Sandworms of Dune by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $7.39 You Save: $20.56 (74%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.38 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Sandworms of Dune
Book Review: Hunters and Sandworms of Dune - awful
Summary: 1 Stars
Although I enjoyed Herbert/Anderson's other Dune spin-offs, Dune 7 and 8 are simply trash. These 2 books fail on so many levels that I wouldn't know where to start: lack of any characterization, repititious, hurried, just awful.
Although I believe that Frank Herbert left an outline for sequels to Dune 6, that doesn't necessarily mean Brian Herbert and Anderson used it. Frank Herbert wasn't the kind of writer to have giant robots marching around smashing humanity and I believe the Butlerian Jihad was a revolt against computers on a cerebral/philosophical level and not literally evil robots. Siona's rite of passage in the desert with Leto in Dune 6 suggest otherwise and it is far from clear. Maybe Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and the Fantastic Four would have created such monsters but not Frank Herbert. These books are a mess; even comic books have more nuance.
Bringing back the panoply of characters from the first 6 Dune books served no purpose whatsoever. They are ill-done as characters with no depth whatsoever or purpose to fulfill.
Book Review: I really wanted to like this...
Summary: 1 Stars
...but it just sucked. I have read the original Dune series many times and I so hoped for an ending...unfortunately I got the monkeys paw, I got what I wanted but not the way I wanted it. In this case, I got an ending but it was the worst ending for a series I have ever read...and that is saying alot. Yes I know they are not Frank, but anyone would have been a better choice as a writer. It just makes me a little bit sad that his son couldn't come up with a better ending or hell a better writing partner.Book Review: I wonder at how much Frank Herbert outlined.
Summary: 2 Stars
Brian Herbert, supposedly, was asked by his father to continue the series and, according to Kevin Anderson, to flush out the Butlerian Jihad story with some prequels, so they did. However, when it came time to complete the actual series (Hunters and Sandworms)they clearly were still stuck on the Butlerian Jihad storyline they had created. They use the characters and plots they created in the prequel and superimpose them into the storyline here. The mysterious Daniel and Marty become Omnius and Erasmus, characters created by BH and KA in the prequels, and the storyline becomes saturated with the Butlerian Jihad. Plus all the gholas! A Paul ghola? Seems unlikely since he died millenia ago and you need the person's cells but ok. But Yueh, Hawat, Gurney, Chani, Alia, Stilgar, Leto II, Liet (died in a spice blow how'd they get his cells?) Baron Harkonnen?!, Serena Butler?! etc. It just seems silly and unnecessary. Did the authors ever ask themselves, "is this getting out of hand? We're just reviving everyone for little real reason." The whole work seems like a silly mess that is transparent in it's flaws.Book Review: If you like the previous Dune Prequels, than you'll probably like this, too
Summary: 4 Stars
I am quite torn when it comes to comparing the expanded Dune Universe as imagined by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson...on the one hand, taken entirely alone without comparing the books to the incomparable Frank Herberts works, they are actually entertaining and worthwhile reads...I believe, and I could be wrong here, but it seems to me that for a large number of reviewers, they simply cannot separate these new novels with the writing style of Frank. Let me be honest, when the first expanded novel came out, I was pretty harsh--at first. I can't say what it was that helped me to come around, but somehow I did.
Now that ISN'T saying that I consider Brian and Kevin the Second Coming of Sci Fi greatness--nope. I'm just trying my best to give an honest review, based on how I view the storylines. It's similar to comparing the late Robert Ludlum to Eric Van Lustbader who has started writing Jason Bourne novels--when compared directly with Ludlum's novels, they fall rather flat...however, when taken individually on their own merits, I found that I enjoyed them much more.
The additions of Dune Characters from old was a bit of a surprise for me, and I have to admit that I enjoyed their inclusion quite a bit more by the end of the novel than I at first thought I would. I can see some VERY valid points regarding plot holes (some large enough for a Sandworm to slither through...) identified by some reviewers, as well. My problem is that with some sci fi series, if the plot doesn't hold water, I get mighty upset--and yet with others, I don't seem to care nearly as much--if at all. Can't say why, either. I think that these new Dune novels bring out the part of me that doesn't care as much--again, don't know why, but I just can't invest that much of my time worrying about stuff like this (and yet I lose sleep over the dumbest things, so take it for what its worth).
I have to say that overall, in the novels I have read by Kevin J. Anderson, with the possible exception of his Star Wars books, I've found his writing to be decent enough, and I don't think I've read anything by Brian (other than these Dune prequels) so I can't comment much on his talent, other than to say, for MY money, I found myself thrilled at re-entering the world so incredibly created by Frank Herbert all those years ago. I also agree with one reviewer who lost more interest with each of Franks Dune releases...I just kept hoping that he'd re-capture the magic of the original 1st three books, and in my opinion, it just never happened. That isn't to say that I didn't enjoy them, just not as much. Let's face it, Franks worst writing is better than the vast majority of the best works by most Sci Fi authors--and that includes ALL of them (just MY opinion).
Suffice it to say that if you did not enjoy the other KJA and BH expanded Dune novels, you simply will not like this one--however, if you DID like them, I honestly believe you will find a lot to enjoy here as well. Take that into consideration, and I think you will be a little better off. Hope this helps!
Book Review: Interesting, but doesn't feel like a Dune novel should
Summary: 3 Stars
This review is difficult to write because there are many things about "Sandworms" that I really like, but there are too many things wrong with it to call it "great". Instead it is just pretty good.
First, the good: As a Dune fan I kept reading in part simply because I wanted to see how the authors would attempt to finish Frank Herbert's epic story. For the most part I was pleased with the way that most of Herbert's original characters are portrayed, referring to Duncan Idaho, Sheeana, Teg, Murbella, etc. While the dialogue is sub par in places, I was convinced for most of the book that Frank Herbert originally envisioned these characters. I thought the story was fairly well done for about the first half, with just enough intrigue and excitement to be worthy of Dune.
Now, the bad: This book, along with "Hunters", is ostensibly based on Frank Herbert's outlines, but I wonder how detailed those outlines were, because there are just too many things that seem bizarre when placed in the Dune universe. First, I really didn't like having thinking machines as the Enemy that Herbert envisioned. In particular, the specific characters of Erasmus and Omnious are the authors' creation from the earlier trilogy, and I can't help but feel like they brought them back just to play with them some more. They don't feel like they have anything to do with Dune; they make they book just like any other sci fi novel.
But the biggest pitfall is that the story tries to be too epic. There are way too many characters who are supposed to be important but don't really do anything (Alia, Leto), plot points that are pointless (ultraspice, morphed worms), and I was really annoyed by the fact that most of the gholas end up doing nothing significant and are either killed off or drop from the plot some other way. The ending wraps up way too quickly, neatly, and bizarrely for such a complex story.
In the end, "Sandworms" is fun to read and is exciting at times, but there were too many seemingly random and preposterous story points to call it a fitting end to the Dune saga. Rather, it is a book that you would read once and appreciate, but likely not turn to again.