Review: Legion - Skin Deep

I like Brandon Sanderson. Like way too much probably. I became a fan back when he was given the opportunity to complete the Wheel of Time series. Since then it's been series after series of excellent fantasy. When this series began, with Legion back in 2012, I was rather concerned that one of my favorite authors was tackling a new genre. I mean he could have been deep into the next Stormlight book instead of wasting his time on a noir thriller. 

Much to my surprise Legion was excellent, and its sequel has only increased my interest in the series. Legion tells the story of a savant whose intelligence and talent exemplifies itself in the existence of separate personalities. Each personality, though seemingly a fully formed person, is the personification of the skill or talent that the main character, Stephen Leeds, requires.

Sanderson excellently weaves the real world with figments of Leeds' mind, and gives us a much more in depth look at how Leeds integrates his people into the real world to solve problems and escape the more martial difficulties he faces. It also make for a large cast of characters that doesn't bog down the plot with backstory while still have dynamic and evolving characters that add to the scenes in ways that manage to surprise even long term fans like me. 

The actual events of the story are probably the weakest point. The story provides a framework for an examination of the characters but often comes across as contrived and shallow while the solutions for these well trod thriller tropes are made complicated and interesting by the implementation of Leeds particular disability. All of this equals a fast and interesting read and a continuation of a great series. Legion - Skin Deep gets four out of five from me.