What happened between Dune Messiah and Children of Dune – the untold story. (Legends of Dune)

I only recently picked up Dune and was riveted by the wonderful science fiction that it represented with it's exploration of religion and politics and warfare and their effect on a man that could alter the course of his and an empire's future for better or for worse.

And so before moving on to the second Frank Herbert book, I considered picking up Paul of Dune to see how it might serve as a bridge to the next book in the original series. I didn't read any reviews prior to it and came upon the hardcover book at 1/2 pr1c3d bookstore for a buck as I was looking for Dune Messiah. Honestly, I considered it a lucky bargain, but now, I think about the ice cream sandwich that i could have enjoyed more and it saddens me.

I am halfway through the book and find it a chore to read in that it is remarkably simplistic and rather condescending of the reader. The only challenge that it presents is in keeping track of the inconsistencies and of the blatant disregard for the essence of Paul's inner struggle. In fact, The Authors who Shall Not be Named, succeed in making me despise this Paul's weakness and impotence.

This novel is the equivalent of a popcorn flick. Since I have not read Frank Herbert's other books, I can only assume that The Unnamed Authors grudgingly read the Cliifs Notes and made a list of all of the events that were not fully developed and decided to write about them. Unfortunately, these events that made their way into the book (and done so from two perspectives- that of the present and from Paul's childhood) is just inane fodder and does not add any substance to the development of Paul the Emperor and really just water downs all of the principal characters in the original Dune. I imagine that when I read the actual sequel, there might be things that will be understood to me, but this book reads like a checklist of events that are explained to a child before the authors move on to the next bullet point to cover.

Sample text:

Margot held him, adjusting her own movements to his, expertly controlling her own body so that they climaxed simultaneously and thunderously.
"You make it impossible for me to even think of other things, my dear," Fenring lied.
She smiled. "My way of repaying you for being so understanding about the breeding obligations that the Sisterhood placed upon me."

Wow. Really? Really?! Fenring the failed Kwisatz Haderach, the eunuch and his Bene Gesserit-trained wife?

This books is simplistic, robotic, and devoid of a redeeming human element. I suppose if I were curious about any details of something that has not been elaborated upon, I might pick this up, but I think that the best read fan of the original Dune books would pen a more significant and worthwhile version of this bridge book.

At least I can look forward to more of Frank Herbert's Dune follow-ups, but I will not be picking up any more of these other versions. Borrow from the library if you must, but do not choose against the ice cream sandwich.

Wow! I dutifully read this from cover to cover expecting that, as with 'Legends of Dune' and the conclusions to the universe there would be some grandiose ending, or at least some previously unseen truth in the original Dune novels. There was nothing of the sort. I was happy to see the Paul character fleshed out, and it gave me some satisfaction to see his wife and sister again, but the plot was weak and the writers had to rely heavily on the previous Dune novels for characterization. Don't get me wrong, the tidbit about the Tleilaxu trying to make their own superman was intriguing, and the plot to kill Paul by Fenring had potential, but I didn't feel they followed through all that well. It seems that this pair works much better when they get to start and finish a trilogy. Perhaps they should stick with that.

To anyone familiar with the original DUNE universe, Frank Herbert's vision was so rich and majestic that as a reader I did not want the story to end. Well, at this point I very much wished it had.

PAUL OF DUNE had everything going for it: an interesting timeline, a detailed setting and unresolved cliffhangers. Yet it manages to fail.
This book picks up the action just after the first book (and movie) of the series (DUNE) and before the second (DUNE MESSIAH), a very interesting period of 12 years for which, so far, we only had hints and suggestive glimpses of. At the same time, a number of flashbacks flesh-out the details of the life of an adolescent Paul Atreides.
Wheels within wheels? No. Rather more like a lone, rusty wind-wheel turning in the soft breeze of decadent Kaitain. Let the good times roll...

According to Dorothy Parker, there are books "not to be tossed aside lightly, [but] thrown with great force". This is one of these books. My study coffee-table now has the indentation to prove it.

I received this book over a month ago. I tried to read it numerous times but was so discouraged that I kept giving up. The first 100 pages can be summarized in just one phrase: "Paul is devastated by the ongoing Jihad but it is inevitable and the lesser of many evils according to his prescience". Paul says it. Irulan makes notes about it. Alia has inner voices echoing it. OK, we get it, please move on!
Which prescience, one must note, apparently is a very fickle commodity as we keep hearing of it but never actually seeing it action.

What has became of Paul, the leader of men and conqueror of worlds? THAT little man is the...Kwizats Haderach? THAT is what the Bene Gesserits were selectively mating people for, for thousands of years? THAT is what the Tleilaxu were trying to duplicate? Well, someone must tell both the the witches and genetic abominations that they are not missing much!
To keep the new emperor human is one thing; to make him dull and cruel, spineless and indecisive is quite another.

This is a book of science fiction so, yes, suspending one's disbelief is a requirement from page one. Nevertheless, a basic logical scaffolding is required for the whole world not to collapse. Taking over entire planets with only a handful of unruly Fremen and some Sardakaur fresh from switching their allegiance? Paul having delegated almost every important decision to...Korba and his Qizarete priests? Where has the unstoppable momentum of Paul gone? If he had lost steam so soon, there is just no way that his vision would materialize by others.
And just how did Fremen become so bloodthirsty and lost all sense of honor in a few weeks?

The young Paul stories fair a bit better but are cursed with the readers'...prescience of the Dune future: every new storyline must serpentine and eat its own tail before the end. After all, the Golden Path future has been set by Frank. And Writing is not a hereditary ability.

It feels like a bad batch of semuta to be sold anyway only, once more, to take advantage of the hardened addicts.

This is my first Brian Herbert and Anderson novel. I didn't want to venture into Frank's universe without his writing but Paul of Dune...well, I was always a sucker for this character and how complex he was. There is good and bad with this novel. I mean it's not Frank and you can certainly see that each chapter is missing the depth and skill of his writing but if you can get past that this isn't a bad book. I also don't like rewriting Dune history. Though it's been a long time I'm pretty sure Paul never left Caladan before Dune and I thought a large portion of this book was dedicated to the flashback of Paul as a child during a conflict on a whole different planet...two of them actually.

Show me don't tell me how the Empire grew and grew beyond his control, the conspiracy or plots to kill Paul should be a footnote to his overall Empire considering the biggest plot against him came in Messiah. I like the training of Fremen to swim to fight on water planets, a few chapters dedicated to campaigns that Gurney or Stilgar were leading and even the endless Rebels. I think it lost it's focus once the flashbacks started and the story got off track. There was an opportunity to really dive into the politics of a religious Empire and the complex nature of the man who was thrust into it. Sadly the writers never took us there.

Honestly, I've enjoyed the DUNE prequal trilogies and HUNTERS and SANDWORMS despite some of the strange scenes that make no sense BUT this is my last novel from KJA and BH. Whereas before they were continueing the DUNE story or taking you back to the Butlerian Jihad now they putting their own episodes in-between the orginal novels.
While reading this book I kept asking myself What's the Point of this book? The story doesn't really offer anything new or revealing in the Dune universe and many of the Characters seem to be just hanging around in the story instead of driving the plot (Korba, Thallo, and Baron Harkonnan).
Every saga (Star Wars, Ect..) reaches a point where the mystery fades and all creative juices have dried up. The authors have reached that point and they need to move on; if they can that is and create something of their own instead of trying to explain every gap between novels and secret from FRANK HERBERT'S richly textured universe.
For Frank Herbert fans I just finished DESTINATION: VOID. Great novel that is well thought out and setting up the VoidShip series. The series is largly out of print unfortunately but I think Herbert fans will enjoy.

Furthering my ambition to finally complete all the books in the Dune series (I only have a couple left! Woo hoo!), this last week I read Paul of Dune. In this novel, Herbert and Anderson explain what happens between the elder Herbert’s Dune and Dune Messiah, jumping back and forth between the pre-emperor Paul and post-emperor Paul.

I have to admit that the first half of the book dragged on a bit for me. The post-emperor storyline didn’t get interesting until later, but still, it felt like sitting down with an old friend. Which, of course, is a happy feeling. The pre-emperor storyline was excellent and I wish the whole book had just centered on that. Given the number of prequels and pre-prequels, it wouldn’t surprise me if the dynamic duo attempt that in the future.

Many, many years ago, I spent an entire weekend reading the first three Dune novels. So immersed was I for those two days, when I finally walked outside into a rainy morning, I felt as if I'd entered an alien world, away from the water starved sands of Arrakis.

Frank Herbert wove stories that examined human existence from multiple angles: ecological; political; sociological. The list goes on, so suffice it to say you'd have a hard time finding a worthwhile view his books couldn't be approached from. What his son and his accomplice have transparently set out to do, is cash in on his father's legacy. The two together are not even half the writer his father was. There's an art to writing: not everyone can do it well. Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson fail where most would be artists fail: knowing that what's left out is as important as what's put in...

I thought this would be an interesting read, mostly to learn some details of the interim years between the original Dune and Messiah books. However, I found myself grinding my way through this (mostly because i was listening to an audio version where it is hard to skip around) only to say I read it. I often found myself wondering why I should care about these mundane details that Frank Herbert didn't feel it necessary to share.

At worst, this book may disrupt the continuity of the original story for you by introducing new (arguably unnecessary) characters and plots to the already-huge Dune mythos.

At best (and this is why I give it 2 stars instead of 1), this book will bring you a higher appreciation of Frank Herbert's delicate storytelling nuance.

Although I truly enjoyed this book, I felt like I had read it before. It was, as usual, well written, but seemed simply like excerpts taken from Dune and other books called by a different name. The writing is excellent and the storyline well-crafted; however, I think for anyone who is a True Dune Fan this will read like an overview, at least it did to me. Perhaps, I feel this way because I have already read the books which come chronologically after this time period and someone reading the books in-series won't notice the overview/viewpoint as much.

When Kevin and Brian began writing the Dune books I was quite excited. I was excited mostly because I wanted to see how the sixth book concluded. I was also excited because I just wanted to live in the Dune universe again without having to re-read all of Frank Herbert's material again.

So I was perplexed at first when they began by writing the two trilogies/prequels. But they explained that they needed to tell these stories because it would add more to the conclusion. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and even enjoyed both trilogies (not as much as Frank's material, but I'll be lenient because those are some VERY large shoes to fill).

And then finally, the golden path had finally come to an end with the Sandworms of Dune book. It actually made a little bit more sense having the two trilogies (I'm still not satisfied that the House trilogy was really needed). The ending was different than I would have expected but Frank always did surprise me in a lot of his writings. Ultimately, I enjoyed it and for the most part I was satisfied.

And now we're getting more books.

Okay, now I'm starting to think that Brian and Kevin are just writing Dune books because they are easy sells and not to add what Frank might have written. And that is starting to upset me. Come on, Brian, you most of all should know that you should just complete the Dune series the way your father wanted... from his notes... and leave it there. Stop messing with it! This is not your story, it is your Dads. Please stop trying to make it yours.

This story, for the most part, was okay. It flushed out a few of the characters and little bit more, but nothing really new came out. Okay, I must admit, I had always wondered what ultimately happened to Fenring (he was my favorite character from the House trilogy) but not enough to dedicate an entire book to find out. There were a lot of holes in the story, which I can forgive except for what I wrote in the previous paragraph.

So, please, stop writing Dune books. Think up an original series of your own and make that your Dune... your universe... your legacy. Stop soiling your fathers. This, at best, would rank as fan fiction and not best selling material like your father used to write.

Paul of Dune narrates events between F. Herbert’s Dune and Dune Messiah. It periodically alternates between two periods: 1) the beginning of Paul’s reign as emperor, and 2) Paul’s early years, centered principally around the Ecaz-Grumman feud. B. Herbert and Anderson write good but not great literature. This novel is far less than F. Herbert’s Dune, and may not be necessary except for fans.

Strengths-The consolidation of Paul’s rule is portrayed carefully. As Emperor, Paul is forced to make increasingly tough decisions in his Jihad, which has already killed millions, and in the process he begins to lose a little of his humanity. The characterization of Paul is fascinating, and reminds me of the tragic fall common to ancient Greek heroes. It’s similar to Darth Vader but Dune in general is darker and deeper than Star Wars; the rule holds true in this novel as well. Princess Irulan was also interesting, in her role as official historian and her complex attitude toward Paul and his holy war.

Weaknesses-Redundancy, predictability, and farcical plot elements. While Paul’s thoughts are interesting, his ruminations become redundant with 600+ pg. He reiterates his terrible purpose and visions, but rarely goes into much detail. Not having read Dune Messiah, maybe this was intentional, but it’s not good enough: what is this vision, which paints a dark future if he doesn’t prosecute the Jihad? It would help to sympathize with Paul if we knew why the Jihad is supposedly necessary. I easily predicted the end of the Ecaz-Grumman feud; who is going to be killed off in these chapters is even easier to predict. Paul’s youthful adventures in Caladanian jungles and Grumman wastelands are merely disinteresting interruptions. Furthermore, Duke Leto’s commando mission on Ecaz, the jungle natives on Caladan, and a certain Swordmaster’s activities (silence necessary) are farcical and insipid.

Conclusion-Despite its weaknesses, the novel meets Dune’s standard in intelligent subtext, intricate schemes, and astute commentary on religion and politics. It is not as philosophically deep as Dune and is thus easier to grasp, but this may appeal to some. I do not regret reading the novel, but my interest in the Dune is more than passing. Natural limitations for an unnecessary filler novel written in the footsteps of F. Herbert.

The original Dune novels are a great series. The got odd towards the end and then with Herbert's death cut off without a conclusion. Many fans wondered what that conclusion would be.

Frank Herbert's son decided, many years later, to create that conclusion using notes he found.

However, he decided to milk as much money as possible to do it. While it was great to see some conclusion to the series I think this book is just one more step in ruining his father's legacy.

Paul of Dune seems slow paced and shallow. The characters just feel resigned and poorly written. I rarely give up on books, but I know I will not be reading any more of the Dune books after this. This book isn't as bad as some I have seen, and I will probably finish it at some point, but I do think it is wasting my time.

"I leave my footprints in history, even where I do not tread."

Paul Atreides, Maud'Dib to his loyal subjects, has unleashed a bloody Jihad across the universe. The old Emperor has fallen - his Imperium destroyed. It is now Paul's right and duty to erase Shaddam IV's reign from history and begin anew.

He will face many hardships along the way; assassination attempts, interplanetary wars, and deciphering who he can trust within his own household. And there is always the matter of the spice trade. "He who controls the spice, controls the universe" - a phrase that Maud'Dib understands all too well.

Paul will question his own motives and actions for ruling the universe, and eventually come to the realization that his decisions will shape the course of history.

This book lacked pretty much everything compared to Frank Herbert's writings. The storyline did not draw you in and you never felt immersed in its surroundings as do F. Herbert's original series or additions. 'Paul of Dune' had no flow or feeling. It's pure filler to try to establish something that is not there. I've finished all of F. Herberts Dune novels and needed a fix more or less. I was hesitant to buy this in the first place, ya got me Brian. This book just has zero of the ambiance that his father's writing do. Critics 'loved it' because they know nothing about the entire saga...lame.

Reading this book was a chore. Somebody paid to buy it for me, and I'd started it, so I gradually picked it up time and again until it was finished.

There are two mixed timelines in the book, one of Paul as a teen on Caladan, and the other, Paul as Emperor before his son takes the reins. The Paul as a teen thread was enjoyable to read at times, but then you'd get punished with the Paul as Emperor segments as the timeline switched back and forth.

The Paul as teen segments of the book fit with the rest of the dune books nicely, and the characters seemed "right".

Given the power of the Quizatz Haderach, I was left expecting grander scope and character. Perhaps this was the point of the authors, that once Paul got into this role his position was fixed and none of his abilities or decisions really mattered that much. If that was the case, understanding that doesn't make it less tiresome to read. The only saving grace of the emperor timeline was the storyline about the Marie, daughter of Fenring, and the Tlielaxu's Quizatz Haderach. That was also a fun subset of the book, but also lacking follow-through and completeness, and in the end that part of the story line just fizzles.

Move along. There is nothing to see here. The authors have invented a new early history of the far-future messiah, explaining away the contradictions with Dune and Dune Messiah as "omissions" from the record. That BH and KJA have managed to squeeze a shiny dime out of all the terrible pre/se/inter-quels is a testament to the richness of the original vision. Rather than flesh-out an intriguing universe, the authors have thinly stitched their contrivances together with the originals. They seem to write for a dumber generation.

Halfway through "Paul" I contemplated quitting this dreck, but I (and probably you) am a Dune completist. Yes, we are engaged in a death-sprial, the authors and I, like plummeting coital birds. Just who is getting screwed is clear.

I continue to be disappointed by this endless series that will examine every nook and cranny of Dune world as long as readers continue to plop down thirty bucks. Not one of these post-Frank words match the originals in creativity, literary quality or plot intrigue. It's like watching people learning to dance - they make all the right moves and on the surface it appears to be the real thing, but a closer look reveals a simple rote progression of memorized actions without the artistry of a professional.

Scenario: Paul has won - although whether as Duke of Atriedes, Muad'Dib of the Fremens or the Quizat Haderach of the Bene Gesserit is unclear since he switches roles depending on the situation. And despite his triumph, he must lead the holy jihad, massacring billions although he knows it is wrong. What doesn't make sense is his prescience and his own actions...surely he could envision that a religion based on his divinity and a holy war of extermination for no real reason will not play out in the end. In a way, the authors correctly analyzed the problem of mixing the State with Religion, Prophet with Official and Family with Business.

Paul emerges as someone new in this novel, a dictator surrounded by sycophants. He acts worse than Shaddam IV, the man he replaced. Irulan, the titular wife, is the best realized character as she balances past and current allegiances. Others are mere window dressing: Duke Leto and the Baron Harkonnen return in a flashback, the (in)famous Tleilaxu show up with a couple and their extraordinary daughter, Duncan fights, Jessica assures the faithful, Gurney follows his master, Stilgar continues the Crusade and poor Channi pops up only to mutter support for Paul and whimper about his destiny. Even Alia, one of my favorites, does Alia things and talks Alia talk.

The real question: In the world of Dune, is there any aspect that has yet to be explored? From the last few backs, it appears doubtful.

This book was a complete farce. The authors were trying so hard to fill Paul's backstory with more and more trash, carried over from their House trilogy novels. This seemed to be the only sad theme they have been carrying on, layers within layers within layers of rubbish!

Skipping between Emperor Muad'Dib and young Paul Atreides was completely unnecessary. Again backstory had to be added, so that present story could move along.

Irulan was like a flower vase, placed there with absolutely to look pretty but can do absolutely nothing. Writing propaganda for Paul, I don't think that was the original role that Frank Herbert made her do, it was more like a scribe, to record historical events and moments for posterity. Irulan and her books.

They tried to make Paul less the messiah and more human by making him vulnerable to assassination attempts, especially by oh, childish Marie and the Fenrings, Bludd etc. Advance hunter-seekers indeed. They had to use slightly tweaked but recycled material from Frank Herbert's Dune, so that we can relate to the previous assassination attempt on Paul from the Dune novel - utterly no imagination!

Paul had regrets about how his jihad went along, but it wasn't until Dune Messiah that he expressed it or tired of it. I would have thought this novel would actually explain how his campaign lasted so long and how he managed to inspire and drive the Feydakin forward in the Jihad.

Korba, the high priest, and the eventual conspirator, turned out to be stupidly childish in his attempts to defend Emperor Muad'Dib's honor, to the point of fanatical. Was that really what the authors were trying to portray, a fanatical priest?

Otherwise, like one of the other reviewers mentioned, the story actually picked up towards the last few chapters, but then crashed miserably all over again. Too many discrepancies that had to be "killed off" in time for it to be joined in with Dune Messiah.

I find it appalling that the authors would actually have the stamina to write such garbage. Perhaps each author writes their own chapters, and then they compile them mix and match style and tada... Paul of Dune.

Highly NOT recommended to all true Dune fans - The true Feydakins. Only recommended to readers who have no exposure to Frank Herbert's true Dune series, or novice 5-star fanatics.

Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert have had problems with continuity between their Dune books and Frank Herberts original classics. With Paul of Dune they have crossed the line. In Paul of Dune we find out that Dune as written by Frank Herbert is nothing more than an an error ridden book in the Dune universe. How anyone could not be outraged by this is beyond me. Any 5 star reviews that fail to mention this fact are not properly informing those seeking information about this book.

This story begins "One Year After the Fall of Shaddam IV" and continues through the next four years, with substantial flashbacks into a time in Paul's life, age 12, during his first hands-on experience with war. Though it's been years since I've read Frank Herbert's sequels to his masterpiece DUNE, this volume seems to mesh fairly well with what came before with only minor inconsistencies from the original.

In PAUL OF DUNE, the reader is carried through Paul's out-of-control Jihad, which his prescience tells him is imperative for the continuation of the human race. The point-of-view is third-person, with Paul holding about 50% of the chapters, switching back and forth with other personages such as: Stilgar, Gurney Halleck, Shaddam Corrino, Count Hasimir Fenring, the "flamboyant Swordmaster" Bludd from Ecaz, Vladimir Harkonnen, Princess Irulan, and others. Paul is trying to consolidate his power in a galaxy where politics are ever in flux and assassination attempts are the order of the day. Even when he was young, and the Assassin's War was in full throttle, the worlds were not at peace. Authors Brian & Kevin do a good job keeping the reader grounded in character and action. For a reader interested in this story, it does not get boring.

I found the focus of this volume almost as pointed toward Irulan as toward Paul. Here, she is blameless of any offence against Chani, which I found an irritating change from Frank's original--but it does read well here. I did enjoy the growth of characters Stilgar and Gurney as they waged war on other planets and eventually longed for home. And the adventure in Paul's boyhood with Duncan Idaho was especially entertaining. The view of different planets was done well, also, giving the reader a change from just desert or palace. Stilgar especially, endures swamps and rivers, a grueling endeavor for a desert borne man.

Politics, violence, and religion--ideas which hold a spell over humanity today, and in the future, encompass PAUL OF DUNE. This is an awesome read, giving each of us food for thought on mankind's current troubles.

You know, in times of such economic strife I find it funny that anyone can afford to shovel money over to these two authors.
If you haven't read the Frank Herbert series then you won't know what I'm talking about. The new books are full of events so important and influential to cemented characters that they're not even hinted at in the original series. Guess that puts a nail in the coffin about them using original notes and manuscript from Frank Herbert.
If you like Star Wars books, then these would be out of this world.

After reading the 2 part "conclusion" to the Dune series, I swore I wouldn't read any more Herbert/Anderson Dune. Don't get me wrong, I generally like Anderson's work. I thought Saga of Sevens Suns was fun, although far less profound than Dune. I eventually fell off the wagon and picked up a copy of Paul of Dune anyways, and I was pleasantly surprised. The book does a much better job of capturing the spirit of the Dune series than many of the other efforts, although I was not impressed with the "Flashbacks" which were more or less product plugs for the earlier "Houses of Dune" prequel series that came out a few years ago. I enjoyed the Count Fenring subplot and I'm curious to see if the character garners any ink in the upcoming book. More than anything, Paul of Dune rekindled my interest in a series I had more or less loss interest in over the years. It pairs well with a re-reading of Dune Messiah, Children of Dune or God Emperor (which I had not read again since my original reading years ago).

If you absolutely hated the other Herbert/Anderson efforts, you probably won't like the book. But if you had mixed feelings, give this book a try. I think it's one of their better efforts in the series.

Let me begin by saying Frank Herbert's beloved sci-fi novel `Dune' was one of the most unique, mind-boggling books I've ever read. I was entranced by Paul's visions, the prophetic utterances, the mind control powers of the Bene Gesserit, the properties for expanding consciousness provided by the digestion of the spice and the awesome, almost God-like presence of the legendary sandworms. If ever there was a readers heaven this was it! In stark contrast to the elation and wonder experienced while reading `Dune' I must sadly admit to undergoing profound dismay and disillusionment upon reading his follow-up `Dune Messiah'. The deeply prophetic and mystical aspects permeating the first installment were gone, now replaced by political intrigue and the power of corruption. But what bothered me the most was the missing years between book one and book two.

Those missing years have finally become available, unfortunately not from the master wordsmith and storyteller himself, but from his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson in 'Paul of Dune'. I've read many of the highly negative reviews already posted on this new release and it's easy to tell who the Dune purists are. Not being among their number, it's been over 35 years since I've read `Dune', I'm not in a position to compare composition styles, attention to detail and plot inconsistencies with the original storyline. Hence I'm left to judge the worthiness of `Paul of Dune' on it's own merits, along with a faint memory of the mood and flavor of the original classic as remembered all these years.

With that in mind I will now say that I thoroughly enjoyed this apocryphal account covering the intergalactic Jihad, Paul's rise to power and the reconstructionist history of Muad'Dib as played out by his closest confidants and recorded by his wife Princess Irulan. It was this latter aspect of the novel that I found most intriguing. The authors did an admirable job of examining how myths and legends are born, structured and cleverly maintained with half-truths and embellishments to fool the faithful, thus maintaining power and control.

As I write this review I'm reminded of the burial of Duke Leto Atreides in the deep desert in the presence of Paul, Lady Jessica, Chani and Alia. I found the scene surprisingly moving and had the feeling that this opening chapter was meant to serve as Brian Herbert's tribute to his Father, and his "canon" of work. Paul's internal dialogue during this solemn ritual at Duke Letos' gravesite were thoughts and feelings that could just as well been thought at Frank Herbert's services. Was Brian Herbert symbolically burying his Father along with the Duke in a bittersweet but glorious goodbye as he places the wondrous wordsmith beneath the sands of the fictitious planet he has forever immortalized?

I loved Frank Herbert's Dune series. I am somewhat grateful that his son answered some of the pre-Dune questions that intrigued me. However, what captivated me about Frank Hebert's Dune series, at least through the God Emperor of Dune, is that he focused on developing the characters; through this character menagerie, the story developed around them. The Dune series of today must follow the story and the characters must fit into them. It's just not the same.

Frank Herbert's Dune novels, as major seeds in the "scifi as literature" school (particularly Messiah, Children, and God-Emperor), have repeatedly been brought down to pulp levels over the last decade by the books written since Herbert's death. However, I found Paul of Dune to be much more intriguing.

Of course, it is impossible to reconcile the events of this with the continuity of the original Dune series. And ultimately, it's not worth trying. Frank Herbert explored the depth of his characters as extensively as was appropriate to tell the stories he told, and nothing more needs to be said. Trying to read this novel in that way will simply be infuriating.

That said, this does offer some interesting insights to aspects of the characters. Leto, Paul, and Irulan shine here. Leto drives the flashback sequences and comes off as the kind of hero one would expect the father of Muad'dib to be. I found the development of Emperor Paul to be interesting because the authors seemed to avoid introspection from Paul's point of view, as was heavy in Dune Messiah. In this, I feel that they achieved their stated goal of showing a Muad'dib that went from heroic conquerer to despot by showing him as others saw him. I particularly like Irulan in this novel, in part because she is a more interesting character than in Messiah & Children. There, she was portrayed as short-sighted, selfish, and dense. Here we get something that I feel is more likely from the woman who wrote the epigraphs in Dune chronicling Muad'dib's life. She is strong, clever, and insightful. This makes for a fascinating ground for the conflicting, conflicted, and downright unusual relationship she has with Paul.

Ultimately, though, this is clearly a Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson novel. If you found their other works irredeemable, this one's entirely not worth picking up. This contains every bit of their pacing, structure, and willingness to alter continuity. If you're okay with that, then this is definitely the best of what they've done.

Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have been all over the page with their prequels, sequels and additions to Frank Herbert's critically acclaimed and fantastically in depth Dune series. The last couple of books that they wrote were sequels to Frank's final book "Chapterhouse: Dune". I was disappointed in these two novels as I found them 2 dimensional and lacking in depth. Having said that I was pleasantly pleased with "Paul of Dune". This one isn't a sequel and it isn't a prequel...it's snuggled in between the first and second books in Frank's sextet (Dune and Dune Messiah) and details some of the battles and adventures that take place during the Fremen Jihad that Paul has visions of in Dune and is such an important part of the conflicts in Messiah.

There's also a frame story within that Dune "purists" may take issue with: the adventures of 12-year-old Paul during an Assassin's war. Anderson and Herbert "fudge" with Frank's original details of Paul's past in order to create this story, but it is still fun to see Duncan Idaho, Duke Leto, Gurney and even the evil Baron in a heretofore untold story. I enjoyed it.

Anderson and Herbert have been criticized by critics and fans alike (fairly and unfairly) for their books in the Dune Universe. I think it may be due to the fact that good characters are aspects of their author. Paul, Duke Leto and the rest in the original series are all Frank Herbert. Alas, Frank is gone and we are poorer for it. I still enjoyed reading "Paul of Dune". I t may not add to Frank Herbert's original series (I suspect he left out the time between novel 1 and 2 on purpose), but it's still a lot fun to revisit our old friends from the Dune universe even if they are only shadows of their original selves.

Dune fans around the world have had mixed reactions to "Paul of Dune". Continued by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson, "Paul" answers the questions that were left behind by Frank Herbert.

1. what happened between Dune and Dune Messiah?
2. Who exactly is Paul Muad'Dib?
3. What happened to make Paul the Messiah?

Herbert and Anderson give us a novel that Mr Herbert the elder would be pleased with. As Jihad roars with intensity, the dangers of victory are sometimes more threatening than loss. Who controls the victorious if blood thirst becomes more important than religous principles? Who can call Paul to responsibility when he begins to question his own sanity?

Power is its' own reward, and absolute power can corrupt absolutely. As this is a prequel, we know the result, and while the devil can be in the details, beauty is also in a well crafted novel. With any derivative work, the problem of continuity and conisistancy with the previous original works can be problematic. There are small errors, and perhaps the book could have used one more going over by another editor, but this is Dune, and it deserves better.

[...]

Tim Lasiuta

When the post Frank Herbert Dune books started appearing I read the first couple and quit because I thought them pretty poor.

Recently I gave them another chance with this one because they have a lot of fans and I rather enjoyed Anderson's Saga of the Seven Suns.

I regret this thoroughly, as this book was even worse than I recall the initial books of the series being. It has no strengths of its own, but it damages the characters and themes of Dune by filling in events referenced in passing and involving the characters of Dune with details, personalities, motivations, and themes often glaringly incompatible with those found in the original series.

To give it the rating it deserves would require negative stars.

I know there is much controversy surrounding this book and the gap that it bridges between Dune and Dune: Messiah. Some dune fans feel that Brian and Kevin's work are not worthy to be part of the Dune series. Some others love their work and enjoy reading deeper into the Dune universe. I for one enjoyed this book a lot.

I feel it tied in well between both books and even gave some interesting insight on the war of Assassins while Paul was a child on Caladan. YES the writing style is not the same as Frank Herbert but nonetheless is still an entertaining read.

It also filled in many gaps on Paul's Jihad. I've always wanted to read up about this and was actually disappointed how Frank Herbert skipped clean over this. Yes, you fanatical Frank lovers explain the reason for this is because you feel that he didn't need to spend time on this topic (or irrelevant) but I'm glad his son did devote some time to it. Why not enjoy further reading on the Jihad?

Other great reasons to read this book:
-It dives deeper into the roles Gurney Halleck and Stilgar played during the Jihad.
-How the Fedaykin fit into the Jihad and their fanatical devotion to Muad'Dib
-Count Hasimir Fenring and his plot to overthrow Paul (he practically fell off the map after the first Dune book)
-War of Assassins
-Further exploration into Paul's father, Duke Leto and his previous endeavors
-Young Paul and his adventure with Duncan Idaho on CAlladan
-Princess Irulan and her writings of the history of Paul Muad'Dib

4.5 stars

These books have been and always will be a travesty. No one, especially the author's son, has the right to play around with the works of Frank Herbert. What he created was a living, breathing fictional universe, filled with characters of depth and substance. The story itself also wasn't half bad!

What his son has done, along with that "Star Wars book writer" (that should pretty much say it all), is nothing other than pissing on Frank's grave. I am sure it must give one a little bit of joy to once again be "in" the Dune universe, but we all know these books are a cheap facsimile of the originals.

Be brave, peoples, and don't give these defilers any more silver pieces.

Book Review submitted by: Stephen J. Hage, [email protected]

I read Frank Herbert's original Dune trilogy in the early 70's and became imprinted like a baby duck. To this day, I can tell you what a seitch looks and smells like, what it's like to roam the sands of Arrakis wearing a stillsuit, how majestic and frightening it is to encounter shai hulud (a sandworm) and what it feels like to experience the spice agony.

Herbert was a true genius and his magnificent story lives on. The Dune trilogy is still in print and still insanely popular. Fortunately for me and other Duneaholics Frank Herbert's son, along with Kevin J. Anderson has succeeded in continuing the Dune saga.

The historical sweep of the original series was breathtakingly enormous with a story arc almost too big to comprehend.

This book chronicles the life of Paul Atriedes, the central character of the original trilogy, after becoming Paul Muad Dib galactic emperor and focuses on what happened between Dune and Dune Messiah. It explains how he became the prophet he was in Dune Messiah.

It draws heavily on the historical path laid out by Frank Herbert in the original series and revisits characters well known to anyone familiar with the story like the Harkonens the Bene Geserit CHOAM, and the hated Tlielaxu.

If you haven't experienced Dune, this book might be a good starting point. If you read it, chances are, like me, you'll become hopelessly hooked and, if that happens, I promise you won't be sorry.

For bonafide Dunaholics, I know, I'm preaching to the choir. No one should deprive themselves of the joy of Dune.

I promised myself that I would never read another Herbert/Anderson 'addendum' to the original Dune series after the disaster that was The Butlerian Jihad. However, due to forgetting to send in my negative desire for this book to the SF book club, it showed up on my doorstep, and obsessive reader that I am, I eventually cracked the covers of this book.

Surprisingly, it's not an unmitigated disaster, but rather a book that fills some holes between Dune and Dune Messiah, and almost managed to convince me that this extra material 'fit' with the original. However, there are some strong inconsistencies with the original, most notably in the portrayed actions and feelings of certain Fremen Maud'Dib worshipers, a rewriting of history to allow Paul to be offworld prior to the events of the original Dune, and a fleshing out of some the characters of the originals, most notably Irulan, that doesn't truly match Frank Herbert's portrayal.

While still having the short chapter/quick switch between scenes and characters that are now the hallmark of the Herbert/Anderson writing style, for this particular book such treatment actually works, as the plot threads are sufficiently many and convoluted enough to allow for such treatment. And the portrayals of the various characters weren't so obviously wrong as to cause me to throw this book away in disgust. However, this is very faint praise, merely an acknowledgement that the original characters of Frank Herbert were very powerful, real people, and as this book follows these original people, with only a few new persons thrown in, some of that power still permeates this book. This book also manages to avoid any ridiculously obvious scientific boners, mainly by not making any scientific statements of importance, but this is certainly preferable to the nonsense that has filled some of the other volumes.

However, the conclusion of this volume is an extreme letdown and is very poorly thought out, as it hinges on Paul and all of his close advisors willfully ignoring an obvious threat. But perhaps this is not surprising, as another threat earlier in the book is also completely ignored until it is sprung with deadly consequences, even though Paul has a prescient dream with clear significance - darn it, I caught the reference, even though it's been about five years since I last re-read the original Dune, and certainly someone who lived through that particular incident would see the relevance much more easily.

Better than some of the other works about Dune this pair has written, but that's not saying a great deal.

---Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

I have loved the Dune Universe since its inception (with a few minor exceptions) and found this latest work to be a worthy addition, filling in the time line between Dune and Dune Messiah. Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have done a fine job of following the path created by Frank Herbert. For all the naysayers who decry the works that have expanded and extended the vision of Frank Herbert, I just shake my head and say to re-read the orginals. There are flaws and inconsistencies in them as well, for every author would admit that even they are not happy with their finished books. These expansions by Brian and Kevin have taken us deeper into the minds and souls of the principle characters while giving us the detailed "back stories" of many others, like Count Fenring.

Keep writing them, Brian and Frank, and I'll keep buying and reading them.

The difficulty with picking up a classic lineage and continuing on with where the original deceased author/creator began is knowing what the originator would have wanted and continuing a theme that works. It's hard to imagine if JK Rowling wasn't around to write the last 3 books of the Harry Potter line. What would have happened with Harry and would it have been what she had envisioned? With 'Paul of Dune' Frank Herbert (the father of Dune)'s son Brian and Kevin J Anderson add a new story to the Dune lineage focusing on the title character and I feel that this is a solid effort. Many complaints have been made that the writing style isn't like his fathers and not as exciting but that is a reality that cannot be avoided. The main goal with pickups like this is to write/create works that are true to the original, add to the storyline and respect the creator. It's been done with Gene Roddenberrys Star Trek for many years where some are hits, some big strikeouts and some home runs. With 'Paul of Dune' the authors have created a work that adds to the Dune saga and it's good job at that.

If you are a Dune fan or are just looking for a science fiction book to read this is a thumbs up work.

**** RECOMMENDED

I have loved the Dune Universe since its inception (with a few minor exceptions) and found this latest work to be a worthy addition, filling in the time line between Dune and Dune Messiah. Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have done a fine job of following the path created by Frank Herbert. For all the naysayers who decry the works that have expanded and extended the vision of Frank Herbert, I just shake my head and say to re-read the orginals. There are flaws and inconsistencies in them as well, for every author would admit that even they are not happy with their finished books. These expansions by Brian and Kevin have taken us deeper into the minds and souls of the principle characters while giving us the detailed "back stories" of many others, like Count Fenring.

Keep writing them, Brian and Frank, and I'll keep buying and reading them.

The difficulty with picking up a classic lineage and continuing on with where the original deceased author/creator began is knowing what the originator would have wanted and continuing a theme that works. It's hard to imagine if JK Rowling wasn't around to write the last 3 books of the Harry Potter line. What would have happened with Harry and would it have been what she had envisioned? With 'Paul of Dune' Frank Herbert (the father of Dune)'s son Brian and Kevin J Anderson add a new story to the Dune lineage focusing on the title character and I feel that this is a solid effort. Many complaints have been made that the writing style isn't like his fathers and not as exciting but that is a reality that cannot be avoided. The main goal with pickups like this is to write/create works that are true to the original, add to the storyline and respect the creator. It's been done with Gene Roddenberrys Star Trek for many years where some are hits, some big strikeouts and some home runs. With 'Paul of Dune' the authors have created a work that adds to the Dune saga and it's good job at that.

If you are a Dune fan or are just looking for a science fiction book to read this is a thumbs up work.

**** RECOMMENDED

This review was previously deleted by the store.com for unknown reasons. I've gotten used to this, so here it is again for your benefit.

Paul of Dune

Perhaps the authors should have titled this Dune: Days of our lives or perhaps Dune: 90210, as the prose is no better than that found in a third-rate soap opera. Whereas the elder Herbert didn't try to describe every last thing, but was still able to inform the reader of what was going on through vivid allusions and subtle nuance, Bri and Kev take a bland clinical approach towards writing all the new Dune stories.

All characterizations fall flat in Paul of Dune. While reading this story, I find that the Paul depicted in this story is not the same one as the Paul which toppled the Padishah Emperor and discovered his "terrible purpose." What is particularly irking is how Paul of Dune short circuits the original intent of Dune. Dune was in many ways a coming-of-age story for Paul Atreides. It is implicit in Frank's storytelling that Paul, although exquisitely honed in statecraft/combat/politics/Bene Geserit ways, was just a green boy with little real-world experience before the betrayal of the Atreides by the Harkonnnens and the Emperor. POD sabotages this narrative by having Paul participate in a war against the Moritani before the events of the original Dune. Bri and Kev do not enhance the characterization of Paul with these incessant tack-ons.

Frank Herbert conveyed a distinct Fremen culture through his original Dune series. Fremen culture FELT like a real foreign culture. The characterization of Stilgar by the senior Herbert was genius. Unfortunately, Bri-bri and crew have Stilgar talking like Dylan from Beverly Hills 90210.

I rate Paul of Dune at 0 stars.

Kevin Anderson and Brian Herbert have written a number of DUNE books now. I have to say that NOTHING can beat the originals by Frank Herbert.

I have read LOTS of negative reviews, and was expecting the worst. But I have to say this wasn't an abomination. This wasn't horrible. In fact, it wasn't bad. I thought, it was pretty good.

But of all the books written by KA and BH, this one comes the closest to the original books. Perhaps I am clouded in my giddiness to be reading about Paul again, but it was a good read and kept my attention the whole time.

I have to admit when they went backwards to Paul's youth, I was disappointed. I thought it was going to drag the novel down, but it didn't I enjoyed the young Paul as much as Emperor Paul. Irulan was a fascinating character in this novel. Probably much more sympathetic to her that Frank Herbert was.

Overall, it wasn't as good as the original Dune. That isn't an insult. I have yet to find a book that is as good as the original. But this was, in my opinion, th best of the KA/BH books on Dune.

Frank Herbert's Dune series was literature. I read it once a year, and every time it is fresh and fascinating. This is just pulp sci-fi, a pale imitation. It's poorly written, poorly thought-out schlock.

I buzzed through this fairly quickly, even though it was a little over 500 pages. It fills in a time gap in the original series that perhaps we didn't all need to know, but is still interesting. (Some are saying that they weren't concerned about it, but if that is the case, why bother to read it?) I think I found the back story of a much younger Paul Atreides the most interesting, followed by the Theilaxu portion of the Emperor's story.

If you're a fan of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's work, I think you'll enjoy it.

Focusing on the unchronicled years between Dune and Dune Messiah, Paul of Dune gives a fascinating backstory of Paul and his evolution from exalted hero to brutal despot. The story's dual timeline works well and allows us to see how the early experiences of Young Paul shaped the Emperor Paul. There's compelling history on other characters such as Count Fenring (great!), Duke Leto, Duncan Idaho, and Princess Irulan that makes them far more 3-dimensional than before. There are some great sequences including Paul as a 12 year-old during the War Of Assassins, as well as the conflicts among the lesser houses.

I absolutely loved the storytelling. From the swashbuckling fights to the anguish of Paul's internal conflicts, I was completely caught up in Paul of Dune, and I was more than satisfied with the fleshing out of some of my favorite characters from the original Duniverse. Certain plot points would have been more gripping except that you already know some of the outcome from the other Dune books ("Is this person going to die? Nope."), but that's what you get when you're dealing with backstory.

Paul of Dune is a fantastic addition to the Dune series!

People have to understand the novels will never mirror Frank Herbert's style...because he's dead. Now the book as far as the timeline seems on track The Atreides arrived on Dune in 10191 the Revolt lasted two years. The book takes place a year after The Arrakis Revolt in 10194.

There are some major differences compared to the original series. Paul of Dune describes the sky as blue I thought it was brown. The Fremen seem like blood thirsty zealots and just kill people. Korba comes of as Jim Jones type of character. But Jihads produce these types of people...sometimes.

Chani is just hanging around, Irulan has a little more depth. My biggest complaint is they go back to when Paul is twelve. Enough of going back to his pre-Dune days already. Fenring shows he's as deadly as ever. But it's now that bad so far.

"I leave my footprints in history, even where I do not tread."

Paul Atreides, Maud'Dib to his loyal subjects, has unleashed a bloody Jihad across the universe. The old Emperor has fallen - his Imperium destroyed. It is now Paul's right and duty to erase Shaddam IV's reign from history and begin anew.

He will face many hardships along the way; assassination attempts, interplanetary wars, and deciphering who he can trust within his own household. And there is always the matter of the spice trade. "He who controls the spice, controls the universe" - a phrase that Maud'Dib understands all too well.

Paul will question his own motives and actions for ruling the universe, and eventually come to the realization that his decisions will shape the course of history.

PAUL OF DUNE was written to fit in between the original novel, DUNE, and its sequel, DUNE MESSIAH. Herbert and Anderson have attempted to bridge several gaps between the two novels, and have done so successfully. Fans of Dune will find their beloved characters, planets, and societies just as they left them. The authors do an incredible job of staying true to Frank Herbert's original vision of the Dune universe.

A great addition to an excellent series of books.

Reviewed by: LadyJay

I have just finished wrestling my way through this pile of paper.

The authors have shown again that they either didn't read Frank Herbert's work or they don't understand it. The writers completely misunderstand who Paul Atreides is and why he has become the person he became in Dune Messiah.

The writing style has clearly not improved after co-writing 8 previous books. Lots of repetition at every single chapter, flat characters who behave out of character ( card-board ), inconsistencies with the works of Frank Herbert ( the burial site of Leto Atreides and also inconsistent within the book itself: one moment Paul doesn't know on which planet he his but the next page he clearly remembers where he is.

People who love Dune I advice to not buy and or read this book. You will be greatly disappointed if you do.

When reading the "new" Dune novels it is important the reader understands that Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson are not Frank Herbert, and more importantly: they are not trying to be Frank Herbert. They are, however, embarking upon a challenge: expand upon the universe established by Frank Herbert in his novels and from unpublished chapters, notes, and drafts he left behind. Many of the well-known events and the characters whom we love and hate are expanded, yet also need to be confined within the context of the novels.

"Paul of Dune" has the challenge of filling in the time gap between Paul's heroic triumph over Emperor Shaddam IV, and his demise into a hated tyrant responsible for deaths of trillions in his jihad. It delves into Paul's internal struggle to choose between the path that would serve humanity and ensure its survival, and the inhuman choices Paul would be required to make to save the human race from a distant threat.

"Paul of Dune" also sees further development of Princess Irulan's character, and her own personal conflict to choose between the man who is her husband in name only, and the family which had reigned for thousands of years. Her beginnings of a great biographer and historian are given a closer look, and her "introspectives" into Paul's childhood are brought forward in "flashback" chapters that detail events that have shaped Paul's life and his perception on what a ruler should be.

Many characters are developed that become crucial in "Dune Messiah" and "Children of Dune". We see the Lady Alia's personal struggles of never having the chance to be "a little girl", the ruthless ambitions of Princess Wensiscia, Count and Lady Fenring, and even Swordmaster Whitmore Bludd's own thirst for power.

I have read many reviews by Dune "purists" who are not fans of the newer novels (and despite 10 years, are still unhappy enough to take the time and let it be known), but as someone who enjoys well-written science fiction and appreciates the challenges presented by these expanded series, "Paul of Dune" measures up well to my standards of the Dune universe. The characters are well-developed within the confines required by "Dune" and "Dune Messiah", and more is learned about crucial people that were relegated to the background such as Princess Irulan and the Fenrings. I will admit, I did not grow up reading "Dune" as many reviewers here have, I was "introduced" to the series by "House Atreides", so my perception of the novels will be different from that of one who did grow up with the novels.

I highly recommend this book, I read it, enjoyed it, and am eager for the next one!

This is another wonderful entry in the Dune chronicles which shows that there is always more to be written in the story even when you know the end. I found that there is still alot of drama going on even though you know where the story will be (sort of) by the time the book ends. It gives some established characters some new episodes and allows the introduction of new characters and their stories which may have been hinted at in the other Dune books, but never fleshed out.

Of all of the books written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, this books comes the closest in being like the style of Frank Herbert. It is still different, but is very enjoyable and fits very into the niche between "Dune" and "Dune Messiah". The use of a parallel storyline which demonstrates how an earlier unreported drama in the life of Paul affects who he becomes later in the series is well thought out and executed.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the series as much as I do as well as to someone who may have only read the first book and has not continued (yet) to the others in the series. It is a good read and the double storyline will keep your interest to the end.

In my opinion, a welcome addition to the DUNE universe!

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this volume and look forward to catching up on the subsequent contributions that I've been remiss in not reading earlier. :-)