Legion: Skin Deep

This novella is truly amazing. Sanderson's idea for Legion is one of the best I've heard off in years. The story is well paced and the aspect interactions are fun and interesting to read. I would recommend this book to just about every teenager on the planet.

It is so very difficult to discuss the content of this story (and some of Mr. Sanderson's other works) without ruining any of the glorious surprises. However, rest assured that there will be surprises, and they will be glorious.

After reading his first book of this kind, Legion, I was hooked on this brilliant idea. Combining this type of personality disorder or what have you with the mystery genre is nothing short of amazing. The characters work so well together and always leave you asking what else is possible. A must read for any Sanderson fan as well as those yet unfamiliar with his work.

Of course, Brandon Sanderson is just an awesome writer, and this book does not disappoint. Just as good as the first Legion book. I think if I tried to write something like this with all the personalities involved, it would be a confusing mess. Sanderson makes it look easy!

Highly recommend!

I love this book. It kind of made me look inward and consider what I would be like without people around me, like my family, to help me get through the day.
Thank you for righting such a compelling, beautiful story, Mr. Sanderson.

Brandon's books are always great. A bit pricey for the length but you know that going in. I like the world he's created here, although not nearly as rich as his other worlds that fall under the umbrella of his "Cosmere".

While the story was interesting, it glossed right over the circumstances of the previous book and made it seem like an episode of a tv show where the broader plot was abandoned to tell a less interesting story.

This series is a little different, but very enjoyable. It doesn't have any deep hidden meanings, but it is a great way to pass an afternoon! I don't know if I have read any of Brandon Sanderson's work that was not enjoyable though.

I've read most of Sanderson's novels. I liked this but it is clearly average compared to his other works. I also think he spends too much time writing about the structure of these aspects without much payoff. Maybe it's coming in future books.

The story is good. The price is way too high for the amount of story that you get. If this story were 2.99 instead of 4.99, I would rate it higher. The Look Ahead impressed me enough to pay the full price. That was my mistake.

I loved the first Legion story, and I was left wanting more. Skin Deep delivers very well. It has a great mystery to solve and explores more into the main character. Each time I read these stories I am left thinking how great they would be as a television miniseries. I think it would be really popular.

the store asks some really stupid questions with even dumber answers. If you enjoyed the original Legion novella, you'll want to check this one out. If you haven't read the previous book, go do that now.

The hardest part of being a Brandon Sanderson fan is that he can't write sequels to all of his books all at once. As always, an amazing book. Funny and clever. This is another great story with Legion. I'll be happy when the next one comes out. :)

Flat, boring and uninspired. What a letdown versus the first book. The plot drags along, transparent and focusing on simple minded conversations among the aspects that don't move the plot forward. It's almost as if Sanderson let some teenage fan write the book.

As is more often the case with Sanderson, I lost interest near the end. In other books, I've lost interest early. The problem I have is that his problems and systems are fairly simple with simple solutions. No real complication in plot or in magic-system. It takes one page to understand the entire situation and the solutions are pat and simple.

This is an interesting premise, but again, he didn't do much with it, and avoiding all potential to make something interesting out of the premise. Keep the plot simple, keep his situation simple and avoid interesting and complicated questions. I get how people might like that style, just to relax and burn through, so I'm not judging you if you like that - we don't always read science fiction to be challenged with deep existential questions, sometimes we just want to chill out and enjoy the ride - but I like a little bit more investigation into mysterious weirdness.

His characters are pretty well-developed though and I like them, and they don't do things that put me off and crash the story, which is hard to do, really, if you ever tried to write something for the length of a novel, so I can't go under 3 stars.

Looking back at my review of the first novella, Legion, I’m not really sure why I chose to read Legion: Skin Deep. Possibly I hoped it would improve? More likely, I just forgot that I wasn’t super thrilled with Legion and plunged head first into this one willy nilly.

Technically, you don’t need to read these books in order. The plot lines aren’t really related. The core concept of this novella series is the main character Stephan Leeds, who has hallucinations. However, these are no ordinary hallucinations. They appear whenever he studies any topic, gaining the knowledge that’s locked in his subconscious. They give him a panel of experts that he carry around with him at all times and allow him to have a lucrative job as an adviser and investigator.

In this installment, Stephan is hired by a bio-tech firm to recover a corpse that got stolen from the morgue. The body is that of a scientist who was experimenting with ways to encode information within human cells and who used himself as a research subject. He’s thus full of propriety information that the company desperately wants to recover.

Like a lot of novellas, the Legion stories are based around the concept of the hallucinations. It’s a fascinating concept. Unfortunately, nothing else about the book quite does it for me. Stephan just is not that interesting of a protagonist. His hallucinations have way more personality than he does. Plus, I noticed the same trend regarding character types as in Snapshot, another Brandon Sanderson novella, and it gets old fast.

The plot’s all right. It’s sort of a sci-fi thriller, with assassins casing Stephan and so on. There was a plot twist regarding how he dealt with the assassin that I found innovative and somehow a bit funny. It’s pretty much the only memorable plot point though.

Basically, Legion: Skin Deep doesn’t improve over the first book in the ways that I hoped. While I do like the core concept, I’d probably only recommend them to die-hard Sanderson fans.

I didn't enjoy this story nearly as much as the first one, but that mostly has to do with the fact that I'm not really into the whole Sherlock Holmes style mystery. Outside of the main character, the story is pretty forgettable. However, like I said before, I'm not into the Miss Marple, Poirot, Holmes, crime solving mystery story, so I'm not a great judge of those types of stories.

I do love the main character. He's interesting enough to pull me through the story, but I was really disappointed with how his character was treated throughout the story. Sanderson sets up a lot of issues with the character and lays out the groundwork for a bunch of mysteries surrounding what is happening to the main character and his psychosis. However, not a single answer was given. In the first book, we're given the mystery of this woman that he's looking for, but that is never resolved and it wasn't brought up in this book, either. In this book, it's show that his psychosis is shifting and altering itself in ways that frightens the main character, but we're not given any closure or answers or hope that it will be explained. That would be fine if we were guaranteed another story where we would eventually have things explained to us, but from what I can read on Sanderson's website, we may never get another book and those mysteries that he's set up will never be resolved. As a reader, that ticks me off. The main character is the entire draw of the story. He makes the story unique and is by far the most interesting part of the story, yet we're never given any resolution to his story.

"Skin Deep" is the second book in the Legion series. One thing I love about this book is that it continues the very original idea of one man living with multiple personalities in his head that he can interact with-- to accomplish some pretty weird and spectacular things. Although I think I liked the plot of the first book better, I thought this was a nice continuation of the ideas introduced there.

In Skin Deep Stephen and his aspects must work quickly to save the world from information-- that if in the wrong hands-- could be truly devastating. All of our favorite aspects are back, plus we meet a few more and are able to examine their unique personalities at a deeper level than before.

I am personally (just like everyone else-- at least in the book) fascinated by Stephen and his "aspects." Like I previously mentioned. . . I didn't like this book as much as the first one in the series but still thought it was a good read. It's not super long. . . and even though it should be read after you've already completed the first one I don't think it's impossible to read all on its own. This is a book that I wouldn't pressure anyone to buy, but I definitely think that it is worth a read!

Stephen Leeds and his vast army of invisible friends are back... and this time, they're trying to find a dead body. Very "Stand By Me" of them.

But of course, "Legion: Skin Deep" -- the sequel to the original novella "Legion" -- has a lot more going on, and author Brandon Sanderson packs plenty of action, suspense and quirky humor into this slender volume. And besides the twisty thriller involving a corpse that has gone missing, Sanderson sprinkles the story with hints that Stephen's "aspects" may not be exactly what he thought they were.

After a disastrous date, Stephen and the aspects encounter Korean businessman Yol Chay, who has a very odd proposition for them -- he wants them to find a missing corpse for the generically-named Innovation Information Incorporated, with company stock as payment. It turns out the dead man (before he died, obviously) had developed a virus that involved writing data into human cells... and he hid the way to create this virus in his own cells. Also, the virus can give you cancer.

Since Yol has set him up, Stephen has no choice but to find the body. To make matters worse, he's being followed by Zen Rigby, an assassin who is also hunting for the corpse -- and since she's working for I3's rival Exeltec, she might have a corporate interest in seeing Stephen dead. Will he be able to figure out who stole the the stolen corpse and steal it back, or will the powerful forces searching for it crush him and his aspects?

"Legion: Skin Deep" is one of those stories that leaves you thinking, "Well, I wish that had been a lot longer" when you finish it. While the first novella was a solid, straightforward little thriller, the sequel seems to be almost overflowing with twisting, intricate plots and clues -- modern technology companies in cutthroat competition, assassins, family drama and the very nature of religion and belief in God. That's a pretty hefty dose of EVERYTHING for such a slender book.

The story sweeps along at a pretty fast pace, weaving together clues expertly -- things as small as a scriptural quote or a person's beliefs in free information -- and then dragging the reader along for a frenetic ride. While it can get quite dark and mystery-driven at times, Sanderson knows when to insert some humor (JC declaring, "“As an Interdimensional Time Ranger, I have code 876 special authorization to ignore local legal statutes in times of emergency").

And Sanderson even manages to weave in a new theory about what causes Stephen to manifest his aspects. While before he was probably just a genius with a splintered mind, now Sanderson hints at something more... science-fictiony.

Stephen remains a solid, amiable lead character, and it's easy to be distracted by his merry band of quirky aspects -- JC is particularly fun, as he reimagines himself as a time-hopping ranger who uses "classified" sci-fi slang, but we also get plenty of fun interactions from sweet Kalyani, prickly Ivy, and many others. But Stephen gets his own minutes to shine, such as when he guides and protects Dion, a bright but immature boy who doesn't quite grasp the realities of the whole shebang.

With new twists and a high-stakes plot, "Legion: Skin Deep" is a sleek, fast-moving story that still has some depth and pathos woven into its fabric. And of course, it leaves you hoping for even more adventures with the aspects.

Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.

“I’m not crazy. I’m compartmentalized.”

Legion: Skin Deep is the second novella in Brandon Sanderson’s series about Stephen Leeds, a man whose psyche has spawned a “legion” of extra personalities that he thinks of as “aspects.” Stephen is the only person who can see his aspects — each is a separate personality who lives with him and can follow him around and help him solve problems. Everyone else thinks Stephen has schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder, but it’s not the same thing. Stephen doesn’t know why he has all these aspects or why he creates new ones when he learns something new. There’s one woman (Sandra) who can help him understand, but she has disappeared.

When we met Stephen in the first LEGION story (simply called Legion), he was helping a client find a camera that can take pictures of past events. This had interesting ramifications for politics and religion. In Skin Deep, Stephen and his aspects have been hired to find a missing corpse that contains some innovative biotechnology — part of the body might have been used to store some deadly data. If the body is not recovered and cremated soon, that information might get into the wrong hands and could cause a worldwide epidemic.
Like the first LEGION story, Skin Deep is creative and exciting. In this case, it’s cool to think about the capabilities (and security risks) of biotechnology as scientists work to find more efficient and flexible ways to store large amounts of data. What would happen if we started using the body’s DNA, which naturally holds a vast amount of information, as basically a really big flash drive? Sanderson uses the opportunity to briefly discuss topics such as Open Source and Wetware.

Skin Deep is also partly a mystery — who stole the corpse, and how did they do it? Where is the keycode? I was in the dark until the last pages, though Sanderson gave me a few clues that I missed (I love it when that happens).

I mentioned in my review of Legion that the shortness of these stories means that we don’t get to know Stephen’s aspects very well, but in Skin Deep we get to spend a lot of time with three of them — Tobias is a historian, Ivy is a psychologist, and J.C. is an ex-Navy Seal. Ivy and J.C. have an on-again-off-again romance which adds some humor and some extra weirdness. J.C. doesn’t want to admit he’s not real, so he thinks of himself as an inter-dimensional time traveler who comes to help people in need. (Each of the aspects has their own personality quirks and maybe even mental illnesses.) The aspects can eat, go to the bathroom, and talk to each other on imaginary cell phones. I’m not really sure it always works, but it’s entertaining and it does solve the problem for Sanderson of how to make his hero have so much knowledge and skill without making him seem like a god.

There’s so much more that Sanderson can do with Stephen and his “friends” and it seems clear that more LEGION stories are planned. I’m glad. The print versions are being published by Subterranean Press and the audio versions are produced by Audible Studios. I have and can recommend both. As I write this, the audio version of Skin Deep is free. Oliver Wyman does a great job with the narration.

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.

Well, let’s first say OOPS. I was so excited about getting the free ebook from Audible for LEGION: SKIN DEEP that I didn’t realize that was book two in stead of book one in this series of novellas (also an issue I have when series titles end up being book titles too) so I listened to the second one first and the first one second. Actually, I think I ended up liking LEGION: SKIN DEEP better because of that! (Though I would have liked it better either way… Okay, I’m just rambling.

Anyway — I really enjoyed these novellas! They were a bit more science-fiction than fantasy with a psychological twist. Since I actually read the second one first, I got more info about Stephen Leeds than is divulged in the first book (obviously) but I didn’t really feel lost either. His aspects were incredibly interesting and there were some hints at what exactly they were — or weren’t — that kept me guessing. I really loved the various characters — both real and imaginary — and it was really interesting to see how the scenes unfolded when Leeds was the only person who could see and interact with this aspects.

SKIN DEEP had much more of a plot than LEGION (it was much longer as well) so that was my favorite of the two. I sort of just felt like I was catching up and there wasn’t a whole ton of substance to the original novella besides the introduction that I’d already received (plus some plot, but the fact that I had the bulk of this knowledge about the aspects kind of slowed the book down a bit for me — my own fault, obviously). Reading these two really had me craving more, though! I can’t wait for the next novella and I love that I was able to read (listen) to this so quickly!

Even though they were novellas, they still had plenty of plot (especially book two) and I was really hooked on the second book! I love that it was a bit more mystery and sci-fi than fantasy this time around and I can’t wait to see where else this series plot goes because so far I’m definitely intrigued and very excited!

Stephen Leeds is nuts. I mean that in the clinical sense, although no medical professional would put that label on it. He has an extremely rare yet well document and extensively analyzed split personality disorder. Such things are ideal for novels. However, unlike the highly charged psychological thriller in which, because of a split personality, a character may murder someone without even knowing it, Stephen is well aware and keenly in tune with the different “aspects” of his personality. I use the term aspects because that is what he calls them. They are, in a sense, imaginary friends, yet each one (and there are more than 40) represent a different portion of his psyche. He sees these different personas, and goes through life like they are his ever-changing entourage. Preferred aspects are with him virtually all the time. He calls on others only when he is in need of their particular skills.

In one of the Sherlock Holmes stories, maybe A Study in Scarlet, Dr. Watson makes a comment about the size of the universe. Holmes says that’s very interesting and that he’ll do his best to forget it. He believes there are limits to the amount of information the human brain can hold and doesn’t want to devote precious storage space to data he deems unnecessary. Most scientists would dispute that logic. The brain is not a flash drive. You don’t have to delete pictures from your family reunion to clear up space for the new Michael Sova e-book. There’s room for everything. Theoretically, everything you’ve ever learned is still rattling around your brain somewhere. The trick is learning how to retrieve that information when it’s wanted. Most people can’t do it, but Stephen Leeds is definitely not most people.

Let’s say you’re reading Enigma by Robert Harris. The tremendous amount of detail related to encryption and code breaking during World War II is fascinating but you’re so wrapped up in the story that you can’t possibly remember it all. Now let’s say that, like Stephen, you have aspects and one of them is a history buff. Maybe she’s a retired European history professor. Regardless of her back-story, she will effortlessly retain and compartmentalize everything you didn’t even realize you’d learned. One of Stephen’s aspects helps him with his social interactions. Another is in charge of security. Still another excels at crime scene investigation. It’s all information that Stephen knows, or at least knew, but each of his aspects has his/her own area of expertise. With their assistance and guidance, he’s a walking encyclopedia. And as they say, information is power. Stephen may be a little strange. Okay, he’s a lot strange. When he goes out to dinner, he orders a meal for any aspects that happen to be with him at the time. But putting those idiosyncrasies aside, he is not to be taken lightly.

Brandon Sanderson teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University and is one of the co-hosts of the award winning Writing Excuses podcast. He’s also a New York Times bestselling author most known for science fiction and epic fantasy. I don’t read much in either genre and, although I am a loyal podcast listener and greatly appreciate all Sanderson’s advice, I never actually planned on reading one of his books. Maybe someone told him, and that’s why he made Skin Deep, the second book in the Legion series, available for free on audible.com. I’m sorry to say that it’s no longer free and I’m very glad I took advantage of the offer while I could.

Skid Deep is neither epic fantasy nor sci-fi. It’s a good old suspense novel. Only, the main character has this little quirk that might someday have him committed. From a pure plot standpoint, the novel is both entertaining and engaging. From a writing standpoint, it’s daring, imaginative and mesmerizing.

Once an author has an idea for a story, the next biggest challenge is to figure out how best to relay all the necessary information to the reader. There are any number of different techniques and devices and they all boil down to one basic rule. SHOW DON’T TELL! Skin Deep doesn’t have that many real characters, and character interactions is probably the most common way for new information to be introduced. So what is an author to do? Easy. Think WAY outside the box. with Stephen and all his aspects, he can carry on a five-way conversation even if he’s in a room by himself. His various personas might not be actual flesh and blood. He knows that, sort of, but also knows or believes he’d be helpless without them. It makes for an interesting dynamic and a wonderful story.

Brandon Sanderson can do no wrong. It seems no matter what pace he publishes new material the quality is always top notch. Legion Skin deep continues this trend. It is about twice the size as the first one but still when it was over I wanted more. I would love a full length novel in the Legion series!

My favorite thing with this series is the possibilities are endless. What Steve's condition (?) can mean. In this book it explores many of these. A lot of times this is going on and doesn't contribute to the main plot at all. It just simply adds depth to Steve and company.

The main plot here is jam packed for such a small book.The twist and turns are fun and unpredictable. I don't think I liked it as much as the first one. This one has to do with Science where the first had to do with Religion and a sci-fi camera. The first ones story was probably a little more up my alley. Still this one is very entertaining.

Sanderson writes Legion to be like a TV series. I love this concept and hope someday they will make it. Yet I wonder what this series would be like if not in the hands of someone as talented as Brandon is. Regardless this is a great book. If you like Sanderson then give this series a shot!

You’ve read Legion, enjoyed it and want to listen to more of the escapades of Stephen Leeds, brilliant psychiatric patient. Skin Deep is about twice as long as Legion, but still not long enough to be called a book, maybe a novella at this length. There is no reason the two books (stories) couldn’t have been combined into one book with different adventures. Too much of this book is spent re-explaining Stephen Leeds’ condition and why he doesn’t need medical help, etc. If you listen to the two books within a short time of one another, this will sound tedious.

Sanderson introduces a few new characters from Leeds’ many personalities. Basically it is more of the same, the super brilliant mental patient who can learn anything quickly to solve any puzzle given by using his many personalities. Unfortunately, the freshness of the idea has worn somewhat thin this go around. The plot is completely unbelievable and ridiculous. Though charming in the first volume, it is somewhat insulting to the listener in the second. Sanderson has this great idea about such an interesting character and his legion, yet falls so flat with a plot that fails to move them through the story. Disappointing.

Oliver Wyman is the same narrator as in Legion and does a generally good job. His character voice of one of the new female personalities is difficult to differentiate at times and is occasionally confusing, but not to the point of ruining the story. You just have to wait until the dialogue tells you who was speaking. Overall, fine job.

If you loved Legion, you will like Skin Deep. The franchise is growing thin, however. A compelling story to guide the characters would help immensely to keeping this series fresh. Overall an OK listen.

Audiobook purchased for review by the ABR.

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I got this as a free audiobook from Audible.com. This the sequel to Sanderson’s book Legion. This was an interesting and engaging book. It follows a different investigation and story than Legion did, but uses some of the same characters as we saw in Legion. I enjoyed the story.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was narrated by the same narrator as the Monster Hunter International books (which honestly confused me a bit at first, I thought I was listening to an MHI book). The narrator does an excellent job and I really enjoyed this as an audiobook.

Stephen Leeds is a genius who has packed knowledge into other people or Aspects. He can summon these aspects to obtain the knowledge he needs in certain situations. Leeds is hired by I3 to recover a missing corpse. The corpse is not just any corpse though, it is a scientist who has modified his cells to hold information. It’s a very valuable corpse and potentially a dangerous one, a side effect of this potentially viral genetic modification is that people lose parts of their DNA and develop cancer.

This was an investigative thriller with some paranormal elements. It was a well done and engaging story. You get a lot of story for the short length of the book.

I love the idea of someone having multiple aspects or people that are only visible to them. I love how Leeds uses these aspects to hold his vast repository of knowledge but still has to treat them like normal people. So, for example they need a place to sleep and need to be transported places, etc. If Leeds aspects aren’t with him he can’t access the knowledge they hold.

We get a little more insight into how Leeds’ aspects work in this book, but there are still a lot of questions around that. We also get to meet some new aspects.

Overall this was a well done paranormal thriller. Leeds is a fascinating character and solves an engaging mystery in this book. The Legion series is very different from anything else Sanderson writes. And, although I don’t like these books as much as his fantasy novels, it is a very well done and engaging series. I would recommend both to Sanderson fans and to fans of paranormal thrillers.

Given the enormous size of his novels, I had always wondered if Brandon Sanderson could write good short fiction. Considering just how bloated his latest works were, I doubted that short stories and novellas could be a format that he would be comfortable with. And yet, his Legion novella turned out to be the opening chapter of what I felt could be Sanderson's most fascinating creation yet. Some say that good things come in small packages and in this case they were absolutely right!

So when the sequel, Legion: Skin Deep, was part of a Subpress package I recently picked up at the post office, I knew I was giving this one a shot ASAP!

Here's the blurb:

Brandon Sanderson is one of the most significant fantasists to enter the field in a good many years. His ambitious, multi-volume epics (Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive) and his stellar continuation of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series have earned both critical acclaim and a substantial popular following. In Legion, a short, distinctly contemporary novella filled with suspense, humor, and an endless flow of invention, Sanderson revealed a startling new facet of his singular narrative talent. In the stunning sequel, Legion: Skin Deep, that talent is on full display.

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.

Legion: Skin Deep will feature a full-color dust jacket, and two full-page, full-color interior illustrations by Jon Foster.

In addition, upon publication, everyone who has preordered Legion: Skin Deep direct from SubPress will receive a free copy of the ebook.

It was with pleasure that I got reacquainted with the main protagonist, Stephen Leeds. The man suffers or benefits from a very strange mental condition. He has the ability to create a variety of hallucinations possessing a vast array of personalities and skills. These personae live with Leeds and continue to help/hinder him as he attempts to live a life as normal as a man with such a mental condition can hope for. While reading the first novella, I was afraid that having to deal with multiple personalities would be tricky, but Sanderson pulled it off with aplomb. Indeed, this is what gave Legion such a unique flavor. And the author pushes the envelope even more by introducing yet more hallucinatory men and women to help Leeds crack this new case. Somehow, he pulls it off again and Legion: Skin Deep is even more ambitious than its predecessor.

The first person narrative of Stephen Leeds continues to be what makes these novellas so special. Witnessing events unfold through Leeds'e eyes allows readers to get better acquainted with the various hallucinatory personae, which is a real treat. The decidedly thought-provoking premise, that the human body and its cells can be used as vast receptacles to store information, leads Sanderson to explore the potential use of biotechnology and its repercussions. Which makes for a very interesting read.

The novella format keeps the pace moving briskly. Even if it is more than twice as long as its predecessor, all too quickly we reach the end of Legion: Skin Deep, hoping that there is more to come. Once more, there is a lot more depth than meets the eye, and it is evident that the Legion novellas will doubtless be an engrossing and entertaining series. Brandon Sanderson remains ambitious as ever, even if with a novella he couldn't work with the sort of scope he is used to with novel-length projects.

Once again, I find myself hoping that we'll have the opportunity to discover more about Stephen Leeds and his hallucinations in the near future, and that those new adventures will also be in the form of short stories or novellas. The strictures of writing short fiction forces Sanderson to write with a much tighter focus, which makes for a more satisfying reading experience. The author has a tendency to concentrate on extraneous plotlines that don't always have much importance in the greater scheme of things. These meandering storylines habitually kill the flow of a novel and are often just filler material. Not so in Legion: Skin Deep. The format insures that it's mostly killer and no filler.

Legion: Skin Deep will please Sanderson's legions (Sorry for the same pun again. I couldn't resist!) of fans and will probably gain him some new followers. God knows I'm looking forward to what comes next!

Note: Even though this is Book 2 in the series, it can stand on its own.

Stephen Leeds is a kind of modern-day detective. He’s super smart, doesn’t stand out in a crowd, and has a whole team of specialists that help him out. What makes him unique is that he is the only one who can see, hear, and interact with his team; he thinks of them as his Aspects. Hence, he is sometimes called ‘Legion’. In this book, Leeds is hired by a tech company (I3) to track down a morgue and ensure it is cremated. The corpse use to be a leading scientist in a niche industry researching biotechnology and wetwear. He was working on a project that would allow humans to store info in their very cells; but because it’s a new science and there’s always unforeseen outcomes, I3 is deeply worried that corpse could release something biologically unwholesome on the populace.

I enjoyed this book even more than the first in the series. Since much of the mechanics of Leeds and his Aspects were already founded, I could concentrate on the plot. Stephen starts off on a date but soon is distracted by his bodyguard, JC, as he notices a hitwoman dining a few tables over. Of course Stephen’s conversation with JC is all one-sided to his date and pretty soon she is a bit spooked. But then Yall, who is one of the head managers of I3, calls with a job for Stephen (so he doesn’t have to linger over his failed date).

There’s plenty of humor, some suspense, and a good dash of very interesting cutting edge technology. The characters are interesting and I can see that they grow a little in this book (and if you read Book 1, then you can see that they have developed even further). The action is interspersed with either detective sleuthing or with Leeds doing some introspection. Put all together, it’s an excellent installment in this series.

As with Book 1, Leeds learns more about his Apsects and about what they can and can’t do. There’s not a few theories kicked around about just what Leeds’ Aspects are, and not a few of these are put forth by the Aspects themselves. I am very interested to see in future installments what Leeds’ final form will be with all his Aspects, if he ever has a final frm.

The Narration: Oliver Wyman did a great job once again. He’s a great voice for Leeds, but he also has a variety of accents, male and female voices for the host of characters. I especially like his voice for JC.

This was a fun follow-up to the first Legion. Stephen Leeds is a fascinating protagonist, a man whose voluminous knowledge is held by a few dozen imaginary associates of his, each with his or her own personality and form. Of course, Stephen is the only one who can see them.

So he's a sort-of detective-for-hire, using his "legion" of associates to problem-solve en masse.

This time around he's trying to save the world from a deadly virus, and while he doesn't cover quite as much geography as in the original novella, he does manage to fit in quite an adventure close to home. I didn't like the tale as much as the first one, hence the 3-star rating, but it was still a fun read (or listen, in my case...it was free from Audible.com for a short while).

This is a fun little science-fictiony tale from Brandon Sanderson, a rare talent who shows equal proficiency with short fiction and with table-stressing decalogues.

Recommended.

Remember that kid with the imaginary friend, the one who talked to or conventiently blamed things on someone no one else could see? Stephen Leeds is that kid all grown up, except he doesn't just have *one* imaginary friend, he's got about 4 dozen! Yes, he's crazy - sorta - but his friends (he calls them his "aspects") help him solve crimes and problems by extending his memory and expertise. Need an expert in surveillance or hand writing analysis or just a very observant second set of eyes? They're there for him. And now that he's got to find a stolen body that may have potentially dangerous information on/in it and an assasin chasing him, he's going to need their help.

I've never read anything by Brandon Sanderson but was bowled over by this incredibly clever novella (I listened to the audio book version). It sort of has the 'hard-boiled' style of the detective noir stories, except I found it very clever and funny instead of annoying. The dialog between Stephen and his aspects is sometimes very witty and makes for some very charming characters - whether they're "real" or not. The narrator does an excellent job, too, even if his voices for Stephen, Dion, and J.C. sometimes sound alike. This is book 2 in the series, and now I intend to read the first one.

First off, I liked the story a lot, not as much as the first Legion, but definitely worth a read. I agree with some other reviewers, this would be great as a TV show.

Part of it might be that the novelty of the hero's "condition" might have worn off a bit.

It might seem strange to criticize the believability of the plot, where the whole premise is that a man has all these genius alter-egos to consult in his problem-solving/crime-fighting endeavors.

But really that was my one complaint. Without perpetrating spoilerization, I just didn't think the way the hero saves the day at the last minute made sense.

I write this knowing full well I personally couldn't think of a better story and ending. Also, I'm only deducting one star for the less-than-perfect ending.

I will also agree with a lot of other reviewers that Sanderson is one of the best writers writing today. Unbelievably prolific, I am starting to wonder if he's really several people behind a single name. My own favorite is the ongoing Words of Radiance series.

I first stumbled into Brandon Sanderson with the book Steelheart. I really liked this book and it's sequel. Then I read The Way of Kings and it's sequel. I really like the authors style and how he develops his characters. So, I gave this book a try. Legion is a short story, so there is not a lot of time to develop the characters, but the premise is really fascinating. I liked the idea of different facets of a personality acting as individuals. It would be interesting to see this developed into a complete story.

Skin Deep (2014 is the second Fantasy novel in the Legion series, following Legion.

In this novel, Stephen Leeds is a man of many aspects, all working somewhat independently. They are invisible and intangibible to everyone except Steve. They apparently know only information within his mind, but can focus on specific facets of his knowledge.

Ivy is the aspect of psychology. She understands people better than Stephen and calms him down if necessary.

Tobias is the aspect of business. He looks at the money angle.

J.C. is the aspect of security. He thinks defensibly.

Wilson is Steve's butler. When the regular driver is unavailable, Wilson acts as Steve's chauffeur.

Sylvia is the daughter of a real estate magnate. She is Stephen's date one evening.

Yol Chay is a fifty year old Korean businessman. Steve had worked for him previously.

Panos Maheras is a researched at Innovation Information Incorporated, a biotech company. Yol has recently bought I3.

Zen Rigby is private security. She also is a hit woman.

In this story, Ivy and Tobias are cataloging Sylvia's defects. Steve is having trouble listening to his date. He keeps responding to things said by Ivy and Tobias.

Stephen had left J.C.at home, but he had come anyway. J.C. has spotted a potential assassin in the dining room. He goes to check her out.

Sylvia is listening to his responses and asks if he is talking to his aspects. She asks about J.C. and both Ivy and Tobias tell him to lie. Instead, he tells her that he is an ex-Navy Seal and takes care of his security.

Silvia gets up to go to the restroom. Steve realizes that she is leaving the restaurant. He pays the bill and departs the restaurant.

Outside, J.C. tells them that the potential asssssin was Zen. She is apparently keeping a eye on Steve. Ivy is amazed that the woman was really a threat.

Stephen and his aspects see Sylvia getting into a car. A reporter is holding the door for her. Now they know why she had accepted his invitation.

Steve calls for his limousine. Wilson drives up with a passenger in the car. Yol has another job for Steve and his aspects. A body has been stolen from the morgue and Yol wants them to find it.

I3 has been working on storing information within the human body. Yol says that they have been successful in storing information within a body, but are having problems retrieving the data. In fact, the virus method of retrieving the information has caused cancer.

Panos had been working on the virus retrieval method. He had broken his nect skying. He had been taken to the city morgue. The day before, his body had been stolen.

Yol suspects that Panos had stored his notes within his body. Yol wants his body found and cremated. He offers Steve a ten percent interest in the company as payment.

This tale has Zen following his Steve. He visits the city morgue and Zen ambushes him outside the building. She orders him to put down his gun and kick it away.

Steve urges Yol to involve the government. The next installment in this sequence has not yet been announced on the store.

Highly recommended for Sanderson fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of mental conditions, private detectives, and a lot of action. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

I enjoyed this story and I'm glad I read it but parts of it bored me. I love the idea behind it and the overall story was awesome but there were some flabby bits that the editor should have advised Brandon to cut out. There weren't many but sometimes there were parts that got off track and rabbit trailed into obscure musings that didn't move the story along. Even with these flabby bits, however, it was a really cool story with very interesting characters and a fantastic story idea executed fairly well. I gave it 4/5 stars instead of 3/5 stars because I liked the ending and thought it was funny and very clever.

The writing style is more like Steelheart but not Emperor's Soul. Fast paced, like riding a rollercoaster, but lack of deepth. Those who haven't read the first Legion will find the idea of "aspects" amazing. Those who have read Legion will definitely enjoy the return of old "faces". Sanderson's system is always the first thing that drags me into his new book, and the sequel (if there's one) always gives me more surprises. However, Skin Deep turns out to be just like its name, shallow as skin deep. The story has almost no connection with Steve's ability -- a good detective should be able to solve the problem, probably even faster. Our guy is just running around like a headless fly. Actually, there are two occasions when a new or "upgraded" system could kick in: when JC first came up with his time ranger theory, and during the phone call when an unexpected aspect shown up. Instead, Steve got panic, went in to a fast food restaurant, and ordered an omelet... If I didn't feel bored during reading, I would give 4 star; if the ending is satisfying, 5 star. Unfortunately, Skin Deep is the at the bottom rank of Sanderson's books I have read.

Yes, I know I asked too much for a short story like this. ;)

Now THIS is more like it - a much longer Legion story (though still short story) but it gives enough story to keep you rolling with the characters. This has been optioned for a television show, and I could see it on there, but I would love more Legion tales first - Though, with Brandon Sanderson doing a multitude of projects, he has wa-a-a-ay too much on his plate right now to come back to doing these - excellent characters and story, and a ton of fun from beginning to end.

I would have given this book a 5, but I felt that Brandon 'cheated' in the way the character Leeds escape death. Leading up to the scene was awesome!! Afterwards, I actually muttered a sarcastic, 'seriously', and finished the rest of the story. On a personal level, I find myself envious of the character's 'condition'. I started imagining the selfish things that I could/would do in his place. I will probably watch the movie "A Beautiful Mind" and episodes of "Dollhouse" - maybe "The Pretender" as well to see other aspects of this thread.

Brandon needs to do a prequel so that we can also get to know Sarah

Great writing and a unique plot line make this series very interesting. A bit longer than the first short story in the series helps make this story a bit better-rounded and helps to introduce and develop more of Legions attributes, but it still feels a bit rushed. Make this into a full blown novel and there is some amazing potential!

This is a short read compared to his other work, but it is a great continuation from the original. This book has action and suspense that will make you speed read to the end. I hope there will be more Legion to follow.