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nightshade_novels's review against another edition
3.0
This book was filled with action that keeps the plot moving forward. Rarely is there a dull moment. And yet I still found myself less eager to pick it up the further through the book I got. Gone is any illusion of morally grey characters. In this prequel the bad characters are very bad. There's a particular character who commits horrific acts just because he can on whatever whim he's following and this just started to grate on me. There comes a point where the shock value wears off because you come to expect it from them and it leans more towards the 'there he goes again' feeling.
There continues to be some really good world building in this book. I enjoyed seeing more of the process that creates the guild navigators. You can start to see how it is all coming together and getting the characters in place ready to reach the point where the main Dune series starts. The exploration of the Bene Gesserit breeding programme was well done and very interesting. It feels like it links well with Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse with the more in depth look at the Bene Gesserit.
There were a couple of places where the writing quality slips. There is a character or two that they needed to get rid of before the events of Dune, but it felt like they didn't really know how to do that well, so just got rid of them.
I really enjoyed the parts following Duncan's training to be a swordmaster. They were some of my favourite parts of the book. It is great to see his character develop into the man that is so important later on.
Leto's story was also really interesting; they masterfully wove in a way to get Jessica there and get her to give Leto a son, which shows Paul's origins. I really like Leto's character, so this part of the book had some of the most emotionally striking scenes. Gurney's story was the most surprising as it was absolutely brutal. It was quite well done, but I just don't like his character much.
Overall this was an enjoyable read that makes me want to pick up the next book, but I do hope that the story picks back up again.
There continues to be some really good world building in this book. I enjoyed seeing more of the process that creates the guild navigators. You can start to see how it is all coming together and getting the characters in place ready to reach the point where the main Dune series starts. The exploration of the Bene Gesserit breeding programme was well done and very interesting. It feels like it links well with Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse with the more in depth look at the Bene Gesserit.
There were a couple of places where the writing quality slips. There is a character or two that they needed to get rid of before the events of Dune, but it felt like they didn't really know how to do that well, so just got rid of them.
I really enjoyed the parts following Duncan's training to be a swordmaster. They were some of my favourite parts of the book. It is great to see his character develop into the man that is so important later on.
Leto's story was also really interesting; they masterfully wove in a way to get Jessica there and get her to give Leto a son, which shows Paul's origins. I really like Leto's character, so this part of the book had some of the most emotionally striking scenes. Gurney's story was the most surprising as it was absolutely brutal. It was quite well done, but I just don't like his character much.
Overall this was an enjoyable read that makes me want to pick up the next book, but I do hope that the story picks back up again.
daleydale's review against another edition
3.0
The story is intricate and fascinating....but I find some of the narrative is lacking is style. I have yet to read the original Dune (I'm trying to go in chronological order) and I've heard that Brian Herbet's work is far inferior to his father's. While it's generally not poor writing, and the story is well portrayed and the flow is good, there are times when I feel things could be more descriptive, or better phrased. Additionally, the characters, while all having an important place in the story, sometimes seem to not have much depth to them, or rather sometimes feel like they aren't evolving, and it's hard to enjoy the story when the characters appear underdeveloped. Other than that, though I enjoyed it!
melliferareads's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, so I actually liked this book a little bit more than [b:House Atreides|761575|House Atreides (Prelude to Dune #1)|Brian Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403181106l/761575._SY75_.jpg|711892]. Now that you understand all the different plotlines that are happening, it's a lot easier to pick up on things in this book. This book went by a lot faster for me and I did enjoy all the adventure, character-building, plotting and scheming.
Just like in [b:House Atreides|761575|House Atreides (Prelude to Dune #1)|Brian Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403181106l/761575._SY75_.jpg|711892], I did not care much for the Ixian twin storyline. But it does feel as if it's building up to something for book #3, [b:House Corrino|20252|House Corrino (Prelude to Dune #3)|Brian Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1298689043l/20252._SY75_.jpg|705991]. Lady Jessica is introduced in this book, and I think her love for Leto is more clear in this book compared to [b:Dune|44767458|Dune|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555447414l/44767458._SY75_.jpg|3634639]. I do feel as the relationship between Leto and Jessica fits in to the larger Dune-iverse.
I also really enjoyed reading more about the backstory of House Harkonnen. We learn more about the Baron's brother, Abulurd and his wife, the parents of both Raban and Feyd-Ratha, and how the Baron ends up raising both of his nephews. Additionally, Liet Kynes is much older in this book, and he begins to take over as the planetologist of Arrakis.
Did not care for Kailea's character development. It didn't seem realistic to me, that this woman would only care about status, her vanity, especially having endured the takeover of their planet by the Tleilaxu. It did not fit into how she was introduced in the first book. In general, I do have issues with several of the female characters only existing in relation to the males around them, but I can usually look past it and try to focus on other qualities of the narrative. I understand that Kalilea needed to become a villain for the plotline to move along and fit into the original Dune books, but I think more thought could have been put into it.
Excited to finish up this trilogy with House Corrino next!
Just like in [b:House Atreides|761575|House Atreides (Prelude to Dune #1)|Brian Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403181106l/761575._SY75_.jpg|711892], I did not care much for the Ixian twin storyline. But it does feel as if it's building up to something for book #3, [b:House Corrino|20252|House Corrino (Prelude to Dune #3)|Brian Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1298689043l/20252._SY75_.jpg|705991]. Lady Jessica is introduced in this book, and I think her love for Leto is more clear in this book compared to [b:Dune|44767458|Dune|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555447414l/44767458._SY75_.jpg|3634639]. I do feel as the relationship between Leto and Jessica fits in to the larger Dune-iverse.
I also really enjoyed reading more about the backstory of House Harkonnen. We learn more about the Baron's brother, Abulurd and his wife, the parents of both Raban and Feyd-Ratha, and how the Baron ends up raising both of his nephews. Additionally, Liet Kynes is much older in this book, and he begins to take over as the planetologist of Arrakis.
Did not care for Kailea's character development. It didn't seem realistic to me, that this woman would only care about status, her vanity, especially having endured the takeover of their planet by the Tleilaxu. It did not fit into how she was introduced in the first book. In general, I do have issues with several of the female characters only existing in relation to the males around them, but I can usually look past it and try to focus on other qualities of the narrative. I understand that Kalilea needed to become a villain for the plotline to move along and fit into the original Dune books, but I think more thought could have been put into it.
Excited to finish up this trilogy with House Corrino next!
catsflipped's review against another edition
4.0
When I started my Dune adventure I decided to read the books in chronological order starting with a short story called 'Hunting Harkonnens' the very beginning indroduced me to Piers Harkonnen stranded on Caladan hunted by Cymeks. Piers came over in a few short pages as a peacful, thoughtful, kind human being.
In the next book 'The Butlerian Jihad' you meet Piers brother Xavier who went on to become one of 3 heros of the Jihad giving his life like a martyr to stop the traitor Iblis Ginjo, Xavier Harkonnen was a brave, honourable man but history is written by the survivors, his name was tainted and he was wrongfully named the traitor.
From that point on the name Harkonnen was no longer associated with honour or honesty and the family was shunned. Xaviers grandson Abulurd was befriended by Vorian Atredies and together they planned to clear the Harkonnen name and uncover the truth of what happened. But in the final battle against the Cymeks Abulud lost his nerve and disobeyed Vorian's orders almost causing disaster. Abulurd was stripped of everything and exiled to live out his life in shame.
In later years Abulurd's grand-daughter Valya saught revenge against Vorian, still alive over 100 years later due to life extending treatment he had received. Vorian tried in vain to help the Harokennens but Valya's determination and hatred of the name Atredies started a blood feud that continues over a thousand years later in the Prelude to Dune trilogy.
This book 'House Harkonnen' gives no indication that the name was ever anything other than a name to be feared, the Harkonnens now a cruel, viscious family who think nothing of hunting children and torturing slaves for fun or even killing their own family members when they don't agree.
The first half of the book spends a lot of time giving short introductions to the characters for those who have not read the previous stories and while the history is needed for that purpose wanted the book to just move on and get to the story. When the story does kick in the action moves fast and you don't want to stop reading.
Covering other families and not just the Harkonnens the flow of the book shows how the Harkonnen's cruelty is earning them many enemies and those who survive are slowly finding each other. I look forward to the final book and hope for some revenge however over the course of the Dune books I have come to hope for the best but expect the worst as things never do seem to work out how you want them to.
I have got used to the writing style of these 2 authors who I have to admit I struggled with initially and now I find I enjoy the books more knowing the history behind them and have no regrets about starting from the beginning.
A solid 4 star book
In the next book 'The Butlerian Jihad' you meet Piers brother Xavier who went on to become one of 3 heros of the Jihad giving his life like a martyr to stop the traitor Iblis Ginjo, Xavier Harkonnen was a brave, honourable man but history is written by the survivors, his name was tainted and he was wrongfully named the traitor.
From that point on the name Harkonnen was no longer associated with honour or honesty and the family was shunned. Xaviers grandson Abulurd was befriended by Vorian Atredies and together they planned to clear the Harkonnen name and uncover the truth of what happened. But in the final battle against the Cymeks Abulud lost his nerve and disobeyed Vorian's orders almost causing disaster. Abulurd was stripped of everything and exiled to live out his life in shame.
In later years Abulurd's grand-daughter Valya saught revenge against Vorian, still alive over 100 years later due to life extending treatment he had received. Vorian tried in vain to help the Harokennens but Valya's determination and hatred of the name Atredies started a blood feud that continues over a thousand years later in the Prelude to Dune trilogy.
This book 'House Harkonnen' gives no indication that the name was ever anything other than a name to be feared, the Harkonnens now a cruel, viscious family who think nothing of hunting children and torturing slaves for fun or even killing their own family members when they don't agree.
The first half of the book spends a lot of time giving short introductions to the characters for those who have not read the previous stories and while the history is needed for that purpose wanted the book to just move on and get to the story. When the story does kick in the action moves fast and you don't want to stop reading.
Covering other families and not just the Harkonnens the flow of the book shows how the Harkonnen's cruelty is earning them many enemies and those who survive are slowly finding each other. I look forward to the final book and hope for some revenge however over the course of the Dune books I have come to hope for the best but expect the worst as things never do seem to work out how you want them to.
I have got used to the writing style of these 2 authors who I have to admit I struggled with initially and now I find I enjoy the books more knowing the history behind them and have no regrets about starting from the beginning.
A solid 4 star book
alex_stanuta's review against another edition
4.0
4*/5*:
This book continues the stories from the first one, the only difference is that this story spans over 8 years (while taking place 12 years after the ending of House Atreides).
The style of writing is the same, we get fewer "origins" stories (Gurney Halleck) and a lot of characters from the first book find their end (it felt like a book from A Song of Fire and Ice).
Entertaining read.
This book continues the stories from the first one, the only difference is that this story spans over 8 years (while taking place 12 years after the ending of House Atreides).
The style of writing is the same, we get fewer "origins" stories (Gurney Halleck) and a lot of characters from the first book find their end (it felt like a book from A Song of Fire and Ice).
Entertaining read.
galax003's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Infidelity, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
vayeate's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
The only good thing about this book is that it is well written and paced, it is easy to follow the story.
And that is all the first thing that struct me was that several characters were dumbed down which made me well confused and quite frustrated. Other characters seemed to me out of character.
Ironically enough the book is about House Harkonnen and it felt there were less events captured for House Harkonnen than anyone else.
This book is extremely dull, there is a huge event that happens with Leto and I could fell that the authors put a lot of effort into it, but if I am not mistaken this event is never mentioned again in the Dune by Frank Herbert, as well as many other events are never mentioned. This is not the authors fault, but these prelude books can contain anything and it will not matter, because they do not exist in Frank's Dune. That is why I view the prelude books as useless.
And that is all the first thing that struct me was that several characters were dumbed down which made me well confused and quite frustrated. Other characters seemed to me out of character.
Ironically enough the book is about House Harkonnen and it felt there were less events captured for House Harkonnen than anyone else.
This book is extremely dull, there is a huge event that happens with Leto and I could fell that the authors put a lot of effort into it, but if I am not mistaken this event is never mentioned again in the Dune by Frank Herbert, as well as many other events are never mentioned. This is not the authors fault, but these prelude books can contain anything and it will not matter, because they do not exist in Frank's Dune. That is why I view the prelude books as useless.
tanookihans's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
solidbrix's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
heidibowell's review against another edition
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault