In Legion and The Emperor's Soul, Brandon Sanderson, the already renowned author, surprises us once again with an impressive double delivery of quality. On one hand, with a novel set in the 20th century, and on the other, opening once again his universe, the Cosmere, he amazes with his two shorter novels.
With a mansion of more than 40 rooms, the main character hears a rumor of an anomaly in the Middle East, something that was believed to be impossible. Suffering from a strange condition, he is a character with intelligence far above the common, with an equally peculiar explanation.
Secondly, we find The Emperor's Soul, another of the novels set within Sanderson's fantastic universe, the Cosmere. With enviable skill with the pen, the author makes it clear that identity is much more than a name, and that perhaps, just perhaps, it is our story and experiences that define us. Are we what we live, or do we live what we are? I do not know; I hope Shai knows, a forger used to coming out victorious. But, is it really the same to forge an object as it is, nothing more and nothing less, to forge a soul? I leave the question open.
With his characteristic touch ‒and present in most cases‒, Brandon Sanderson avoids unnecessary topics, so the plot of both novels steers clear of the circles of the obscene, vulgar, and trivial, focusing instead on what really matters.