Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Set up for the Original
Review: The original Dune was the 1966 Hugo Award winning novel. If it wasn't for that fact I may not have given it as much leeway when I first read it however. With a completely different language and universe, I found it hard at the beginning to get into the mind set of the book, and to associate with that world. Of course once I did, it became one of the best books I've ever read. Several other people I've known over the years had similar troubles starting the novel, and I was saddened to learn that they never completed it. After reading the three prequals which Frank Herbert's son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson have put together, House Corrino being the last, I can't help wondering if things would have been different for these people if these novels were the first books in the series that they had read. They are all well written, enough so to keep a reader coming back for more on their own weight. They are true to the original story, enough so that they have added some great insight which you do not get from the original. Also, I believe, they are an easier read. Which may attract more readers to this wonderful series which otherwise may have been a little intimidated. These prequels set up the original perfectly. I highly recommend these books.
Rating: 
Summary: Power Grab
Review: This is the third of the Dune: House books, which as a group make up a major 'prequel' to where the action starts in the original classic Dune. Readers who have not read the original should definitely read that first, else much of this book and its two predecessors will either not make sense or lose their emotional freighting due to absence of knowledge of what happens later to the main characters. The prime focus of this book is the Emperor Shaddam Corrino, flexing his ambitious, if not greatly intellectual, muscle, in an attempt to become the sole ruler of the empire, without the limitations imposed by the noble houses, the Guild, the Bene Gesserit, and the CHOAM regulation of the spice flow. Opposing him in this complex weave of multiple story lines are the Baron Harkonnen, with his own desires on power; Duke Leto, finding his ground as leader and a man of honor; Prince Rhombur Vernius, finally finding his courage and attempting to take back his home world; a world occupied by the Tleilaxu, who are trying to develop a synthetic form of spice. And it is Corrino's dependence on the success of the synthetic spice project that gives him the confidence to take action to consolidate his power. In terms of sheer complexity of story line, this book is as rich as the original. But as the goal of the major character is power for its own sake, without grounding in any higher 'human' goals, without the rich interplay between philosophy, ecology, politics and action of the original, it cannot achieve the so easily scaled original's heights. Instead what we end up with is a very good action/adventure story, that does a decent job of filling in the some of the historical and character background for the main story line of Dune, but does no more. In sheer complexity, its very short chapters, and constant point-of-view shifts, it is very similar to some of A. E. van Vogt's better re-complicated stories. Characterization is reasonably well done, but none of the characters is explored in extreme depth, a pity in the case of Duke Leto, as his character is only briefly sketched in Dune, and yet he obviously had a great influence in molding Paul's character, and knowing him in much greater detail than shown here would have been very nice. This is the best of the three 'prequel' books, a definite page turner (which is hard to achieve when you start off already knowing what the eventual outcome will be), and makes a nice addition to the Dune universe. A must for Dune addicts, others can keep this one for a rainy afternoon's entertainment.
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointing!
Review: I have read the first two books of this series and I find this one to be the most ridiculous of them all. Going in to reading this book, I made a conscious effort to not compare it to the original series by Frank Herbert. However, try as I might, I still find this book seriously lacking. This book is incredibly fast paced. There are several chapters that are only 2 pages long. The longest chapter is probably only 10 pages long (if even that!). Due to the storylines changing so frequently (of which there are several) one never gets really entrenched in the novel. And, since the authors make such outrageous problems in the book, the solutions to them are even more preposterous. I don't want to give anything away, but Thufir Hawat defending Caladan from Beast Rabban with a fleet of fishing boats?!? I was also very disappointed with the writing style. The writing in the first two books was marginal, but in this one it is even worse. It's as if the writers can't make their own sentences. They copy cliches from the original Dune and make a sentence entirely out of them. If I read "golden lion throne" ever again, I will scream. While it was fairly interesting to see how the dangling plots were brought together in this book, the execution was rather poor. Supposedly, these prequels were based on notes from Frank Herbert. I can see certain storylines fitting in, but the rest are just pure extrapolations that don't fit the mood of the Dune series at all. If you have read the original Dune series, please don't read these cheap imitations. I personally hope that Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson don't write anymore Dune books.
Rating: 
Summary: Worthy of the Dune name
Review: The Dune Prequel books may not have the same magic and level of complexity that the original Dune book has, but they're well written and an enjoyable read. You can become reacquainted with many of your favorite characters and read about their lives and where they came from. Leto Atreides, Duncan Idaho, Gurney Halleck, Jessica, Liet Kynes, as well as the Harkonnens, Shaddam, the Ixians, Tleilaxu, etc. These books are a welcome change from some of the tedium and lack of action in the latter Dune books. Some of the plot twists and pre-Dune events are a bit of a stretch though. I highly recommend this series for another fun adventure into the Dune universe.
Rating:
Summary: No surprises and a few disappointments.
Review: This is by far the worst of the three prequel books. It seems rushed and Herbert feels the need to remind the reader of what happened in the other two books at every turn, like a nagging teacher reminding a child what they learned yesterday in class. Of all three books this is the one that most feels like Herbert is just trying to cash in on the work his father did. Perhaps he was tiring of the series by the time he started writing this book because there is no imagination here. There are no surprises in this book and you know everything that is going to happen before you open the book. Everything works out in the end, but seemingly more by chance than by anything any of the characters or Brian Herbert do. The book actually becomes more painful to read the farther along you go and towards the end of the book one just wants it to end. The book is very shallow, and Herbert's characters actually become more one dimensional than they were in the other two books. If you've read the other two prequel books like me you are probably going to feel compelled to buy this book. My advice is to have second book on the nightstand to read when you get bored. One plus is the chapters are very short so you don't feel compelled to read any more than you can stand in one night. Now I must go read Frank Herbert's Dune in order to purge my soul.
Rating:
Summary: Duned Out
Review: Just finished HOUSE CORRINO this morning. Final Assessment: Original DUNE: A+; HOUSE CORRINO: B; HOUSE HARKONNEN: C+; HOUSE ATTREIDES: B+ HOUSE CORRINO moved pretty quickly -- a lot of interesting turns and twists. It was better written than HOUSE HARKONNEN. Unfortunately, HOUSE CORRINO ends about a month after Paul is born. So there is STILL a 15 year gap between the end of HOUSE CORRINO and DUNE. Gosh -- do you think there will be yet ANOTHER trilogy?! (sarcasm). I'm unhappy about this -- I wanted the package tied up. The question of how the Harkonnens loose the Arrakis fief to the Atreides (right before DUNE starts) is not even touched on. In a way, it was hard to read these books. Having read the original series by Herbert, I know ahead of time which characters are going to live and which are going to have to die to prevent them from revealing things which don't get revealed until later in the DUNE timeline. All in all, I think Brian Herbert and his buddy did a sub-par job on these prequels. I liked them -- but a little more effort could have resulted in a far superior read.
Rating:
Summary: Unfinished stories of Dune
Review: Like many, I consider Dune to be the greatest single work of science fiction. I have read and re-read the book many times and with each reading, find new levels of meaning. The world which Mr Herbert created in Dune is a fascinating one which raises far more questions than answers. Although I have read all the progency of Dune, they have always left me feeling unsatisfied. I think the reason is that the sequels abandon the original world of Dune in favor of the new universe created by Paul Atreides. This prequel trilogy goes back to the original world of Dune and fills in the gaps very imaginatively. It provides fascinating answers to the question of what is a Ginaz Swordmaster and how did Baron Harkonnen get so fat. Even better, it gives far more information about two of my favorite characters in Dune who did not survive much beyond the first third of the book: Duke Leto and Duncan Idaho. This is a nice effort which should appeal to true Dune lovers.
Rating:
Summary: Well written and consistant
Review: I enjoy the fact that nothing I've read so far by Brian Herbert in his father's world conflicts with his father's writings. The characters are consistant yet freshly portrayed. Cheers all around!
Rating:
Summary: The Conclusion To The 'HOUSE' Trilogy
Review: Dune by Brian Herbert is actually the conclusion to the 'HOUSE' trilogy. It is a well thoughtout ending that will not disappoint the reader. Plenty of intrigue, suspense and mystery lie in wait to hold its reading audience captive for hours on end...
Rating:
Summary: The Conclusion To Author Brian Herbert's 'House' Trilogy
Review: Dune is the final chapter (so-to-speak) in Mr. Herbert's wonderful 'House' trilogy. The reader will not be disappointed. A truly entertaining read.
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