Legion: Skin Deep

By: Brandon Sanderson

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

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 its most highly developed. It reaffirms Sanderson's place as one of contemporary fiction's most intelligent - and unpredictable - voices.

©2014 Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC (P)2014 Audible Inc.

A great continuation for the series.

What made the experience of listening to Free: Legion: Skin Deep the most enjoyable?

The characters, whether they be real or imaginary, makes this book worth it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Free: Legion: Skin Deep?

The main character's aspect JC believing that he was a "Time Ranger" was quite entertaining and memorable.

Have you listened to any of Oliver Wyman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Oliver Wyman is the narrator for the first book in this series, Legion, and does a stellar job all around.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Near the end, the protagonist gives a memorable speech to a character while locked in a cellar that I found both moving and memorable.

Any additional comments?

An interesting and quirky read by author Brandon Sanderson, Legion: Skin Deep continues the story of Steven and his mental imbalances (known as Aspects) as he tries to find a body that may contain horrible possibilities for the general population. The book may be short, but I found it was packed full of fun for all ages. The characters, story, and narration are all top notch and I highly recommend this book to anyone.

Good... but

The book was good, but it seemed to lack something. That extra oomph that makes a book that much more than average.

Loved this one from start to finish!

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!

Exceptional

This Book and the narrator was very exceptional easy to listen to gave each character their own voice. I can't wait to get the third book in the series.

Funny for Crazy People and Non-Crazies Alike

I really like the Legion stories, my only complaint is that they are too short.

They are not necessarily literary accomplishments or deeply moving novels that can change the world but they entertained me. :0)

This one, much like the first story, made me chuckle out loud and that means a lot. There's something about the multitude of personalities that Legion has and their dynamics that makes me think of my own inner dialogue. I don't have multiple personality disorder but does it matter?

I think everyone has had moments they can think back to where you wonder to yourself, what the heck was I thinking when I did/said that? Maybe it was a particular aspect of your personality that has taken over!! Or maybe you can just use that!

Anyway, they are funny in their interactions and I enjoyed listening to every minute!

interesting story

The use of aspects to show how a person thinks was very intriguing. I like the way it was used. The story, though far fetched, was interesting and held my interest.

Too rushed

Not as great as the first but I still enjoyed it. I wanted more out of it, maybe I'm just mad that it's super short and I feel like I waited forever and got just another sneak peak into the world of Legion. I felt like the end was rushed, and all of a sudden it was over.

Why is this free? It's so good!

I wish it were longer and don't know why it's free on audible.
I'm going to try some of his other stuff.

Mystery, action and lots of hallucinations!

Legion: Skin Deep was one hell of a hoot to read, errr I mean listen to. Leeds is back with a new case to solve. A body is missing, that of an engineer that worked for a company that was trying to turn the human body into a data storage device. So what if they might have invented a virus that causes cancer or heck maybe it’s zombies (ok no zombies really) but whatever it was that was invented is stored in the cells of this dead engineers body – that just happens to have been stolen. And who other then Leeds is there to find this body?

The narration was freaking top notch! It delivered very different and unique voices for all of the characters and hallucinatory characters that Leeds has. The dialogue between himself and his hallucinations is so much fun to listen to at times that I even went back and wrote some of them down for favorite quotes.

Best line ever (and delivered by J.C. the gun toting, paranoid Navy Seal hallucination)

"I hate coincidences. Life is much simpler when you can just assume that everyone is trying to kill you."

Now that’s some wisdom to live by right? Even if this mystery, thriller type genre isn’t your normal read (which it totally isn’t for me) it is so worth breaking out of your comfort zone for. It does have light science fiction/speculative elements as a dear friend pointed out. The first novella had a camera that could take photos of the past and this one is engineers turning the human body into data storage so definitely SFF elements. Join the Leed’s people party.

I want more

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. In was extremely well performed and gripping. I can't wait for the next one.