Paul of Dune (Heroes of Dune) by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Paul of Dune (Heroes of Dune)
Book Review: Droning for Dollars
Summary: 3 Stars
I continue to be disappointed by this endless series that will examine every nook and cranny of Dune world as long as readers continue to plop down thirty bucks. Not one of these post-Frank words match the originals in creativity, literary quality or plot intrigue. It's like watching people learning to dance - they make all the right moves and on the surface it appears to be the real thing, but a closer look reveals a simple rote progression of memorized actions without the artistry of a professional.
Scenario: Paul has won - although whether as Duke of Atriedes, Muad'Dib of the Fremens or the Quizat Haderach of the Bene Gesserit is unclear since he switches roles depending on the situation. And despite his triumph, he must lead the holy jihad, massacring billions although he knows it is wrong. What doesn't make sense is his prescience and his own actions...surely he could envision that a religion based on his divinity and a holy war of extermination for no real reason will not play out in the end. In a way, the authors correctly analyzed the problem of mixing the State with Religion, Prophet with Official and Family with Business.
Paul has become another person in this novel, a dictator surrounded by sycophants. He acts worse than Shaddam IV, the man he replaced. en, surrounding himself with yes men and acting no better than those he replaced. Irulan, the titular wife, is the best realized character as she balances past and current allegiances. Others are mere window dressing: Duke Leto and the Baron Harkonnen return in a flashback, the (in)famous Tleilaxu show up with a couple and their extraordinary daughter, Duncan fights, Jessica assures the faithful, Gurney follows his master, Stilgar continues the Crusade and poor Channi pops up only to mutter support for Paul and whimper about his destiny. Even Alia, one of my favorites, does Alia things and talks Alia talk.
The real question: In the world of Dune, is there any aspect that has yet to be explored? From the last few backs, it appears doubtful.
Book Review: Dune Expanded
Summary: 4 Stars
I have loved the Dune Universe since its inception (with a few minor exceptions) and found this latest work to be a worthy addition, filling in the time line between Dune and Dune Messiah. Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have done a fine job of following the path created by Frank Herbert. For all the naysayers who decry the works that have expanded and extended the vision of Frank Herbert, I just shake my head and say to re-read the orginals. There are flaws and inconsistencies in them as well, for every author would admit that even they are not happy with their finished books. These expansions by Brian and Kevin have taken us deeper into the minds and souls of the principle characters while giving us the detailed "back stories" of many others, like Count Fenring.
Keep writing them, Brian and Frank, and I'll keep buying and reading them.
Book Review: Dune...The Between
Summary: 3 Stars
Dune fans around the world have had mixed reactions to "Paul of Dune". Continued by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson, "Paul" answers the questions that were left behind by Frank Herbert.
1. what happened between Dune and Dune Messiah?
2. Who exactly is Paul Muad'Dib?
3. What happened to make Paul the Messiah?
Herbert and Anderson give us a novel that Mr Herbert the elder would be pleased with. As Jihad roars with intensity, the dangers of victory are sometimes more threatening than loss. Who controls the victorious if blood thirst becomes more important than religous principles? Who can call Paul to responsibility when he begins to question his own sanity?
Power is its' own reward, and absolute power can corrupt absolutely. As this is a prequel, we know the result, and while the devil can be in the details, beauty is also in a well crafted novel. With any derivative work, the problem of continuity and conisistancy with the previous original works can be problematic. There are small errors, and perhaps the book could have used one more going over by another editor, but this is Dune, and it deserves better.
www.tor.com
Tim Lasiuta
Book Review: EXCELLENT BOOK CONTINUING THE DUNE SERIES
Summary: 5 Stars
Loyal fans of Frank Herbert's six original "Dune" books constantly craved for more in depth novels of the sagas. After his death, when his son, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson collaborated on the first of the new sequels, "Dune: House Atreides", readers of the revered series were rightly skeptical whether the young authors would be successful in capturing the tone, excitement and depth of the myriad characters. Their first Dune book left no doubt. After only a few pages, it was impossible to tell where Frank Herbert had left off, and Brian and Kevin continued his legacy. The next eight expanded Dune novels gave devoted fans exactly what they sought: intrigue, the casting and retelling of familiar roles, whether heroic, flawed, destined for success or failure, but expanded to levels of literary suspense, constantly intertwined, as Frank Herbert had created them. The latest, "Paul of Dune", explores and reveals how Paul Atreides became both prophet and Emperor of his far reaching empire. The complexities of plots, Paul's own surfacing doubts of his awesome powers are riveting as the pages unfold. Frank Herbert would again be proud of having his name associated with the succession of the award winning and best selling Dune novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.Book Review: End of the line
Summary: 2 Stars
I give up. I've been slugging through these new Dune books due to my love of the original Dune universe, and that possibly I might be a masochist. Enough is enough though, there is only so much that a person can take. With the rest of the prequels I took all the various inconsistencies, downright contradictions, and simplistic writing thanks to the "joy" of reading something new on Dune. Enough is enough.
I will not give out any spoilers, but what these writers did to justify their various contradictions of Frank Herbert's original books is completely horrifying and outrageous. In the back of my mind as I read that final chapter I was no longer visualizing the Dune universe, I was visualizing the two writers congratulating themselves on their own cleverness at "solving" the neat problem on how to change whatever else they want to change about the universe Frank Herbert created. And to do so calling it the "real" story enabling them to write many more books along the way as well. In my minds eye I saw them slapping each other on the back and that is the vision I held of this book.
As for the actual writing style of the book, it is adequate. I would not complain if it were a stand alone space adventure yarn, set in its own universe and characters. As for a Dune book, like the rest of the prequels everything is flat and two dimensional. The characters of Dune are a far cry from the complex creatures that the father created, they are cardboard characters that can only express a single emotion and whose complexities never delve much deeper than the complexity of putting together a sandwich. I was incredibly surprised (and a little relieved), that some of the characters did not just spontaneously break out into a maniacal laugh to show how evil they were. I was incredibly surprised Shaddam had the brain matter to remember how to breathe.
I would like to write more about the flat plot and characters of the story, how they altered Paul's history, but that would take an entire essay and probably welcome a deletion by Amazon. Needless to say "Paul of Dune" left a taste in my mouth reminiscent of ashes (not that I know what ash tastes like but I am pretty sure that this was close). Their literal dismissal of Frank Herbert's work was outrageous and to me the straw that broke the camel's back. If you're a Dune fan you won't pass this book up because like me you'll read it on the sheer basis it is a Dune book. Otherwise..