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souljaleonn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.5
shortcub's review against another edition
2.0
Having now read two novels in the prelude to Dune series and the two novels that finished Frank Herbert’s original Dune Chronicles I have come to the conclusion that anything not written by Frank is garbage. House Harkonnen does little to progress the overall plot of these prequel novels. Instead what we have is a bloated novel with characters who hardly have any bearing on the main plot. To further the problem these side characters, after hundreds of pages, are unceremoniously killed off. Their deaths only serve the purpose of getting rid of characters who do not factor into Frank’s Dune Chronicles.
In short this novel is boring, overly long, bloated, meandering, and unnecessary.
In short this novel is boring, overly long, bloated, meandering, and unnecessary.
izzyd248's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
dejo's review against another edition
2.0
The previous book had the advantage of having a plot which in various degrees connected all the story threads. This one does not, which results in a weaker narrative thread simply intremixing the stories of all the characted with an occasional crossover between them.
bruc79's review against another edition
3.0
Este segundo livro de prequela antes de Dune apresenta a crueldade indescritível e assustadora do Barão Vladimir Harkonnen e seu sobrinho que destroem a linhagem de Harkonnens com alguma bondade, o meio irmão do Barão chamado Abulurd Harkonnen. Somos apresentados a Gurney Halleck, escravo dos Harkonnen em Giedi Prime, como ele perde tudo e acaba por ir ter a Caladan com os Atreides e também a um dos soldados fiéis de Leto Atreides que foge a uma caça ao homem feita pelos Harkonnen e se vai refugiar com a casa Atreides para depois se tornar num Swordmaster Ginaz.
A casa Corrino vai mostrando o seu pendor de manipulação política sob o controle do Mentat do imperador e a Leto Atreides acontece as maiores desgraças possíveis e imagináveis.
Uma boa continuação mas algo extensa. Dou 3,5
A casa Corrino vai mostrando o seu pendor de manipulação política sob o controle do Mentat do imperador e a Leto Atreides acontece as maiores desgraças possíveis e imagináveis.
Uma boa continuação mas algo extensa. Dou 3,5
akumakos's review against another edition
4.0
*I'm rating this as a sci-fi/Brian Herbert book, NOT as a Dune book. Just to be clear to my future self.*
This author gets so much hate, holy cow. More than half of the reviews seem to belong to people who probably sleep with a life sized Frank Herbert pillow and refuse to expand their horizons just a bit. Maybe if you stopped comparing the two men you wouldn't be so spiteful about the "offspring". It's not Dune. Nothing close to it, writing wise. We get it. But it's still super fun to read, even though the writing seems kinda rushed and awkward at times. Some of the characters are spot on (meaning the way Herbert senior wrote them) and some feel a bit off. But these are still entertaining (and much easier to swallow) sci-fi books that give solid (for the most part) background on Dune as a whole.
Leto Atreides? Check.
Duncan Idaho? Check.
Vladimir Harkonnen? Check.
Bene Gesserit? Check.
Liet and the Fremen? Check.
Gurney Halleck? Check.
Thufir Hawat? Check.
Mentats and Space Guild Navigators? Check!
What I really didn't like:
Leto/Kailea/Jessica love triangle. Love triangles irk me, and the way Frank Herbert wrote about Leto and Jessica made it seem like their origin was much better than this cheap story.
Beth's (Gurney Halleck's sister) really graphic life and death. I love graphic stuff in my books, but this specific story definitely doesn't fit this universe. I know we had to know what Gurney was talking about when he kept mentioning how he wanted to avenge his sister, but there's about seven million different ways to create a backstory and that was not it.
All in all, awesome sci-fi. Get over it.
This author gets so much hate, holy cow. More than half of the reviews seem to belong to people who probably sleep with a life sized Frank Herbert pillow and refuse to expand their horizons just a bit. Maybe if you stopped comparing the two men you wouldn't be so spiteful about the "offspring". It's not Dune. Nothing close to it, writing wise. We get it. But it's still super fun to read, even though the writing seems kinda rushed and awkward at times. Some of the characters are spot on (meaning the way Herbert senior wrote them) and some feel a bit off. But these are still entertaining (and much easier to swallow) sci-fi books that give solid (for the most part) background on Dune as a whole.
Leto Atreides? Check.
Duncan Idaho? Check.
Vladimir Harkonnen? Check.
Bene Gesserit? Check.
Liet and the Fremen? Check.
Gurney Halleck? Check.
Thufir Hawat? Check.
Mentats and Space Guild Navigators? Check!
What I really didn't like:
Leto/Kailea/Jessica love triangle. Love triangles irk me, and the way Frank Herbert wrote about Leto and Jessica made it seem like their origin was much better than this cheap story.
Beth's (Gurney Halleck's sister) really graphic life and death. I love graphic stuff in my books, but this specific story definitely doesn't fit this universe. I know we had to know what Gurney was talking about when he kept mentioning how he wanted to avenge his sister, but there's about seven million different ways to create a backstory and that was not it.
All in all, awesome sci-fi. Get over it.
kateofmind's review against another edition
4.0
Improves considerably over the first book of this trilogy. The characters have developed well. And hooray Gurney!
etienne02's review against another edition
5.0
Intrigue complexe, de très nombreux personnages et tout autant de lieux. Une elcture qui demande certes de l'attention, mais un excellent livre dans l'univrs de Dune. J'ai aimé tous les liens faits avec la série originale et comment ce prélude nous montre le début, la formation, des relations, partenariats et amitiés. Excellent prélude!
timshel's review against another edition
2.0
If you’ve read my review of House Atreides, then you’ve pretty much read my review of House Harkonnen. Herbert and Anderson haven’t changed much from one book to the next. How regrettable.
One difference is a glaring one, and it is annoying as hell: The authors feel the need to constantly remind the reader of everything that happened in the preceding book. Everything. And its not done with subtlety, either; out of nowhere, they retell the plot of the first book in a journalistic style. Then 100 pages later, they rehash the exact same story. This might be fine if the audience was grade school kids who may get lost with the plot in such massive volumes, but I think this idea would be selling children short.
The plot of House Harkonnen didn’t seem as interesting as its predecessor’s did. My greatest fear concerning its story is that I know it will all be rehashed in House Corrino. As I’m sure House Atreides will be as well. It makes me wonder if they’ll even be a story in House Corrino, or will it be like one of those cheap flashback episodes far too many television shows have used over the years?
Surprisingly, I still have great hopes for Frank Herbert’s Dune and I am anxious to read this science-fiction great. Unfortunately, I have not an iota of faith in Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson’s collaboration.
One difference is a glaring one, and it is annoying as hell: The authors feel the need to constantly remind the reader of everything that happened in the preceding book. Everything. And its not done with subtlety, either; out of nowhere, they retell the plot of the first book in a journalistic style. Then 100 pages later, they rehash the exact same story. This might be fine if the audience was grade school kids who may get lost with the plot in such massive volumes, but I think this idea would be selling children short.
The plot of House Harkonnen didn’t seem as interesting as its predecessor’s did. My greatest fear concerning its story is that I know it will all be rehashed in House Corrino. As I’m sure House Atreides will be as well. It makes me wonder if they’ll even be a story in House Corrino, or will it be like one of those cheap flashback episodes far too many television shows have used over the years?
Surprisingly, I still have great hopes for Frank Herbert’s Dune and I am anxious to read this science-fiction great. Unfortunately, I have not an iota of faith in Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson’s collaboration.