Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you liked Sanderson's Legion, read Elantris and The Emperor's Soul, then The Alloy of Law, Steelheart, The Rook and The Tainted Cup. All are clever, character-driven stories with unusual powers and a mystery at the centre.
Brandon Sanderson's Legion stories (Legion, Legion: Skin Deep and Legion: Lies of the Beholder) follow Stephen Leeds, a man with a rare mental condition whose hallucinations are experts, who consults on impossible cases. The stories are short, witty and inventive. The books below offer similar mysteries, offbeat heroes and thoughtful mixes of genres.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elantris | Brandon Sanderson | Adult | Sanderson's debut |
| The Emperor's Soul | Brandon Sanderson | Adult | short fantasy |
| The Alloy of Law | Brandon Sanderson | Adult | gunslinger fantasy |
| Steelheart | Brandon Sanderson | Teen | villains with powers |
| Tress of the Emerald Sea | Brandon Sanderson | Adult | storybook adventure |
| All Systems Red | Martha Wells | Adult | witty AI |
| The Rook | Daniel O'Malley | Adult | secret agency |
| Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch | Adult | police and magic |
| Storm Front | Jim Butcher | Adult | wizard detective |
| The Tainted Cup | Robert Jackson Bennett | Adult | fantasy detective |
| Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency | Douglas Adams | Adult | comic mystery |
| A Study in Scarlet | Arthur Conan Doyle | Adult | the first Holmes |
| Altered Carbon | Richard K. Morgan | Adult | noir and mind transfer |
| Gideon the Ninth | Tamsyn Muir | Adult | necromancers in space |
| Project Hail Mary | Andy Weir | Adult | science adventure |
1. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
A prince is cursed and cast into a ruined city. Inventive and complete in one volume.
Best for: Sanderson's debut.
2. The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson
A forger must rewrite an emperor's soul in 100 days. Clever and short.
Best for: short fantasy.
3. The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
A lawman returns to a city of gangsters and magic. Fast and funny.
Best for: gunslinger fantasy.
4. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
A teenager seeks revenge on the superpowered tyrant who killed his father. Fast and inventive.
Best for: villains with powers.
5. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
A young woman sails a sea of spores to save her friend. Charming and funny.
Best for: storybook adventure.
6. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
A security robot hacks itself and just wants to watch TV. Short and charming.
Best for: witty AI.
7. The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
A woman wakes with no memory and finds she works for a secret supernatural agency. Funny and clever.
Best for: secret agency.
8. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
A young constable becomes an apprentice wizard in modern London. Funny and well-grounded.
Best for: police and magic.
9. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Harry Dresden is a wizard private investigator in Chicago. A classic start to a long series.
Best for: wizard detective.
10. The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
A junior investigator and his genius superior solve murders. Smart and tense.
Best for: fantasy detective.
11. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
A detective solves cases by following the interconnectedness of all things. Odd and funny.
Best for: comic mystery.
12. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
Holmes and Watson meet and solve a murder. Short and classic.
Best for: the first Holmes.
13. Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
A soldier is resleeved to solve a murder. Gritty and fast.
Best for: noir and mind transfer.
14. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
A swordswoman and a necromancer solve a mystery in a decaying palace. Witty and gothic.
Best for: necromancers in space.
15. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
A man wakes alone on a spaceship with no memory. Fast and moving.
Best for: science adventure.
How to Choose
For more Sanderson short fiction choose The Emperor's Soul or Tress of the Emerald Sea. For fantasy mysteries pick The Alloy of Law, The Tainted Cup or Rivers of London. For witty narrators read All Systems Red or The Rook. For classic detectives try A Study in Scarlet or Dirk Gently. Legion is short, so it makes a good test of Sanderson's style before you commit to a longer series. Legion is a good starting point for readers who want to try Sanderson in small doses. The stories were later collected as Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, which is the edition most easily found. If you want to try Sanderson cautiously, Legion is perfect: three short stories in one weekend. If you want more of his big worlds, Elantris and Tress of the Emerald Sea are standalone. If you want more mysteries, Rivers of London and The Tainted Cup are page-turners. Audiobooks are widely available and well read.
Related: 15 Books Like Wings of Fire Kids Will Love: Dragons, Quests and Animal Adventures · 12 Dystopian Books Like the Hunger Games | Best Books to Read Like Hunger Games
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Legion about?
Stephen Leeds is a man with hallucinations who are experts, and he consults on difficult cases.
Who wrote it?
Brandon Sanderson.
How many Legion stories are there?
Three novellas.
Is it connected to the Cosmere?
No, it is a separate, modern-day story.
Is it good for new Sanderson readers?
Yes, because it is short and free of epic fantasy lore.
Is it a mystery or science fiction?
A bit of both, with a psychological angle.
Is there an audiobook?
Yes. Check current listings.
What should I read next?
Try The Emperor's Soul or The Alloy of Law.
Who is Stephen Leeds?
A genius who creates hallucinated experts, called aspects, to help him.
Is Legion science fiction?
It is a modern-day mystery with a speculative twist.