Rating: 
Summary: It's not Frank, but we know that; but it's not bad.
Review: I picked this book up based on curiousity factor; I have to confess impatience with the purists who disdain the Dune film because of it's imperfections, when anyone should realize what a daunting task it was to film and that to do as well as Di Laurentis did is an admirable accomplishment. What made me choose to pursue this book was that some files/unfinished manuscripts had apparently been found. I feel that incomplete, or even bad Frank Herbert writing is still so much better than most of the crap that gets published that I was willing to take the bait. I choose to view this as additional research into the Herbert Universe, not unlike the furtherance of JRR Tolkein's world by his son, Christopher. It will never be as if the original author were doing the writing and editing, but neither is it presented as though it were.I re-read all of Herbert's books (Frank) on a yearly basis and still find them so multi-faceted that I enjoy them in new ways and with new levels of understanding each time. Of course I find this book to be inferior in writing quality to Frank's style; the man's mind was amazing. However, if you climb down from your literary soapbox long enough to notice, you'll find some interesting explanations and historical allusions that help to flesh out (notwithstanding the odd anomaly) characters and political relationships that weren't fully explained by Frank. I enjoyed it on that basis, and chose not to expect too much. By these standards, it is a success for me.
Rating: 
Summary: My intro to Dune
Review: I've never read Dune, or seen the original movie. I have, however seen the new mini series on Sci-Fi, and that led me to finally read this book that had been sitting around my house forever. So, I'm really approaching this book from a "non" Dune fan perspective, with no knowledge of what happens next really. I can't really remember every character and event in the mini series, so the suspence is still there. I also realize how big the Dune series is, it's a book legend, and I realize the enormous task these two arthors have taken on. They were up to it. Okay, that being said, I found this to be a top notch book. It started out a bit slow for me, but all that character introduction and building is really important for what happens next. I loved the characters, Leto, Rhombur, Fenrig, the Fremen and Duke Paulus especially. Unfortunately, hardly any of the female characters are doing much anything, but there are a couple of exceptions. We are introduced to all of these characters that obviously come in to play a big part in Frank Herbert's original books, and it's fun. You'll see Leto take certain actions that make his legend grow, you'll see many plots take course, all interesting. "Wheels within wheels." At 600 pages, the books flies, juggling one set of characters after another. You're sure not to get bored, because each chapter turns to another storyline and so on. This is not simply a "good versus evil" book. These people are real people. Sure, the "bad" folks are really evil and the "good" folks have good hearts, but they all have to make decisions, and they all aren't always the best ones. Sometimes they are. There are plenty of grey characters that are who they are. I think Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson did a marvelous job portraying their characters and getting us to feel certain ways about them, and to me that's always the most important thing about a story. The main bad point in the book is something that I've actually started doing on occasion. Yep, every once in a while I catch myself uttering the phrase, "Vermillion hells!", that curse of Rhombur's that started to get on my nerves after a while. Oh, well, small complaint. I guess the biggest compliment I can give this book is that it's made me want to become a Dune fan. It's made me want to continue on with House Harkonnen (which I have) and House Corrino (it needs to hurry and come out) all the way through Frank Herbet's legendary original saga. For that alone, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson deserve major props.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Dune Here
Review: After waiting 5 months at the local library to check out this new book, I was excited that I got my hands on it and looked forward to capturing the essence of the Frank Herbert universe, well was I ever wrong and a fool! This book was so bad that at page 12 I was ready to return it to the library or throw it out into a recycling bin but I stuck by until the very end, all 700+ dreadful pages of it (of course I would never buy it). The writing is suited towards people without brains, who probably flutter about comic book stores, read Anne Rice novels, eat fat enriched ice cream, and scan People magazine sorely for the pictures of celebrities. The characters for the most part don't have any dimension (good characters are House Atreides, oh of course, and the evil characters are House Harkoneen - anyone in between is either las-gun fodder or worm snacks, so there is no suprise where the story will go, how about having the good guys framed by the bad guys and then the good guys winning at the end?) and the authors totally destroyed the world that Herbert so delicately created. They made Dune look like a soap opera for pimple face teens. Take for example a scene at the begining, the authors are describing the planet Dune and the sandworm and a "new and lean" Baron Harkoneen who struts his "muscular curves" in delight as he watches the Sandworm eat poor spice workers, I almost laughed out loud at how pathetic this all was written, it was about as exciting as eating raw cabbage. This is the worst prequel or sci-fi book that I have finished reading and it has made me realize that sequels written by money hungry pseudo-authors are not to be touched by people who truly enjoy good sci-fi, my time would have been better spent by reading H.G. Wells or Asimov again for the 10th time. It is full of inconsistencies and hollow themes. Whereas Dune was a philosophical novel, this is a story for book of the month club or for people who follow "great literature recommendations" by Oprah. Here are some examples of how bad the story and plot lines were: 1)A young Duncan Idaho defeating Harkoneen house troops at age 8? I mean, get real, how pathetic is that house if they can't kill a scrawny, half starving, pint size of a kid? One blast of a las-gun would have done it... 2)The Thielex did not have ghola tanks until thousands of years after Leto II, and there were no "no-ships" either. But in some preposterous story gadget, the authors secretly created a "no-ship" (Of course the 'evil' Baron killed the inventor later on - ridiculous? Amazingly so, how did they know it really worked or how would they fix it in the future...)in which to kill someone on one of the Space Navigator transports to frame that terribly 'good' House Atreides 3)That snot nose kid twin who is pampered and then becomes a "genius" creating a trans-stellar link to his naviator brother, Get real! That must beat all sense of intelligence in a reader! 4)Pardot Kienes instantly becoming a "prophet" and marrying some woman bride in a nomadic intergroup of Fremen, unplausible at best! His throat would have been slashed at the first sign of intrusion upon the close quarters of the Fremen group. 5)House Atreides' economy relies on fish, sandals, and rice but it's still a "great" house compared to Ix that manufactures advanced components, think about it, 3rd world vs Silicon Valley...who will win? 6)The treatment of the aristocrats and the suboids revolt on Ix was just too much to bear, another story jerker, are we supposed to support that puke kid and his snob sister all while the suboids are suffering? (The authors threw in their dislike of Communism?) And the takeover of the world in a few days after the author told us how 'advanced and wealthy Ix was'. Didn't they have a loyal army or at least some technology to defeat the invaders? This was absurd! There were other inconsistencies, unbelievable truths, and half hearted attempts on the part of the authors to create a Dune world from the supposed "recently discovered files of Herbert", but they failed, and failed miserably! For we all know that Frank Herbert probably destroyed all his real notes for no one would attempt a "prequel" such as this in the first place. Don't bother reading this unless you read this sort of rubbish in the first place...
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This novel reads like the background notes for someone else's book, a jumble of biographical tidbits from Frank Herbert's Dune Series. Many characters are introduced- Duncan Idaho, Pardot Kynes, Stilgar, and others- who do little to move the novel forward. The plot, by the way, is virtually nonexistent. Since we are provided with a run down of each characters motivation, and let in on every plot before the trap is sprung, there is little in the way of suspense. I could not read this book without making comparisons to Frank Herbert's work. An example of how far this book falls short of previous Dune books can be found in a scene in which Baron Harkonnen is faced with the prospect of impregnating a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother, Mohiam. "Using her Bene Gesserit analytical techniques," we are told, "she learned many things about the Baron and his personality from the way he maintained his odorous private warren...." If Frank Herbert had written this chapter, he would have gone on to tell us exactly what things Mohiam could conclude from her observations, and what dark secrets the Baron's room revealed. These authors, however, offer no such insights into the Bene Gesserit abilities or the Baron's character, choosing instead to press on to details about the sexual act itself. I suspect the blame this book's shortcoming should be laid on the editor's shoulders. Herbert and Anderson appear to be capable writers, but need more guidance to craft a novel that is more than a supplement to the original Dune Series. Plot, theme, characterization are words I learned in grade school English class, and the need for these elements still holds true for today's novel. Since I have already purchased Dune: House Harkonnen, I'll press ahead with the series, and I'm hoping that Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have perhaps written a book that is actually about something rather than another Dune curio cabinet.
Rating:
Summary: Not for real Dune lovers
Review: The scope, majesty, and mystery of the first Dune is probably impossible to top. Even knowing that I would probably be disappointed, I reluctantly bought a copy of Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson's first attempt. In comparison to Dune, House Atreides, I'm sorry to have to say, kinda sucks. It's overly plotty and the characters although detailed, are petty and shallow. It's hard to maintain respect for any of them, including Leto. Basically I guess you could rate the writing as on a par with "based on the movie" books.
Rating:
Summary: Casting Pearls
Review: Frank Herbert's Dune series stands alone as one of the most significant science fiction stories. This is maintained by its craft and its quality as literature, not genre writing. Herbert used the worlds he created as a sounding board to tell the tales of a Messiah, and the human qualities of that man (Paul Atreides), he went on to expand on the effects of religion and belief after the Messiah has come and past. His world is magnificent in scope, thickly layered and beautiful. It stands with a complexity rivalling any peice of fiction or fact. His character are human, his world, while fantastic is believable. One is consumed by the Dune series, and while its later books (Heretics of Dune & Chapterhouse Dune) seem inapproachable and difficult on first (or even second reading), the meaning they project is part of the cause and effect style Herbert presented. In retrospect, these last two books are the most stunning, while often seen as the least dynamic. House Atreides, by Brian Herbert lacks the intricate qualities of the works of Frank Herbert, the derived stroyl and ideas seem pale in comparison, and it becomes at best clever, lacking any real insight into Frank Herbert's world. Dune, and its following novels told a story, and epic, and tried to create the atmosphere and intricacies of human belief and struggle. It was a tale beyond the scope of mere storytelling, and House Atreides in comparison seems just a sci-fi novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Hard to Live up to Dad, but...
Review: Although this volume is not as richly textured as the original "Dune", it is an intrigueing addition to the sequence. The Harkonnens are appropriately nasty and the Atreides follow their own code and one gets to see Leto earlier in life. The only real element that didn't fit well was the Bene Gesserit and the birthing sequences. Ideally, given the creative biological powers, less in terms of birthing additions would have been more believable. Can't wait to see if the most recent addition is as good as this one, so close on its heels.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, but¿
Review: ...lacking in the details. This is obviously not by the same author who wrote Dune. Details show a different concept of the Dune universe. The Bene Gesserit seem ludicrously unobservant (using a mechanical incubator with "monitor lights" in their birthing chamber - something a BG acolyte could do much better). "Foldspace" seems to be a place that takes time to cross - more like StarTrek than F.Herbert. The Tleilaxu talk about religion all the time (it isn't the secret of the Dune novels). Thufir Hawat scratches his leg while his hands are clasped behind him (three hands, Thufir?). And this quote of Leto: 'His voice filled the room. "Father, you left large shoes for me to fill."' - (large voice and large shoes, is he a clown?). Many details of the novels WERE included, but the flaws are obvious and detract from the quality of the story.
Rating:
Summary: The Magic is back!
Review: House Atreides may not be written in the writing style of Brian's dad, but so what. From the first chapter I was whisked away once again and dropped in the center of the Dune Universe, how wonderful to be back. Beloved characters brought back with new life, historical questions answered, wheel within wheels plot twists, intrigue and treachery unbound, Dune was back! It seems a life time away since I finish reading Chapterhouse, since hearing the heartbreaking news of Frank's death, and the painful realization of an unfinished dream. But even through those dark times and the years that followed there was always that twinkle of hope. The hope that one-day Frank's son Brian would take up the mantle his father left behind, a monumental task for any man to accomplish. But with a skilled Kevin J. Anderson at the ready, this writing team, like Frank and his wife Beverly, had pulled it off. We get to see Leto, Paul's father grow to one day be the Great Duke of Caladan, a young thin muscular Baron Harkonnen, the Dune visionary Pardot Kynes, an 8 year old Duncan Idaho struggling through his tortured youth, and so much more, marvelous. No matter what anyone says, these two talented writers have taken on this great task and passed with flying colors. Kevin you've just reached a whole new plateau in your writing career, and Brain, from all of us die-hard Dune fans, your father would be proud. Don't stop, don't ever stop, I'm having more fun than I've had in years.
Rating:
Summary: My first Dune book!
Review: I'm only on page 513, and I can tell you, THIS IS A GOOD SCI-FI BOOK!This is a must have for Dune fans, Herbert fans, or just plain sci-fi fans!This story blends in 3 heroes great tales.Leto Atriedies leaves his home on Caladan to learn the mechanics of the robotic world known as Ix.Pardot Knyes,a planetologist, is on a mission from the emperor Elrood IX to see Fremen history,and an 8-year-old Duncan Idaho is hunted down by Harkonenns in a cruel game of tag which Duncan wants to escape.As the book said "This will make all 3 renegades, and shapers of history."True Enough! Baron Vladimir Harkonenn is in this book too(A little note for Dune readers) The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because it's a fast book.The chapters just whiz by. But still,my favorite sci-fi book! Maturity level:15+ END
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