Winds of Dune

Again, I did not buy this book, but borrowed it from the library as what I did for "Paul of Dune". I read it halfway and decided to return the book because I realised I had an eBook version of it.  So, I finished reading the rest of the book on my HTC phone.

Some comments (or bashings): both authors were still "milking" from the Dune franchise by coming up with yet again another "unnecessary" continuation of a story arc, which I failed to see going anywhere, because for those of you who read this book, you know that Shaddam and Count Fenring will definitely lose in the rebellion against Alia, so why write about it?

And the whole issue with Bronso of Ix was just full of bull. Paul is and will always be a one man show, bearing full responsibility of his actions.  He doesn't need some wimpy outcast to do his dirty work!

Fans like me do not care too much about the what "supposedly happened" between "Dune" and "Dune Messiah" and "Children of Dune". I like all the prequel novels that Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson wrote, and even accepted the two last novels that concluded Frank Herbert's Dune Saga.

But PLEASE just stick to the prequels and STOP writing interquels to ruin Frank Herbert's Dune legacy!

Paul of Dune

When this book was published, I did not want to read it because I don't see a point in reading it due to the fact that the two authors are further "milking" from the Dune franchise.  Also, the Dune Universe is fine as it is without them adding more "unnecessary stories" in between Frank Herbert's Dune and Dune Messiah novels.

Therefore, I did not purchase the novel at all.

Then about a month ago, I decided to borrow it from the library (Singapore's libraries are very comprehensive in their materials and most of them are new!)

And I have finished reading the novel today. Yes, it took me a while, because I have an almost 3 year old son and a pregnant wife to look after.

Anyway, back to my opinion of the novel.  Some of those "unnecessary stories" explained why Paul became who he was in Dune Messiah, and how some of the characters like Gurney and Stilgar ended up where they were.

It was a rather good read though, except the part where the novel reverts back to Paul's childhood in every even numbered chapters.  These chapters are expanded stories of what happened after the events in the novel House Corrino, which I find is somewhat frivolous.  However, they do explain why Leto has no "official" wife.

Oh, the only thing I hate about this novel is the fact that Stilgar was made out to be a helpless Fremen when he was in those water battles.  Granted, he is not used to water warfare but he is one tough mother-fucker, and he can adapt!

So please don't ever make Stilgar a wimp!

Publication Date: Sep 16, 2008

Sandworms of Dune

I have finally finished reading the last book of the Dune saga as told by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, based on an outline by Frank Herbert. I guess the final Kwisatz Haderach was rather appropriate, given the history of the person. If you are interested to know who that is, read the book.

I won't say it is a befitting end to the great Dune saga, but it is rather a "Hollywood" kind of ending. I think if Frank Herbert had written the last Dune book, his version will be "darker" than this one.

Publication Date: Aug 7, 2007

Dune: The Battle of Corrin

Excellent conclusion to the trilogy! At the end of this novel, it finally explains the feud between House Atreides and House Harkonnen, and the origins of the Sisterhood, the Fremen, CHOAM, the Guild and other organisations mentioned in the original Dune novel.

At first, I was very apprehensive about reading the Legends of Dune trilogy because I thought "why tell the story before Dune"?  Then because I finished reading Hunters of Dune and was waiting for the paperback version of Sandworms of Dune, I decided to give Legends of Dune a go.

I was not disappointed at all.

Publication Date: Aug 17, 2004

Dune: The Machine Crusade

I find that this novel is excellent, athough it was rather sad for Xavier Harkonnen at the end of the novel.

Publication Date: Sep 16, 2003

Dune: The Butlerian Jihad

Great beginning to the Dune universe! The thinking machine thing is kind of not really Dune, but Frank Herbert did mentioned them in Dune briefly, and Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson just banked on that and produced three novels based on it. Legends indeed...

If I don't need to sleep or eat or work, I would read non-stop... But alas, I am a mere human...

Publication Date: Sep 17, 2002

The Road to Dune

I had some doubts on the short story in this novel being Frank Herbert's "original" story of Dune. Also, the "deleted scenes" from the original Dune novel being published in this novel looks very much like Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's style of writing.

Nevertheless, this novel is interesting on its own.

Publication Date: Aug 11, 2005

Hunters of Dune

This novel is the sequel to Chapterhouse Dune. I realised that it was rather interesting for Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson in their own unique way to continue Frank Herbert's epic Dune universe.

They had summarised in the first few chapters what happened in the last moments of Chapterhouse Dune, which I am very certain that a lot of people would have forgotten. And the story is easy to follow from then on.

However, you need to at least have an idea of the Dune universe before you read Hunters of Dune, because you will have no idea what a "Face Dancer" can do, what a "no-ship" is, or what the heck a "ghola" is.

Publication Date: Aug 22, 2006