Skin Deep by Brandon Sanderson – Available Here

I had my problems with the first Legion story. It was clunky, unsure of itself and the rules of its own universe. These pains combined with an ending that seemed slashed together out of some abject fear of being written into a corner, and I was left in love with the concept, but unimpressed with the presentation.

Skin Deep fixes this on nearly all accounts. The universe of Stephen Leed and his aspects has been pinned down and story is better for it. While I am still not in love of Sanderson’s prose style (I have yet to find a sentence that leaves me chewing on its beauty or wit), the story this time around is given the space to breathe and feels less like a thought experiment forced to the publishing block, and more like a novella written with some sort of ending in mind.

It was a nice distraction. The world Sanderson has created, unlike any of his many oft over encumbered novels, is one that feels like it would find itself right at home on our television screens. Should there ever be another entry chronicling the life of Mr. Leed I’m certain I’ll find the interest to pick it up eventually.