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A review by ravenousbibliophile
Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds by Brandon Sanderson
4.0
Blurb: Portrait of a writer as a madman.
The completion of this book comes with a sense of euphoria that I had not expected would come my way. My foray into Sanderson's works began with [b:The Way of Kings|7235533|The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388184640l/7235533._SY75_.jpg|8134945] a book that I've been reading for the better part of 2yrs. now (I look forward to finishing it soon) and the experience left me drained and exhausted, until I heard about the curious character of Stephen Leeds.
Much like Sanderson, who created Stephen Leeds after tinkering with a series of afterthoughts, I too picked up this book with the afterthought, "Maybe I need a Sanderson that's a bit more relatable and a bit less fantastical". And with it's now memorable opening line, I was hooked. I was sucked into the reality (or lack thereof) of Stephen Leeds and bore witness to his progression and regression to and from sanity. However, the journey wasn't altogether a pleasant one.
The first story is by far the best one. In every way. However, as the stories progressed, I could tell that just as Stephen's life underwent a decay, so too did Sanderson's interest in the character. That isn't to say that Sanderson lost a step in telling a story. Even Sanderson's half-hearted scribbles would pass muster as the legitimate writing of a novelist. But it was perceptible that Sanderson was directing the character's story towards a full and final conclusion. A thought that left me with a bad taste in the mouth as I read on.
Be that as it may, over the course of three stories, Sanderson had me caring enough about the plight of Stephen Leeds that the final lines left me with a smile, just as the opening one did. I cannot deny that perhaps for the first time, I felt that Sanderson should've written more, but if these be Stephen's only stories, then it is an outcome I can happily live with.
The completion of this book comes with a sense of euphoria that I had not expected would come my way. My foray into Sanderson's works began with [b:The Way of Kings|7235533|The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388184640l/7235533._SY75_.jpg|8134945] a book that I've been reading for the better part of 2yrs. now (I look forward to finishing it soon) and the experience left me drained and exhausted, until I heard about the curious character of Stephen Leeds.
Much like Sanderson, who created Stephen Leeds after tinkering with a series of afterthoughts, I too picked up this book with the afterthought, "Maybe I need a Sanderson that's a bit more relatable and a bit less fantastical". And with it's now memorable opening line, I was hooked. I was sucked into the reality (or lack thereof) of Stephen Leeds and bore witness to his progression and regression to and from sanity. However, the journey wasn't altogether a pleasant one.
The first story is by far the best one. In every way. However, as the stories progressed, I could tell that just as Stephen's life underwent a decay, so too did Sanderson's interest in the character. That isn't to say that Sanderson lost a step in telling a story. Even Sanderson's half-hearted scribbles would pass muster as the legitimate writing of a novelist. But it was perceptible that Sanderson was directing the character's story towards a full and final conclusion. A thought that left me with a bad taste in the mouth as I read on.
Be that as it may, over the course of three stories, Sanderson had me caring enough about the plight of Stephen Leeds that the final lines left me with a smile, just as the opening one did. I cannot deny that perhaps for the first time, I felt that Sanderson should've written more, but if these be Stephen's only stories, then it is an outcome I can happily live with.