Rating: 
Summary: Frank Herbert's characters but Kevin J. Anderson's style
Review: I love Dune and the three prequels written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson are entertaining and an interesting look at the characters. I have Anderson's Star Wars books and like his writing style - but it is vastly different from Frank Herbert's. If you are looking for the dense prose of the elder Herbert, you will not be pleased with these books. If you are looking for a continuation of the stories simply for entertainment, enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: A good trilogy, but contains many inaccuracies
Review: I really wanted to like this book (and the whole trilogy) a lot more than I did. There were even a few times where I found myself caught up in the action and unable to put them down. But in the end, certain inaccuracies and contradictions between the prequels and the original text caused me to become a bit distanced from these otherwise interesting books. Granted, most of the problems with the prequels are a bit nit-picky, but considering the classic status of the originals, it is a bit grating and frustrating to find out how little effort apparently went into researching certain aspects of the books. I've also read many reviews (both online and in print) praising Brian Herbert's writing style as "on par" with his father's...I personally found it more imitative than equal to. I recently began reading Dune again and I'm noticing even more errors with the prequels than I originally thought. I think for hard-core Dune fans, the prequels should be taken with a grain of salt and possibly even looked at as something wholly separate from the original Dune storyline...there are just too many contradictions for me to take the prequels as "factual" presentations of Dune history.
Rating:
Summary: A must for Dune fans
Review: Dune: House Corrino will make for an enjoyable return to the universe created by Frank Herbert, and kept alive by his son and Kevin Anderson. Every Dune fan I know has curiosity about the history and politics in the Dune universe. DHC ties together the events of the earlier two books in this trilogy, laying the groundwork for a very plausible beginning to the original Dune novel. Anderson and the younger Herbert lack some of Frank's deftness with presenting exceptionally unique characters, and Prince Vernius in DHC could be considered by some to be a little "over the top." However, these flaws are minor and will not detract from your enjoyment. Old fans: shake off the dust and embrace the new- pick it up and read it. Newbies: I recommend starting either with the original "Dune" or with "Dune: House Atriedes."
Rating:
Summary: Dune House Corrino
Review: House Corrino was an entertaining book that very neatly sewed up the trilogy. The writing style is easily read compared to Frank Herbert's Dune. Even though Dune is my all time favorite novel, I enjoyed the hisory of the Dune characters and found the story a little trite perhaps, but very satisfying. All of the prequels are written with scientific and observational flair compared to Dune which purposely left difficult to explain details somewhat vague to inspire mystique. Brian Herbert tells the prehistory of Dune from a different viewpoint than his father. Even though the style is distinctly different the story has definite merits of it's own. I enjoyed learning about the Baron Harkonen and how he became so large. I also enjoyed learning more about the navigators and how they accomplished space travel. Brian Herbert does an excellent job of explaining these mysteries. There were some negative points in this novel, however. Brian Herbert spent too much time with several characters receiving various forms of punishment. He missed the point, if he thought by over-emphasizing the continual harsh treatment of the stories heros' were either entertaining or inspired fierce sympathy for these characters. The treament of Gurney Halleck for instance, became monotonous and a little embarassing. I found it difficult to put this book down because it was light reading, very entertaining and fast paced, compared to Dune which I was forced to put down to absorb what I had read. If you are the type of reader that loves Dune and only enjoys reading fine literature, or you are a Frank Herbert purist you would be better off re-reading Dune. If you enjoy thoughtful, light sci-fi and can deal with the fact that the author is not Frank Herbert you will very much enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Two Snaps & A Circle UP!
Review: Just finished this third book of the prequel trilogy. Fabulous! Ok, so they haven't figured out yet by the year 10,000+ AD how to work the comsystems between planets. So what? I loved all three of these books & finishing this last one found me still turning the pages, wanting more, more, more. It is now imperative that I go dig out my original copy of Dune and project myself once again into this phenomenal story......
Rating: 
Summary: Filled With Palatial Ennui
Review: Whereas House Atreides presented an absolutely awesome "back history" of Atreides rule and "House Harkonnen" forced events into virtual crisis mode, "House Corrino" is filled with palatial boredom. The third book in the prequel series tries hard to paint a vivid and striking portrait of Kaitan life and the political intrigues behind the throne, I found the story stilted and a little flawed (especially after the taut construction of HA and HH. A few things really bothered me, especially when you think that the story occurs in 10,000 AD (or thereabouts, can't quite be sure): 1) People run around and say stuff like "Vermillion Hells!" way too much for my liking. 2) People do an awful lot of unnecessary travel in this book. 3) Given the far-reaching date, mankind seems to have REgressed instead of PROgressed (an especially endearing part of the original DUNE series is that sense of familiar yet alien that was brought about because of the remoteness of the date). 4) The authors pay an incredible amount of attention to what the characters are wearing, giving me the impression I was watching/reading "Fashion File: What To Wear To Ix" or the fashion section of the Kaitan Weekly. 5) Baron Harkonnen in this book is a total wimp without half the viciousness expressed in the original book or in House Harkonnen. 6) The Bene Gesserit are totally devoid of mystery and intrigue. Whereas the final three books in the original series made them human and totally mysterious, the prequel books give them the air of being nothing more than bickering nuns who can't even hypnotize anyone properly. Shabby way to deal with such a vital part of the Dune Mystique. So, bottom line: could have been so much more but decided to go the "Space Opera" route instead. Pray there are no further books.
Rating: 
Summary: Frank Herbert turning over in his grave
Review: I had the highest hopes for the new Dune Trilogy. I was deeply saddened that Herbert and Anderson came so far from delivering. In House Corrino, Herbert and Anderson take characters and ideas inherited from Mr. Herbert's father and drain them of complexity and interest. The nuanced figures of the Red Duke, the conniving Count Fenrig and the Padisha Emperor are turned into good guy, bad guy and inhuman caricature of evil respectively. The mystical Saddukar are turned into common thugs. The eerie and subtle powers of the original Bene Geserit are made the parlor tricks of silly women. The first Dune's delicate play of power between the Spacing Guild, the CHOAM and the BG was mocked by the one dimensional and monolithic rule of the nearly mad Shadam. Maudlin writing and worse plotting makes this one of the least enjoyable books I've read all year. I would encourage shoppers to purchase and re-read the original Dune, rather than waste money here.
Rating:
Summary: Filler...filler...filler...filler...ACTION!
Review: This, the contractual-obligation volume of the Dune prequel trilogy, is really pretty tedious until about two thirds of the way through. An endless succession of three-(even two- !)page chapters in which absolutely nothing happens pads out fully half of the book. It gets pretty easy to spot which chapters are filler in the first page of each (blasé and banal opening 'quote', Reverend Mother blah blah blah, D'murr inhaled more spice gas blah blah blah, etc.), and I ended up skipping many of them. After all that (and some gratuitously revolting Harkonnen antics) things finally start to pick up, and things are resolved fairly well, albeit with few real surprises. Finishing it was a relief, frankly, and not because the plot tension got relieved. I will give it this, though: what gives it an extra star is that it made me really, really want to read the original _Dune_ again, and I plan to ASAP. I have a feeling I'd have a renewed appreciation for it.
Rating:
Summary: A big bore
Review: I am really sorry for Frank Herbert's legacy. This book was by far the worst of the three prequels, which were all mediocre at best. Now that I am reading Dune 5 "Heretics", wow! What a fresh change!
Rating:
Summary: Sets the stage for the Masterpiece.
Review: Dune House Corrino continues the storylines that these two authors created in the first two novels. Perhaps the best part of this book, is that it ties up some loose ends, and takes you to within fourteen years of the original Dune novel. Following the completion of this series, I found that Dune was MUCH easier to read, and a lot better the second time around. Dune House Corrino will show how the empire is totally dependant on spice, and it will show how the importance of the Guild surmonts even the Emperor himself. This novel centers around the Spice War that the Emperor has created. It is an enjoyable read, and easy to get through. Again, this novel follows the similar paths of writing style as the previous two prequels. The book is rather enjoyable and easy to follow. But it lacks the complexity of the original Dune novel. Perhaps the greatest reason to enjoy this book, is to find out what mentioned in the Dune series, but not elaborated about. These two authors did a tremendous job in trying to bring these prequels to the level of Dune, but they did not reach the pinnacle in this series. After reading this novel, it is important to pick up Dune and read it, whether that be for the first or tenth time. This novel will help ease the complexity of Dune. I recommend this novel and the previous two in order to partake in the full Dune experience.
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