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A review by aceinit
Legion by Brandon Sanderson
2.0
I seem to be in the minority opinion, judging by the high Goodreads rating and stellar reviews, but “Legion” is a story that didn’t quite do it for me. I have read masterful short fiction from Sanderson, such as “Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell,” which prove that the man doesn’t need several hundred pages to breathe life into story, but this particular work never escaped the feeling of first draft status.
“Legion” is a technically proficient story. It has all the things you need. Eccentric characters, an interesting premise, action, intrigue, hints at a broader story to set up for that inevitable sequel. But, for me, that’s all “Legion” was: technically proficient.
Despite a strong opening paragraph, the characteristic life that Sanderson can breathe into his stories and characters barely exists here. The story is moved along primarily by dialogue which, again, is just enough to get you where you need to go. Even the action sequences involving gunfights and grenades don’t thrill. From beginning to end, the story barely ventures beyond dry prose.
What I read feels like a rushed, rough draft; a bare-bones story jotted down as a “get it out on paper” draft to be fleshed out into a full story later. But that fleshing out never happens and despite being readable, “Legion,” never moves beyond that into “good” or “great” territory.
“Legion” is a technically proficient story. It has all the things you need. Eccentric characters, an interesting premise, action, intrigue, hints at a broader story to set up for that inevitable sequel. But, for me, that’s all “Legion” was: technically proficient.
Despite a strong opening paragraph, the characteristic life that Sanderson can breathe into his stories and characters barely exists here. The story is moved along primarily by dialogue which, again, is just enough to get you where you need to go. Even the action sequences involving gunfights and grenades don’t thrill. From beginning to end, the story barely ventures beyond dry prose.
What I read feels like a rushed, rough draft; a bare-bones story jotted down as a “get it out on paper” draft to be fleshed out into a full story later. But that fleshing out never happens and despite being readable, “Legion,” never moves beyond that into “good” or “great” territory.