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Prelude to Dune #3
House Corrino
The triumphant conclusion to the blockbuster trilogy that made science fiction history!
In Dune: House Corrino Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson bring us the magnificent final chapter in the unforgettable saga begun in Dune: House Atreides and continued in Dune: House Harkonnen.
Here nobles and commoners, soldiers and slaves, wives and courtesans shape the amazing destiny of a tumultuous universe. An epic saga of love and war, crime and politics, religion and revolution, this magnificent novel is a fitting conclusion to a great science fiction trilogy ... and an invaluable addition to the thrilling world of Frank Herbert's immortal Dune.
Dune: House Corrino
Fearful of losing his precarious hold on the Golden Lion Throne, Shaddam IV, Emperor of a Million Worlds, has devised a radical scheme to develop an alternative to melange, the addictive spice that binds the Imperium together and that can be found only on the desert world of Dune.
In subterranean labs on the machine planet Ix, cruel Tleilaxu overlords use slaves and prisoners as part of a horrific plan to manufacture a synthetic form of melange known as amal. If amal can supplant the spice from Dune, it will give Shaddam what he seeks: absolute power.
But Duke Leto Atreides, grief-stricken yet unbowed by the tragic death of his son Victor, determined to restore the honor and prestige of his House, has his own plans for Ix.
He will free the Ixians from their oppressive conquerors and restore his friend Prince Rhombur, injured scion of the disgraced House Vernius, to his rightful place as Ixian ruler. It is a bold and risky venture, for House Atreides has limited military resources and many ruthless enemies, including the sadistic Baron Harkonnen, despotic master of Dune.
Meanwhile, Duke Leto's consort, the beautiful Lady Jessica, obeying the orders of her superiors in the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, has conceived a child that the Sisterhood intends to be the penultimate step in the creation of an all-powerful being. Yet what the Sisterhood doesn't know is that the child Jessica is carrying is not the girl they are expecting, but a boy.
Jessica's act of disobedience is an act of love -- her attempt to provide her Duke with a male heir to House Atreides -- but an act that, when discovered, could kill both mother and baby.
Like the Bene Gesserit, Shaddam Corrino is also concerned with making a plan for the future -- securing his legacy. Blinded by his need for power, the Emperor will launch a plot against Dune, the only natural source of true spice. If he succeeds, his madness will result in a cataclysmic tragedy not even he foresees: the end of space travel, the Imperium, and civilization itself.
With Duke Leto and other renegades and revolutionaries fighting to stem the tide of darkness that threatens to engulf their universe, the stage is set for a showdown unlike any seen before.
In Dune: House Corrino Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson bring us the magnificent final chapter in the unforgettable saga begun in Dune: House Atreides and continued in Dune: House Harkonnen.
Here nobles and commoners, soldiers and slaves, wives and courtesans shape the amazing destiny of a tumultuous universe. An epic saga of love and war, crime and politics, religion and revolution, this magnificent novel is a fitting conclusion to a great science fiction trilogy ... and an invaluable addition to the thrilling world of Frank Herbert's immortal Dune.
Dune: House Corrino
Fearful of losing his precarious hold on the Golden Lion Throne, Shaddam IV, Emperor of a Million Worlds, has devised a radical scheme to develop an alternative to melange, the addictive spice that binds the Imperium together and that can be found only on the desert world of Dune.
In subterranean labs on the machine planet Ix, cruel Tleilaxu overlords use slaves and prisoners as part of a horrific plan to manufacture a synthetic form of melange known as amal. If amal can supplant the spice from Dune, it will give Shaddam what he seeks: absolute power.
But Duke Leto Atreides, grief-stricken yet unbowed by the tragic death of his son Victor, determined to restore the honor and prestige of his House, has his own plans for Ix.
He will free the Ixians from their oppressive conquerors and restore his friend Prince Rhombur, injured scion of the disgraced House Vernius, to his rightful place as Ixian ruler. It is a bold and risky venture, for House Atreides has limited military resources and many ruthless enemies, including the sadistic Baron Harkonnen, despotic master of Dune.
Meanwhile, Duke Leto's consort, the beautiful Lady Jessica, obeying the orders of her superiors in the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, has conceived a child that the Sisterhood intends to be the penultimate step in the creation of an all-powerful being. Yet what the Sisterhood doesn't know is that the child Jessica is carrying is not the girl they are expecting, but a boy.
Jessica's act of disobedience is an act of love -- her attempt to provide her Duke with a male heir to House Atreides -- but an act that, when discovered, could kill both mother and baby.
Like the Bene Gesserit, Shaddam Corrino is also concerned with making a plan for the future -- securing his legacy. Blinded by his need for power, the Emperor will launch a plot against Dune, the only natural source of true spice. If he succeeds, his madness will result in a cataclysmic tragedy not even he foresees: the end of space travel, the Imperium, and civilization itself.
With Duke Leto and other renegades and revolutionaries fighting to stem the tide of darkness that threatens to engulf their universe, the stage is set for a showdown unlike any seen before.
667 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 2, 2001
384 people are currently reading
7,835 people want to read
About the author
Brian Herbert
255Ìýbooks2,058ÌýfollowersBrian Patrick Herbert is an American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of science fiction author Frank Patrick Herbert.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews
April 3, 2015
Buddy read with Athena!
Though grand events could take place in the politics of the Imperium, the desert itself never changed.
That sentence beautifully summarises this whole series. The houses are fighting wars in the shadows. Assassins are striking unknowing targets. Planets are being bombarded. People are born, and people die. But Arrakis� Dune� the desert� never changes.
House Corrino is a great conclusion to a great prequel trilogy. I had not expected this kind of enjoyment at the start of the first book, but in the end this proved to be a brilliant expansion of one of the most fascinating science fiction universes ever created. Though easier to read than the original novels, these prequels are filled to the brim with political intrigue, fighting and general suspense.
Certain events were also quite surprising. A surprising character death, for instance, is not something you expect to find in a prequel. There were also hints to storylines beginning far later in the main series, thus making it even more important that readers considering this series read it in order of publication.
So far, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson seem to have done a great job of carrying on the legacy of the brilliant Frank Herbert. And there is a lot more yet to come�
Though grand events could take place in the politics of the Imperium, the desert itself never changed.
That sentence beautifully summarises this whole series. The houses are fighting wars in the shadows. Assassins are striking unknowing targets. Planets are being bombarded. People are born, and people die. But Arrakis� Dune� the desert� never changes.
House Corrino is a great conclusion to a great prequel trilogy. I had not expected this kind of enjoyment at the start of the first book, but in the end this proved to be a brilliant expansion of one of the most fascinating science fiction universes ever created. Though easier to read than the original novels, these prequels are filled to the brim with political intrigue, fighting and general suspense.
Certain events were also quite surprising. A surprising character death, for instance, is not something you expect to find in a prequel. There were also hints to storylines beginning far later in the main series, thus making it even more important that readers considering this series read it in order of publication.
So far, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson seem to have done a great job of carrying on the legacy of the brilliant Frank Herbert. And there is a lot more yet to come�
March 21, 2022
Best of the three prequels, a great backstory to lead up to the events of Frank Herbert’s Dune.
In this 2001 novel we get to know better Emperor Shaddam and some other villains, especially, Count Fenring and Pieter Devries. Fenring is an intriguing character for many reasons and Brian and Kevin provide some insight into what makes him tick. Though not entirely a villain, Shaddam’s wife was also a character drawn with Shakespearean considerations.
Brian and Kevin make this more than just backstory and fill this climactic final chapter in the prequel trilogy with a very good plot and lots of action.
And!
And, a very interesting Quentin Tarantino twist.
Frank Herbert purists will again troll this as NOT DUNE! So, OK, this faux Dune book is fun and if you’re a member of the Bene Expansionist crowd, it’s recommended.
Also! I thought Jose Ferrar did a great job in the 1984 film as the Emperor but I would nominate Charles Dance as the new actor to portray this role and looks like someone else out there agrees with me.
In this 2001 novel we get to know better Emperor Shaddam and some other villains, especially, Count Fenring and Pieter Devries. Fenring is an intriguing character for many reasons and Brian and Kevin provide some insight into what makes him tick. Though not entirely a villain, Shaddam’s wife was also a character drawn with Shakespearean considerations.
Brian and Kevin make this more than just backstory and fill this climactic final chapter in the prequel trilogy with a very good plot and lots of action.
And!
And, a very interesting Quentin Tarantino twist.
Frank Herbert purists will again troll this as NOT DUNE! So, OK, this faux Dune book is fun and if you’re a member of the Bene Expansionist crowd, it’s recommended.
Also! I thought Jose Ferrar did a great job in the 1984 film as the Emperor but I would nominate Charles Dance as the new actor to portray this role and looks like someone else out there agrees with me.
March 20, 2012
“A roundtable discussion leading up to the publication of
Dune: House Crappito
� (April 2001):
Publisher: Welcome gentlemen. So we've read the draft for the fifth novel in your Prelude to Dune series, and we'd like�
Anderson: Third actually.
Publisher: Excuse me?
Herbert: It's the third in the series.
Marketer: I believe they're right.
Publisher: God, it certainly felt longer. Anyway, the third book you've written building on your father's classic work.
Editor: Will this be the last?
Herbert: The last in the series, but we plan on writing these books past our deaths. In fact, we have diagrams for the next 96 books in the series. We're planning on a conclusion, a pre-prequel, a series from the perspective of the sandworms, a series entirely made out of�
Publisher: That's enough. We're talking about House Crappito today. So how do you boys feel about it?
Anderson: It's my magnum opus.
Herbert: A wonderful tribute to my father's legacy. If only he were here to witness this historic moment.
Marketer: Yes. Well, we've had some complaints about the first two novels in the series, and while sales were generally positive, we're a little concerned that they're only going to get worse with this one.
Editor: And the next one, and the next...
Marketer: Indeed. Some fans of Dune are concerned that you are capitalizing on your father's legacy.
Publisher: Not that there is anything wrong with a little capitalism.
Herbert: Never.
Anderson: I admit I am, but that's what I do. You see, I'm hired to take stuff other people have created, Star Wars, The X-Files and then--
Editor: Not to mention it's a horrible read. I mean, come on, you have no character development, no depth, no�
Anderson: There's depth. Sandworms are deep, man. Like hundreds of yards beneath the surface of Arrakis.
Herbert: Yeah! High five, buddy. And there's Ix. That place is deep. A city underground, we're so brilliant for coming up with that one.
Editor: What about a little symbolism or something? Nothing too heavy, I mean you are selling a sci-fi adventure here. But just something that paints the picture a little.
Anderson: We'll add a spider.
Herbert: And then Shaddam crushes it!
Anderson: Yeah, high five, man. And a lizard!
Herbert: What's the lizard do?
Anderson: I don't know yet, but it'll be awesome.
Marketer: What matters is sales. As long as it's selling, we're not going to interfere. But I'm really afraid they're going to slip even more with this one. I mean, you've got a story, but readers want DUNE. You understand what I'm saying?
Anderson: Yeah, I do. We've got a story.
Herbert: It's a great story.
Anderson: It is. I love what you've done with it, man. Like that scene when the heighliner folds space and ends up in the middle of nowhere.
Herbert: Yeah, and that scene you came up with where there's a swordfight to defend the castle 20,000 years in the future. Classic.
Anderson: That happens in every other chapter.
Herbert: That's because it's so damned good.
Publisher: Boys. That's great. Good story. What about the rest of it?
Herbert: Like what?
Editor: Characters for starters.
Herbert: Oh, they're great characters. My father, God bless him, came up with most of them.
Editor: But in these prequels, they're, well, flat.
Anderson: They're not flat. Baron Harkonnen is actually quite round.
Herbert: I think he means figuratively.
Anderson: Oh, right.
Marketer: They are a bit—similar.
Herbert: Leto is a loved leader. Shaddam a hated ruler.
Anderson: And Harkonnen has sex with smooth skinned little boys.
Editor: Yes, but you couldn't tell those things based on any of their actions. It's only because you tell us those things about them.
Marketer: It would be nice to see these differences in character through the eyes of your characters.
Herbert: You want us to show the Barron have sex with lots of little children?
Anderson: I'm on it!
Editor: Just make it so that I could pick up a line of dialogue and know who said it.
Anderson: It does do that. After each line there's an attribution. 'Leto said,' 'Jessica said,' and so forth.
Herbert: I think he means they should speak in different languages.
Anderson: That's stupid. There aren't different languages throughout all these planets in the universe, just secret languages we like to tell the readers about. Everyone has a secret language. That's fun.
Marketer: How come we never actually hear these secret languages?
Herbert: Because it would confuse the reader.
Anderson: Yeah, the reader is dumb.
Herbert: That's why we continually have to remind the reader what they read in the previous chapter.
Editor: Exactly! How many times must we be reminded that the Baron likes little boys?
Anderson: Lots!
Editor: How many times must the reader be reminded that Jessica is carrying a boy to make up for Victor? Or that Tleilaxu technology is inferior? Or that the artificial spice was created under the direction of Shaddam and blah blah blah? It's tedious.
Herbert: But if we don't remind the reader, how will he remember?
Editor: It just happened! Ten pages earlier. And fifteen before that. And eight before that! In the book before that one. How many reminders does the reader need?
Publisher: I think we need to step back here and�
Editor: Oh, I plan on stepping back alright. I can't do this anymore. I can't take it.
Publisher: Now, now. Will House Crappito sell enough to warrant it's publication?
Herbert: Yes.
Anderson: Definitely.
Marketer: I believe it will, sir. Our reports show nerds will buy about anything we tell them to.
Publisher: Good. That's what I want to hear. Now boys, you're gonna take these concerns we've shared with you in the next batch of novels you write, right?
Editor: No, no more. No more! I can't take it.
Anderson: Brian, we should replace the editor with a facedancer.
Herbert: Great idea, KJ.
Anderson: Thank you, I know it is.
Herbert: Speaking of great ideas, I had an idea about our seventh series. What if we make the books take place in the present day, but all the paths lead to Dune?
Anderson: It would be like a prequel 20,000 years in the past. Awesome!
Herbert: Think of all the series we could fill in between them.
Anderson: Exactly. When do we start?
Herbert: Next week's out for me, I'll be watching a Star Wars marathon.
Anderson: What about the weekend?
Herbert: Yeah, we should be able to crank it out in twelve hours.
Anderson: Will there be a character in the book who likes little boys?
Herbert: Of course there will be, KJ. Of course there will.
Publisher: Welcome gentlemen. So we've read the draft for the fifth novel in your Prelude to Dune series, and we'd like�
Anderson: Third actually.
Publisher: Excuse me?
Herbert: It's the third in the series.
Marketer: I believe they're right.
Publisher: God, it certainly felt longer. Anyway, the third book you've written building on your father's classic work.
Editor: Will this be the last?
Herbert: The last in the series, but we plan on writing these books past our deaths. In fact, we have diagrams for the next 96 books in the series. We're planning on a conclusion, a pre-prequel, a series from the perspective of the sandworms, a series entirely made out of�
Publisher: That's enough. We're talking about House Crappito today. So how do you boys feel about it?
Anderson: It's my magnum opus.
Herbert: A wonderful tribute to my father's legacy. If only he were here to witness this historic moment.
Marketer: Yes. Well, we've had some complaints about the first two novels in the series, and while sales were generally positive, we're a little concerned that they're only going to get worse with this one.
Editor: And the next one, and the next...
Marketer: Indeed. Some fans of Dune are concerned that you are capitalizing on your father's legacy.
Publisher: Not that there is anything wrong with a little capitalism.
Herbert: Never.
Anderson: I admit I am, but that's what I do. You see, I'm hired to take stuff other people have created, Star Wars, The X-Files and then--
Editor: Not to mention it's a horrible read. I mean, come on, you have no character development, no depth, no�
Anderson: There's depth. Sandworms are deep, man. Like hundreds of yards beneath the surface of Arrakis.
Herbert: Yeah! High five, buddy. And there's Ix. That place is deep. A city underground, we're so brilliant for coming up with that one.
Editor: What about a little symbolism or something? Nothing too heavy, I mean you are selling a sci-fi adventure here. But just something that paints the picture a little.
Anderson: We'll add a spider.
Herbert: And then Shaddam crushes it!
Anderson: Yeah, high five, man. And a lizard!
Herbert: What's the lizard do?
Anderson: I don't know yet, but it'll be awesome.
Marketer: What matters is sales. As long as it's selling, we're not going to interfere. But I'm really afraid they're going to slip even more with this one. I mean, you've got a story, but readers want DUNE. You understand what I'm saying?
Anderson: Yeah, I do. We've got a story.
Herbert: It's a great story.
Anderson: It is. I love what you've done with it, man. Like that scene when the heighliner folds space and ends up in the middle of nowhere.
Herbert: Yeah, and that scene you came up with where there's a swordfight to defend the castle 20,000 years in the future. Classic.
Anderson: That happens in every other chapter.
Herbert: That's because it's so damned good.
Publisher: Boys. That's great. Good story. What about the rest of it?
Herbert: Like what?
Editor: Characters for starters.
Herbert: Oh, they're great characters. My father, God bless him, came up with most of them.
Editor: But in these prequels, they're, well, flat.
Anderson: They're not flat. Baron Harkonnen is actually quite round.
Herbert: I think he means figuratively.
Anderson: Oh, right.
Marketer: They are a bit—similar.
Herbert: Leto is a loved leader. Shaddam a hated ruler.
Anderson: And Harkonnen has sex with smooth skinned little boys.
Editor: Yes, but you couldn't tell those things based on any of their actions. It's only because you tell us those things about them.
Marketer: It would be nice to see these differences in character through the eyes of your characters.
Herbert: You want us to show the Barron have sex with lots of little children?
Anderson: I'm on it!
Editor: Just make it so that I could pick up a line of dialogue and know who said it.
Anderson: It does do that. After each line there's an attribution. 'Leto said,' 'Jessica said,' and so forth.
Herbert: I think he means they should speak in different languages.
Anderson: That's stupid. There aren't different languages throughout all these planets in the universe, just secret languages we like to tell the readers about. Everyone has a secret language. That's fun.
Marketer: How come we never actually hear these secret languages?
Herbert: Because it would confuse the reader.
Anderson: Yeah, the reader is dumb.
Herbert: That's why we continually have to remind the reader what they read in the previous chapter.
Editor: Exactly! How many times must we be reminded that the Baron likes little boys?
Anderson: Lots!
Editor: How many times must the reader be reminded that Jessica is carrying a boy to make up for Victor? Or that Tleilaxu technology is inferior? Or that the artificial spice was created under the direction of Shaddam and blah blah blah? It's tedious.
Herbert: But if we don't remind the reader, how will he remember?
Editor: It just happened! Ten pages earlier. And fifteen before that. And eight before that! In the book before that one. How many reminders does the reader need?
Publisher: I think we need to step back here and�
Editor: Oh, I plan on stepping back alright. I can't do this anymore. I can't take it.
Publisher: Now, now. Will House Crappito sell enough to warrant it's publication?
Herbert: Yes.
Anderson: Definitely.
Marketer: I believe it will, sir. Our reports show nerds will buy about anything we tell them to.
Publisher: Good. That's what I want to hear. Now boys, you're gonna take these concerns we've shared with you in the next batch of novels you write, right?
Editor: No, no more. No more! I can't take it.
Anderson: Brian, we should replace the editor with a facedancer.
Herbert: Great idea, KJ.
Anderson: Thank you, I know it is.
Herbert: Speaking of great ideas, I had an idea about our seventh series. What if we make the books take place in the present day, but all the paths lead to Dune?
Anderson: It would be like a prequel 20,000 years in the past. Awesome!
Herbert: Think of all the series we could fill in between them.
Anderson: Exactly. When do we start?
Herbert: Next week's out for me, I'll be watching a Star Wars marathon.
Anderson: What about the weekend?
Herbert: Yeah, we should be able to crank it out in twelve hours.
Anderson: Will there be a character in the book who likes little boys?
Herbert: Of course there will be, KJ. Of course there will.
February 9, 2022
House Corrino
(Prelude to Dune #3)
by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson
I would suggest that anyone who tried to read Dune and was overwhelmed maybe start with this series. You have probably watched one of the movies and have some idea of what is going on. This series lets you get to know less characters at one time. Dune throws too many at you and all the places too. Its a lot. These books breaks it down a little better and are still exciting and leads the reader up to Paul in Dune. I found it fascinating to learn so much background information about the characters and places.
(Prelude to Dune #3)
by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson
I would suggest that anyone who tried to read Dune and was overwhelmed maybe start with this series. You have probably watched one of the movies and have some idea of what is going on. This series lets you get to know less characters at one time. Dune throws too many at you and all the places too. Its a lot. These books breaks it down a little better and are still exciting and leads the reader up to Paul in Dune. I found it fascinating to learn so much background information about the characters and places.
March 14, 2019
The Dune series by Frank Herbert was an awesome read when I was younger but i always felt that the story started in the middle of the epic. There was just to much back history referenced that I wanted to know. Well His son has made all that incredible history into an awesome prequel set. if you liked Dune you will love these. My Highest recommendation
June 15, 2024
Brian Herbert's series of prequel novels have been a joy to read. This finishes the Prelude series that takes place roughly two decades before the events of "Dune".
A great many story arcs are resolved in this volume. This does much to explain the setting of the stage for "Dune". Emperor Shaddam is trying to supplant the Noble Houses and the Spacing Guild by developing amal a substitute for melange. This secret plan will bring him into confrontation with the various power brokers of the Empire.
Duke Leto cements his reputation as a just and noble ruler, yet his support of Prince Rhombur's assault on Ix will cause a conflict between the Atreides forces and Imperial Sardukar. The overperforming Atreides fighters leave a dangerous message in the minds of the Imperium-that House Atreides might be a threat.
The Baron Harkonnen also runs into issues over their horde of spice and the Baron further sees little chance of the Beast Rabban becoming heir.
Finally, the Bene Gesserit are in for a shock when Jessica gives birth to a son instead of a daughter and causes quite a stir.
This Dune prequel has been really good and explains a lot of what we see heading into "Dune".
A great many story arcs are resolved in this volume. This does much to explain the setting of the stage for "Dune". Emperor Shaddam is trying to supplant the Noble Houses and the Spacing Guild by developing amal a substitute for melange. This secret plan will bring him into confrontation with the various power brokers of the Empire.
Duke Leto cements his reputation as a just and noble ruler, yet his support of Prince Rhombur's assault on Ix will cause a conflict between the Atreides forces and Imperial Sardukar. The overperforming Atreides fighters leave a dangerous message in the minds of the Imperium-that House Atreides might be a threat.
The Baron Harkonnen also runs into issues over their horde of spice and the Baron further sees little chance of the Beast Rabban becoming heir.
Finally, the Bene Gesserit are in for a shock when Jessica gives birth to a son instead of a daughter and causes quite a stir.
This Dune prequel has been really good and explains a lot of what we see heading into "Dune".
January 5, 2009
Dune is one of my all-time favorite books, and this is a great addition to the canon.
It's so exciting to learn the histories of the well-loved characters of Dune. Brian Herbert's writing style is very similar to his father's, so the book (and the whole prequel trilogy) doesn't seem out of place in the Dune universe.
This last volume in the prequel trilogy brings the reader up to the original Dune novel. Story lines are tied up here. Leto and Jessica discover their true love, and Jessica takes a huge risk for the sake of Leto's happiness. Leto and Rhombur fight for the freedom of Ix, and Emperor Corrino shows just how inept he is through a plan involving the desert planet of Dune.
"Taking his son in his strong hands, Duke Leto lifted the baby high. 'Citizens of Caladan, meet your next ruler--Paul Orestes Atreides!'"
I couldn't put this book down, and couldn't wait to get to the rest of the trilogy!
It's so exciting to learn the histories of the well-loved characters of Dune. Brian Herbert's writing style is very similar to his father's, so the book (and the whole prequel trilogy) doesn't seem out of place in the Dune universe.
This last volume in the prequel trilogy brings the reader up to the original Dune novel. Story lines are tied up here. Leto and Jessica discover their true love, and Jessica takes a huge risk for the sake of Leto's happiness. Leto and Rhombur fight for the freedom of Ix, and Emperor Corrino shows just how inept he is through a plan involving the desert planet of Dune.
"Taking his son in his strong hands, Duke Leto lifted the baby high. 'Citizens of Caladan, meet your next ruler--Paul Orestes Atreides!'"
I couldn't put this book down, and couldn't wait to get to the rest of the trilogy!
June 3, 2020
There are contradictions and retcons abound in this book. Originally, Elrood had ruled for 34 years, not 138 as this trilogy claimed. Ix was ruled by a group, not House Vernius.
If Frank Herbert had decided to write a precursor to Dune, he could easily have done so in one book, not three. The drama between Leto, Kailea, their son (not Paul! Gasp!), and Rhombur was unnecessary filler, and the Baron is portrayed in this book as a rabid woman-hating man where in Dune he had been hinted at being gay, and his attitude towards women wasn't as misogynistic. Many, many original characters clutter up this trilogy and the canon characters are rather different, for a rather unsatisfying read.
This trilogy really is nothing more than fan-fiction, freely abound with retcons and mistakes that would make anyone else ashamed, but apparently Brian and Kevin simply don't care about anything but the money these books generate.
Any true Dune fan should never consider anything by that pair as more than poorly-written fanfiction.
If Frank Herbert had decided to write a precursor to Dune, he could easily have done so in one book, not three. The drama between Leto, Kailea, their son (not Paul! Gasp!), and Rhombur was unnecessary filler, and the Baron is portrayed in this book as a rabid woman-hating man where in Dune he had been hinted at being gay, and his attitude towards women wasn't as misogynistic. Many, many original characters clutter up this trilogy and the canon characters are rather different, for a rather unsatisfying read.
This trilogy really is nothing more than fan-fiction, freely abound with retcons and mistakes that would make anyone else ashamed, but apparently Brian and Kevin simply don't care about anything but the money these books generate.
Any true Dune fan should never consider anything by that pair as more than poorly-written fanfiction.
April 24, 2015
Buddy Read with Markus!
BOOM! DONE! Loved it!!
BOOM! DONE! Loved it!!
July 14, 2018
I guess I might as well wrap this up. This is the third book my brother-in-law loaned me because I'm a Dune fan. The first two were the first two books(pre-Dune chronology) of the second trilogy written by these guys. The third book should have been "The Battle of Corrin," but he gave me this instead. The second trilogy(pre-Dune chronology) was the first one written by Herbert and Anderson and this is the third book in THAT trilogy. In other words, this stuff is all happening in the immediate past before the original Dune begins. So ... seems interesting enough so far with lots of stuff happening and several sub-plots. In other words, very much like the last two I read. Actually, this one seems to be better-written(before they got tired of it all?) and benefits from having all those Dune people in it already: Duke Leto, Lady Jessica, Gurney Halleck, Duncan Idaho, Thufir Hawat, Shaddam IV, The nasty Count Fenring, the reverend mother, Stilgar, Liet-Kynes. And that's just in the first fifty pages or so!
Moving along now and finding that my initial optimism about the writing was a bit misplaced. It's pretty ... bad(?) ... maybe solidly mediocre would be more charitable. It's turning out to be much like the previous books but with the virtue of having the aforementioned familiar characters. As before there's a lot of plot and that helps keep one interested enough to keep on, though perhaps with a bit of the old skip-skimming.
- "leather-faced"! - not "leathery-faced"!
- pages devoted to and wasted on an over-elaborate wedding description
- blah, blah, blah - SUCH a consistent problem in modern "literature. Let's GO! - while we're young!
Things have picked up again as "stuff" starts happening. The crappy, digressive, descriptive blah-blah is kept to a realative minimum.
- Cordwainer Smith had Go-ships, this book has No-ships.
- According to Irulan, Kaitain is "amazing," ... as in So-Cal "amazing"?
- the term "desert-stained" comes up more than once. Exactly what that means is ???????
- since most everyone who reads this has already read "Dune," isn't the outcome of the artificial spice program kind of obvious???
Finished last night with this poorly written and unnecessarily convoluted/complicated, herky-jerky(plot-wise) book. Like The Lord of the Rings it had an ending for each plot thread. I probably skimmed about 20% of it. The page set-up was kind of weird. At the beginning of each new section the first page had wider margins than the "normal" pages, this making the text "skinnier" for that page(those pages). This must have added another 50 or so pages to the book. So many mini-chapters too.
- I don't recall anything about Ix, the Tleilaxu and their awful axlotl tanks from "Dune," but I haven't read it for a while. These are definitely a part of the Frank Herbert-written "Heretics of Dune, however."
- Classic bad writing 101 ... (The Baron)"He smashed furnishings and threatened his aides, but nothing helped. He bellowed up at the sky, "Damn you, Shaddam!" - just ... f'ing ... silly.
- And so to the rating. This book is a perfect example of why I'd love for G'reads to add a sixth star to the possibility of ratings. If I give this a 3* rating, that means it's in the big "OK" category with a lot of much better sci-fi stories. It's not quite as bad as a 2* book(to ME 2* is a bad rating, not an OK rating). 3* out of 6* would be perfect, i.e. below average, but not horrible. So ... 2.5* rounds down to 2*. I will read no more of these Herbert-Anderson books.
Moving along now and finding that my initial optimism about the writing was a bit misplaced. It's pretty ... bad(?) ... maybe solidly mediocre would be more charitable. It's turning out to be much like the previous books but with the virtue of having the aforementioned familiar characters. As before there's a lot of plot and that helps keep one interested enough to keep on, though perhaps with a bit of the old skip-skimming.
- "leather-faced"! - not "leathery-faced"!
- pages devoted to and wasted on an over-elaborate wedding description
- blah, blah, blah - SUCH a consistent problem in modern "literature. Let's GO! - while we're young!
Things have picked up again as "stuff" starts happening. The crappy, digressive, descriptive blah-blah is kept to a realative minimum.
- Cordwainer Smith had Go-ships, this book has No-ships.
- According to Irulan, Kaitain is "amazing," ... as in So-Cal "amazing"?
- the term "desert-stained" comes up more than once. Exactly what that means is ???????
- since most everyone who reads this has already read "Dune," isn't the outcome of the artificial spice program kind of obvious???
Finished last night with this poorly written and unnecessarily convoluted/complicated, herky-jerky(plot-wise) book. Like The Lord of the Rings it had an ending for each plot thread. I probably skimmed about 20% of it. The page set-up was kind of weird. At the beginning of each new section the first page had wider margins than the "normal" pages, this making the text "skinnier" for that page(those pages). This must have added another 50 or so pages to the book. So many mini-chapters too.
- I don't recall anything about Ix, the Tleilaxu and their awful axlotl tanks from "Dune," but I haven't read it for a while. These are definitely a part of the Frank Herbert-written "Heretics of Dune, however."
- Classic bad writing 101 ... (The Baron)"He smashed furnishings and threatened his aides, but nothing helped. He bellowed up at the sky, "Damn you, Shaddam!" - just ... f'ing ... silly.
- And so to the rating. This book is a perfect example of why I'd love for G'reads to add a sixth star to the possibility of ratings. If I give this a 3* rating, that means it's in the big "OK" category with a lot of much better sci-fi stories. It's not quite as bad as a 2* book(to ME 2* is a bad rating, not an OK rating). 3* out of 6* would be perfect, i.e. below average, but not horrible. So ... 2.5* rounds down to 2*. I will read no more of these Herbert-Anderson books.
January 5, 2024
2024 Reread:
This is the book that destroys the Canon created by Frank Herbert.
The other novels stray but this just tramples it.
This doesn't fix the problems with Lady Jessica's story nor does it explain why the Sisterhood waits another 15 yrs to check up on someone who is a potential Kwisatz Haderach.
It's medium ok I guess.
Original Review:
This is the first of the books written by BH and KJA that just totally ignores Canon. Sigh. None the less I enjoy the expanded universe.
This is the book that destroys the Canon created by Frank Herbert.
The other novels stray but this just tramples it.
This doesn't fix the problems with Lady Jessica's story nor does it explain why the Sisterhood waits another 15 yrs to check up on someone who is a potential Kwisatz Haderach.
It's medium ok I guess.
Original Review:
This is the first of the books written by BH and KJA that just totally ignores Canon. Sigh. None the less I enjoy the expanded universe.
August 18, 2024
Significantly less entertaining than the other 2 books but still had some fun backstory for the characters of the original Dune
September 6, 2007
This book is a piece of minor evil.
A bad writer taking a world of such power and dignity, and using it to write a hack job political thriller. Just an awful book filled with broad caricatures of characters, dumb plot, and heavy handed writing.
Really a disgusting thing.
A bad writer taking a world of such power and dignity, and using it to write a hack job political thriller. Just an awful book filled with broad caricatures of characters, dumb plot, and heavy handed writing.
Really a disgusting thing.
May 18, 2023
In typical Kevin J. Anderson fashion, he and Brian Herbert create a satisfying conclusion to the Prelude to Dune series that not only satisfys story elements from this trilogy, but sets things up for the main Dune novel.
What I enjoyed most in this book was the retaking of Ix plotline. In Book 1 we got the fall of House Vernius on Ix and they basically became stagnated in book 2 (it became more about the passage of time). Here, we see Rhombur finally put the pieces on the board and work towards retaking his homeworld.
We also see a lot of House Corrino finally, as Shaddam makes his move to take over the Spice production and replace it with "Amal", which is really fake Spice. Seeing him make moves so similar to the Empire in Star Wars was fun, and seeing how poorly he works without his top advisor was fascinating.
The overall most boring plotline was the Jessica going to Keitan plotline, and thats because not much happens. Everything in that plotline is predictable and follows the necessary plotlines to set up Dune. The plot isn't bad or poorly written, it just can't possibly match up to the excitement of the other plotlines.
This book had the first instances of truely great prose by Anderson and Herbert, and there were some lines of dialogue, description, and quotes in the beginning of chapters that I really appreciated. One in particular towards the end of the book was
"There is no doubt that the desert has mystical qualities. Deserts, traditionally, are the wombs of religion".
What a quote!
There are definitely themes about power corrupting and the necessity of "checks and balances" that add just a little bit of depth into a pretty shallow series. Don't get me wrong, I loved this series throughout, but the little bit of depth was nice.
This book had the least amount of "Dune/Arrakis" in it, and I was actually happy about that, because I felt that Frank Herbert spent way too much time there in the books (I know, its called "Dune", but I wanted to see the rest of the universe), and Kevin and Brian do an excellent job of bringing in the other planets as well!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think it has the best action and pacing of the trilogy, and certainly the conclusion to several plotlines was great. I think the plots and character work of the first book are slightly better, but they kind of tie in the overall ratings for me. 8.5 out of 10. Well done Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert!
What I enjoyed most in this book was the retaking of Ix plotline. In Book 1 we got the fall of House Vernius on Ix and they basically became stagnated in book 2 (it became more about the passage of time). Here, we see Rhombur finally put the pieces on the board and work towards retaking his homeworld.
We also see a lot of House Corrino finally, as Shaddam makes his move to take over the Spice production and replace it with "Amal", which is really fake Spice. Seeing him make moves so similar to the Empire in Star Wars was fun, and seeing how poorly he works without his top advisor was fascinating.
The overall most boring plotline was the Jessica going to Keitan plotline, and thats because not much happens. Everything in that plotline is predictable and follows the necessary plotlines to set up Dune. The plot isn't bad or poorly written, it just can't possibly match up to the excitement of the other plotlines.
This book had the first instances of truely great prose by Anderson and Herbert, and there were some lines of dialogue, description, and quotes in the beginning of chapters that I really appreciated. One in particular towards the end of the book was
"There is no doubt that the desert has mystical qualities. Deserts, traditionally, are the wombs of religion".
What a quote!
There are definitely themes about power corrupting and the necessity of "checks and balances" that add just a little bit of depth into a pretty shallow series. Don't get me wrong, I loved this series throughout, but the little bit of depth was nice.
This book had the least amount of "Dune/Arrakis" in it, and I was actually happy about that, because I felt that Frank Herbert spent way too much time there in the books (I know, its called "Dune", but I wanted to see the rest of the universe), and Kevin and Brian do an excellent job of bringing in the other planets as well!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think it has the best action and pacing of the trilogy, and certainly the conclusion to several plotlines was great. I think the plots and character work of the first book are slightly better, but they kind of tie in the overall ratings for me. 8.5 out of 10. Well done Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert!
December 7, 2024
House Corrino brings us closer to the Atreides family's move to Arrakis. It covers the birth of Paul, the restoration of Ix to Rhombur, the chastising of Shaddam, and the beginning of a tenuous balance in the Imperium. There was, again, fast-paced action. There were several surprises, some deaths that were to be mourned, some we applauded. Leto continues to emerge as a noble leader of his people. The abilities of Duncan Idaho, Gurney Halleck, and Thufir Hawat are showcased. On Arrakis, Liet Kynes, now the Imperial Planetologist, and his friend and companion Stilgar, continue to lead the Fremen in the their battle with Baron Harkonen and his evil nephew, the Beast Rabban. Good book, #s 7, 8, 9 in the series. I will continue in the series, then go back and read the first books.
March 21, 2023
Después de las inimaginables intrigas polÃticas que cimentaron la estructura de todas las precuelas de Dune, La Casa Corrino se corona como prólogo al gran universo de Herbert, cerrando tramas y abriendo otras nuevas. Diez mil años de civilización espacial humana para llegar hasta acá, entre Hermanas, Mentats, Navegantes, Grandes Casas, tleilaxus, y un Imperio cada vez más desestabilizado y decadente.
October 3, 2017
Perhaps it's the fact that I read many of the original Dune novels in the 80's and waited almost 30 years to return to Arrakis, but I found the entire Prelude trilogy to be excellent. I really enjoyed revisiting the world and many of the characters will finally meet in the kickoff novel Dune. More than that, we see the origins of so very many of them. We know who will eventually be in that novel, but we don't know their story -- and now I do. Some might say the events of the books are contrived to get the characters to where they needed to be, but I definitely don't feel that way. These events are what shaped Leto, Duncan, Gurney, Jessica, Paul...
What more do I need say? I was enthralled, and pleased to be with them. The audio version was superb and it makes me want to pursue other novels now out by Brian Herbert.
What more do I need say? I was enthralled, and pleased to be with them. The audio version was superb and it makes me want to pursue other novels now out by Brian Herbert.
May 11, 2007
These books are complete trash and the writers should be embarrassed to be shitting on Dune's legacy.
December 22, 2021
Toute une épopée. Bien qu’un peu long par moment, j’ai bien aimé ce livre. Il met en perspective certains évènements de la série originale et permet d’approfondir les personnages, les familles et l’univers en soi. L’intrigue est prenante, même si, étant un préquel, on a une assez bonne idée de quel sera le dénouement. Une bonne lecture!
September 6, 2024
Al met al vermakelijke prequelserie, geeft ook meer achtergrond bij het originele verhaal. De intriges en het politieke geklungel van de Emperor zijn leuk gedaan, met een grappig knallend einde
April 14, 2024
Brian Herbert pissed me off man
Ps. You too Kevin
Ps. You too Kevin
August 2, 2012
This book sucks. I hardly even want to waste my time writing more of a review since I already wasted my time reading it, but I'll try. I love the original Dune series and I wish that Brian would have just left his father's legacy alone. Though it is sad that Frank passed away before he could finish the whole series, I'd rather have it that way than with all this inane garbage added in. These books (the house trilogy) read like find/replace highschool level scifi writing.
==Spoilers==
I was so glad when Anirul finally died so I didn't have to read about her stupid DOE EYES again. Every time I read a caracter's name in the book I could predict what would come after because there was absolutely no variety. Oh look, this chapter focuses on C'tair, better make sure to mention how he was so in love with and flirted with Kailea back when Ix didn't suck butts.
Whatever, I'm over it. In any case, I'd much rather read dune and all the original Frank written books over and over than read any of these garbage books.
==Spoilers==
I was so glad when Anirul finally died so I didn't have to read about her stupid DOE EYES again. Every time I read a caracter's name in the book I could predict what would come after because there was absolutely no variety. Oh look, this chapter focuses on C'tair, better make sure to mention how he was so in love with and flirted with Kailea back when Ix didn't suck butts.
Whatever, I'm over it. In any case, I'd much rather read dune and all the original Frank written books over and over than read any of these garbage books.
January 27, 2015
It is so comforting to read more of Dune universe :) Brian H. and Kevin A. did a really good job with these books.
December 10, 2012
love dune
April 3, 2022
Truth often carries with it the inherent necessity for change. The most common expression when real change enforces itself is the plaintive cry: "Why didn't anyone warn us?" Truly, they do not hear - or hearing, do not choose to remember.
The final and shortest book in the Prelude to Dune Trilogy. I was thinking House Corrino might be the least intriguing of the three, but it builds nicely to a triumphant conclusion, bringing together threads from the previous two volumes.
Favorite Passages:
The fate of the Known Universe hinges upon effective decisions, which can only be made with complete information.
______
In this universe there is no such thing as a safe place or a safe way. Danger lies along every path.
______
A true gift is not just the object itself; it is a demonstration of understanding and caring, a reflection of both the individual who gives and the one who receives.
______
Stabilizing the present is assumed to be a form of balance, but inevitably this action turns out to be dangerous. Law and order are deadly. Trying to control the future serves only to deform it.
______
Following two generations of chaos, when mankind finally overcame the insidious control of machines, a new concept emerged: "Man may not be replaced."
______
Love? What does that have to do with Imperial marriages?
______
The human body is a storehouse of relics from the past - the appendix, thymus, and (in the embryo) a gill structure. But the unconscious mind is even more intriguing. It has been built up over millions of years and represents a history throughout its synaptic traces, some of which do not appear to be useful in modern times. It is difficult to find everything that is there.
______
Once you have explored a fear, it becomes less terrifying. Part of courage comes from extending our knowledge.
______
The key to discovery lies not in mathematics, but in the imagination.
______
Each man is a little war.
______
There is much of ruin in everyday life. Even so, we need to see beyond the wreckage to the magnificence that once was.
______
Survival demands vigor and fitness, and an understanding of limitations. You must learn what your world asks of you, what it needs of you. Each organism plays its part in keeping the ecosystem operational. Each has its niche.
______
The universe is always one step beyond logic.
______
Who knows what detritus of today will survive the eons of human history? It might be the slightest thing, a seemingly inconsequential item. Yet somehow it strikes a resonant chord, and survives for thousands of years.
______
When you feel the pressures of limitations, then you begin to die . . . in a prison of your own choosing.
______
The search for an ultimate, unifying explanation for all things is a fruitless endeavor, a step in the wrong direction. This is why, in a universe of chaos, we must constantly adapt.
______
Life improves the capacity of the environment to sustain life. Life makes needed nutrients more readily available. It binds more energy into the system through the tremendous interplay from organism to organism.
_______
A man cannot drink from a mirage, but he can drown in it.
_______
"How could you be so stupid, so clumsy as to get yourself killed?"
The corpse did not answer.
_______
There is no doubt that the desert has mystical qualities. Deserts, traditionally, are the wombs of religion.
_______
Something tremendous has changed in the universe.
_______
The Fremen had just witnessed a remarkable omen, that somewhere in the universe an important birth had occurred, one that would be hailed across millennia to come. In his daughter's ear Planetologist Liet-Kynes began to whisper the thoughts that he could translate into words . . . and then fell silent as he sensed that she understood.
The final and shortest book in the Prelude to Dune Trilogy. I was thinking House Corrino might be the least intriguing of the three, but it builds nicely to a triumphant conclusion, bringing together threads from the previous two volumes.
Favorite Passages:
The fate of the Known Universe hinges upon effective decisions, which can only be made with complete information.
______
In this universe there is no such thing as a safe place or a safe way. Danger lies along every path.
______
A true gift is not just the object itself; it is a demonstration of understanding and caring, a reflection of both the individual who gives and the one who receives.
______
Stabilizing the present is assumed to be a form of balance, but inevitably this action turns out to be dangerous. Law and order are deadly. Trying to control the future serves only to deform it.
______
Following two generations of chaos, when mankind finally overcame the insidious control of machines, a new concept emerged: "Man may not be replaced."
______
Love? What does that have to do with Imperial marriages?
______
The human body is a storehouse of relics from the past - the appendix, thymus, and (in the embryo) a gill structure. But the unconscious mind is even more intriguing. It has been built up over millions of years and represents a history throughout its synaptic traces, some of which do not appear to be useful in modern times. It is difficult to find everything that is there.
______
Once you have explored a fear, it becomes less terrifying. Part of courage comes from extending our knowledge.
______
The key to discovery lies not in mathematics, but in the imagination.
______
Each man is a little war.
______
There is much of ruin in everyday life. Even so, we need to see beyond the wreckage to the magnificence that once was.
______
Survival demands vigor and fitness, and an understanding of limitations. You must learn what your world asks of you, what it needs of you. Each organism plays its part in keeping the ecosystem operational. Each has its niche.
______
The universe is always one step beyond logic.
______
Who knows what detritus of today will survive the eons of human history? It might be the slightest thing, a seemingly inconsequential item. Yet somehow it strikes a resonant chord, and survives for thousands of years.
______
When you feel the pressures of limitations, then you begin to die . . . in a prison of your own choosing.
______
The search for an ultimate, unifying explanation for all things is a fruitless endeavor, a step in the wrong direction. This is why, in a universe of chaos, we must constantly adapt.
______
Life improves the capacity of the environment to sustain life. Life makes needed nutrients more readily available. It binds more energy into the system through the tremendous interplay from organism to organism.
_______
A man cannot drink from a mirage, but he can drown in it.
_______
"How could you be so stupid, so clumsy as to get yourself killed?"
The corpse did not answer.
_______
There is no doubt that the desert has mystical qualities. Deserts, traditionally, are the wombs of religion.
_______
Something tremendous has changed in the universe.
_______
The Fremen had just witnessed a remarkable omen, that somewhere in the universe an important birth had occurred, one that would be hailed across millennia to come. In his daughter's ear Planetologist Liet-Kynes began to whisper the thoughts that he could translate into words . . . and then fell silent as he sensed that she understood.
May 23, 2020
Finalmente posso dire addio per sempre a Dune e al preludio di Dune! (e accidenti a me che non riesco mai ad abbandonare un libro)
Ho finito questo ultimissimo libro con enorme fatica, sia per il poco tempo che ho ormai per leggere, sia perché non avevo proprio voglia di leggerlo.
Diciamo che, se tutti i capitoli fossero stati come gli ultimi 10, forse avrei sbadigliato di meno.
Shaddam IV, l'Imperatore di tutte le galassie mi è sembrato solo un ragazzino viziato, tenuto a bada nelle proprie scelte dall'amico Hasimir Fenring, ma quando questo viene allontanato per un momento, succede il finimondo che si ripercuoterà poi nella serie vera e propria di Dune.
Le Bene Gesserit qui sono molto meno presenti ed è per questo che mi sono anche annoiata di più.
Leto, Duncan e Thufir restano sempre personaggi degni di nota, ma non bastano.
Insomma, a me, questa casa Corrino mi ha proprio annoiata !
Nel complesso, comunque posso dire che la serie del preludio a Dune, portata a termine dal figlio di Herbert, è interessante per scoprire molte cose sul famoso melange, su tutti gli intrighi politici del Landsdraad, ma soprattutto per capire cosa diavolo sono effettivamente queste famose vasche Axotl (sigh). Herbert figlio almeno spiega l'incasinato mondo creato dal padre che, invece ha lasciato in mano ai suoi personaggi dettagli caotici e al limite del delirio.
Quindi meglio i libri che compongono il Preludio, ma questi possono essere letti solo dopo la serie originale, altrimenti non ci capireste veramente nulla.
Ho finito questo ultimissimo libro con enorme fatica, sia per il poco tempo che ho ormai per leggere, sia perché non avevo proprio voglia di leggerlo.
Diciamo che, se tutti i capitoli fossero stati come gli ultimi 10, forse avrei sbadigliato di meno.
Shaddam IV, l'Imperatore di tutte le galassie mi è sembrato solo un ragazzino viziato, tenuto a bada nelle proprie scelte dall'amico Hasimir Fenring, ma quando questo viene allontanato per un momento, succede il finimondo che si ripercuoterà poi nella serie vera e propria di Dune.
Le Bene Gesserit qui sono molto meno presenti ed è per questo che mi sono anche annoiata di più.
Leto, Duncan e Thufir restano sempre personaggi degni di nota, ma non bastano.
Insomma, a me, questa casa Corrino mi ha proprio annoiata !
Nel complesso, comunque posso dire che la serie del preludio a Dune, portata a termine dal figlio di Herbert, è interessante per scoprire molte cose sul famoso melange, su tutti gli intrighi politici del Landsdraad, ma soprattutto per capire cosa diavolo sono effettivamente queste famose vasche Axotl (sigh). Herbert figlio almeno spiega l'incasinato mondo creato dal padre che, invece ha lasciato in mano ai suoi personaggi dettagli caotici e al limite del delirio.
Quindi meglio i libri che compongono il Preludio, ma questi possono essere letti solo dopo la serie originale, altrimenti non ci capireste veramente nulla.
January 17, 2025
Well it was shorter than the other installments of "Herberson's" Prelude to Dune trilogy, which only confirms what I always assumed were needlessly long volumes to begin with. Dune: House Corrino doesn't appear to expand much on what we could know about the lineage itself. Rather it's a star trek toward Frank Herbert's epic by letting us know where this Emperor of the Known Universe could have harnessed his resentment and jealousy of House Atreides...except that it doesn't really. No, instead we're involved with Ix. Why? Because "Herberson" loves bots, and as much as the Dune universe's uniqueness against the other franchises and properties like Star Wars and Star Trek, this writing team just can't not even. I can admire the verve. Hell, just to see a version on any screen of the even-then-geriatric Mother Superior Helen Gaius Moheim beat the living daylights out of Mentat Piter de Vries like it was a Jet Li movie might make adapting the whole trilogy worth it. Just dump the cyborgs and that whole sublot with Veranius regardless and then we can see about it. Suffice it to say this is it. This is where I step off the "Herberson" route regarding anything Dune. Unless the Herbert Estate and company want to let us in on Frank's material letting us know that we are in the presence of at least a modicum of what his son and his buddy have been doing with his legacy since 1999...consider me finished with Brian Herbert's and Kevin J. Anderson's So-Called Dune.
July 9, 2022
Most fans find the Harkonnen book as the most boring of these prequels but I would argue that Corrino is, in fact, the slowest and weakest of the bunch.
To me, this one just never really grabbed me in the same way the other 2 did. I actually felt this one was too long by about 25-30 pages.
However, as the last of the prequel trilogy to Dune itself, Corrino still does a pretty good job in explaining the world of Frank Herbert’s classic and still manages to tie up all the lose plots from previous entries.
Sure, son Herbert and Anderson clearly made this all up and probably never used dear Frank’s supposed notes like they claimed to but I’m ok with it since overall, the entire House trilogy still makes for some fun reading.
To me, this one just never really grabbed me in the same way the other 2 did. I actually felt this one was too long by about 25-30 pages.
However, as the last of the prequel trilogy to Dune itself, Corrino still does a pretty good job in explaining the world of Frank Herbert’s classic and still manages to tie up all the lose plots from previous entries.
Sure, son Herbert and Anderson clearly made this all up and probably never used dear Frank’s supposed notes like they claimed to but I’m ok with it since overall, the entire House trilogy still makes for some fun reading.
August 18, 2020
As much as I love the Dune universe, this is just terrible.
One thing I significantly dislike are "erase buttons." My go-to example of this are magic chairs, like the one found in The Flash series, where an entire season of content is wiped in a single moment. This technique makes what you have spent many hours/days reading all go away in a single paragraph and wipes the slate clean. This makes me cringe more often than not, and it makes the whole experience seem like a waste and actions that characters take and events that unfold lose all of the weight/value/meaning.
In all honesty though, by the time House Corrino hits its erase button, the overall composition was already so poorly done it didn't even matter. It was already beyond a sinking ship at that point anyways.
There was absolutely nothing new, creative, beyond my imagination, unexpected, or even thrilling/gripping/exciting found within this book at all.
I am actually pretty disappointed that I spent 8 days on this, where I didn't learn or experience anything new... or even enjoy the content at that.
One of these days, I will more than likely start the Schools of Dune series (mentats, navigators, sisterhood) ... but I would not recommend this series. Frank's core 6 books and the Butlerian Jihad yes, but the house series... no... just no.
One thing I significantly dislike are "erase buttons." My go-to example of this are magic chairs, like the one found in The Flash series, where an entire season of content is wiped in a single moment. This technique makes what you have spent many hours/days reading all go away in a single paragraph and wipes the slate clean. This makes me cringe more often than not, and it makes the whole experience seem like a waste and actions that characters take and events that unfold lose all of the weight/value/meaning.
In all honesty though, by the time House Corrino hits its erase button, the overall composition was already so poorly done it didn't even matter. It was already beyond a sinking ship at that point anyways.
There was absolutely nothing new, creative, beyond my imagination, unexpected, or even thrilling/gripping/exciting found within this book at all.
I am actually pretty disappointed that I spent 8 days on this, where I didn't learn or experience anything new... or even enjoy the content at that.
One of these days, I will more than likely start the Schools of Dune series (mentats, navigators, sisterhood) ... but I would not recommend this series. Frank's core 6 books and the Butlerian Jihad yes, but the house series... no... just no.
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