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Legion #2
Skin Deep
Stephen Leeds, AKA “Legion,” is a man whose unique mental condition allows him to generate a multitude of personae: hallucinatory entities with a wide variety of personal characteristics and a vast array of highly specialized skills. As the new story begins, Leeds and his “aspects” are hired by I3 (Innovative Information Incorporated) to recover a corpse stolen from the local morgue. But there’s a catch. The corpse is that of a pioneer in the field of experimental biotechnology, a man whose work concerned the use of the human body as a massive storage device. He may have embedded something in the cells of his now dead body. And that something might be dangerous…
What follows is a visionary thriller about the potential uses of technology, the mysteries of the human personality, and the ancient human need to believe that death is not the end. Legion: Skin Deep is speculative fiction at it most highly developed. It reaffirms Sanderson’s place as one of contemporary fiction’s most intelligent—and unpredictable—voices.
What follows is a visionary thriller about the potential uses of technology, the mysteries of the human personality, and the ancient human need to believe that death is not the end. Legion: Skin Deep is speculative fiction at it most highly developed. It reaffirms Sanderson’s place as one of contemporary fiction’s most intelligent—and unpredictable—voices.
208 pages, Leather Bound
First published November 24, 2014
About the author
Brandon Sanderson
402 books228k followersI’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.
In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the Legion series, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart,The Emperor’s Soul, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.
In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the Legion series, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart,The Emperor’s Soul, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,449 reviews
January 30, 2015
A nice continuation of the series.
Longer than the first story, this answers some questions from the first story, expands our understanding of the main character and the mystery surrounding him, but it still leaves room for the the story to breathe. Without ambiguity, a story gets awfully stale.
I've really been enjoying these novella/short novel length pieces lately. I've never been a huge fan of shorter fiction before, but it looks like Sanderson and Scalzi might win me over to this new type of writing....
Longer than the first story, this answers some questions from the first story, expands our understanding of the main character and the mystery surrounding him, but it still leaves room for the the story to breathe. Without ambiguity, a story gets awfully stale.
I've really been enjoying these novella/short novel length pieces lately. I've never been a huge fan of shorter fiction before, but it looks like Sanderson and Scalzi might win me over to this new type of writing....
January 25, 2021
A great book. Legion is a great character. Is he a genius or a crazy person? Is he a hero or is he out for himself, and who is in control Steven Leeds or his Aspects? One thing he is not is boring. The book and plot are extremely well thought out.
The story finds Steven trying normal things like a blind date, they trouble is Steven is never alone and normal is not one of his qualities. The interaction between his and his aspects is great, and their own flaws simply make him/them more interesting. I like the was the Legion is tested in this book. We see limits and flaws on his "powers".
I have always love the way the subconscious mind works, and this is a great (fictional) example of how it works. The mystery is great and the development of the character is great. In the last book Legion, seemed to learn a new skill, in this one he seems to take a step forward in interaction with his Aspects, but then is thrown a step backwards. Showing their is so much to be done with the character. I can't wait to see what happens next.
The story finds Steven trying normal things like a blind date, they trouble is Steven is never alone and normal is not one of his qualities. The interaction between his and his aspects is great, and their own flaws simply make him/them more interesting. I like the was the Legion is tested in this book. We see limits and flaws on his "powers".
I have always love the way the subconscious mind works, and this is a great (fictional) example of how it works. The mystery is great and the development of the character is great. In the last book Legion, seemed to learn a new skill, in this one he seems to take a step forward in interaction with his Aspects, but then is thrown a step backwards. Showing their is so much to be done with the character. I can't wait to see what happens next.
August 17, 2018
More fun with J.C., Ivy, Tobias and the gang! I like Stephen Leeds and I totally adore his gang of imaginary sidekicks, especially J.C., the ex-Navy SEAL security and weapons expert who has a hard time dealing with the fact that he's not real.
It's odd because they're so completely real to him, but at the same time he *knows* they're not real. And his hallucinations (mostly) also know they're not real, but so much of Steven's life depends on him, and them, acting like they're real. It's fascinating, and sometimes it gets really meta, which I love (good brain exercise).
The mystery itself is just okay; the real pleasure in this book is reading about Steve and his hallucinatory alter egos. Brandon Sanderson handles it all with a deft, humorous hand. I just wish we'd gotten a few more answers about the mysterious Sandra, a psychologist who disappeared from Steve's life years ago and whom he desperately wants to find again. She keeps being dangled in front of us like a particularly annoying worm, but nothing really happened with that plotline at all. I also thought this second installation in the series would have benefited from more depth and detail; I'm not sure the novella length was the best choice.
Still, this was a fun, light read with some intriguing moments. I'll definitely read the next one in this series.
"Not zombies," I said, feeling cold. "Cancer. You created a virus that gives people cancer."This is the second in a series of short novels about Steve, a genius who consults for various people or companies who need complex problems solved. Steve has an intriguing mental illness: he hallucinates different personae (he's up to 47 now) who each take on a particular field of knowledge or skill that Steve has. And once he passes off his knowledge about, say, computers to a particular hallucinatory character, that knowledge is utterly unavailable to him unless the character tells him about it.
"It was an unintended result that is perfectly manageable," Laramie said, "and only dangerous if used malignly. And why would anyone want to do that?"
We all stared at him for a moment.
"Let's shoot him," J.C. said.
"Thank heavens," Tobias replied. "You haven't suggested we shoot someone in over an hour, J.C. I was beginning to think something was wrong."
"No, listen," J.C. said. "We can shoot Pinhead McWedgy over there, and it will teach everyone in this room an important life lesson. One about not being a stupid mad scientist."
It's odd because they're so completely real to him, but at the same time he *knows* they're not real. And his hallucinations (mostly) also know they're not real, but so much of Steven's life depends on him, and them, acting like they're real. It's fascinating, and sometimes it gets really meta, which I love (good brain exercise).
"Just imagine your sense of accomplishment," I said. "You’re imaginary, so imaginary accomplishment should work for you."So. The plot. It's a mystery about a man who was a pioneer in biotechnology, and developed a method for storing massive amounts of information in the cells of the human body. He's believed to have stored some ground-breaking scientific information in his body before he died. And his corpse has now gone missing.
"But if I’m imaginary, and I imagine something, it’s doubly unreal. Like using a copy machine to copy something that’s just been copied."
The mystery itself is just okay; the real pleasure in this book is reading about Steve and his hallucinatory alter egos. Brandon Sanderson handles it all with a deft, humorous hand. I just wish we'd gotten a few more answers about the mysterious Sandra, a psychologist who disappeared from Steve's life years ago and whom he desperately wants to find again. She keeps being dangled in front of us like a particularly annoying worm, but nothing really happened with that plotline at all. I also thought this second installation in the series would have benefited from more depth and detail; I'm not sure the novella length was the best choice.
Still, this was a fun, light read with some intriguing moments. I'll definitely read the next one in this series.
September 18, 2021
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this novella! I read it in one sitting and I think it was an improvement from the first instalment. Reading about the multiple aspects is interesting and the whole story had a nice mystery addition, which I found believable Sanderson never disappoints in delivering solid stories at the very least. Sure this is not as complex as his usual novels, but it’s an entertaining & quick read with likeable main character and intriguing concept.
I’m looking forward to reading the last novella, although I’ve read that it’s nowhere as good as the first two, but I’m curious about how Sanderson plans to wrap up the story, especially Sandra’s plotline. He’s such an accomplished writer, writing good stories across multiple genres. Not many can pull that off. (Yes I can’t but praise the guy every chance I get.)
PS: I’m not sure why Brandon Sanderson didn’t do more research to know that Christian Orthodox use the term “icons” and not paintings when describing even if “a painting” of a Saint/Christ/Virgin Mary/etc (for theology reasons). I assumed it’s common knowledge (the term).. also one Stephen’s aspects knows about the religion a bit. But that’s my only comment.
I really enjoyed this novella! I read it in one sitting and I think it was an improvement from the first instalment. Reading about the multiple aspects is interesting and the whole story had a nice mystery addition, which I found believable Sanderson never disappoints in delivering solid stories at the very least. Sure this is not as complex as his usual novels, but it’s an entertaining & quick read with likeable main character and intriguing concept.
I’m looking forward to reading the last novella, although I’ve read that it’s nowhere as good as the first two, but I’m curious about how Sanderson plans to wrap up the story, especially Sandra’s plotline. He’s such an accomplished writer, writing good stories across multiple genres. Not many can pull that off. (Yes I can’t but praise the guy every chance I get.)
PS: I’m not sure why Brandon Sanderson didn’t do more research to know that Christian Orthodox use the term “icons” and not paintings when describing even if “a painting” of a Saint/Christ/Virgin Mary/etc (for theology reasons). I assumed it’s common knowledge (the term).. also one Stephen’s aspects knows about the religion a bit. But that’s my only comment.
February 10, 2022
Stephen Leeds and his hallucinated hallucinations are back. Abandon your sanity ye who enter here.
You can now forget about eating, sleeping, drinking, socializing or whatever meaningless occupations you usually have. Don't plan on putting this book down until you finish it. You won't be able to.
As much as I like the mystery part of the story, Steve and his aspects are what make this book such an amazing read. The conversations between Steve and the hallucinations, the way the hallucinations interact with each other… Priceless. Each and everyone of the aspects is a very well-defined, full-blown character. What I really loved here is that we discover the in-depth mechanics of Steve's psychosis, delusion or whatever it is he is suffering from (but is he actually suffering from a mental disorder? At this point I'm not even sure anymore…). In Legion it appeared Steve had total control over his aspects but it doesn't seem to be the case. Some of his hallucinations seem to have a life outside of Steve's mind without him being aware of it . And then there is that slight problem with spouses . Some aspects are well-aware of what they are and accept it but others cringe whenever they hear the word "imaginary" which results in very interesting situations/conversations.
What are you still doing here people?! Come on, off you go! You need this book in your life!
· Book 1: Legion ★★★★
· Book 3: Lies of the Beholder ★★
You can now forget about eating, sleeping, drinking, socializing or whatever meaningless occupations you usually have. Don't plan on putting this book down until you finish it. You won't be able to.
“I’m not crazy, I’m compartmentalized.”Stephen Leeds, 47 hallucinations, the most sensible guy you'll ever get to meet. Occupation: solving strange mysteries. A genius? No. He would tell you his aspects do all the work for him. They know everything there is to know about everything. And if they don't? No problem. Steve reads about a specific skill/topic and tada! New aspect at your service. Pretty handy huh? Well, it does get kind of crowded sometimes…
Keeping track of forty-seven hallucinations is tough enough. If I had to imagine their in-laws too, I just might end up going crazy.And it can make going on dates problematic, especially when some of your hallucinations tag along…
“Like that guy,” she said. “In that movie.” “Sure. Like that. Only he was crazy, and I’m not.” “Oh, yeah,” Ivy said. “What a great way to put her at ease. Explain in depth how not crazy you are.”So here we have Steve and his very crowded box of cats on a mission to recover a missing corpse and retrieve information from it. Said information being stored in the corpse's DNA. Now how cool is that?! Where only a few aspects tagged along in Legion, Steve has all of his forty seven hallucinations brainstorming in the "White Room" to solve this particular mystery, each one researching a particular field. Did I already say how cool this book was? Oh well.
As much as I like the mystery part of the story, Steve and his aspects are what make this book such an amazing read. The conversations between Steve and the hallucinations, the way the hallucinations interact with each other… Priceless. Each and everyone of the aspects is a very well-defined, full-blown character. What I really loved here is that we discover the in-depth mechanics of Steve's psychosis, delusion or whatever it is he is suffering from (but is he actually suffering from a mental disorder? At this point I'm not even sure anymore…). In Legion it appeared Steve had total control over his aspects but it doesn't seem to be the case. Some of his hallucinations seem to have a life outside of Steve's mind without him being aware of it . And then there is that slight problem with spouses . Some aspects are well-aware of what they are and accept it but others cringe whenever they hear the word "imaginary" which results in very interesting situations/conversations.
“No, really,” Audrey said. “Shoot me. Go ahead. Then, when it doesn’t do anything because we’re both imaginary, you’ll have to admit the truth: That you’re crazy, even for a figment of a deranged man’s psyche. That he imagined you as a repository for information. That, in truth, you’re just a flash drive yourself, J.C.”Ah J.C.! Steve's security go-to guy and my favourite trigger-happy Navy SEAL turned Interdimensional Time Ranger! I think I'm in love. The guy cracks me up. He was funny enough in Legion but here he is just hilarious. He has a life of his own, doesn't necessarily follow Steve's orders and is in total denial of what he is. I love the way he keeps trying to convince himself that he isn't imaginary.
“I’ve got it figured out, Skinny. We’re all from this other place, see. And when you need some help, you reach out and snatch us. You’re some kind of physics wizard.” “A . . . physics wizard?” “Yup. And I’m no Navy SEAL. I’ve just got to accept that.” He paused. “I’m an Interdimensional Time Ranger.”What really amazed me here is how well thought-out the book is. Everything, every action, every tiny bit of information makes sense in an completely insane way. There is an implacable logic to Steve's lack of sanity. I couldn't find a single flaw in Sanderson's amazing concept. All the pieces fit perfectly: Steve's supposed mental disorder, his relationship with his aspects, his acceptance of what they are and of the way they shape his life, his control (or lack thereof) over them, the way the aspects interact with each other, the philosophical conversations they have about their existence… This really is the most original, creative plotline I have read in a long long long time. By the way, did I already say how cool this book was? Oh well.
“Who wouldn’t want to date you? You’re a steal! One body, forty people. Infinite variety.”Need more uber coolness? Sure, no problem! Here goes: murdering amphibians, Ivy, ice-cream bars, gorilla enclosures for nerds, Audrey, zombies, Pinhead McWedgy, assassins, code 876, Ngozi, imaginary sense of accomplishment, doomsday viruses, prudes, Achmed, insanity aligning with reality, smet, Rahul, viqxuixs, hostile takeovers, infinite batmans.
What are you still doing here people?! Come on, off you go! You need this book in your life!
· Book 1: Legion ★★★★
· Book 3: Lies of the Beholder ★★
January 23, 2018
Another good novella by Sanderson!
This one is longer than the first story, which is good, because one of my criticism of book 1 was that it was too short. This one is about twice as long.
It’s a detective/mystery/thriller/crime story with interesting premise about biotechnology embedded storage device that has gone missing.
The story is a quite good, well-paced, and expands our understanding of Stephen and his different aspects. The different aspect of Stephen are all well-drawn, and they have an interesting dynamics between them.
Having said that, I wasn’t awed by the story, something I expect from Brandon Sanderson’s stories. I was hoping for more from this follow up story. It was a fun read, but think book 1 is slightly better.
4/5
This one is longer than the first story, which is good, because one of my criticism of book 1 was that it was too short. This one is about twice as long.
It’s a detective/mystery/thriller/crime story with interesting premise about biotechnology embedded storage device that has gone missing.
The story is a quite good, well-paced, and expands our understanding of Stephen and his different aspects. The different aspect of Stephen are all well-drawn, and they have an interesting dynamics between them.
Having said that, I wasn’t awed by the story, something I expect from Brandon Sanderson’s stories. I was hoping for more from this follow up story. It was a fun read, but think book 1 is slightly better.
4/5
November 28, 2014
Buddy read with
Desinka
,
Kat Stark
,
Robin
,
Athena
,
Rhea
,
Evgeny
,
Gavin
.
4.5 STARS
The investigation and search for a stolen corpse in an alternate present-day USA is the focus in this sequel to Legion. Yol Chay, who owns Innovation Information Incorporated, sends Stephen Leeds, our beloved protagonist and genius extraordinaire, in search of Panos Maheras, a researcher and supporter of open source technology ideas, whose body may hold the key to stopping a well-intentioned but disastrous project to store computing data in human cells(biotechnology nerds, GO!). Leeds gathers his multitude of personalities or aspects(all 47 of them) to investigate amid pursuit by Zen Rigby, a hired assassin working for rival high-tech company Exeltec.
Continuing the theme of Legion, Sanderson explores Leeds’s efforts to understand his independent-minded aspects and his need for them. We got introduced to more and new hallucinatory men and women to help Leeds crack this new case. The interactions between them are more then hilarious especially the ones involving the unquestionable star of this instalment, the Interdimensional Time Ranger(self promoted), J.C.! :) It's a real treat to witness events unfold through Leeds'e eyes which allows readers to get better acquainted with the various hallucinatory personae. I hoped to learn more about Sandra, the person(real person) who taught Stephen to control his mind. We got nothing of that but thinking about it now it's probably a good thing to know there will be more Legion novellas turning the whole thing into entertaining series.
The novella has a moving briskly pace and even if it's more than twice as long as its predecessor, we reach the end all too quickly. There is a lot more depth than meets the eye with discussion of quantum physics and the infinity of time which brings Sanderson's favorite writing pattern to tie faith and science and God's place in all this, into view.
I 'read' this book exclusively using the audiobook edition narrated by Oliver Wyman who ones again did an excellent job with the variety of voices and accents(my personal favorite of his performance is Tobias's voice).
While undoubtedly I enjoyed this novella a lot, I'm not sure whether I liked it more or less then its predecessor. I blame real life(the bitch) who tried and succeeded to majorly interfere in every which one of the 4 hours of this audiobook. The whole process was one serious case of multitasking. If I had the opportunity to listen to the book in more relaxed times, I probably would have rated it higher. Hence, now, I'm giving it the exact same rating I gave the first novella.
"Information for everybody!" Go for it!
4.5 STARS
The investigation and search for a stolen corpse in an alternate present-day USA is the focus in this sequel to Legion. Yol Chay, who owns Innovation Information Incorporated, sends Stephen Leeds, our beloved protagonist and genius extraordinaire, in search of Panos Maheras, a researcher and supporter of open source technology ideas, whose body may hold the key to stopping a well-intentioned but disastrous project to store computing data in human cells(biotechnology nerds, GO!). Leeds gathers his multitude of personalities or aspects(all 47 of them) to investigate amid pursuit by Zen Rigby, a hired assassin working for rival high-tech company Exeltec.
Continuing the theme of Legion, Sanderson explores Leeds’s efforts to understand his independent-minded aspects and his need for them. We got introduced to more and new hallucinatory men and women to help Leeds crack this new case. The interactions between them are more then hilarious especially the ones involving the unquestionable star of this instalment, the Interdimensional Time Ranger(self promoted), J.C.! :) It's a real treat to witness events unfold through Leeds'e eyes which allows readers to get better acquainted with the various hallucinatory personae. I hoped to learn more about Sandra, the person(real person) who taught Stephen to control his mind. We got nothing of that but thinking about it now it's probably a good thing to know there will be more Legion novellas turning the whole thing into entertaining series.
The novella has a moving briskly pace and even if it's more than twice as long as its predecessor, we reach the end all too quickly. There is a lot more depth than meets the eye with discussion of quantum physics and the infinity of time which brings Sanderson's favorite writing pattern to tie faith and science and God's place in all this, into view.
I 'read' this book exclusively using the audiobook edition narrated by Oliver Wyman who ones again did an excellent job with the variety of voices and accents(my personal favorite of his performance is Tobias's voice).
While undoubtedly I enjoyed this novella a lot, I'm not sure whether I liked it more or less then its predecessor. I blame real life(the bitch) who tried and succeeded to majorly interfere in every which one of the 4 hours of this audiobook. The whole process was one serious case of multitasking. If I had the opportunity to listen to the book in more relaxed times, I probably would have rated it higher. Hence, now, I'm giving it the exact same rating I gave the first novella.
"Information for everybody!" Go for it!
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July 30, 2023
“Not all of my missions involve terrorists or the fate of the world. Some are far more simple and mundane. Like locating a teleporting cat.“
No, in this incredibly well-written and uniquely entertaining sci-fi mystery, Stephen Leeds and his many hallucinations, each imagined as a repository for information, are not dealing with the teleporting cat, but are called in to find a corpse; but not just any corpse – a corpse that has been used to store lucrative information, similar to a flash drive.
Much like the first novella, I thoroughly enjoyed this second sci-fi mystery – but Stephen’s aspects are what truly drive these books; especially his standard team of J.C., Ivy, and Tobias. I would love to see him/them solve more cases because that would also mean we get more of Stephen and co.
While the idea of having those hallucinations that each specialize in a skill set Stephen has familiarized himself with is in itself really cool, be it black ops or linguistics, the execution of it is even better. The dialogue between Stephen and his hallucinations is what makes these novellas so wonderfully entertaining and unique. And J.C., ex-Navy SEAL, trigger-happy, paranoid and apparently loosely based on Adam Baldwin in Firefly, is stealing the show.
I’m already sad that the third novella is the final one. I want more of Stephen and the gang! It occurs to me any other writer would have used this idea to turn this into a serial, but for Brandon our literary genius this is just a side project.
No, in this incredibly well-written and uniquely entertaining sci-fi mystery, Stephen Leeds and his many hallucinations, each imagined as a repository for information, are not dealing with the teleporting cat, but are called in to find a corpse; but not just any corpse – a corpse that has been used to store lucrative information, similar to a flash drive.
Much like the first novella, I thoroughly enjoyed this second sci-fi mystery – but Stephen’s aspects are what truly drive these books; especially his standard team of J.C., Ivy, and Tobias. I would love to see him/them solve more cases because that would also mean we get more of Stephen and co.
While the idea of having those hallucinations that each specialize in a skill set Stephen has familiarized himself with is in itself really cool, be it black ops or linguistics, the execution of it is even better. The dialogue between Stephen and his hallucinations is what makes these novellas so wonderfully entertaining and unique. And J.C., ex-Navy SEAL, trigger-happy, paranoid and apparently loosely based on Adam Baldwin in Firefly, is stealing the show.
“Cancer. You created a virus that gives people cancer.”
Garvas winced. “Kind of?”
“It was an unintended result that is perfectly manageable,” Laramie said, “and only dangerous if used malignly. And why would anyone want to do that?”
We all stared at him for a moment.
“Let’s shoot him,” J.C. said.
“Thank heavens,” Tobias replied. “You hadn’t suggested we shoot someone in over an hour, J.C. I was beginning to think something was wrong.”
“No, listen,” J.C. said. “We can shoot Pinhead McWedgy over there, and it will teach everyone in this room an important life lesson. One about not being a stupid mad scientist.”
I’m already sad that the third novella is the final one. I want more of Stephen and the gang! It occurs to me any other writer would have used this idea to turn this into a serial, but for Brandon our literary genius this is just a side project.
November 26, 2014
4.5 I'm Not Crazy Just a Touch Insane Stars
Buddy read with Athena, Armina, Gavin, Kat Stark, Evengy, Rhea and Desisnka Starting on Tuesday Nov 25
Legion Skin Deep Group Thread
You know that imaginary friend you had as a child, what if you grew up and you had 47 of them and each one was an expert in their field perspective field of study. Meet Stephen Leeds who isn’t so much crazy as insane. He has a very active imagination and in it live a collection of aspects that help him in his daily life.
Last year I read Legion and loved this idea of a genius who was so smart he almost drove himself crazy. The solution, have ongoing hallucinations that interact with him and each other to solve mysteries. Seems the jury is still out on if that makes him Schizophrenic, Delusional or some new kind of insane but I don’t care because I think it is fantastic even if it makes trying to date hell. Trying to explain to your date that a few other people tagged along and she can’t see them is difficult.
But Steve is great at what he does and is the go-to guy for solving strange and unusual happenings. Like finding a missing body with information coded onto its DNA.
The inner workings of Stephen’s mind and hallucinations are explored a little more fully in this story as all forty-seven help in some way to solve this case. I was totally drawn into the idea of the science behind using human DNA to store information and what some of the ramifications of that could be. Given enough time and technological advances every human could be their own person computer, how awesome is that!!!
I like the mystery but the big draw for me in this series is Steve and all of his aspects. I love quirky characters and Stephen Leeds is the epitome of quirkiness. The conversations he has with all of his aspects and the interactions the aspects have with each other are so imaginative. Each aspect has a distinctive voice and personality. It is an amazing idea and I can’t get enough of it.
You would maybe think that because all of these aspects or hallucinations are Stephen’s creation that he might have some level of control over them but that doesn’t seem to be the case. They seem to have their own lives outside of Steve some with imaginary families, imaginary physiological issues, and relationships with each other that even Steve seems clueless to. Sometimes they even have philosophical discussion about being imaginary.
My favorite breakout character in this book is totally J.C. the uber paranoid ex-Navy seal in charge of Steve’s security. He is one of the few hallucinations that doesn’t believe he is imaginary and his explanation of his existence is phenomenal. He is one of the aspects that seems to do whatever he wants and rarely follows the rules that Steve has in place for his hallucinations.
This is a short novel and while you probably could read it without reading Legion first I really think that a little bit of the magic would be lost. So read Legion it’s only ~90pages and then jump right into the crazy fun ride this is.
Brandon Sanderson is my absolute favorite High Fantasy writer….But his more modern UF/Sci-Fi’s are really growing on me. If you are one of my few friends I haven’t pushed into reading a book by Brandon Sanderson then Start Here or read The Emperor's Soul. They aren’t huge page commitments but show just how talented Sanderson’s imagination is.
Buddy read with Athena, Armina, Gavin, Kat Stark, Evengy, Rhea and Desisnka Starting on Tuesday Nov 25
Legion Skin Deep Group Thread
You know that imaginary friend you had as a child, what if you grew up and you had 47 of them and each one was an expert in their field perspective field of study. Meet Stephen Leeds who isn’t so much crazy as insane. He has a very active imagination and in it live a collection of aspects that help him in his daily life.
” I’m not crazy, I’m compartmentalized. Unfortunately, my aspects . . . well, they tend to be a little unhinged..”
Last year I read Legion and loved this idea of a genius who was so smart he almost drove himself crazy. The solution, have ongoing hallucinations that interact with him and each other to solve mysteries. Seems the jury is still out on if that makes him Schizophrenic, Delusional or some new kind of insane but I don’t care because I think it is fantastic even if it makes trying to date hell. Trying to explain to your date that a few other people tagged along and she can’t see them is difficult.
“Like that guy,” she said. “In that movie.”
“Sure. Like that. Only he was crazy, and I’m not.”
“Oh, yeah,” Ivy said. “What a great way to put her at ease. Explain in depth how not crazy you are.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be a therapist?” I snapped back at her. “Less sarcasm would be delightful.” That was a tall order for Ivy. Sarcasm was kind of her native tongue, though she was fluent in “stern disappointment” and “light condescension” as well. She was also a good friend. Well, imaginary friend
But Steve is great at what he does and is the go-to guy for solving strange and unusual happenings. Like finding a missing body with information coded onto its DNA.
The inner workings of Stephen’s mind and hallucinations are explored a little more fully in this story as all forty-seven help in some way to solve this case. I was totally drawn into the idea of the science behind using human DNA to store information and what some of the ramifications of that could be. Given enough time and technological advances every human could be their own person computer, how awesome is that!!!
I like the mystery but the big draw for me in this series is Steve and all of his aspects. I love quirky characters and Stephen Leeds is the epitome of quirkiness. The conversations he has with all of his aspects and the interactions the aspects have with each other are so imaginative. Each aspect has a distinctive voice and personality. It is an amazing idea and I can’t get enough of it.
You would maybe think that because all of these aspects or hallucinations are Stephen’s creation that he might have some level of control over them but that doesn’t seem to be the case. They seem to have their own lives outside of Steve some with imaginary families, imaginary physiological issues, and relationships with each other that even Steve seems clueless to. Sometimes they even have philosophical discussion about being imaginary.
“Being an imaginary person makes it difficult to feel any real sense of accomplishment.”
“Just imagine your sense of accomplishment,” I said. “You’re imaginary, so imaginary accomplishment should work for you.”
“But if I’m imaginary, and I imagine something, it’s doubly unreal. Like using a copy machine to copy something that’s just been copied.”
“Actually,” Tobias said, strolling up, “theoretically the imaginary sense of accomplishment would have to be imagined by the primary imaginer, so it wouldn’t be an iteration as you suggest.”
My favorite breakout character in this book is totally J.C. the uber paranoid ex-Navy seal in charge of Steve’s security. He is one of the few hallucinations that doesn’t believe he is imaginary and his explanation of his existence is phenomenal. He is one of the aspects that seems to do whatever he wants and rarely follows the rules that Steve has in place for his hallucinations.
“Thank heavens,” Tobias replied. “You hadn’t suggested we shoot someone in over an hour, J.C. I was beginning to think something was wrong.”
“No, listen,” J.C. said. “We can shoot Pinhead McWedgy over there, and it will teach everyone in this room an important life lesson. One about not being a stupid mad scientist.”
This is a short novel and while you probably could read it without reading Legion first I really think that a little bit of the magic would be lost. So read Legion it’s only ~90pages and then jump right into the crazy fun ride this is.
Brandon Sanderson is my absolute favorite High Fantasy writer….But his more modern UF/Sci-Fi’s are really growing on me. If you are one of my few friends I haven’t pushed into reading a book by Brandon Sanderson then Start Here or read The Emperor's Soul. They aren’t huge page commitments but show just how talented Sanderson’s imagination is.
June 12, 2021
Tengo que decir que esta segunda parte me aburrió un tanto. Parece más bien una “historieta” sacada de la manga.Como me ha sucedido con otros libros, tenia la sensación de tener prisas por acabarlo.
La idea no está mal, pero sentí que esta parte era muy dispersa,y el hilo conductor de la trama se escabullía entre demasiado blablabla, “barriendo” una muy buena idea de ciencia ficción hacia los anales de un plástico recogedor, dispuesto a entregarse al olvido en la oscuridad de mi trastero. Nada, no me hagáis caso.
Al menos me sirvió para captar elementos y disfrutar un rato del vacío de “una nada inexistente”. 🔥pufff, se volatilizó Frank. Y mira que el librito era sencillo! Eso me suele pasar cuando me aburre el tema.
La idea no está mal, pero sentí que esta parte era muy dispersa,y el hilo conductor de la trama se escabullía entre demasiado blablabla, “barriendo” una muy buena idea de ciencia ficción hacia los anales de un plástico recogedor, dispuesto a entregarse al olvido en la oscuridad de mi trastero. Nada, no me hagáis caso.
Al menos me sirvió para captar elementos y disfrutar un rato del vacío de “una nada inexistente”. 🔥pufff, se volatilizó Frank. Y mira que el librito era sencillo! Eso me suele pasar cuando me aburre el tema.
May 27, 2018
Brandon Sanderson never ceases to surprise me, even though this book is a 100+ pages novella it still has amazing world building, great characters, amazing unpredictable plot. These three things is what I love in books, and add writing which I normally pair with the world building, how he does it I know not. Here are some of my favourite quotes in the book.
“What?” I asked him. “Is there something wrong?”
“He’s just paranoid,” Ivy said. “Remember when he thought the postman was a terrorist?”
So the nerds accidentally invented a cancer machine. Big deal. I’ve got one of those already.” J.C. held up a cellphone and wiggled it.
“You have a mobile phone?” Ivy asked, exasperated.
“Sure,” J.C. said. “Everyone does.”
“And who are you going to call? Santa?”
“I’ve got it figured out, Skinny. We’re all from this other place, see. And when you need some help, you reach out and snatch us. You’re some kind of physics wizard.”
“A . . . physics wizard?”
“Yup. And I’m no Navy SEAL. I’ve just got to accept that.” He paused. “I’m an Interdimensional Time Ranger.”
I looked at him, grinning.
But he was dead serious.
“J.C.,” I said. “That’s as ridiculous as Owen’s ghost theory.”
“What?” I asked him. “Is there something wrong?”
“He’s just paranoid,” Ivy said. “Remember when he thought the postman was a terrorist?”
So the nerds accidentally invented a cancer machine. Big deal. I’ve got one of those already.” J.C. held up a cellphone and wiggled it.
“You have a mobile phone?” Ivy asked, exasperated.
“Sure,” J.C. said. “Everyone does.”
“And who are you going to call? Santa?”
“I’ve got it figured out, Skinny. We’re all from this other place, see. And when you need some help, you reach out and snatch us. You’re some kind of physics wizard.”
“A . . . physics wizard?”
“Yup. And I’m no Navy SEAL. I’ve just got to accept that.” He paused. “I’m an Interdimensional Time Ranger.”
I looked at him, grinning.
But he was dead serious.
“J.C.,” I said. “That’s as ridiculous as Owen’s ghost theory.”
March 31, 2017
Преди броени часове завърших продължението на “Легион” от Брандън Сандерсън – „На една ръка разстояние” и ми хареса мааалко повече от първата. Определено ми допадна фактът, че тук имаше много повече от Стивън Лийдс и неговия „екип”.
Поредният случай е възложен на Стивън и „хората” му (аспекти, раждащи се от въображението му), като този път задачата му е необичайна – той и екипът му са наети да открият не какво и да е, а труп, който крие важна и опасна информация. Много скоро Стивън е замесен повече, отколкото е възнамерявал, а конкурентната на наелата го компания, го следва плътно по петите, което налага разрешаването на случая на всяка цена. Но по пътя на разрешаването на загадката, той се натъква на интересни факти и улики...
Влюбена съм в Сандерсън и начинът, по който пише – колоритните персонажи, които изгражда (сериозно, откъде му идват такива идеи!?) и леката, но грабваща сюжетна нишка. Чакам още романи от поредицата, защото определено не съм се наситила на Стивън Лийдс и екипа му.
Поредният случай е възложен на Стивън и „хората” му (аспекти, раждащи се от въображението му), като този път задачата му е необичайна – той и екипът му са наети да открият не какво и да е, а труп, който крие важна и опасна информация. Много скоро Стивън е замесен повече, отколкото е възнамерявал, а конкурентната на наелата го компания, го следва плътно по петите, което налага разрешаването на случая на всяка цена. Но по пътя на разрешаването на загадката, той се натъква на интересни факти и улики...
Влюбена съм в Сандерсън и начинът, по който пише – колоритните персонажи, които изгражда (сериозно, откъде му идват такива идеи!?) и леката, но грабваща сюжетна нишка. Чакам още романи от поредицата, защото определено не съм се наситила на Стивън Лийдс и екипа му.
December 28, 2014
I am infinite batmans.
Despite that epic line coming from this book, I wasn't that impressed with it.
The story was good, but it wasn't great like I normally expect from Brandon Sanderson. And while I am still a huge fan of his, I was hoping for more from the follow up to Legion.
A corpse has gone missing that holds data within its cells, data that could be dangerous in the right hands. Legion or Stephen Leeds has been hired to attempt to recover the body, along with his aspects, imaginary people with various specialties that help him with his cases.
I love the character and his aspects, but I would have liked to learn more about him and his history in this book, but it seemed to briefly touch on it and then shy away. The story was short, simple and to the point. It was a good mystery but I didn't find a lot of the magic that drew me into the first book.
Oh well.
Despite that epic line coming from this book, I wasn't that impressed with it.
The story was good, but it wasn't great like I normally expect from Brandon Sanderson. And while I am still a huge fan of his, I was hoping for more from the follow up to Legion.
A corpse has gone missing that holds data within its cells, data that could be dangerous in the right hands. Legion or Stephen Leeds has been hired to attempt to recover the body, along with his aspects, imaginary people with various specialties that help him with his cases.
I love the character and his aspects, but I would have liked to learn more about him and his history in this book, but it seemed to briefly touch on it and then shy away. The story was short, simple and to the point. It was a good mystery but I didn't find a lot of the magic that drew me into the first book.
Oh well.
March 7, 2017
[4.5 stars] Both Legion novellas were absolutely delightful. The concept was unique (a brilliant man whose “not crazy”, but harbors several human aspects who help him store information and solve crimes), the mysteries were interesting, and the writing was superb – yup! It’s definitely a Sanderson. What I especially loved about Skin Deep was the humor – I laughed so much through the first half I went back and read it again – you can tell Sanderson had a lot of fun writing it. The resolution to the mystery may have been wrapped up a little too conveniently for my tastes, but I still liked it. Overall, if you’re in the mood for something different – or if you’re mega Sanderson fan (like me <3) who hasn’t yet read it – Legion is the perfect pick!
Other books you might like:
Steelheart - Brandon Sanderson
Blood Engines - T.A. Pratt
Storm Front - Jim Butcher
A Darker Shade of Magic - V.E. Schwab
Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com
Other books you might like:
Steelheart - Brandon Sanderson
Blood Engines - T.A. Pratt
Storm Front - Jim Butcher
A Darker Shade of Magic - V.E. Schwab
Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com
November 25, 2014
This was even better than the first Legion novella. I was really sucked into this fast paced and humorous story.
Stephen Leeds and his multitude of entertaining aspects were back with a new case to solve. He was hired to find a missing body with potentially dangerous experimental biotechnology data stored in its cells! The mystery was fun, but the real entertainment was provided by Stephen and his aspects. I love how they interact with each other and their witty banter was absolutely hilarious. JC was the pick of the bunch as he reached a whole new level of hilarious in this one.
We delved a little more into Stephen's personal life and and learned more about how he controls his aspects and how much he relies on them. All of which was great. I hope the next installment of the series continues to develop these themes.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Audio Note: Oliver Wyman was as great with this audio as he was with the first. I hope he continues to narrate any future books in this series.
Stephen Leeds and his multitude of entertaining aspects were back with a new case to solve. He was hired to find a missing body with potentially dangerous experimental biotechnology data stored in its cells! The mystery was fun, but the real entertainment was provided by Stephen and his aspects. I love how they interact with each other and their witty banter was absolutely hilarious. JC was the pick of the bunch as he reached a whole new level of hilarious in this one.
We delved a little more into Stephen's personal life and and learned more about how he controls his aspects and how much he relies on them. All of which was great. I hope the next installment of the series continues to develop these themes.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Audio Note: Oliver Wyman was as great with this audio as he was with the first. I hope he continues to narrate any future books in this series.
February 17, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
4 Stars!
This is another wonderful story from Brandon Sanderson! I was lucky enough to grab this audio book from audible months ago when it was free. I didn't realize what kind of gem I had received at the time. This is a remarkable series that is so different than anything else I have had the chance to experience.
I love being in the mind of the main character, Steven Leeds. Sanderson has created a truly unique character set in this series that really drives the story. Many people would think that Steven is crazy. He has been studied and more than a few scientists would like to study how his mind works. Steven isn't crazy...but his aspects are. Steven lives in a large mansion with all of his aspects, or hallucinations. Each aspect is a has his or her own identity and set of expertise. The psychological aspect of this novel is absolutely amazing.
The narrator of the audiobook is the same as in the first story. I believe that Oliver Wyman brings a lot to this story. Each character has a separate voice and his voice is soothing. In my mind, he is the voice of Steven. His delivery of the story is absolutely wonderful.
The wonderful characters are paired with a complex and highly creative mystery. The mystery in this story is just as unique as the character of Steven Leeds. Steven is enlisted to help find a corpse. This isn't just a normal corpse though. This corpse holds a massive amount of data that needs to stay out of the wrong hands. Everything that happens is logical but very unexpected.
In this story, Steven is pushed to the limits in many ways and his sanity is threatened. He has specific rules that must be obeyed or his illusions shatter. Steven knows how vulnerable his ability to function in the world really is. He finds himself having to deal with several situations in this story that upset his delicate balance.
I would highly recommend this book to other. This is the second installment in the Legion series and while this story could be read as a stand alone. I would recommend that this series be read in order since the first installment is very short and does a fantastic job of introducing the characters. I look forward to see what challenges Steven and his aspects will face in the future.
4 Stars!
This is another wonderful story from Brandon Sanderson! I was lucky enough to grab this audio book from audible months ago when it was free. I didn't realize what kind of gem I had received at the time. This is a remarkable series that is so different than anything else I have had the chance to experience.
I love being in the mind of the main character, Steven Leeds. Sanderson has created a truly unique character set in this series that really drives the story. Many people would think that Steven is crazy. He has been studied and more than a few scientists would like to study how his mind works. Steven isn't crazy...but his aspects are. Steven lives in a large mansion with all of his aspects, or hallucinations. Each aspect is a has his or her own identity and set of expertise. The psychological aspect of this novel is absolutely amazing.
The narrator of the audiobook is the same as in the first story. I believe that Oliver Wyman brings a lot to this story. Each character has a separate voice and his voice is soothing. In my mind, he is the voice of Steven. His delivery of the story is absolutely wonderful.
The wonderful characters are paired with a complex and highly creative mystery. The mystery in this story is just as unique as the character of Steven Leeds. Steven is enlisted to help find a corpse. This isn't just a normal corpse though. This corpse holds a massive amount of data that needs to stay out of the wrong hands. Everything that happens is logical but very unexpected.
In this story, Steven is pushed to the limits in many ways and his sanity is threatened. He has specific rules that must be obeyed or his illusions shatter. Steven knows how vulnerable his ability to function in the world really is. He finds himself having to deal with several situations in this story that upset his delicate balance.
I would highly recommend this book to other. This is the second installment in the Legion series and while this story could be read as a stand alone. I would recommend that this series be read in order since the first installment is very short and does a fantastic job of introducing the characters. I look forward to see what challenges Steven and his aspects will face in the future.
January 20, 2015
Brandon Sanderson's created a great character in Steven Leeds (listening to audiobook, excuse spellings). I like that Sanderson made almost a superpower out of what most would consider a disability. And it's a really incredible power at that. The ability to vaguely browse a book, the internet, you name it, and suddenly become an expert on it because an aspect of your mind turns up who has essentially memorized what you've hardly flipped through.
The problem I found is that I was kind of bored with this one. I mentioned in the last review I did for the first Legion book that I would be tired with any more of this concept and I think I may have reached it. I was referring to the length of the novel and thought sequels would do well for me, but I just didn't think there was that much too this book.
The aspects don't really do a whole lot this time. The last book was so much more exciting, and partially that's because it was a new concept, but they seemed to do so much more. It explored his aspects as it explained how things worked. Skin Deep explored them, but tries to take a different turn with it that didn't really make sense to me. Aspects developing relationships of their own outside the normal line-up didn't make me think twice. Can't they just be a part of the same aspect?
Then I started thinking about how a guy who seems to be altruistic, but becomes a private investigator type. Instead of say, focus on curing cancer and other diseases. If he can learn so quickly, why not focus his attention where a difference could be made. I realize this may not be as exciting of a book however.
Anyway, it's a fun book and I like the concept, but I was bored. I didn't love the plot all that much either and the resolution was just meh. There really wasn't a sense of urgency the entire time and then, like I said, meh. It was surprising and I have to admit, I've never seen a resolution like that, but still meh. Like, if in Gardians of the Galaxy, they decided to draft legal paperwork to contract for the Stone's future placement. You don't see it because it's boring.
3 out of 5 Stars (Sanderson can do better)
The problem I found is that I was kind of bored with this one. I mentioned in the last review I did for the first Legion book that I would be tired with any more of this concept and I think I may have reached it. I was referring to the length of the novel and thought sequels would do well for me, but I just didn't think there was that much too this book.
The aspects don't really do a whole lot this time. The last book was so much more exciting, and partially that's because it was a new concept, but they seemed to do so much more. It explored his aspects as it explained how things worked. Skin Deep explored them, but tries to take a different turn with it that didn't really make sense to me. Aspects developing relationships of their own outside the normal line-up didn't make me think twice. Can't they just be a part of the same aspect?
Then I started thinking about how a guy who seems to be altruistic, but becomes a private investigator type. Instead of say, focus on curing cancer and other diseases. If he can learn so quickly, why not focus his attention where a difference could be made. I realize this may not be as exciting of a book however.
Anyway, it's a fun book and I like the concept, but I was bored. I didn't love the plot all that much either and the resolution was just meh. There really wasn't a sense of urgency the entire time and then, like I said, meh. It was surprising and I have to admit, I've never seen a resolution like that, but still meh. Like, if in Gardians of the Galaxy, they decided to draft legal paperwork to contract for the Stone's future placement. You don't see it because it's boring.
3 out of 5 Stars (Sanderson can do better)
November 26, 2014
248190348190890148019x better than the first one! LOOOOOVED IT!
April 6, 2018
The time it takes for an author to captivate a reader is really important. Some are able to do it in fifty pages, others a hundred, a few twenty pages. Brandon Sanderson is able to do so with just a phrase. I absolutely adore this book and can't wait to read more about Stephen Leeds.
I usually don't read thrillers or mysteries but this book made me fall in love with that genre.
I usually don't read thrillers or mysteries but this book made me fall in love with that genre.
February 7, 2019
This is one of those books that would be great to watch visually. It's a quick, fun read that is entertaining enough to finish the book in one sitting.
November 9, 2015
8/10
When I finally got to the second book in the Mistborn series it jogged my memory that last year the second book in the Legion “mini-series” (mini as in short in length) came out and I’d yet to listen to it. I soon rectified this and got Skin Deep and began to listen.
I don’t normally do audio books as I find my mind sometimes can wander (although with me being able to run again I’m looking to rectify that) but after getting a free copy of the first audiobook (only 2 hours) there was no way I couldn’t listen to this one. The narrator is awesome in both of these, there are a lot of voices required due to the number of aspects that Stephen Leads has going on in his head, and I highly recommend picking these short stories up in audio format as the narrator does the job extremely well.
The idea behind the main character is unique and was what drew me into the series. The first paragraph of the first book hooked me. I really enjoyed this one as it expanded on everything from the first novel but kept things interesting without feeling like a re-hash. The aspects Stephen creates are the stars of the show, particularly JC who is in denial about what he is and decides he is a space ranger….. It sounds weird, it is weird, but it works really well.
The plot was interesting enough with Stephen being recruited to hunt for a dead body. I’ll not reveal anything further as its only short and I don’t want to give anything away. It is a well written plot but it’s certainly not the main attraction here. Also, I wondered how much of this the writers of “Spectre” had read due to a certain “Smart Blood” aspect in both outputs.
The audio is top notch, the plot is interesting and makes the 5 hours go quickly enough, and the characters are top draw making this a unique read/listen. I highly recommend this series to anyone teetering, they are short and definitely worth the time and effort.
When I finally got to the second book in the Mistborn series it jogged my memory that last year the second book in the Legion “mini-series” (mini as in short in length) came out and I’d yet to listen to it. I soon rectified this and got Skin Deep and began to listen.
I don’t normally do audio books as I find my mind sometimes can wander (although with me being able to run again I’m looking to rectify that) but after getting a free copy of the first audiobook (only 2 hours) there was no way I couldn’t listen to this one. The narrator is awesome in both of these, there are a lot of voices required due to the number of aspects that Stephen Leads has going on in his head, and I highly recommend picking these short stories up in audio format as the narrator does the job extremely well.
The idea behind the main character is unique and was what drew me into the series. The first paragraph of the first book hooked me. I really enjoyed this one as it expanded on everything from the first novel but kept things interesting without feeling like a re-hash. The aspects Stephen creates are the stars of the show, particularly JC who is in denial about what he is and decides he is a space ranger….. It sounds weird, it is weird, but it works really well.
The plot was interesting enough with Stephen being recruited to hunt for a dead body. I’ll not reveal anything further as its only short and I don’t want to give anything away. It is a well written plot but it’s certainly not the main attraction here. Also, I wondered how much of this the writers of “Spectre” had read due to a certain “Smart Blood” aspect in both outputs.
The audio is top notch, the plot is interesting and makes the 5 hours go quickly enough, and the characters are top draw making this a unique read/listen. I highly recommend this series to anyone teetering, they are short and definitely worth the time and effort.
February 4, 2015
Buddy read Gavin Desinka Robin (Bridge Four) Armina, Kat Stark Evgeny Rhea
^Buddy reads Reviews
Legion Group Thread
You know, its not fair to read a book by author you love and not being able to write a review that does the book, the writing and the author justice. Let me just say that I suck at writing reviews, but that doesn't stop me from read amazing books and gushing over them. Sanderson, you are and will always be my top favorite authors. You create amazing characters that are likeable, realistic and intriguing.
It's amazing to read a short story and feel like it was a full novel. Or how the characters, plot and concept is so original and refreshing that you have to drop everything you do to read these....and his other work. Seriously, this author never seizes to amaze me.
JC stole this story, fair and square. He was the shining star and the one I was cheering on more than anything, and he's a hallucination. The only reason why its not 5 stars is because I kinda guessed it, but only because I knew the customs of the characters, and I only guessed one thing not the entire ending.
If you haven't read this series, you really need to. Its original, a breath of fresh air and you will not regret it. I promise!
Robin(Bridge Four), we need more Sanderson in our life!
^Buddy reads Reviews
Legion Group Thread
You know, its not fair to read a book by author you love and not being able to write a review that does the book, the writing and the author justice. Let me just say that I suck at writing reviews, but that doesn't stop me from read amazing books and gushing over them. Sanderson, you are and will always be my top favorite authors. You create amazing characters that are likeable, realistic and intriguing.
It's amazing to read a short story and feel like it was a full novel. Or how the characters, plot and concept is so original and refreshing that you have to drop everything you do to read these....and his other work. Seriously, this author never seizes to amaze me.
JC stole this story, fair and square. He was the shining star and the one I was cheering on more than anything, and he's a hallucination. The only reason why its not 5 stars is because I kinda guessed it, but only because I knew the customs of the characters, and I only guessed one thing not the entire ending.
If you haven't read this series, you really need to. Its original, a breath of fresh air and you will not regret it. I promise!
Robin(Bridge Four), we need more Sanderson in our life!
May 31, 2019
Kitap o kadar güzel ki yorum yapabileceğimi sanmıyorum. Sadece alıntı bırakıp gidiyorum.
"Vuralım şunu" dedi J.C.
"Şükürler olsun." diye karşılık verdi Tobias. "J.C., sen bir saatten uzun süredir kimseyi vurmamızı önermeyince ben de acaba bir terslik mi var diye endişelenmeye başlamıştım."
"Audrey" dedim ona kapıyı tutarken "Neredeyse Haziran geldi. Niye atkı taktın ki?"
"Eh" dedi gülerek "Havayı umursamadan giyinemeyeceksen hayal ürünü olmanın ne anlamı var ki?"
Audrey ile J.C.'nin yanına gittim.
"Söylesene" diyordu Audrey "geleceke uçan arabalar var mı?"
"Ben senin geleceğinden gelmiyorum." dedi J.C. "Ben paralel evrenden geliyorum. Sen de diğer paralel evrenden geliyorsun."
"Peki sizin arabalarınız uçuyor mu?"
"Bu bilgi gizli" dedi J.C. "Tek söyleyebileceğim benim boyutumun temel olarak buraya benzediği; sadece, benşm orada var olduğum."
"Demek buradan kat kat daha kötü."
"Seni vururum, kadın."
"Denesene."
"İnsanların neden inanmak istediğini anlayabiliyorum," dedi bana. "Sandığın gibi sırf gıcıklığına huysuzluk eden şımarık bir çocuk değilim. Merak ettim, sorular sordum. Tanrı bana mantıklı gelmiyor. Ama bazen, sonsuzluğa baktığımda ve kendimi düşündüğümde, artık omadığımı düşündüğümde, insanların neden inanmayı seçtiğini anlıyorum."
"Vuralım şunu" dedi J.C.
"Şükürler olsun." diye karşılık verdi Tobias. "J.C., sen bir saatten uzun süredir kimseyi vurmamızı önermeyince ben de acaba bir terslik mi var diye endişelenmeye başlamıştım."
"Audrey" dedim ona kapıyı tutarken "Neredeyse Haziran geldi. Niye atkı taktın ki?"
"Eh" dedi gülerek "Havayı umursamadan giyinemeyeceksen hayal ürünü olmanın ne anlamı var ki?"
Audrey ile J.C.'nin yanına gittim.
"Söylesene" diyordu Audrey "geleceke uçan arabalar var mı?"
"Ben senin geleceğinden gelmiyorum." dedi J.C. "Ben paralel evrenden geliyorum. Sen de diğer paralel evrenden geliyorsun."
"Peki sizin arabalarınız uçuyor mu?"
"Bu bilgi gizli" dedi J.C. "Tek söyleyebileceğim benim boyutumun temel olarak buraya benzediği; sadece, benşm orada var olduğum."
"Demek buradan kat kat daha kötü."
"Seni vururum, kadın."
"Denesene."
"İnsanların neden inanmak istediğini anlayabiliyorum," dedi bana. "Sandığın gibi sırf gıcıklığına huysuzluk eden şımarık bir çocuk değilim. Merak ettim, sorular sordum. Tanrı bana mantıklı gelmiyor. Ama bazen, sonsuzluğa baktığımda ve kendimi düşündüğümde, artık omadığımı düşündüğümde, insanların neden inanmayı seçtiğini anlıyorum."
December 2, 2014
It is with a heavy heart that I give this book three stars. I think this is my first Sanderson work to have received such a low rating from me. I am a self described Sandersonaian and greatly enjoyed this book's predecessor Legion but found this installment failing short of the mark.
By most accounts this book is quite similar to Legion. It has some great "hallucination" characters, we learn more about Mr. Leeds's "condition", and are presented with a thriller-esque plotline. As always Sanderson has some great, snappy dialogue between all the characters (but the best is among the hallucinations), he delves deeper into the book's "magic system" and does some spiffy things around it that put our hero at a disadvantage, and Sanderson delivers a fast paced story. In this case a biotech firm that has lost a body which could contain very dangerous information encoded in its cells. All in all the usual ingredients for a good Sanderson novella.
But where things went wrong was the ending.
I am hoping this book merely suffers from Secondbookitis because I found it to be markedly below Sanderson's usual level of excellence. There were certainly plenty of seeds for neat future developments, but as a stand alone book this fell flat for me.
By most accounts this book is quite similar to Legion. It has some great "hallucination" characters, we learn more about Mr. Leeds's "condition", and are presented with a thriller-esque plotline. As always Sanderson has some great, snappy dialogue between all the characters (but the best is among the hallucinations), he delves deeper into the book's "magic system" and does some spiffy things around it that put our hero at a disadvantage, and Sanderson delivers a fast paced story. In this case a biotech firm that has lost a body which could contain very dangerous information encoded in its cells. All in all the usual ingredients for a good Sanderson novella.
But where things went wrong was the ending.
I am hoping this book merely suffers from Secondbookitis because I found it to be markedly below Sanderson's usual level of excellence. There were certainly plenty of seeds for neat future developments, but as a stand alone book this fell flat for me.
July 15, 2016
Čak sam i smanjio ocjenu na dvojku - zašto? - jer Sanderson nikuda nije nastavio s razvojem intrigantnog sustava pedesetostruke višestruke osobnosti glavnog lika.
Ostali smo na istim "aspektima" s istim prepucavanjima samo se izmijenila scenografija na dvostruko više stranica.
Nekako ovaj serijal djeluje kao sigurnosni mentalni ventil pa Brandon kada se umori ispuca malo na papir ovakvih relaksacija i nastavi dalje s ozbiljnijim djelima.
Uopće ne djeluje kao da ozbiljno piše, niti ne liči na sebe.
Bez obzira na moj osobni dojam, ako čitate Sandersona ovo svakako pročitajte - ako ništa drugo jer je prevedeno.
Izdavaču zamjerke na preskok prvog dijela - meni ne zvuči osobito zanimljivo nekoliko tvrdnji na početku tipa "kao što je bilo i u Izraelu" ukoliko ne znam što je tamo bilo, a opisano je u prvom nastavku.
Kako ne znam te priče s novcem i pravima onda ni zamjerka nije prevelika jer mi je neobično drago da je još netko u HR zamijetio Brandona Sandersona.
E, da. Čini mi se kako nam ovdje Brandon najviše do sada prodaje mormonizam, posebno tezu "svaki čovjek može postati bog" no ne smeta me.
(barem me natjera da malo proširim vidike prekapanjem Interneta)
Ostali smo na istim "aspektima" s istim prepucavanjima samo se izmijenila scenografija na dvostruko više stranica.
Nekako ovaj serijal djeluje kao sigurnosni mentalni ventil pa Brandon kada se umori ispuca malo na papir ovakvih relaksacija i nastavi dalje s ozbiljnijim djelima.
Uopće ne djeluje kao da ozbiljno piše, niti ne liči na sebe.
Bez obzira na moj osobni dojam, ako čitate Sandersona ovo svakako pročitajte - ako ništa drugo jer je prevedeno.
Izdavaču zamjerke na preskok prvog dijela - meni ne zvuči osobito zanimljivo nekoliko tvrdnji na početku tipa "kao što je bilo i u Izraelu" ukoliko ne znam što je tamo bilo, a opisano je u prvom nastavku.
Kako ne znam te priče s novcem i pravima onda ni zamjerka nije prevelika jer mi je neobično drago da je još netko u HR zamijetio Brandona Sandersona.
E, da. Čini mi se kako nam ovdje Brandon najviše do sada prodaje mormonizam, posebno tezu "svaki čovjek može postati bog" no ne smeta me.
(barem me natjera da malo proširim vidike prekapanjem Interneta)
January 10, 2016
I'm not crazy, I'm compartmentalized. Unfortunately, my aspects....well, they tend to be a little unhinged.
I swear Sanderson can do no wrong. Every and anything he touches turns into Gold. Love it!!! I hope to get more about Mr Leeds and his bizarre but loveable aspects because there're so unique and entertaining.
I swear Sanderson can do no wrong. Every and anything he touches turns into Gold. Love it!!! I hope to get more about Mr Leeds and his bizarre but loveable aspects because there're so unique and entertaining.
November 25, 2018
Brilliant !
My WEBSITE
My INSTAGRAM
My WORDPRESS BLOG
My WEBSITE
My INSTAGRAM
My WORDPRESS BLOG
September 11, 2015
Look who's back!!!
I'm sorry it took awhile for me to be active again in GR. Friends keep dying, work keeps on interrupting and cats are demanding so I haven't been able to read new books and give reviews like I used to before. But I'm happy that you guys didn't removed me from your friend's list yet.
Here's a hug for you guys.
Review:
I love Brandon Sanderson. I haven't read any of his books that I didn't like yet. From the dystopian book Steelheart to the fantasy realm of The Final Empire to the sci-fi Legion, Brandon Sanderson is BLOODY epic.
Skin Deep is the second book of Legion and if I complained that the first book is so short, then this book is PERRRRFECT.
“Well, when the fear of death seizes you—when the dark thoughts come—you stare the darkness right back, and you tell it, ‘I will not listen to you, for I am infinite Batmans.”
Stephen Leeds has 47 hallucinations and he's the most sensible guy you'll ever meet. I love this character that Sanderson came up with. He's absolutely funny, witty and the mystery around him is addictive.
“Who wouldn’t want to date you? You’re a steal! One body, forty people. Infinite variety.”
If you have read the first book (and if you haven't, WHY THE FUCK NOT?) then I'm sure you have some favorite aspects. Mine is J.C. Dang it, that guy is trigger happy.
"It was an unintended result that is perfectly managable, Laramie said, " and only dangerous if used maligny. And why would anyone want to do that?"
We all stared at him for a moment.
"Let's shoot him," J.C. said."
And here's another one.
"Freaks," J.C. said, shifting uncomfortably.
" This is going to be about zombies. I'm calling it now."
And another one,
“‘No, listen,’ J.C. said. ‘We can shoot Pinhead McWedgy over there, and it will teach everyone in this room an important life lesson. One about not being a stupid mad scientist”
And.. yeah. I love it and I'm sure you'll love this too. So go read this book. Pronto.
I'm sorry it took awhile for me to be active again in GR. Friends keep dying, work keeps on interrupting and cats are demanding so I haven't been able to read new books and give reviews like I used to before. But I'm happy that you guys didn't removed me from your friend's list yet.
Here's a hug for you guys.
Review:
I love Brandon Sanderson. I haven't read any of his books that I didn't like yet. From the dystopian book Steelheart to the fantasy realm of The Final Empire to the sci-fi Legion, Brandon Sanderson is BLOODY epic.
Skin Deep is the second book of Legion and if I complained that the first book is so short, then this book is PERRRRFECT.
“Well, when the fear of death seizes you—when the dark thoughts come—you stare the darkness right back, and you tell it, ‘I will not listen to you, for I am infinite Batmans.”
Stephen Leeds has 47 hallucinations and he's the most sensible guy you'll ever meet. I love this character that Sanderson came up with. He's absolutely funny, witty and the mystery around him is addictive.
“Who wouldn’t want to date you? You’re a steal! One body, forty people. Infinite variety.”
If you have read the first book (and if you haven't, WHY THE FUCK NOT?) then I'm sure you have some favorite aspects. Mine is J.C. Dang it, that guy is trigger happy.
"It was an unintended result that is perfectly managable, Laramie said, " and only dangerous if used maligny. And why would anyone want to do that?"
We all stared at him for a moment.
"Let's shoot him," J.C. said."
And here's another one.
"Freaks," J.C. said, shifting uncomfortably.
" This is going to be about zombies. I'm calling it now."
And another one,
“‘No, listen,’ J.C. said. ‘We can shoot Pinhead McWedgy over there, and it will teach everyone in this room an important life lesson. One about not being a stupid mad scientist”
And.. yeah. I love it and I'm sure you'll love this too. So go read this book. Pronto.
August 5, 2019
Güzel kitaptı ,beğendim. Dedektiflik meselelerini sevenler bu seriyi benden çok sevecektir.
September 19, 2019
10/9/19: Full review up
Book number 3 from Mr. Sanderson and I am still very impressed. I think with all the hype around him, I’ll keep a track of what works I read from him and in what order so I can pin-point where it went wrong and why, although I hope the need never arises.
Since it’s such a short book (although GR says it is 200+ pages but honestly while reading it felt much shorter; goes to show how well paced the book is), I will not delve into any synopsis or plot summaries lest I might spoil something.
Suffice it to say that the entertainment value was just as high as the first one, if not more, and the story is very fast paced. The “characters” are pretty well shaped up and diverse. The suspense is well kept till the end and the witty banter is still there and I absolutely adored reading this small-ish work from Sanderson.
The only downfall here I see is that the way I feel impressed by the author will inevitably result in my expectations going higher as I keep reading more from him. Keeping my fingers crossed.
26/12/18: RTC
Book number 3 from Mr. Sanderson and I am still very impressed. I think with all the hype around him, I’ll keep a track of what works I read from him and in what order so I can pin-point where it went wrong and why, although I hope the need never arises.
Since it’s such a short book (although GR says it is 200+ pages but honestly while reading it felt much shorter; goes to show how well paced the book is), I will not delve into any synopsis or plot summaries lest I might spoil something.
Suffice it to say that the entertainment value was just as high as the first one, if not more, and the story is very fast paced. The “characters” are pretty well shaped up and diverse. The suspense is well kept till the end and the witty banter is still there and I absolutely adored reading this small-ish work from Sanderson.
The only downfall here I see is that the way I feel impressed by the author will inevitably result in my expectations going higher as I keep reading more from him. Keeping my fingers crossed.
26/12/18: RTC
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