Hunters of Dune (Sci Fi Essential Books)
by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson
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Book Reviews of Hunters of Dune (Sci Fi Essential Books)
Book Review: A Workmanlike Followup to Frank Herbert's Dune Novels
Summary: 4 Stars
I read Frank Herbert's Dune books many many years ago an while I remember the broad strokes of the expansive stories, many of the minute details have slipped away over the years. As such, I was able to approach Hunters of Dune without any conceits about comparing it to the original novels. All I wanted was an entertaining story that picked up the major threads from the previous books and brought some closure to the cliffhanger like ending of Chapterhouse Dune. On that level, I was satisfied with what Hunters of Dune gave me.
The story picks up after the events of Chapterhouse Dune and constructs a tale that weaves elements and characters from Frank Herbert's Dune universe (Murbella, Duncan Idaho, Miles Teg, and even gholas of more classic characters) with events and characters Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's prequel books (who I choose not name because of spoilers). Over the course of the book, various factions consolidate their ranks and battle lines are drawn for what appears to be a dramatic and possibly cataclysmic conclusion in the yet to be released sequel to this book.
Clearly, Hunters is written for a different generation of readers and aspires to a more "mass-market" than the elder Herbert's original stories. The pacing is much faster, the prose more direct, and the plot threads easier to pick up and follow. Some have already decried that as dumbing down the story; I view it as a pragmatic attempt to maintain interest and draw in more readers. The book held my interest, I came to care for the characters, and my curiosity about how this will all end and even the authors' prequel books was piqued. While I'm sure purists will find many minute inconsistencies and factual errors between this book and its predecessors, a casual fan of the Dune universe can look past those things and just take the story at face value.
At the end of the day, I feel this book respects Frank Herbert's work and does not undo what came before or compromise it in any way. I found it a much more entertaining and more consistent story than other sequels to science-fiction classics (try reading Gregory Benford's abominable Beyond the Fall of Night, a poor sequel to Arthur C. Clarke's masterful Against the Fall of Night, if you really want to see a classic sci-fi story utterly ruined).
Book Review: The good and the bad...
Summary: 2 Stars
The good:
The story moved by quick and the short chapters made for a fun and exciting read. I loved the idea of bringing back some of the old characters(will describe more in the bad). I especially wanted Paul and Leto II brought back. DIdn't care much about the other characters. Somewhere within the Dune series(Dune Messiah), my favorite character shifted from Paul to Duncan Idaho. He was perfectly depressed and confused and skilled. In this book however I have to go with Murbella. Duncan Idaho was a bit boring. The violence didn't bother me much. Murbella was an honored matre. She's supposed to be violent!
Ok, that's the end of the good.
The BAD:
These dumb de darn(french) authors changed the storyline. That was stupid. I reread parts of Chapterhous Dune. The old couple were SUPPOSED TO BE FACE DANCERS AND NOT TWO STUPID ROBOTS. This is too Terminator/MAtrix. Also, in Chapterhouse Dune something amazing was brought up. Two characters discussed how Sheanna was following in the footsteps of Paul and the God Emperor by making it a "Sheanna Universe." I didn't see any evidence of this fact at all. The "talent" of the no ship were reduced to space wanderers who did nothing throughout the whole book. The part I hated the most was the bringing back of SO MANY GHOLAS. Sheesh. Stiltgar? Liet Kines? I can forgive Chani but Lady Jessica? THis reminds me of 'Final Fantasy: Advent Children' where they brought back all the characters just to have one minute cameos to help Cloud jump to kill the dragon. These gholas were useless. Thufir Hawat??????? The other thing about the gholas that bothered me, besides the gholas themselves, was that they somehow "knew" what to feel and do EVEN THOUGH NONE OF THEIR MEMORIES HAD BEEN AWAKENED. Ridiculous. Paul and Chani liked each other from day one? STupid. Liet Kines knowing stuff about land and climate? I wanted to scream.
I guess this was a bad review more than it was good. Anyone notice how most of the "good" reviews weren't more than a few sentences? I think the authors wrote those themselves.
Oh yeah, the authors repeat way to much from past books. I returned House Atriedes because of this simple fact. It was annoying.
Love you
Book Review: 20 years pass: Duncan returns!
Summary: 5 Stars
First, there won't be any spoilers in this review. I was early in high school when my Dad bought me the new hardcover Chapterhouse: Dune. I admit it, the book was over my head, and I struggled. The years went by, though, and I found myself returning often to Chapterhouse and Heretics, and these may now be my favorite books in all literature: extended critiques of religion, government, ecological key logs, and the desperate need for "wild" creativity and love which can upset all these things and create anew.
The final 3 pages of Chapterhouse are wonderful - were these the mysterious enemy? How could someone horrify the Honored Matres? Hunters gives the answers and maintains the spirit of Frank's writings. I've enjoyed the Prequels by Brian and Kevin, and now they've outdone themselves. Hunters is heavily layered (wheels within wheels within...) and extremely satisfying. After imagining so often what happened to them, it's such a kick to see Duncan back, and the great Miles Teg, and Sheeana with her worm pals. So much happens at once in Hunters: at times I miss Frank's rather "involved" style of writing, but at others I thoroughly enjoy how Brian + Kevin depict action scenes and motivations much more clearly. For instance, at the end of Heretics the ferocious attack where Teg steals the no-ship - this action is glossed over in the writing. But with Hunters, you get it all - the violence, the strategy, and the results. I love Frank's writing, but after waiting 20 years I'm very glad to start seeing clear resolutions! :-)
One of the best things is how Hunters handles all the preparatory work wonderfully - re-introducing the original characters, the universe, and then pushes the plot at a hard pace. Many things I wondered about are revealed, and then more questions are raised - you aren't just strung along to the end and have to wait for Sandworms to know what's really going on. And now that the preliminary work is done, it looks like that finale, Sandworms, is going to be all action and consequence (as Darwi Odrade might say). Glad to see you back for another life, Duncan - I'm a bit like the poor Tyrant in that way.
Book Review: Well worth the money
Summary: 5 Stars
"Hunters of Dune" begins where "Chapterhouse: Dune" left off. Duncan Idaho and his group of "traditional" Bene Gesserit Sisters have escaped in the Honored Matre No-Ship; fleeing the budding New Sisterhood lead by Idaho's former lover Murbella. They are pursued by the mysterious "old couple" and their net (that only Idaho can see) through the known Universe and alternate Universes.
Herbert and Anderson do an effective job juggling multiple POV's and at least four seperate story-lines; the chapters are shorter and less complex then Frank typically wrote, but still detailed enough to be satisfying. The original six Dune books were "heavy" in that one had to constantly be thinking and working. "Hunters" is lighter and for some readers it may be more entertaining for that reason. In my view, allowing these two writers to write in their own style is preferable to having them attempt to "copy" Frank's style as the books would have come off as sadly flat. As it is, "Hunters of Dune" is a satisfying read. Herbert and Anderson claim to have used notes on book 7 penned by Frank Herbert before his death. Whether the story is exactly as Frank would have penned it is impossible to know and frankly unimportant. What will be important to readers is that they finally get to glimpse what might have been going through Frank's mind as he penned the last words of "Chapterhouse".
Many reviewers have taken to task Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson for their prequels and sequels to Frank Herbert's legendary Dune series. I suspect that the main reason for the negative views of the books is simply due to the fact that these books were not written by Frank. Having said that, "Hunters of Dune" IS Frank Herbert's Dune, However it is NOT Dune by Frank Herbert. Readers will enjoy the books much more if they can accept them as a completely seperate set of works then the original Dune sextet; judging them for what they are rather than for what they are not. Both Kevin Anderson and Brian Herbert are good writers that have obviously put a lot of energy into this project. I for one am looking forward to the final installment.
Book Review: I hate myself more every few pages.....
Summary: 1 Stars
This book is terrible. thankfully I got it on loan from the library.
I've only had the stomach to read a few of the reviews, I must agree with the negative ones.
One stark point I thought needs harping on is how storyline from Chapterhouse Dune and the original Dune universe is broken in Hunters of Dune. The behavior of Rev. Mothers for one (for instance the funeral on the no ship) and this idea that Honored Matres can't access their other memory is completely foolish since Murbella did it in Chapterhouse and since that what other memory and being a rev mother is all about.
Every chapter I ask myself how long ago the authors read the last 2 real dune books before writing this trash. And who were their editors??? Did their editors ever read an original dune book? I seriously doubt it.
Its as if BH and KA thought FHs work wasn't very good, that they saw a lot of room for improvement and felt they were the ones to do so. FHs is great and these two interlopers have no talent. I don't care if BH is the son (adopted or otherwise) this book is cr@p and dosn't deserve to be read or published. I am fully confident that I could write better. If BH were respectful to his fathers legacy he'd have recognized his ineptitude and hire someone else to do all the writing in a FH style.
Hunters of Dune is a work of fiction obviously based only loosely on the Dune series by FH. It is laboured and poorly written. I feel so bad for FH. Maybe some day someone will write a real piece of fan fiction to continue where FH left off.
I'm only about 2/5 through this book and I throw it down in disgust so often I doubt I'll finish yet I still want to how it ends. This books is much worse than the pre dune books. Since its building directly off FHs work it falls so much harder and lower.
Don't buy this book! loan it from a friend or library if need be.
sorry for my poor writing in this review, I'm pretty emotional right now after having just put down this work of cr@p.