Book Review: "Legion" by Brandon Sanderson

This is the ebook cover.

Once in a while, an author comes along whose work I enjoy so much that I take a leap of faith and buy their future books without borrowing them to preview before I buy. Brandon Sanderson is on that list, with good reason. I think what he has done in finishing "The Wheel of Time" series is nothing short of genius. He took a series that had become a bit sluggish (and I'm a huge fan, don't get me wrong, even with slow phases, this series is better than anything else out there) and revived it, like Dr. Frankenstein, injecting life and energy and vitality back into it. I, along with millions of other fans, anxiously await the release of book 14 (!) in January.

In the meantime, I am slowly listening to the audiobooks of the first 13 (slowly because I read about 6x faster than the narration... and only listen to a little here and there) and enjoying the odd non-fantasy book on the side. Yesterday, much to my happy surprise, my copy of Sanderson's novella "Legion" arrived.

First impression? Glee! I love a new book. Second impression? Sheesh. I spent over $20 (including shipping) on this little thing? When they called it a novella, they weren't kidding! It only took me a few hours to read, and would have been much less if I wasn't required to cook my family dinner and give a neighbor a ride somewhere... at any rate, it's a very quick read, and I would have liked it to not cost me so much for just a short moment of entertainment. It's so short, it almost felt like a preview, created solely to hook readers into buying a whole series... hey, wait...

This is the HB cover.

However, as a would-be author myself, I do understand the wholly justified desire to make money from one's work, and I do like and want to support Sanderson, so I won't say anymore about the cost feeling exorbitant. 

And, after all, it was generously offered as an e-book for only $2.99. I just don't have an e-reader or iPad, so I opted for the book rather than to read it on my computer screen. Which makes my eyes leaky. :)

As for the story, true to my expectations, it is very good. The story is about a man named Stephen. He has a form of schizophrenia that causes him to see various people-- hallucinations, that he calls "aspects", which is how he comes to be nicknamed "Legion". The aspects are varied and unique and have different abilities, but together they add up to his being a genius. In this first book about him, he tries to find a camera that's been stolen-- a camera that can take photos of the past. He's doubtful, naturally, that it really can, and if it can, that it should. He is brilliant (with the help of his aspects) and remarkably sane for someone who hallucinates constantly. He is also likeable and self-aware, and able to do remarkable things.

I'm always on the hunt for something original to read, as most books have overly formulas and patterns, so it's refreshing to read something so completely unique. At least, in my reading experience, it is totally new and fascinating. I especially loved Stephen's observations on what would happen if time travel were possible--amazing! I've never, ever heard time travel discussed that way. I love it when an author makes me think, without overwhelming me, and by reading his book I feel like I've actually expanded my brain a little!!

As you can see, there are different covers for the different versions. I prefer the ebook cover-- it seems to capture Stephen's aspects better than the other, but the chaos of the other seems to capture the relationship of these "characters" better.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in something new, very well written, and thought-provoking. Excellent little book.

To Kindle or Not To Kindle. That is the Question.

Last Christmas my husband gave me a Kindle Touch. At first, I thought it would be fun-- I love reading and figured I could download some classics and such for free, check some titles out through the library's Overdrive website (if you haven't been to Overdrive, you really should. Ask your library about checking out free audio and e-books. If you're in Utah, I know they have access codes for you!!) and I wanted to be up-to-date (or close) on what's being used right now. Not having the funds to justify a Kindle Fire, we went with the Touch.

It was okay, as far as the technology goes. I have an iPod Touch, and I couldn't help comparing the speed of the Touch's response to the Kindle's. No comparison. The Kindle was slow to respond and often didn't do what I was trying to tell it to do. I did figure it out, though, and downloaded some free books, including a demo version (I think one chapter) of "The Eye of the World", which I was planning on reading again as this is the year of the "Wheel of Time" for me. 13 books, the 14th coming out at the end of the year, I can average 1+ a month easily.

I began reading "Eye" and enjoying it so much that I considered buying it for the Kindle so I could continue that way. Each book in the series costs between $7 and $10. Each. Um... I already own them in print, so why would I spend that much? I opted not to buy them.

I put the Kindle aside, picked up my book version and didn't pick up the Kindle for a week. Then I realized a few things.

1. I didn't want to spend money on ebooks. I work at a library and I own the books I was planning on reading for most of 2012 already.
2. As such, I probably wouldn't even use it very much for the entire year. 
3. In a year, maybe I could afford something better, like an iPad or a Kindle Fire or some other tablet-type thing that I could use as an e-reader as well as the best toy EVER.

So I returned it. He had put half the cost (total was about $100) on a credit card, so I paid that off and took the $50 and spent it on... drumroll please... books! Yep. I bought books with it. Sigh. I'm incorrigible. 

Would I recommend a Kindle non-Fire? Absolutely. It would be the perfect thing to take on trips-- especially if you can afford trips. And eBooks that you actually want to read. In fact, if I ever get to go on trips, I might just invest in another Kindle for that very purpose. Maybe. I'm hopeful that they will just continue improving so that by the time I'm ready for one, they will be as awesome as my iPod Touch, but big enough to read comfortably on.

I'm curious about how others feel about their Kindles, Nooks and e-readers. Have you enjoyed them more than I did? Do you feel like it's justified to pay money for books you already own, just to be able to read them on the e-reader?