Rating: 
Summary: Satisfying but not enough!
Review: I found the pre-history of Dune fascinating and I would recommend it to any Dune fan, but.............. I expected more. I specially enjoyed the source of Baron Harkonen ugliness and Duncan Idaho's saga but found the story on our beloved Duke weak. Too many, on the spur of the moment, decisions and a very weak resolution for the trial. Also the way the new Emperor dismisses his "right-hand" is not credible. Overall, the notes were probably Frank's but the subtlety of the plot was not there. We will miss the father!
Rating: 
Summary: A very interesting prequel
Review: I first became aquainted with the world of Dune via the movie, and later the 4-hour uncut version. After watching them both a few hundred times and thinking I grasped the concepts pretty well, I picked up Frank Herbert's classic "Dune," and was blown away.While "Dune" laid the foundation for the entire series, including the mythos, the history, and background of the two major houses in the book, "House Atreides" fills in many blanks about how Emperor Shaddam IV came into power, the history of Vladimir Harkonnen (some of his extracurricular activities were merely hinted at in the movie), and also some deeper history into the dealings between Leto Atreides and other houses. Leto is a young man, his father being the model for the duke he would become by the end of the book. His father is intent on making his experiences varied, in order to enrich his rapport with the people he will eventually rule. In this, he develops compassion, empathy, and determination- once he sets his mind on a task he does not let go. He also is not afraid to stand by those he supports. Supporting characters are spotlighted here and there, such as Rabban, Duncan Idaho, and Pardot Kynes, father of Liet Kynes, and grandfather of Chani. Also, the developing relationship and acceptance of Pardot Kynes into the Fremen is important, and gives an even deeper look into their society. All in all, an excellent prequel, and I doubt I would have picked it up if someone within the Herbert family had not written or cowritten the story. I'm waiting eagerly for the next installment.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost failed to disappoint
Review: I picked up the book, and got about what I expected. Certainly, it is not reasonable to expect anyone to be Frank Herbert, and trying to write in the Dune universe is a daunting task. So I accepted that the characters weren't as subtle, the plans within plans ad infinitum weren't there, and there was more fluff that made the book while as long as a Dune offering, just not as satisfying. On the upside, the borderline pretentious posing and glee at one's own subtlety was missing as well. That could grate at times. And the epic events depicted somehow just weren't as epic. A hollow shell, without the abliity to draw in. Perhaps it was the overt displays, the way most things were on the surface, rather than hinted at in a well turned sentence. Consider: In Dune, the Duke and Jessica hardly seemed to display and tension between themselves (as there are hardly any discussions between themselves), but by secondary discussions and inference, the tension is just as strong as if pages of prose had been devoted to building it. The whole thing was "Dune lite", as it were. There were contradictions, from the death of the Old Duke, to the stretch for Elrood's chaumurky death and Baron Harkonnen being thin to start with. I'd discuss, but it would be too much of a spoiler. Then, as I was nearing the end, ready to go and write a passing review, I found something I could not countenance. Someone being appointed "Spice Production Czar." That little slip, three words in a 700 page book, just turned me off. Yet at the same time, in crystallized everything that nagged at the back of my head on reading.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it
Review: When this hardcover came out, I hesitated to read it; after all, it's something that I was into 20 years ago, I now had other priorities, etc. Boy was I wrong. When I finally bought the paperback edition, I read it in 4 days. I found it to be a worthy prequel, as well as a good novel on its own. As for those who have found fault with it in relation to the other books in the series, it might benefit them to reread those books. e.g. 1) it was Gurney Halleck's sister, not Duncan Idaho's, who was a victim of the Harkonnens 2) the ghola tanks of the Bene Tleilax were in existence prior to the birth of Leto II. How else could the ghola of Duncan Idaho be produced in "Dune Messiah"? 3) it would appear from the discussions in "Dune" that the wealth of House Atreides was indeed based on rice and such. 4) Per "Dune", Pardot Kynes was the original Imperial Planetologist on Arrakis. If indeed he was sent by the Emperor, and his son was a Freman leader, how else would he have joined Freman society than by an unwitting fulfillment of Freman prophecy?
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: Having read the book that started it all when I was much younger, Dune: House of Atreides was a fascinating novel to read. Frank Herbert's legacy lives on, in this prequel to Dune. The intricate storylines are well written, and woven with such flair that although each section pauses to focus on the lives of the central characters, there seems to be no real break as Herbert and Anderson cast their gaze upon Leto, Duncan, C'tarr, Baron Harkonnen, etc. To divulge details of Dune: House Atreides would be to attempt to encapsulate the novel as a Navigator would fold space on a Guild Heighliner. Impossible to do...the best I can do is to recommend this for reading. The politics and treachery abound, with schemes that have far-reaching consequences, even past the seminal book, Dune. Peace Out.
Rating: 
Summary: He's definitely not his Dad.
Review: I eagerly awaited the release of this latest in the "Chronicles", and was somewhat disappointed. There are many inconsistencies in the book, which many of the other reviewers have pointed out. The hunger for the series kept me "with it" until the end, and will probably make me buy the next installment (House Harkonnen), but Frank Herbert's talents are sorely missed. Brian's collaboration with his father (Man of Two Worlds) foreshadowed his talent, but with strong input from "Dad", outshined this offering.
Rating:
Summary: A good reintroduction into the Dune universe
Review: It has been more than 10 years since I read my last Dune novel, and this novel is a pretty good introduction back into it. So well done is this novel that I want to reread the entire original series again (something I hardly ever do). Is it predictable? Yes, most prequels are fairly predictable since you know the general outcome of the story, but the authors do a commendable job of adding in some suspense into the sub-plots. Afterall, we don't know everyone's fate...
Rating:
Summary: Not Herbert's quality, but Herbert's dead
Review: I hear a lot of people complaining about House Atreides and it's silliness, immaturity and inconsistencies. They say it isn't Frank Herbert's quality of work. It obviously isn't. But, of course, Frank Herbert is dead, and there is no way anybody can ever write the way he does again. There are a lot of inconsistencies, I'll agree with that. However, it is nowhere near as bad as it has been described. It is co-written by an author known for his Star Wars novels, not his analysis on philosophy. The reason that there is no philosophy to the book is becuase there is far less involvement on behalf of the Fremen, so we don't get all this babbling about the Lisan al-Gaib and the Kwisatz Haderach. I liked House Atreides. In fact, it's one of my favorite books. And I'm going to get House Harkonnen and make it to the book signing here in San Diego. And I'll buy House Corrino when it finally arrives. I like Frank Herbert's philosophy and his son's ability to swiftly carry a story. This book isn't exactly good to read at the beginning of the Dune series if you haven't yet read it. It has a lot of high action and can make you expect too much of the Dune series if all that you like is action sci-fi, which Dune certainly is not.
Rating:
Summary: Another of the Best Books Ever
Review: In this novel, Dune: House Atreides, Brian Herbert, son of legendary Frank Herbert, has become a shining figure in the literary world. I enjoyed reading the book with it's thickening plot line because of the way each character's story and events were assigned to one chapter, thus allowing the reader to go from story to story until the end when all the characters were gathered at te Imperial Palace for Leto's Trial-By-Forfeiture and Shaddam's Crowning. The book was a sucess and Brian has truly walked in the footsteps of his superiorly-talented father, Frank Herbert. I find myself happily anticipating the next release from Brian called Dune: House Harkonnen. -Review by ProfessionalFantasyNovelist1
Rating:
Summary: Hmmm.....
Review: If you're going to buy this, check yourself first and make sure that you're a confirmed, loyal fan of the original Dune series, because only then might you find in it some redeeming features, namely the exposition of some of Frank Herbert's original ideas. Apart from this, the book is trite and childish; I felt (a) as though I were sifting through a Dr. Seuss book to find nuggets of original intention and (b) that I could have dragged a better version out of my arse - perhaps Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson should consider ordering Frank Herbert's original notes such that they follow a reasonably contiguous pattern and then publishing them "as is". Gone, here, is the plot complexity and the atmosphere, but what's missing most of all is the psychological angle which made all of Frank Herbert's books so compelling. Buy this book for a 5-year-old so that he can have some introduction to the concepts of the Dune series for when he's old enough to understand it. Incidentally, the previous reviewer (Pyotr Petrovich Bazarov) was incorrect about the axolotl tanks and the no-room: the first Duncan ghola was presented to Paul quite early on, and the very same no-room was rediscovered by Duncan Idaho's last incarnation in "Heretics of Dune" some 10,000 years later, complete with original Harkonnen images, nullentropy bins, etc. -- the novel is consistent, for all its other faults. Nevertheless, nastily enough, I shall probably break down and buy the "House Harkonnen" one too, just for the sake of being able to peruse more of Frank Herbert's initial intentions.
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