The Medium

Liminality #1

by M.R. Graham

Lenny is good at teaching physics. He is good at fixing things, making friends, and not attracting attention. He is good at being a medium, helping spirits pass beyond the Veil. But as a vampire incapable of violence, he has always been a bit of a joke.

All it takes is a drink in a hotel bar, a stumble into the wrong place at the wrong time, to run him afoul of Sebastian Duran, a lunatic who controls other people’s minds better than he can control his own. Torn away from everything he knows, trapped and starved and under constant mental assault, Lenny’s best hope is Kim Reed, a wizard tasked with bringing down Duran. Kim cannot believe that Lenny is evil, but neither can she hide him, and while she battles for his freedom, Lenny is forced to confront his own potential for monstrosity.

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Paranormal, Horror, Fiction

331 pages, ebook

First published November 30, 2013

About the author

USA Today bestselling author M.R. Graham is a native Texan who traces strong cultural roots back to Scotland, Poland, and England. A mild-mannered PhD student during the day, Graham transforms at night into a raging Holmesian loremaster and rabid novelist.
Though passionate about all scholarship and academia, Graham's training and true love lies with anthropology, particularly the archaeological branch.
Also, steampunk and vampires.

Reviews

[NickReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 BLOODY STARS!

I do not like this cover,in fact,it is on my top ten worst book covers.The font is terrible and it doesn't present the book at all.This book is so much better,to be honest,and I hesitated at first just because of the cover,but I am glad I started it.So pick this up!



The Medium is the first book in the 'Liminality' series.This is a vampire-ish fantasy horror series,but it wasn't scary at all for me.I really wanted to read a different horror vampire story,but this didn't met my expectations right away.



I did like the beginning and also the ending,but the story was going kind of slow.I know this is the first book in the series and it needs more descriptions,but I wanted more action.



I liked the characters,and maybe I would have liked this more if I had read first Shadow of the Mountains.As I said these characters are great developed and they are actually the only reason I finished this book.



I recommend this book to every reader out there,especially if you love vampires,it is somehow different from others and it has greatly done characters.

[Dear Faye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didnt' like it too much >_<

[La La · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drum roll please...

One of my rare five star ratings!!!!

This book was exquisite, and I will be back after I have had a chance to let all of its deliciousness sink in. Brava, M.R. Graham for penning a vampire book to rival all vampire books! I received this book from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.

[MG · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really more of a character study than anything else, a portrait of how a decent man could be conditioned into a passive, submissive state (to the point of being an accessory to murder). Intellectually, I admire how Graham accomplished this. Emotionally, though, I felt like I'd gone through the wringer. One second, I'd be feeling all hopeful for Lenny, only to be subjected to mind-numbing agony and frustration the next. It's a rollercoaster ride.

Graham does morally ambiguous incredibly well. By the end of the book, I was feeling a bit of empathy for everyone, even the murdering psychopath Sebastian. I'm looking forward to reading the next book, and hoping to get more of an emotional payoff and/or closure.

[Judy Nappa · Rating 4 out of 5]

MR Graham promised that this book would be good and it is! I first read her book "In The Shadow OF The Mountains" which I won as an ARC through Goodreads and Daniel Leland became my new favourite vampire. The Medium is a stand alone novel but it ties in with the Shadow towards the end of the book (much to my surprise and delight!). Lots of action, blood and guts, suspense and ghoulish action with twists and turns all the way through. New charachers - Kim, Coyote and Zeb - who I hope to see in future books and some more in-depth information on Sebastian, Lenny and Daniel. Thank you for another great story and I'm anxiously awaiting the next "Books of Lost Knowledge".

[Noree Cosper · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, it so interesting seeing what happened in the Shadow of the Mountains from the eyes of one of the antagonists. I have to admit that Lenny has become a favorite, almost as much as Daniel. This whole book shows you how Lenny became Hugo. Not only does it make you really feel for him and his lot in life, but it puts Sebastian in a more sympathetic light, at times. At other times, I really hated Sebastian. This story really portrays how much we can become products of our circumstances.

If you haven't read this series yet, I really recommend you pick it up. What's great is they are loosely connected so you don't have to start in any order.

[Alicia Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favourite book of M. R. Graham's so far. The Medium is The Shadow in the Mountains from the other side, as it were, and I think it works really well. I can't really say much about the plot without ruining it I feel, so I won't say anything but agree with another reviewer that it is a rollercoaster ride...

My favourite thing about it though is the characters. I got really attached to Kim and Lenny in particular. I even felt sympathy for Sebastian towards the end.

If you like vampires but don't like them too twinkly or broody or overdone, you'll like this.

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book thru the author for an honest review. This is the first book I have read from M.R. Graham and it wont be my last. I just purchased for free two of her books off of Amazon.com Proof: A Short Talk of the Undead & The Truth of the matter and I cant wait to read them.M.R. Graham will have you visually seeing what she writes. She is very descriptive and I love it! I loved the characters and the story thank you again for letting me read & review!

[M.R. Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author review, yes. It'll be good, I promise. ;D

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is more than a vampire he is a medium. He is not a good vampire and he is kidnapped by something even worse. He knows this creature needs help. What is he going to do? Can he help them? He may need the help of someone else. See how he gets on

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The medium by M.R Graham.
This was a slow but ok read. I liked some of the characters. I would've liked more action. So only 4*.

[Ramona Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a newer take on a much written about subject which covers a few different paranormal genres quite well. M.R. is definitely an excellent author that knows how to weave a web around his authors. The book has a good pace to it with constant changes that work well of each other. The overall feel of the book feels a bit hopeless though.

M.R. did an excellent job in developing Lenny's character. You really feel like you know him, well until you read the next book which shows that you haven't learnt everything yet. He is a complete anti hero and you can't help but feel for him and his difficulties. The ending was a little surprising and sad.

Kim is more of a heroine than Lenny would be and really complements him well. Her friends are also good additions to this book and make sense.

I find, especially after reading Mora, that this is more like an introduction to a series that is rather captivating. There are many well developed twists that move the story along beautifully.

I have received this book from the author for an honest review.

[Randi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. THAT was a ride.

Structurally, the book was a little confusing, especially in the second half after the main character plots diverged and new major characters were introduced ... but that's excusable in a serial book. I still have some questions that need answered, so hopefully those will come up in the sequel. :)

Overall, it was a riveting story with very good writing and memorable characters. All the important stuff, you know? I was impressed!

[Texas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Medium #1 - My first read by Ms. Graham, and I liked and hated it. I'm bored by most vampire stories but this finely crafted story kept my interest, although I had to take two weeks to read it. It's wordy with repetition and I needed breathers from the intensity and darkness. Ms. Graham took several themes and combined them into a substantial read using vampires, ghosts, mediums and a few other paranormals. Add heavy doses of insanity, cruelty (nothing graphic), loyalty and other thought/behavior patterns, coupled with a large range of emotions. The characters develop throughout the story adding to the tapestry of the storylines. Ms. Graham took several common, overused themes and made them fresh and original. Imagine a vampire/medium as a kidnap victim. The reader actually feels sorry for him as well as frustrated by his thoughts and actions. The vivid descriptions place the reader in the story without any graphic, gory details. There's room for how gory the reader wants the violence. The dialog is well written and it's wonderful to find a book that's properly edited. Clean with no vulgar language. 4*

The Mora #2 - This book starts six years after The Medium ends and was much easier to read. This book, like the first, has great storylines and characters that make reading the series interesting and substantial. Some of the characters that were dropped along the lines in Medium are back continuing beside new characters. More of the paranormals are added to the mix and there's travel outside of TX and MA. This book does better with the wordiness that I found with Medium. There's still the psychology and originality with the storylines and characters. Clear, vivid descriptions, good dialog and clean with no vulgar language. I contacted the author to review her books after reading The Medium. 4*

The Mage #3 - This book starts with Kim's past in 1985. Without giving away spoilers since this is a review and not a book report, The Mage continues with the interesting storylines, the strongly defined characters and the intrigue and psychology. Well written and well edited; clean with no vulgar language; vivid descriptions kept the reader immersed in the pages. While The Medium took me a long time to read, The Mage flowed quickly but I'm also heavily invested in the series by now. I contacted the author to review her books and received this book through Booksprout. 4*

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is very original. The main character is a nice guy who doesn't want to kill people, no he cannot kill people. He is connected to people in death (thus, the medium). Such a wonderful character. Then enters the bad guy. This story will grab you on page one and keep you reading to the end. Excellent story and I hope there are many more to come.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tamara Edmunds · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a page turner

There were times this book made no sense, but then it was easily straightened out. I couldn't stop reading; each page pulled me along which made for several extremely late nights falling asleep. I am very eager to read the next book to see if Kim and Lenny reunite.

[Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

Very good. Feel like my heart has been beaten with a mallet and the blended. Before of course being set on fire. 10/10.

[Vicky Quenault · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book but it just never really became a solid story.
The writing is confusing and somehow it makes death and cruelty actually become boring.
Not a fan of this one.

[Beth Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

This book is complex and very interesting. I like the way the characters are written and the premise keeps you reading.

[Betwixt the Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lenny is good at teaching physics. He is good at fixing things, making friends, and not attracting attention. He is good at being a medium, helping spirits pass beyond the Veil. But as a vampire incapable of violence, he has always been a bit of a joke.

All it takes is a drink in a hotel bar, a stumble into the wrong place at the wrong time, to run him afoul of Sebastian Duran, a lunatic who controls other people’s minds better than he can control his own. Torn away from everything he knows, trapped and starved and under constant mental assault, Lenny’s best hope is Kim Reed, a wizard tasked with bringing down Duran. Kim cannot believe that Lenny is evil, but neither can she hide him, and while she battles for his freedom, Lenny is forced to confront his own potential for monstrosity.

- - - - -

Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Quick Reasons: interesting, entertaining take on vampires/vampire lore; sort of confusing writing at times; lyrical and circular plot; strange, ambiguous epilogue; a lot less action in the second half of the read; nice examination of abuse, Stockholm Syndrome, and PTSD

So...this book is WEIRD.

Now, don't go misunderstanding me! If you've been following my reviews, you'll know by now that weird books are my bread and butter. I breathe them. I thrive on them. I often toast them and eat them for breakfast.

I kid, I kid! Sort of. But not about that first sentence—this book is weird, and while there were some moments I wasn't sure it was weird in a good way, overall I'd say the weirdness is a weirdness I'd take any day. It stands out.

“Protection! I had a place to live. I was comfortable here. And they were a family, and I liked them, and they were mine. You can't go around breaking other people's things and then expecting them to rush to help you!”

There's a weird play on vampires and vampire lore going on in this read that I'm not entirely sure can be summed up without confusion, because I'm still slightly confused about a few key points myself. The Broken, for instance—I'm not sure I understand what they are or how they come about. There's also a sort of...circular repetition going on with the prose that at times felt a bit stilted and awkward but, for the most part, actually made a TON of sense...especially after learning everything we do about Lenny and his journey. The epilogue at the end, though, felt unnecessary to me—I'm not sure why it's there, apart from introducing a new character and making things more confusing overall. If it were up to me, I'd leave the book with the last chapter—it clears up the beginning, it sets the stage for an interesting opening in the next book, and it closes up everything that's happened before. Simple. Lyrical. Gorgeous, though bittersweet. In my opinion, perfect.

The characters are both endearing and disturbing at turns. I'm sad we didn't, in the end, see more of Kim—she seemed like such an important, fascinating character...and was forgotten. Or, rather, forced to move on due to unforeseen circumstances. Note for authors: if you're going to have a character be kidnapped by family and held magically hostage for ¾ of the book, perhaps you shouldn't have that character in the first place. I get that Kim was integral to rescuing Lenny, but...he gets re-kidnapped by the psycho-vamp and it all came to pretty much naught, so what was even the point?

There are a lot of things happening in this book, and it does get sort of confusing after a fashion. A lot of characters are introduced, explained, and then left to rot in the distance. A lot of promising futures are hinted at...only to be thrown out the window. Don't get me wrong—for this particular story, I understand! But at the end, despite the cyclic nature of the plot, I felt there was a huge chunk of story I wasn't receiving. It feels unfinished, I suppose, in a bigger way than just “because it's only book one.” There is also a lot of experimentation with abusive relationships, PTSD, mental illness, and Stockholm Syndrome/codependency going on, which brought a different level of interesting to the vampire story.

They drove for nearly a week straight after that, and by the time they got where they were going, Lenny was no longer sure who he was supposed to be. He stayed with a monster for the sake of a ghost he did not know he could save.

So, yes—this book is weird, and it has some moments that defy weird and creep into utterly confusing, but it's SO SO worth it for the complexity of the characters and the awesome use of cyclic writing. While I'm disgruntled about the ways some of the characters played out, I think I'd like to pick up the next in the series—I need to know where Lenny ends up next, because let's be honest, the guy's been through hell. I'd definitely recommend to lovers of weirdness, vampires, and complexly intriguing characters. This was a fun read; I can't wait to dive into more of M.R. Graham's work!

[Desert Rose Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I Need A Chocolate Bar...

So, this book is kind of depressing. *Edit* Very depressing.

While it is a fantasy, vampire lore story with murder and blood and all that, that's not the point of the book. It's more of a side element - an extra layer, adding a random spin to mental abuse, several disturbing issues, and an incredibly sad, twisted situation.

It very much felt to me, as if the author originally wanted to write a novel about mental abuse, mental illness, Stockholm Syndrome, PTSD, and abusive relationships. Not having enough depth, or perhaps needing a gripping enough story to actually pull readers in, she threw in the twist of the most cliche fantasy topic for mainstream readers at the moment: vampires. Making it slightly different, she altered the traditional vampiric lore to be unique, which on it's own, was refreshing.

Slapping all this together, we get a mashup of several different kinds of stories. It all felt disconnected and confusing to me, personally.

Now, don't get me wrong - I have no idea if that's what the author actually did, that's just what it felt like to me, as I read it. There's nothing wrong with mixing different kinds of stories - it's original, and different. It's simply to me, personally, the mixture has too much sadness. Too much darkness. There isn't enough contrast to make it satisfying. It's like one long, painful trip, where at the end, I felt like "what the heck did I just do that for..." and felt slightly disappointed.

The story overall was ok though, and like I said earlier, it was unique. The author isn't a bad writer, and for fans of perpetually dark novels, this would be a hit. I'm not really a fan of such deep darkness. Struggling with depression and several of the issues explored in this novel, I probably am more sensitive to it that the majority of readers.

If this book sounds interesting to you, I would recommend it. While it wasn't my cup of tea, it was an ok story, and to a lot of people, would be enjoyable. I don't regret reading it, I will simply not read it again for a long time. I would certainly be interested in reading more from this talented author, and was impressed by the depth of the mental torture she put me through.

*I was given a complimentary copy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Rosie Zayne]

See my review for this novel here on Goodreads!

[Sherry Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this dark novel of wizards and vampires, we meet Leonard Hugo. He is a medium turned vampire. He's also a stuttering wuss. Things get really bad for Leonard when he meets Sebastian Duran, a completely psychotic vampire, who kidnaps and tortures him. Throughout the book, we see the complete ruin of two lost souls. Both of their minds are twisted and sick. Leonard becomes a pathetic (and somewhat annoying) puppet with no backbone, and Sebastian is an unrelenting, manipulative, evil, control freak. The two are pursued by a wizard and a band of vampire hunters who are trying to stop Sebastian. The wizard, Kim, is a likeable character. Unfortunately, she peeters out and is basically dropped by the end of the book. Readers who are invested in that part of the plot will find that disappointing. Readers will also be hoping for a happy ending, as Leonard does, but it just doesn't happen. It's a long spiral into a world of insanity and despair.

The Medium is a paranormal psychological thriller that has a lot of good qualities. There are memorable moments, interesting characters, and plot twists. The psychological aspect of the book is very interesting. It's definitely not a light read, and may leave readers feeling emotionally drained. The Medium is for those who enjoy dark, paranormal novels.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

«The Medium» (a prequel to the «In the Shadow of the Mountains») from the very beginning makes you enjoy a insightful portentous story dedicated to the concept of ambivalent nature. Lenny, shy and innocuous guy, kidnapped by a bloody-minded vampire Sebastian, becomes just a stooge for him. Although Lenny is a medium and also a vampire there is no harm in him. One would think that he has a chance then to take a closer look at his own nature and not to come to terms with the circumstances and readers as well as if being in his shoes. However according to the plot it's a dead end with no light at the end of the tunnel.
Like in any well-written psychological thriller the whirligig seems to be fast-moving but easy to follow. M.R. Graham particularly gives an eye to the delineation of characters, which is the main strong point in the book. And the most intriguing thing that you can't even have a liking for any of «heroes», they provoke variety of feelings. Also you can't be satisfied with the pay-off which is a real author's feat to make you read her further stories.

[Concetta Phillipps · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just couldn't get into it

The concept sounded intriguing in summary form, but the actual writing has me going a little crazy. From the concepts with only She/Him for pronouns to the stuttering of a damaged vampire, the writing just wasn't strong enough to hold me until pieces started making sense.

I would suspect for stronger fans of the vampire genre they might be more interested in this novel. Just not for me.