Book Review: Dune: The Lady of Caladan (Dune #12) #Dune

 

The Lady of Caladan is the 12th book in the Dune Saga (when read chronologically) and is the second book in the Caladan trilogy set in the years immediately before the events of the original Dune novel. The book was published in 2021 and was once again written by the duo of Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert. While the title suggests that Jessica is the focus of the book, like most of the other prequel novels, it has several storylines going on at one time, specifically involving Leto, Jessica, Paul, Baron Harkonnen and his two nephews, Count Fenring, and to a lesser degree Emperor Shaddam. The only major characters who do not appear are Chani and Irulan. The events of the book pick up immediately after the prior novel, The Duke of Caladan, with Jessica having been recalled to Wallach IX by the Bene Gesserit and Leto having been offered to join the group of Nobles working against the Emperor. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 400 pages. While there are only a handful of new characters in the book, since it jumps between storylines every chapter or two, it can sometimes be a bit slow to read. The book does a good job of escalating the Harkonnen-Atreides feud and setting the stage for why the Emperor reassigns Leto to oversee the spice production on Arrakis. It is absolutely worth the time to read, especially if you want the backstory of the original Dune novels. 

Book Review: Dune: The Duke of Caladan (Dune #11) #Dune

 

The Duke of Caladan, published in 2020, is the 11th book in the Dune Saga (when reading them in chronological order) and the first in the Caladan trilogy. It is one of now four novels (the other two in the Caladan trilogy and the new novel, Princess of Dune) set in the two years immediately before the events of the original 1965 novel Dune. This one was again written by the duo of Brian Herbert, the son of Frank Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson. Like the other prequel novels, this one has several storylines. The major storyline set on Caladan involves a drug that is being manufactured from one of Caladan's native plants and is killing people throughout the imperium (unbeknownst to Leto). The second storyline is set on Arrakis and involves illegal spice production and smuggling after Emperor Corrino imposes a surcharge on spice. The final storyline involves the Sisterhood and a warning about Jessica and Paul. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 320 pages long. While the book is centered around the character of Leto Atreides, Paul, Jessica, Gurney Halleck, Duncan Idaho, Baron Harkonnen, Mother Mohiam, and Emperor  Corrino are all featured prominently. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that will carry over into the next books in the Caladan trilogy as the authors set up the events of the original novel. If you are a fan of the Dune series, the book is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: Princess of Dune (Dune #10)

 

Princess of Dune, published in late 2023, is, as of this writing, the newest book in the Dune Saga and the 10th book when read chronologically. It is set 2 years before the events of the original 1965 novel and was again written by the duo of Brian Herbert (the original author's son) and Kevin J. Anderson (who have written all of the prequel novels).  As the title (and cover image) of the book suggests, the storylines in this book are focused on Princess Irulan (and her sisters) and Chani. Irulan and Chani have mostly separate story arcs in the book, but their stories do intersect briefly about 2/3 of the way through the book. Irulan's story involves a potential marriage to a military suitor, and Chani's storyline involves trying to free Dune from the grip of the Harkonnens and Emperor Shaddam. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 400 pages, which is a little shorter than many of the other prequel novels. The pacing is good (even with jumping back and forth between the two main storylines), and unlike some of the other prequel novels, it does not have a ton of characters to keep track of. None of the Atreides characters appear in the book, and only a handful of Harkonnen characters appear very briefly. If you are a fan of the Dune saga, this is well worth the time to read. 

Book Review: Dune: House Corrino (Dune #9)

 

House Corrino, published in 2001, is the ninth book in the series of Dune novels (when read chronologically) and is the third book in the Prelude to Dune Trilogy, the third of the prequel trilogies leading to the events of the original novel. The book was again written by the combination of Frank Herbert's son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The events of this book are set about 15 years before the events of the original novel, with Paul's birth occurring at the end of the book, Chani being about eight months old, and Princess Irulan as a young girl. The book mostly involves those who are adults in the original novel and includes three main plotlines, each of which has ancillary plotlines. In the first, Shaddam is trying to perfect the synthetic spice and break the Harkonnen hold on the spice trade. In the second, Leto devises a daring attack on the planet Ix to restore Prince Rhombur to power. In the third, the Harkonnens plot to kill Lady Jessica and/or her unborn child. 

The hardcover version of the book is about 500 pages long. The book is a faster read than the prior novels since all of the main characters have been established. There are some new characters in the book, but their involvement is tangential to the storylines. The end of the book does not lead directly into the events of the original Dune, as there are another four novels that, by their titles, seem to be centered around Paul, Chani, Irulan, and Jessica just before the events of the original book. This book (and the trilogy of novels it is a part of) does, however, provide a lot of context for what is in the original novel. The book is mostly about political maneuvering between the Houses, but there is quite a bit of action in the last third. The book is absolutely worth reading, but definitely has to be read in sequence with the other books to follow its plotlines. 

Book Review: Dune: House Harkonnen (Dune #8)

 

House Harkonnen is the 8th novel in the Dune series when read chronologically and the second in the third overall prequel trilogy (aka, the Prelude to Dune series) to the original novels written by Frank Herbert. The book was published in 2000 and was again written by the combination of Kevin J. Anderson and Frank Herbert's son, Brian. Like the first book in this trilogy was not entirely focused on the Atreides, this book is not focused solely on the Harkonnens. The story jumps between Caladan, Corrino, Arrakis, Geidi Prime, Ix, Wallach IX, and Lankiveil and tracks Leto, Vladimir and Abulurd Harkonen, Emperor Shaddam Corrino, Duncan Idaho, The Fremen (with the focus on Liet Kynes), and the Benne Gesserit. To the extent that the book is focused on the Harkonnens, it mainly deals with Baron Harkonnen's maneuverings against all of the other major players.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 600 pages, and as I said above, the book jumps from one storyline to the other. Most of the storylines are separate, but some elements intersect with each other here and there.  The events of the novel are set a few years down the line from the end of the novel House Atreides and it has a couple of short time jumps throughout. Most of the book is relatively slow-paced, but the story picks up a lot in the last handful of chapters (which was enough for me to bump it up to five stars). The big points in the book are the development of Leto and Jessica's relationship, Baron Harkonen's plots to take down House Atreides, Emperor Corrino, and the Bene Gesserit, Emperor Corrino's attempt to produce spice independent of Akkaris, the Bene Gesserit's plans to create god-like bloodlines, and Duncan Idaho's swordmaster training. Ultimately, the book is setting up the original Dune novel and laying out the backstory for the two original trilogies based on Frank Herbert's notes and unfinished works. It makes what was already a sprawling story even larger. It is not an easy book to read because of the fact that it has a lot of characters and jumps between storylines. But, if you are a fan of the sci-fi genre, this (and the other prequel novels) are worth your time to read. I am reading the novels in chronological order so I have not yet read the two original trilogies written by Frank Herbert, and I am not sure how this compares to those books, but this is written in pretty much the same style and tone as the other prequel novels, so if you like those, you will probably like this one.

Book Review: Dune: House Atreides (Dune #7)

 

House Atreides is the 7th book in the Dune series (if read chronologically) and the first in the Prelude to Dune trilogy/House trilogy (which is chronologically the third prequel trilogy to the original Dune novels). It is also, in publication order, the first prequel novel to the original Dune series that was written by the duo of Frank Herbert's son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The book, published in 1999, is set a generation before the events of the original novel when characters like Leto Atreides and Duncan Idaho were children, and Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was early in his rule of Arrakis/Dune. Despite what the title of the novel suggests, this is not solely about the Atreides, but alternates between different storylines that intersect at different points. The book hints at the origins rivalry between the Atreides and the Harkonnen Houses (although those stories had not yet been fleshed out so if you read the books chronologically you know the backstory that was not presented in this book), and the circumstances of Leto becoming Duke of Caladan and of Shaddam IV becoming Emperor are also detailed in this book. The book also includes storylines about Pardot Kynes and the Fremen and the maneuverings of the Bene Gesserit. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 600 pages. It is not an extremely quick read since there are several new characters introduced in the book and the chapters jump between the different storylines. Even so, the overall story flows very well and never seems to drag. Plus, the chapters are kept relatively short, so there are many natural stopping points. I am reading the books in chronological order, so I have not yet read the original Dune novels written by Frank Herbert, so I cannot say how this book (or the other prequel novels) compare to those. But, if you have read the other novels in the series written by Anderson and Brian Herbert, then you will likely enjoy this one. And if you have read the original Dune novels, this will provide a lot of good backstory. It is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: Navigators of Dune (Dune #6)

 

Navigators of Dune is the 6th book, chronologically, in the Dune franchise of novels written by Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert. It is the third book in the "Schools of Dune" trilogy, which is the second prequel trilogy (again chronologically) to the original Dune trilogy. This book, published in 2016, is set about 10,000 years before the events of the original Dune storyline. The book ties up some of the storylines that were started in the earlier novels and sets up the origins of storylines that will have consequences and/or be instrumental down the line such as the Sisterhood's breeding program, the Spacing Guild, and the human computers. And, of course, the Harkonen-Atreides feud continues to play out. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 400 pages long. There are a lot of characters in the book, but thankfully, most of them carry over from the prior novels in the trilogy so it is not very hard to keep track of who is who. Like with the prior books, there are a few different main storylines. Two of them are interrelated and intertwine quite a bit, and the third is on its own. The book has a good balance of action and downtime (which is mostly used to set up the next action sequence). The book does a good job of continuing the backstory to bring the readers to the original Dune novels while still being suspenseful and entertaining. It is absolutely worth reading.

Book Review: Mentats of Dune (Dune # 5)

 

Mentats of Dune, published in 2014, is the fifth book in the Dune series chronologically, and the second book in the "Schools of Dune" trilogy. It was again written by Brian Herbert, the son of the creator of Dune and author of the original Dune Trilogies, Frank Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson.

This book does have a time jump from the prior novel, but not as large as the time jumps that occurred in the Butlerian trilogy. In this book, the sisterhood is picking up the pieces after the Butlerians and Emporer Salvador Corrino's forces attacked the school. Gilbertus is trying to walk the fine line between keeping his background secret and appeasing the Butlerians so he can continue to operate his school, and Josef Venport is working to try to take down the Butlerians and their leader, Manford Tornodo. Valya Harkonnen and her sister Tula are trying to figure out how to hurt Vorian Atreides, who is trying to finally live a normal life. Anna Corrino is living at the Mentat school with Gilbertus vowing to keep her safe and try to fix her mind from the effects of the poison she consumed at the end of the last book. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 450 pages. It does take longer (at least for me) to read than other books of a similar length because, as has been the case with the prequel novels, the book jumps from storyline to storyline and has a lot of characters to keep track of. Sometimes storylines intertwine with one another and some of the storylines stay separate. The climax of the book involves a cat and mouse escape within a standoff and is very well done. The book definitely sometimes feels like the middle chapter of a trilogy, but it does advance the storylines very well and continues to set up themes in the original Dune novels. It is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: Sisterhood of Dune (Dune #4)

 

Sisterhood of Dune is chronologically the 4th book in the Dune series of novels, and the first in the Schools of Dune trilogy. The book was published in 2012 and written by the duo of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. 

This novel is set approximately 80 years after the victory over the machines at the Battle of Corrin. Some of the characters from the Butlerian era such as Vorian, Raquella, and Gilbertus do carry over into this book. There are two major themes in the book. The schools run by Raquella, and Gilbertus, and the hatred of Vorian by the heirs of Abulurd Harkonnen. Raquella formed the Bene Gesserit School (or the Sisterhood) and Gilbertus formed a school for people (known as Mentats) to learn to think like the machines did. The anti-machine Butlerian movement is still around and trying to destroy all remnants of technology, while underground groups are trying to bring machines back.

The hardcover version of the book is just under 500 pages long. The authors do a good job of moving in and out of the various storylines and intersecting them at key points. The authors do give signs as to where some of the storylines will go in the subsequent novels but do not telegraph the exact direction for any of the main arcs. It is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: Dune: The Battle of Corrin (Dune #3)

 

The Battle of Corrin is the third novel in the Legends of Dune trilogy. The book was written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson and published in 2004. The book's events start approximately 60 years after the events of the prior novel, The Machine Crusade, and conclude the war between humans and machines. There are some time jumps in the book that make keeping track of characters a bit tricky.

The hardcover version of the book is long. It is a little over 600 pages and could have easily been split into two smaller books with a bit tighter storylines. In fact, it is separated in the novel into Book I and Book II, but there are really three stories in the book that kind of interweave. The first is the thinking machines deploying multiple weapons to kill off humans, the Titans working against the thinking machines and the humans, and the humans trying to take out both groups of machines while bickering among themselves. I will not go into the fine details to avoid spoiling the plot, but it is not spoiling anything to say that the humans ultimately win. By the end of the book, it is revealed how the three main "Houses" in Dune came about and why the Atreides and Harkonens are rivals in the original Dune novel. 

The book is good, but it seems like it would have been better had it been split into two books. The actual defeat of the various machines is detailed in the last few chapters and felt a little bit rushed to me. Had the book been split into two novels I do not think the authors would have had to jump from storyline to storyline as much and would have made everything a bit easier to follow. That said, it is still worth the time to read to find out how the events that would set up the original Dune novel played out.

Book Review: Dune: The Machine Crusade (Dune #2)

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the prior novel, The Butlerian Jihad+++

The Machine Crusade is the second book in the Dune series (if you read the books in chronological order). It is the second book in the Legends of Dune series, which was written by Brian Herbert, who is the son of the author of the original Dune novel and its follow-up novels, Frank Herbert, and Kevin Anderson, and published in 2003 that chronicles the war between humans and machines that is alluded to in the original novel. 

The events in this book start out about 25 years after the events of the first book, The Butlerian Jihad, in which the war between the machines and humans started when the "thinking machine", Erasmus, killed Serena Butler's young son, Manion. We find out that Serena has become almost a recluse and basically a figurehead for the Jihad which is really being spearheaded by Iblis Ginjo. Xavier and Vorian are Primeros (basically generals) in the war, sacrificing a normal life to fight the machines. The war is essentially at a stalemate, with both sides scoring victories but neither able to strike a winning blow. Like the first book, this one alternates between multiple stories, characters, and different worlds. We find out that there is infighting between the machines and between the humans. One of the big storylines in this book is the work being done by the characters Aurelius Venport and Norma Cenva to "fold" space and make interstellar travel instant. We also learn the origin of the Fighters of Finaz, who are "led" by Jool Noret, who has been training against a re-programmed machine to learn how to efficiently kill the machines and fights with reckless abandon anytime he can.

The hardcover version of the book is about 700 pages long, and that is with the use of a relatively small font. The book is not what I would call a quick read as there are a lot of characters and the book is constantly shifting from one part of the story to another. I am a fast reader (I can normally read about 150-200 pages in 2-3 hours) and it took me about ten days to get through this one (mostly reading for an hour or two before bed). I am reading the books in chronological order so I have not read the original Dune trilogy that was written by Frank Herbert, and don't know how this compares to those books, but if you a fan of Sci-Fi and liked the first book, then you will probably like this one. 

Book Review: Dune: The Butlerian Jihad (Dune #1)

 

The Butlerian Jihad is a prequel novel to the classic sci-fi novel, Dune, written by Frank Herbert in the 1960s. This book, published in 2002 was written by Frank Herbert's son, Brian, and is co-authored by Kevin J. Anderson. It is the first novel if you read the books in chronological order, and it tells the story of events that were referred to in the original Dune Trilogy of novels.

This book (and the other two books in the trilogy) is set thousands of years before the events in the Dune novel (and movies). At the time, machines had enslaved humans on Earth and many planets that would eventually make up the guild. The machines were a combination of artificially intelligent thinking machines and cyborgs who used to be human but were able to preserve their brains in canisters that they could transfer from one mechanical body to the next. This book details the start of the war between humans and machines that was referenced in Dune and also details the beginnings of the relationship between House Harkonnen and House Atreides.

The hardcover version of the book is a little over 600 pages. That consists of about 612 pages of the actual story and then a character glossary that is about another 20 pages that gives a short explanation of the characters in the book. The story is very good but can be a bit hard to follow at times. The story jumps around from planet to planet, and shifts from the point of view of one character to another. Since there are a ton of characters in the book until you can keep straight who everyone is, it can get confusing. As you get deeper into the book, the story really focuses on just a handful of characters and the story is easier to digest. I have not read the original Dune trilogy yet (as of this writing) as I am reading the books in chronological order. So, I cannot say how this book compares to those written by Frank Herbert, but, it is a very well-written story that blends action, suspense, and drama. If you are a fan of the Dune movies or even just Sci-Fi books, movies, or TV series, this is worth the time to read.

4KUHD/Movie Review: Dune

 

There are some that have dubbed this the best sci-fi movie of all time. I would not go that far, but it is a very good movie and looks visually stunning. I cannot really compare it to the David Lynch version since I was pretty young when that one came out, and have only seen a few minutes of it on TV, but this version is very good. For those who are not familiar with the story, it is adapted from the famous 1960s novel by Frank Herbert. The story is centered around the members of House Atreides, headed by Leto Atreides (played by Oscar Issac), who is the Duke of the ocean planet Caladan, Leto is tasked by Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, who is essentially the ruler of a system of planets, to take over the desert planet Arrakis, which is the only planet on which the substance spice, which is critical for interstellar travel, among other things, is produced. House Atreides is replacing House Harkonnen as the rulers of Arrakis which results in the members of House Harkonnen hatching a plot to take out the members of House Atreides, including Leto's son Paul who is fated to become a leader of humanity. This is the first of two movies covering approximately the first half of the book.

The movie has a very strong cast including the aforementioned Oscar Issac and also stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica Atreides, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Zendaya, and Javier Bardem. Some of the actors, especially Zendaya and Bardem have smaller roles in this movie and will very likely have larger roles in part two.

For those who get the 4k Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds great in the UHD format. The UHD disc just has the movie and the regular Blu-Ray disc has all the bonus features. There are great visuals not only of the desert planet but the scenes set in space and the few scenes set on the planet Caladan. The extras include several making-of-and behind-the-scenes featurettes, a feature on the various houses, a feature on creating the sandworms, deleted scenes, and more. All-in-all, over an hour's worth of extras. Some of the bonus material is a bit repetitive, but it is good if you like watching the extras.

Overall, the movie is very good. I cannot say how close it does or does not follow the book, since I have never read the book. But, I can say it is very well acted and it is a good mix of action and drama. The effects are a combination of practical effects and CGI. The CGI looks seamless and does not dominate the movie to the detriment of the overall story, the acting, etc. It is paced fairly well with the action scenes breaking up the slower scenes. If you like Sci-Fi movies this is definitely worth seeing.