From The Stars'
& 'The Alien Mind'
This reviewer was given a reviewers copy for an honest review
(Also posted on my blog at: http://virginialorijennings.com/revie...)
If you get a chance- check out the book trailer I found for Mind Over Mind on youtube: http://youtu.be/Wvr5ZicV2xs
And Karina Fabian's Website: www.karinafabian.com
September 25, 2011
When I heard that the main character, Ydrel, was a telepath empowered by an alien only he can see and hear, I had to buy it. I am writing a book with telepaths and so I came at this book from a researcher's perspective. What Karina gave me was more than I anticipated. Here's a rapid-fire list of what this book offers:
*Solid, clear-cut writing. She keeps it fresh, insightful, emotional, fun, and rewarding.
*Three point-of-view characters with emotional investment and story lines that keep you engaged to the end.
*A fascinating idea about an alien world contacting a young boy from two different angles. One source trains him to kill, and then makes him pay when he refuses. The other needs help to prevent her people from being wiped out in war. The images, conflict, and threats that this side of the novel presents offer a grand scale for the rest of the series. I can't wait to find out what happens.
*When not set in a fantastical alien world, Karina explores the carefully hidden secrets that could thrive in a mental health facility when you have a telepath and a manipulative chief psychiatrist. Joshua, the young intern who walks into this snake pit, must deal with this psychiatrist, while also gaining Ydrel's trust so that he can help him escape. Sound research makes this setting real, and you trust the author to tell it how it is, even if that makes things more difficult for the heroes.
*Finally, from a research standpoint, this book offered a ton of inspiration for writing my telepath characters. The best part was, I didn't feel like I was researching. I came for the story, and was pleasantly surprised to find a new author and series to follow.
*Solid, clear-cut writing. She keeps it fresh, insightful, emotional, fun, and rewarding.
*Three point-of-view characters with emotional investment and story lines that keep you engaged to the end.
*A fascinating idea about an alien world contacting a young boy from two different angles. One source trains him to kill, and then makes him pay when he refuses. The other needs help to prevent her people from being wiped out in war. The images, conflict, and threats that this side of the novel presents offer a grand scale for the rest of the series. I can't wait to find out what happens.
*When not set in a fantastical alien world, Karina explores the carefully hidden secrets that could thrive in a mental health facility when you have a telepath and a manipulative chief psychiatrist. Joshua, the young intern who walks into this snake pit, must deal with this psychiatrist, while also gaining Ydrel's trust so that he can help him escape. Sound research makes this setting real, and you trust the author to tell it how it is, even if that makes things more difficult for the heroes.
*Finally, from a research standpoint, this book offered a ton of inspiration for writing my telepath characters. The best part was, I didn't feel like I was researching. I came for the story, and was pleasantly surprised to find a new author and series to follow.
January 15, 2012
Mind Over Mind is a very interesting take on science fiction, in that we see very little of the science fiction aspect of the story, and what we do see comes in flashes through Ydrel's dreams. The concept of Neuro Linguistic Programming is a real concept, and it was interesting to read about being used in the book. However, I do wish that more of the story had centered on that and on Ydrel's struggles--I felt Joshua's romance with Sachiko distracted just a bit too much from what I thought the main point of the story was. However, the writing is good, the characters well developed, and the story line is very interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing where the next two books in the trilogy go.
June 7, 2014
A page-turner and no mistake. I'm keen to read more and may have to buy some. The NLP was intriguing, the religion important but not overblown and the psychology absolutely crackling.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews