House Corrino (Dune: House Trilogy, Book 3) by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson
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Book Reviews of House Corrino (Dune: House Trilogy, Book 3)
Book Review: Didn't you know my brother!
Summary: 4 Stars
4*s because although the writing is not brilliant, and there are inconsistencies with the original, the book does hold your interest right to the end.
I am reading the prequal trilogy to discover the history behind the different houses. I do not compare this with Dune.
In it's own light this is possibly the best of the trilogy and the last.
What I do feel though is that Brian and Kevin do not have a grasp of the size of the empire that they trying to describe. There are relatively few main characters and all bump into each other and realise that they were old school buddies.
This is supposed to be set in an empire consisting of 'many' planets each with a 'many' millions of people.
The best example is the storming of IX, which reads like a SWAT team takinhg back an embassy held to ransom by terrorists. "What, you rode over in a vehicle that was driven by my brother .. what a coincidence?"
Similarly, the aborted raid on Caladan was a joke. We know that Rabban is stupid, but so stupid that he aborts his mission because there are 'boats' (yes water vessels) with BIG guns on them and all we have are spaceships.
Ignore what we know about the characters from Dune and it makes a decent read.
Book Review: Almost finished
Summary: 4 Stars
Dune: House Corrino concludes the prequel trilogy of the epic Dune saga. But it doesn't complete the beginning story.We see the continuing story that begins in the years before Dune. The Atreides family, rocked with tragedy, begins a desperate plan to retake the planet of Ix, while Jessica is pregnant with a forbidden son, Paul. The Harkonnens still seethe and stew their evil plots from Geidi Prime. And most of all, the decadent emperor Shaddam IV, greedy for more power, is close to unleashing his secret amal on the universe, regardless of the consequences.
The writing style and depth have improved considerably from the beginning in House Atreides. The vivid details make it easy to imagine the majesty of Kaitain, the desolation of Dune, and the depravity of Geidi Prime. Herbert and Anderson also show more confidence in developing intricate plots and subplots. And still, they manage a little humor, like the Baron's etiquette lessons.
But, like other reviewers have pointed out, the prequel isn't finished yet. There needs to be a fourth book, to seal the gap, the empty 15 years between House Corrino and Dune. I know Herbert and Anderson are up to the task.
Book Review: Cheesy but entertaining Science Fiction
Summary: 4 Stars
Fans of Frank Herbert's original 'Dune' series will find that the prequels lack any of the emotional resonance and innovative writing style of Herbert senior, but the prequel books are entertaining none the less. Dont expect, well developed characters, exceptional prose or an indepth storyline however, this is Science Fiction 'fluff', fun to read but ultimately mediocre literature. Fans will be satisfied as it does contain all the classic elements of the original series (ie. the Bene Gesserit, melange, Arakkis etc.), but ultimately the Dune prequels represent a disturbing trend in Science Fiction and Fantasy today. That is to say, simply rehashing the same old tired concepts to make a quick buck (the Star Wars novels instantly spring to mind). I am giving this novel 4 stars simply based on the fact that it is a fun, entertaining novel, that to a certain extent recaptures the overall 'feel' of Frank Herberts universe. Anyone looking for indepth, science fiction 'literature' however would do well to re-read the original series or look elsewhere.Book Review: Better than House Harkonnen but not as good as book 7.
Summary: 4 Stars
This picks up right where House Harkonnen left off and I would have to say its a better written story. Its almost as good as House Attreides. Book 9 expands upon the Emporer's plans to manufacture synthetic spice, and House Attreides attempts to restore Prince Rhombur back to power on Ix. When House Corrino's rulers are executed and Ix invaded and occupied by Harkonnens, House Attreides makes an effort to put Prince Rhombur, the only surviving heir to House Corrino, back into power. Meanwhile, the Emporer has plans to destroy Dune so that he can corner the spice market with his synthetic melange, 'amal.' The story climaxes when Gurney Halleck runs a Harkonnen blockade setup around planet Ix to get 'medical supplies' to House Corrino. All in all, a well told story and I would certainly recommend this book to all who love Dune.Book Review: Better than the second, not as good as the first.
Summary: 4 Stars
While the second book of the first Dune prequel trilogy trudged along trying to build up suspense, the first book set the stage and was far better. The third book, though inferiour to the first, concludes the set up and end the trilogy's side stories. While interesting, it still suffer from what all prequels suffer from. We know what happens. I enjoyed the sub plots, the fact that each characters actions will have huge ramifications later on.