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A review by beeboisourgod
Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds by Brandon Sanderson
5.0
I admit, when I first added a different edition of this book to my to-be-read list about 2 or 3 years ago, it's because I thought it was related to Marvel's Legion, which I had just started watching online; turns out there's no connection, but that's okay because this was actually 10 times BETTER. And that's saying something. For those who know me and know or don't know how I review things, I am stingy with my stars, especially when it comes to 5 stars, I'm a veritable Scrooge hoarding them like gold. But like the ghosts of Christmas, I was visited by the aspects of Steven Leeds and was utterly compelled to be a more generous person and give all my stars away, so here they are: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 stars, 5 glorious, glimmering gold stars.
I think I'm in love with this book, with the concept, with the characters, with everything, but it's like a more subtle, subdued kind of love, somehow soft and yet so, so powerful. I don't know how to describe it, usually with stand-alones or prolific or older/well-known authors I tend to be utterly indifferent, their books are quick reads but nothing that really stays with me or my memory in the long run. Legion, however, will hopefully stay with me for a long time. I can't help but look at it in awe and silent admiration, and it has just gained permanent and prominent residence on my bookshelf. Honestly, if you asked me to describe my dream book at this point? I would simply point to this one.
Of course at first, when I learned it was three novellas instead of a full novel, I was worried because I thought I was going to be disappointed in how short the stories were, but turns out I had nothing to fear because they all connected in the end and followed a linear character arc/progression/development that perfectly tied up the big picture, and yet they still managed to all be indelibly unique and endlessly intriguing in their own right. I would watch a show of this Legion, someone please get on making that, it's a perfect set up for one, with three wonderfully peculiar cases and one big character study that's utterly fascinating and unlike anything else I've ever read. I'm just having a great time closing my eyes and picturing it already.
But I think what it really succeeds at is balance. Balance of humour, of drama, of excitement and thrills and banter and fun and weirdness/science-fiction and just actual science and reality. My descriptions of it may be all over the place, but Legion's structure is not, it's a solid, well written and well executed amalgamation of everything I look for in a novel. It has heart, humour and mystery; it has a distinctive, new and eccentric premise; and it has just a taste of sci-fi that's not too overwhelming and still fits neatly into the real world. But most importantly, it has an undeniably lovable and diverse cast of characters that you can't help but root for. I loved Steven and I loved each and every one of his aspects, (and J.C. and Ivy, I knew it, guys, I knew it!). They're easily some of the best characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading about, the way they interacted, the way they spoke, the way they did everything, each their own individual personality, and yet parts of a whole. That ending even left me a little misty eyed.
So just, well done, really well done. I truly wish their was more to read because I'm going to miss everyone in this.
I think I'm in love with this book, with the concept, with the characters, with everything, but it's like a more subtle, subdued kind of love, somehow soft and yet so, so powerful. I don't know how to describe it, usually with stand-alones or prolific or older/well-known authors I tend to be utterly indifferent, their books are quick reads but nothing that really stays with me or my memory in the long run. Legion, however, will hopefully stay with me for a long time. I can't help but look at it in awe and silent admiration, and it has just gained permanent and prominent residence on my bookshelf. Honestly, if you asked me to describe my dream book at this point? I would simply point to this one.
Of course at first, when I learned it was three novellas instead of a full novel, I was worried because I thought I was going to be disappointed in how short the stories were, but turns out I had nothing to fear because they all connected in the end and followed a linear character arc/progression/development that perfectly tied up the big picture, and yet they still managed to all be indelibly unique and endlessly intriguing in their own right. I would watch a show of this Legion, someone please get on making that, it's a perfect set up for one, with three wonderfully peculiar cases and one big character study that's utterly fascinating and unlike anything else I've ever read. I'm just having a great time closing my eyes and picturing it already.
But I think what it really succeeds at is balance. Balance of humour, of drama, of excitement and thrills and banter and fun and weirdness/science-fiction and just actual science and reality. My descriptions of it may be all over the place, but Legion's structure is not, it's a solid, well written and well executed amalgamation of everything I look for in a novel. It has heart, humour and mystery; it has a distinctive, new and eccentric premise; and it has just a taste of sci-fi that's not too overwhelming and still fits neatly into the real world. But most importantly, it has an undeniably lovable and diverse cast of characters that you can't help but root for. I loved Steven and I loved each and every one of his aspects, (and J.C. and Ivy, I knew it, guys, I knew it!). They're easily some of the best characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading about, the way they interacted, the way they spoke, the way they did everything, each their own individual personality, and yet parts of a whole. That ending even left me a little misty eyed.
Spoiler
I'm a sucker for books that end on a note of hope and end with the character writing the first line of said book.So just, well done, really well done. I truly wish their was more to read because I'm going to miss everyone in this.