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Legion Reading Order.

Quick Answer

Start Legion by Brandon Sanderson with "Legion--the Many Lives Of Stephen Leeds", then follow the publication sequence. This order preserves the intended narrative twists and world-building progression.

A series of novellas following Stephen Leeds, a wealthy investigator whose mind generates multiple imaginary personalities, each with specialized knowledge.

Official Verdict

Short Answer:
Start with "Legion--the Many Lives Of Stephen Leeds"

To experience the narrative as intended, read the main sequence in Publication Order.Ignore novellas and side stories until you finish the first 3 core novels. This resolves all timeline confusion and preserves every major twist.

Community Consensus

Medium Debate

"The provided comments do not contain any discussion or recommendation regarding 'Legion.' The conversation is a broad analysis of fantasy genre evolution, focusing heavily on defining and critiquing subgenres like New Weird (Miéville, Harrison), Progression Fantasy (Xianxia/LitRPG), Epic Fantasy, and Romantasy. There is general agreement on the importance of exploring non-Tolkien-inspired secondary worlds and recognizing the influence of webnovels and games on modern fantasy."

Key Reddit Advice

No reading order for 'Legion' can be determined from these comments. Key reading advice provided across the discussion includes: 1. Explore pre-LotR fantasy (e.g., Howard's Conan, Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser). 2. For Progression Fantasy, read examples of both the Xianxia tradition (like Cradle by Will Wight) and the LitRPG tradition (like Dungeon Crawler Carl). 3. For New Weird, read M. John Harrison's Viriconium and China Miéville.

Why This Order Is Confusing

Many reading lists for Legion conflict because early publishers often labeled short story collections as standalone novels, or rearranged internal chronologies for marketing. This guide follows original author intent and narrative continuity to settle the debate for good.

Can I skip the short stories?

Technically yes, but we strongly advise against it for Legion. The shorter volumes often establish the core character motivations and world-building that the main saga assumes you already know.

I watched the show/movie first — where should I start?

Ignore the screen adaptations' timeline. Start with "Legion--the Many Lives Of Stephen Leeds" to see the original depth of the world. The books offer a significantly different (and usually more complete) experience than the on-screen versions.

Why do people disagree on the order?

Disagreement usually stems from the conflict between purely chronological order and publication order. Most long-term fans recommend publication order to preserve the emotional arc and mystery reveals.

Curator's Strategy

Recommended Reading Order Strategy

The authoritative way to read the "Legion" series is in Publication Order. Start with the first published book. It's the way the author intended the world to be revealed.This ensures you experience character reveals and plot twists exactly as the author intended.

Complete Series Reading Order

Language:

Publication Reading Order3 Titles

Why Publication Order?We recommend reading in Publication Order (default). This follows the author's release schedule, ensuring you experience plot twists, character growth, and world-building exactly as intended without spoilers.
Best Start Here
1

Stephen Leeds, a genius investigator, solves impossible crimes using his elaborate, compartmentalized mind, manifesting his mental skills as specialized hallucinations.

2

Plot details hidden until you finish "Legion--the Many Lives Of Stephen Leeds".

This collection introduces Stephen Leeds, the detective, as he tracks down lost cameras and confronts the dangerous potential of human memory.

3

Plot details hidden until you finish "Legion / Legion Skin Deep".

Reunidos en un solo volumen, dos brillantes novelas cortas que ilustran sendas facetas de la obra de uno de los maestros consagrados de la fantasia contemporanea internacional, y que hacen gala tanto de su firme pulso narrativo como del alcance de su poderosa imaginacion. Fantascy presenta un autentico acontecimiento para los numerosos seguidores de Brandon Sanderson, y un descubrimiento para los que aun no lo son: reunidos en un solo volumen, dos brillantes novelas cortas que ilustran sendas facetas de la obra de uno de los maestros consagrados de la fantasia contemporanea internacional y que hacen gala tanto de su firme pulso narrativo como del alcance de su poderosa imaginacion. LEGION Stephen Leeds tiene una mente tan poderosa que roza lo sobrehumano y le permite repartirse entre una multitud de personalidades, entes imaginarias que solo el ve, que despliegan una diversidad de habilidades especializadas. Cuando contratan sus servicios para recuperar un objeto robado, Leeds se lanza a la busqueda del inventor, desaparecido en condiciones sospechosas. El artefacto codiciado es una camara fotografica capaz de captar imagenes del pasado, cuyas propiedades podrian cambiar nuestra forma de entender la historia de la humanidad. La investigacion sumira a Leeds en un conflicto que lo llevara desde Estados Unidos hasta la antigua ciudad de Jerusalen. Esta intensa aventura detectivesca aborda temas como la naturaleza del tiempo, los usos potenciales de la tecnologia y la complicada relacion entre la politica y la fe. Deberia ser del agrado de las legiones de fans de Sanderson y tambien le hara ganar nuevos aficionados. Pat's Fantasy Hotlist EL ALMA DEL EMPERADOR Shai, una maga Falsificadora, ha sido condenada a muerte; pero el consejo le ofrece su libertad a cambio de la mayor falsificacion que pueda emprenderse: la del alma del emperador, en estado catatonico tras un atentado. Al adivinar las motivaciones de sus captores, Shai deduce que no sobrevivira ni siquiera si logra cumplir el cometido. Asi pues, trama formas de escapar del palacio a la vez que que se esfuerza en comprender hasta el limite de lo posible los entresijos de la personalidad del emperador. Aunque asume la necesidad de huir, a Shai le atrae poderosamente la idea de crear la falsificacion mas extraordinaria del mundo... Es posible crear una copia de un alma tan convincente que supere al original? ENGLISH DESCRIPTION When Shai is caught replacing the Moon Scepter with her nearly flawless forgery, she must bargain for her life. An assassin has left the Emperor Ashravan without consciousness, a circumstance concealed only by the death of his wife. If the emperor does not emerge after his hundred-day mourning period, the rule of the Heritage Faction will be forfeit and the empire will fall into chaos. Shai is given an impossible task: to create--to Forge--a new soul for the emperor in less than one hundred days. But her soul-Forgery is considered an abomination by her captors. She is confined to a tiny, dirty chamber, guarded by a man who hates her, spied upon by politicians, and trapped behind a door sealed in her own blood. Shai's only possible ally is the emperor's most loyal counselor, Gaotona, who struggles to understand her true talent. Time is running out for Shai. Forging, while deducing the motivations of her captors, she needs a perfect plan to escape...

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to skip books in the Legion series?

We recommend ignoring novellas and short stories until you finish the core sequence. However, main sequence novels should never be skipped as they contain critical character development and plot progression.

What is the best order to read Legion?

The final answer for the best experience is to start with "Legion--the Many Lives Of Stephen Leeds" and proceed in publication order. This sequence preserves character developments and plot reveals exactly as Brandon Sanderson intended.

Can I read Legion books in any order?

No. The main narrative is strictly sequential. Skipping volumes or reading out of order will lead to significant plot spoilers and confusion regarding character arcs.

Are there spin-offs or companion books?

Yes, the Legion universe includes several companion works. These are marked as 'Optional' in our guide and can be read at any time without disrupting the main storyline.