The third and final book in the Dune Houses Trilogy.
General Information
Dune: House Corrino
Author: Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Original Publication Date: August 2002
ISBN: 0-553-58033-7
Buy from: Amazon.com or Amazon.ca
Premise
(From Amazon.com) As Emperor Shaddam IV seeks to consolidate his power as Emperor of a Million Worlds through the monopoly of the spice trade, other forces array themselves in opposition to his increasingly tyrannical rule. Herbert and Anderson conclude their trilogy (Dune: House Atreides; Dune: House Harkonnen) chronicling the years leading up to the events portrayed in the late Frank Herbert’s Dune with a war for the liberation of the conquered planet Ix and the birth of a son to Duke Leto Atreides and his Bene Gesserit wife, Jessica. Though dependent on the previous books, this complex and compelling tale of dynastic intrigue and high drama adds a significant chapter to the classic Dune saga.
High Point
The battle for Ix. It’s been a long time in coming and (while short) is very tense and definately rewarding to the reader.
Low Point
And I thought they skimped on Yueh’s character in the last book! No mention of his wife’s capture, or setting up any of his future betrayal. Did we forget something guys?
The Scores
Originality: Not as original as I’d hoped, but that’s to be expected of a prequel. 3 out of 6.
Imagery: Again, the authors outdo Herbert’s original by be more descriptive about the worlds of Dune. 4 out of 6.
Story: All the running plot threads are tied up nicely. 4 out of 6.
Characterization: We see the final moves that set up the characters we know from the original novels, and it all works. 5 out of 6.
Emotional Response: Same old prequel problem. We know what’s going to happen. It’s only a matter of when. There is, however, a sense of elation when Shaddam gets taken down a notch. 3 out of 6.
Editing: I would have flip-flopped the last two chapters. But that’s just me. 4 out of 6.
Overall: A fun read, especially if you liked the short-lived characters (Leto, Kynes, Shaddam, etc.) from the original. 5 out of 6.
Total: 28 out of 42
Even More Dune
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson go further back in time with two more books in the Dune Universe: The Butlerian Jihad and The Machine Crusade.
Additional Notes and Comments
If you’re interested in what’s in TheAngryMob’s review queue, check out my What’s Coming page.