another good book by Herbert. I hope they keep on riding books about Dune. I wish the Dune movie would follow the books. ( )

Dune stands as of the most brilliant books ever written. The Dune Universe stands as of the one the most brilliant story settings as well.

Frank Herbert, the original author, wrote sequels to the Dune, but I never got into them as much because most of the original characters died off. This book attempts to fill in the gaps of the events after Paul make the Emperor.

Most readers hate the book because it isn't Dune. It's not Dune. It's more like spectacular fan fiction from the Dune Universe. And I've always felt a little gypped that I never got to read more about Paul the Emperor.

Paul jealously thinks that Alexander the Great was considered great because he just conquered and created an empire and never had to manage an empire. And this book is about Paul's struggle to manage the empire and make tough decisions for the good of humanity at the expense of entire planets. Perhaps, that's what I liked most of the book. Great leadership (and life) requires us sometimes to piss of some innocent people.
( )

Book appeals to the desire to have everything stepped out, enjoyable and in some ways detracts from the original trilogy. ( )

Brian Herbert/Kevin Anderson are more consistent than Frank Herbert. All of their books have been predecessor; however, this one takes place between Dune and Dune: Messiah (Book 2.) The story alternates between some seminal events while Paul Atriedes was 12 and the early years of the jihad, when he succeeds Emperor Shaddam IV. Overall, I think it helps broaden this complex, phenomenal sci-fi epic. ( )

Whelp this novel seeks to place the inconsistencies in the 'McDune' universe (novels by KJA and BH) by saying that the original books are written by Irulan as propaganda and are therefore less true than the substandard stories they've written. Ugh why not just write within the original canon?
I did like the storyline involving Count Fenrig and family. ( )