Hunters of Dune (Sci Fi Essential Books) by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Hunters of Dune (Sci Fi Essential Books)
Book Review: A Workmanlike Followup to Frank Herbert's Dune Novels
Summary: 4 Stars
I read Frank Herbert's Dune books many many years ago an while I remember the broad strokes of the expansive stories, many of the minute details have slipped away over the years. As such, I was able to approach Hunters of Dune without any conceits about comparing it to the original novels. All I wanted was an entertaining story that picked up the major threads from the previous books and brought some closure to the cliffhanger like ending of Chapterhouse Dune. On that level, I was satisfied with what Hunters of Dune gave me.
The story picks up after the events of Chapterhouse Dune and constructs a tale that weaves elements and characters from Frank Herbert's Dune universe (Murbella, Duncan Idaho, Miles Teg, and even gholas of more classic characters) with events and characters Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's prequel books (who I choose not name because of spoilers). Over the course of the book, various factions consolidate their ranks and battle lines are drawn for what appears to be a dramatic and possibly cataclysmic conclusion in the yet to be released sequel to this book.
Clearly, Hunters is written for a different generation of readers and aspires to a more "mass-market" than the elder Herbert's original stories. The pacing is much faster, the prose more direct, and the plot threads easier to pick up and follow. Some have already decried that as dumbing down the story; I view it as a pragmatic attempt to maintain interest and draw in more readers. The book held my interest, I came to care for the characters, and my curiosity about how this will all end and even the authors' prequel books was piqued. While I'm sure purists will find many minute inconsistencies and factual errors between this book and its predecessors, a casual fan of the Dune universe can look past those things and just take the story at face value.
At the end of the day, I feel this book respects Frank Herbert's work and does not undo what came before or compromise it in any way. I found it a much more entertaining and more consistent story than other sequels to science-fiction classics (try reading Gregory Benford's abominable Beyond the Fall of Night, a poor sequel to Arthur C. Clarke's masterful Against the Fall of Night, if you really want to see a classic sci-fi story utterly ruined).
Book Review: A Worthwhile Read
Summary: 4 Stars
Will I hold onto Hunters of Dune for decades, like I have the six Dune novels written by Frank Herbert? Maybe...and I haven't held onto the other prequel Dune novels, although I read and enjoyed each of them.
Look, Frank Herbert was a gifted and visionary writer, the kind that comes along once in a LONG time. Heck, the original Dune is often cited as the best scifi novel (particularly given its crossover appeal among ordinary folk) of all time. Why would folks expect the prequels and sequels to be up to the same standard? That would qualify as a major league miracle, along the lines of safely navigating a Heighliner without the benefit of melange. Even Frank couldn't hold to that standard in all the books (e.g., Dune Messiah).
Yes, Hunters, like the prequels, doesn't feel as "deep" to me as the books written by Frank (I've read God Emperor of Dune at least a dozen times, and I'm still not sure I understand all he was saying in it). But they're still a lot of fun to read, with engaging characters and interesting twists.
I, for one, am looking forward to the "final" volume, where I'm hoping one of the most tormented characters in all of scifi will finally, climactically, get to take center stage.
So don't be put off by the fact that Kevin and Brian have a pretty different writing style from Frank's. Don't come with the expectation that a Frank Herbert ghoula has miraculously appeared to finish the series.
Just remember that it's Dune, and give the story a chance to play out, in different hands, to its conclusion. If you do that, I'm confident you'll be pleased with what you find.
Book Review: A Worthy Sequel to Chapterhouse Dune
Summary: 5 Stars
Hunters of Dune is based upon an outline Frank Herbert wrote and his son Brian Herbert found in a locked chest within the late great author's attic 20 years after his death. Hunters of Dune picks up right where Chapterhouse Dune (Book 6 in the Dune series and Frank Herbert's last Dune novel - Books 7 through 12 are prequels to Dune) left off. If you may recall at the end of Chapterhouse Dune, Frank Herbert left us with an obliterated Arrakis by an unknown enemy and Duncan Idaho with Murbella narrowly escaping in a no (cloaked) ship just before Dune was hit with a "Xindi" like weapon which completely destroyed the planet.
The story focuses on Murbella (Duncan Idaho's wife) who is now the leader of the Benne Gesserit. Just like Chapterhouse Dune, this novel is about the women of Dune. After the Scattering, the women of Dune split into two rival factions who want eachother dead: Honored Matres and Benne Gesserit (witches vs. whores). Not only are they at war with eachother, there is an outside unknown enemy to deal with which has destroyed Dune and along with it all future spice production, leaving the Guild Navigators blind to fold space without spice, so there is no warp speed and commerce within the empirium comes to a halt.
The Benne Gesserit are particularly worried as the only way they know how to defeat an enemy is to study them and they know absolutley nothing about the unknown outside enemy that has obliterated Dune and destroyed the better part of the Honored Matres, giving them the upper-hand in their conflict. Murbella places huge weapons orders with the Richese, who are only to happy to respond as payment is made with hidden Benne Gesserit spice stock piles, arming them to the teeth. When the Honored Matres catch wind of what is going on, they unload on Richese and destroy the planet the same way Dune was destroyed. Murbella then unloads on the war-weary Honored Matres, who's ranks and ships have been decimated by the unknown outside enemy which neither side still knows nothing about.
All the while this is going on, the Benne Gesserit have in their hold Scytale, who is the last remaining survivor of his entire race, which were destroyed by the Benne Gesserit. Fearing extinction, Scytale trades his secrets to the Benne Gesserit in exchange for the facilities to make a young clone of himself. First, he shows the Benne Gesserit how to make synthetic spice with axlotl tanks, but only in limited quantities in exchange for letting him live. Then, when his health takes an unexpected down-turn, he reveals his greatest secret out of fear of extinction. Hidden inside his body within capsules are the last remaining scrapings/genetic material, sufficient enough to grow gholas/clones, of virtually every significant historical figure in the Dune universe, including Paul Attreides. The Benne Gesserit immediately grow babies of Barron Harkonen, Teg Bashar, Dr. Wellington Yueh, Paul Attreides and his concubine Chani, with more historical figures on the way, as their only hope of defeating this unknown outside enemy which has so far laid waste to Dune and the Honored Matres without revealing anything about themselves or taking any losses.
The no-ship that Duncan Idaho and Murbella escaped on right before Dune was obliterated, known as The Ithaca, is several miles long and is as big as a city. Within it are several captured baby sandworms in a Dune-like environment, who eventually produce spice. They know though that they can't set down on any world and stay for very long as they are at war with two enemies. The unknown enemy turns out to be none other than Omnious and Erasmus, copies of which were downloaded via probe to distant worlds 10,000 years ago before they were destoyed on Corrin. So with 100 Centuries of preparation and revenge on it's mind, Omnious and Erasmus set out to reconquer the Dune universe. [...]
Book Review: A different writing style but just as compelling.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been a long time devotee of the Dune books. Certainly Frank Herbert was the best and uniquely qualified to give us an insight into that world 10,000 years in the future. Even today I continue to read the original books with equal devotion. Brian Herbert's style is equally unique and obviously different from his father's, and no less enthralling and revealing. I admire Brian's boldness in undertaking the unsurpassed task of writing in the voids left by his old man, a task Frank Herbert himself sought to avoid, or at least left unfulfilled to the millions of his devout readers. It doesn't surprise me anymore when I read the thankless reviews Brian's books, written in collaboration with Mr. Anderson, get. His critiques don't quite get it that the style is different but compelling, at least to some of us who appreciate their hard labor in presenting in such a spectacular way the thought evoking vision of an imaginary world.Book Review: A fine continuation of Chapterhouse Dune
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a marvelous work that smartly explains questions that I have been waiting
for since 1985. And since I have actually waited so long for it it feels pretty good
reading this one. Brian Herbert is able to flawlessly and without skipping a beat
pick up directly where his father left off. The intrigue of advanced face dancers, as well as the origins revealing
the futars and handlers, as well as the honored matres is seemlessly sewn into the story and
grafted well. Don't miss out on this one. It's one of the best!