Rating: 
Summary: Hey, its all good
Review: This story stuck marvelously well to the "Past", that is the past as it was outlined in the orginial novel. Brian and Kevin did try to make it more interesting by adding charecters we had never heard of(2 dimentional ones at that) most of these charecters they added to try and sucker in a younger audience. Still the book is very vivid and describtive, if you are willing to take the time to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Good to be back in the world of Dune
Review: I've just completed House Atreides and like some of the previous reviewers, I found the recaps annoying and distracting. I kept waiting to hear the words 'Previously on Dune...' as if the book were written for a continuing TV series. Aside from this complaint I was happy to be back in the world of Dune. It isn't Frank Herbert but it is familiar and fast read. I'd recommend the book for any fan of the original Dune series.
Rating: 
Summary: A great, fun book.
Review: No this is not Frank Herbert's Dune. That book was one of the greatest SF books of the century--nothing could compare.Judging this book on its own merits, I loved it! It gave me glimpses into the pasts of characters that intrigued me in Dune. I think the authors did a great job of bringing these historical figures to life. I think this is a very brave and skilled attempt to flesh out the history behind Dune and give us a galaxy-spanning tale of intrigue and adventure while doing it. Read this book and its sequels for FUN. Don't expect deep philosophical discussions, just expect to be entertained.
Rating: 
Summary: long and boring
Review: A complete waste of 700 pages. The story was all over the place then it all just ended. 700 pages and nothing happened. The best part for me was that I bought it from a homeless guy on the street for a buck, so my investment wasn't too bad. However, the time I wasted is another story.
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: Great story, atrocious writing
Review: The stories, some if not most developed by Frank Herbert, the original author of the six-part Dune series, are fabulous. Alas, the writing is atrocious. There are too many examples of awfulness to enumerate, so I will mention only one. The authors repeat information as though they think the readers aren't going to be paying any attention: in House Atreides, Kailea's "emerald" eyes are mentioned so often that I figured the authors had done a "Find and Replace" search on her name.... The book is wordy and loose, not at all like the tight, crisp writing of Frank Herbert (who died in 1986). Not a page goes by that I don't wonder why these books weren't edited properly. However, because the story line is so good, I keep reading. I would only recommend these books to someone who could somehow overlook form for function, just to get at the stories themselves. When Dune: House Corrino comes out in paperback, I'll read it, too, despite my complaints about the writing. However, I'm most looking forward to going back and rereading the original Dune once I finish House Harkonnen, just to get the taste of that terrible writing out of my mouth.
Rating:
Summary: A Faithful Homage to the Master
Review: Honestly, I would have been happy years ago if the great Frank Herbert had ended the Dune Saga with the first novel, DUNE. But since he didn't, and since he passed away before he could really complete his vision, what could be better than this? Herbert and Anderson launched a great prequel trilogy with HOUSE ATREIDES. No, it's not as good as Papa Frank might have written, but it *is* very well written, and it's certainly faithful to the Master's vision. I had a whole lot of fun with this novel, and I'd recommend it to any old Dune fans. In fact, if you haven't yet read the originals, you might start here. What the heck--it *is* a prequel!
Rating:
Summary: House Atreides; amatuer critique
Review: Awesome book, this one and House Harkonnen, can't wait to read House Corrino, soon, real soon.Frank Herbert was a brillaint, gifted writer but he would be proud of the work his son Brian, and co-writer kevin Anderson has wrought.If you love Science Fiction. It's a must read.Watch the movie, buy the video game.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting read, but not in the same league as the orignal
Review: I enjoyed reading Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson's revisit to the universe of Dune but was dissapointed at the lack of depth and complexity of the book. Characters were too black and white (the Baron was about as evil as you could possibly get, just in case you don't get the point he routinely tortures someone or thinks about tormenting someone in just about every scene he's in, and Leto is unsufferably noble and honorable throughout). The characters were not as interesting as they were in the original Dune series, they lack the same depth and intriguing personalities. The book overall is just too simplistic and not as intelligent as its predecessors, (Fenring and Shaddam just happen to come up with the brilliant idea to synthesize spice? With such a demand for the rare drug why hadn't anyone else come up with the idea, for example the Bene Tleilxu themselves?). Some more problems I had with the book, the class issue was delve into only very shallowly during the takeover of Ix and the revolt of the "suboids". In the end the reader is left with the feeling that the ruling nobility was unjustly thrown from their seats of power and that the suboids were well taken care of (food, housing, and work all provided; why ask for anything more?) and had no right to complain; they were blindly led to their own downfall like sheep to the slaughter and they brought it upon themselves. Somehow the whole "ignorant masses" thing doesn't work for me. Also the portrayal of the Bene Tleilxu was way too much for me, all they seemed to say about them was that the Bene Tleilxu = evil, corrupt, and ugly. Where are the shades of grey? Where are the complex characters with complex motives? Where is the intrigue, the mystery, the complicated plot? All the brilliant revelations in this novel seem sub par and mediocre. The book was so terribly predictable. I also felt that Leto's miraculous victory in the trial wasn't so spectacular, and though he got a lot of acclaim and respect from it, he never actually did anything that led to his success. He was the one that had to be saved.
Now, this does not mean the novel wasn't enjoyable. I definitely enjoyed going back to the roots of the characters and seeing where they came from. Some of the ideas were interesting as well (though the details could have been worked out a little better). If you are a fan of the Dune series I recommend the book as a chance to revisit characters and learn a bit more but don't expect anything on the same level as the orginal series.
Rating:
Summary: Utter crap.
Review: I barely managed to wade two thirds of the way through this book, and skimmed through its sequels. Its hard to believe quite how bad and mismanaged all three Prelude to Dune books are, and how pathetic they are in comparison to Frank Herberts novels. Everything is laughably simplifed, especially some of the most interesting characters- Count Fenring is now just a psycopath, the future Shaddam IV is a vain idiot, Baron Harkonnen is really EVIL in a naff, Bond villain sort of way-and the story plods along, written in an awful pulp sci-fi style that makes a mockery of the Dune tradition. Its as if Brian Herbert and Kevn J. Anderson set out to write a parody of Dune, and if thats the case then they succeeded admirably.
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