Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds

Stephen Leeds, our hero, is able to assimilate mass amounts of data in short periods of time. He then externalizes this knowledge into a manifistation of a human being that he calls aspects which only he or another one of his aspects can see or communicate with. The aspects and his relationships with them are the high point of the book. We are not talking zombies here but mostly sympathetic humans with unique and frequently bizarre personalities that by book’s end most become quite likable. Leeds treats each aspect as a real human and will hold car doors open until they get in, buys meals for them at restaurants, separate tickets and seats for them when they have to travel-you get the picture. The fact that his aspects are invisible to all other people and that others can only hear his side of a conversation when he talks to aspects makes for interesting situations in public. The media has fixated on him and his reclusive nature has merely whetted their appetites, with the net effect that he is so famous/notorious that the public is aware of his peculiarities to some extent.
He also gives each aspect a separate room of their own in the mansion he lives in. Since he has 50 or so of these aspects Stephen’s life is complex and expensive. To pay the bills he consults with people willing to pay steep fees. Not quite a fancy private detective but close enough. The various skills he needs to solve the quanderies that are brought to him necessitate the large number of aspects he has, for example he has a Hebrew translator, a photographic specialist, a Samoan survivalist, a forensic investigator, and on and on and on. For most work he has a core team of some of his oldest aspects, one is a historian who fills him in on background but also has a soothing voice and manner that helps calm him. Another is a ex Navy seal who handles his security, and a psychologist who reads people for him and advises him in interpersonal dealings. To round it off he has a real human as a butler/chauffeur.
This book is a collection of three novellas each dealing with a separate case but with the final culminating in a definite and satisfying ending. The adventures tend to be fairly standard action adventure/shoot ’em ups held together with Sanderson’s capable writing, but his real skill as a word smith surfaces with the endearing back and forth between Leeds and his various aspects that is done so well that the pages slid by with a seamlessness and enjoyment that made this book one that goes on my reread list.
Note:Tor Books is the publisher of this collection of the three Legion novellas, of which the first two were previously published as stand alone novellas by Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC which is owned by Brandon Sanderson and used for his shorter works. The problem is that Tor( or Dragonsteel for that matter) did not release a stand alone version of the third novella forcing fans who had bought the first two novellas already to buy the full collection(this book) and pony up an already high $14.99(US) in order to read the last novella of roughly 100 pages, a price which has understandably upset those getting shafted. Normally I would put this down to a unfortunate mistake but this is my second experience recently with Tor pushing its book pricing beyond expensive and into the territory where I consider it out and out price gouging ( for details of other Tor gouging see the Books of Brian review at

Rogue Protocol: The Murderbot Diaries

). I will make an effort to give Tor and Dragonsteel as little of my business as possible in the future. The problem is that some books are of such a high caliber that I choose to hold my nose and pay. This says something about me as well.

Are they thinking we’re dumb? Getting ripped off for a third book AFTER purchasing first and second?? I love Sanderson but he needs to do something about this.

Wow! I think Brandon Sanderson has to be insane to even dream up these stories. Perhaps this is an autobiography? 😉 Sanderson is one of my favorite authors, so Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds was a must-buy. Its a mind-bending ride with a quite a bit more humor than his usual adult fare. Between the three stories, theres quite a bit of background and satisfactory resolution of major storylines. Id not be adverse to more Leeds stories, though.

Many consider Stephen Leeds to be insane, but hed just tell you that all his aspects are how he compartmentalizes knowledge and skills. Hes got forty-something people running around in his head and theyre not him. Well, they are him, but they arent. Each is a distinct personality that exists at the same time as each other; Stephen is just the middle manager that makes them behave while theyre helping him on cases.

There are three stories included in this collection: Legion, Legion: Skin Deep, and Legion: Lies of the Beholder. In Legion, Stephen has to find a missing camera and the engineer/scientist who designed and stole it. Its a camera that takes pictures of the past any time and any place in the past. It could be used to see who killed Kennedy, what was written on secret documents, or if Jesus actually appeared to the disciples after his crucifixion. It could also be used to blackmail people or destroy entire religions. No one would be safe.

In the second book, Stephen must find the body of a scientist that has been stolen. The body has massive amounts of data encrypted in its cells and DNA, as the engineering company the man worked for was inventing a way for the human body to be a data storage and computing device. Every cell in your body contains seven hundred and fifty megs of data, the engineer said. For comparison, one of your fingers holds as much information as the entire internet.” Gives a new meaning to the thumb drive. But now theres a chance the engineer loosed a virus that causes cancer on the world. Can Stephen find the body and the pad to unlock its encryption?

In the third story, Leeds is contacted by Sandra, the one who helped him create and stabilize his aspects to maintain his sanity and balance. Its a cry for help that he cant ignore. Unfortunately, maybe Sandra or the people she is working with have an ulterior motive. Its always about the money, and this time the bad guys want Stephen to figure out how to perfect an augmented reality that Sandras using to destroy her aspects. Even as Stephen starts losing his own aspects to violence and nightmares, he must keep track of what is real and what isnt inside his head and outside. Its a crazy world out there.

Twisty mysteries, humorous banter, great insights into the reality of insanity, and just a whole lot of fun. Stephens inner dialogues are not only fun, but feel real. You never feel that Stephen is faking, and its always clear through all the twists and turns that his inner landscape and its resident population is just as real as the outside world. Loved all the characters, including Stephens real life butler.

Highly recommended, as Id recommend anything Sanderson, with the caveat that one sometimes has to wait several years between books. (Im looking at you, Rhithmatist.) Luckily this collection contains the complete the Legion set.

I received a sample of this book (it turned out to be a story I already owned, and not the entire book) as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher through NetGalley. I bought the complete book on Kindle for myself. My opinions are my own.

Having read the first two stories digitally as they were released, I worried that the omnibus might be a wasteful purchase. Having finished the book, I cannot disagree with the sentiment more.

A worthy finale for Leeds and his Aspects, bringing together many strings – but in Sanderson’s usual habit; not all are neatly tied, or severed. With humour, wit, and the occasional heart-rending moment, this book brings Legion to a satisfying close.

Damn you, Sanderson, you brilliant bastard.

While I know its a contradiction in terms of I could give this book 6 stars out of 5 I would. The character presented here with all his flaws and interactions with his aspects were the most fascinating and heartfelt thing I have ever read. I finished the last novella in this set with tears in my eyes and a feeling of satisfaction of finishing a book I have felt only a few times in my life.

Please read this wonderful work, I can’t recomend it more to fans of any form of fiction.

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