Product Description

The universal computer mind Omnius has retreated to its last stronghold, where it plots a devastating new strategy that could undo the victories of the Butlerian Jihad. The surviving Titans are creating new lieutenants to do their will when at last they return to attack the human beings they once ruled.

In the years of peace too many of mankind have forgotten that their machine enemies never sleep.

But some have forgotten nothing - and learned from their triumphs. The brilliant military commander Vorian Atreides, son of a Titan, has the gift of long life from his terrifying father and knows the machines’ minds better than any man alive. Norma Cenva, the genius inventor of humanity’s best defences, dreams of new discoveries that will make man invincible.

And on the windswept desert planet Arrakis, the power that can give them victory waits.

The authors of Prelude to Dune have written the triumphant climax to the history of the Dune universe: the story most eagerly anticipated by its readers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31440 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 592 pages

The Times
Those who long to return to the world of desert, spice and sandworms will be amply satisfied

Review
‘If you’re familiar with the Dune universe it is oddly compelling. This is a successful space opera that spins in a few genuine surprises.’ Focus on THE BATTLE OF CORRIN

'House Harkonnen is compulsive reading. I certainly enjoyed meeting pardot Kynes and Liet, learning more about the Freman, as well as Gurney Halleck, Duncan Idaho and the Lady Jessica. Such vile villains...and such a fascinating description of splendid places.' (Anne McCaffrey on House Harkonnen )

'House Atreides is a terrific prequel, but it's also a first-rate adventure on its own. Frank Herbert would surely be delighted and proud of this continuation of his vision.' (Dean Koontz )

Those who long to return to the world of desert, spice and sandworms will be amply satisfied (The Times )

‘A triumphant climax to the history of the Dune universe.’ The Bookseller on The Battle of Corrin

About the Author
BRIAN HERBERT is a widely-published science fiction author in his own right. This is his first novel to call on his father's work: previously, he has created his own worlds, sometimes in collaboration. He has also written Dreamer of Dune, a comprehensive biography of his illustrious father. KEVIN J. ANDERSON is best known for his world-wide best-selling novels based on the universes of Star Wars and the X Files: he has been a Sunday Times number one bestseller. He is also the author of several more critically-acclaimed original novels. An expert on the US space programme, he worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for ten years.

Customer Reviews

Only if you are desperate
I bought this because I just couldn't resist: I've read every other Dune book and, although I've become increasingly disappointed with the prequels, I couldn't help myself. The characters this time were even more one dimensional, the style repetitive and the violence gratuitous. I kept going to the end but in a way wish I hadn't: I didn't care about any of these "characters" and, as someone else said, the reason for the big split hardly seems one to have lasted through the generations. Poor Frank...

A drawn out and not always believable Dune backstory
Frank Herbert hinted at the Butlerian Jihad in his original Dune novel as the 100+ year war that saw humanity defeat thinking machines. The Legends of Dune trilogy is an attempt to fill-out this backstory. I waited until I had read all 3 books before writing a review. There are so many superfluous threads in these novels that would have made the whole thing much more believable had they have been omitted. Primary the Cymeks, the living brains of rathers nasty ex-humans. They are entirely pointless in the whole scheme of things and take up several hundred pages over the three novels. At the very least their role could have been played down. It took nearly 2000 pages in 3 books that could have been told in half of that - worse and ironically the ending was rushed and left so many threads hanging including the Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild, the formation of the Empire and more. The importance of Spice and Arrakis and the Fremen is however developed quite well - but most of the story felt self-indulgent with the authors seemingly enjoying the writing experience over hundreds of totally unneccessary pages and plot threads. Of particular annoyance to me was how the Jihad went on for over a hundred years without victory and yet when the authors decided enough was enough and it's time to end it - the end victory was rushed and felt so easy. The actual battle of Corrin only takes up the last 40 or so pages - and the final reason for the feud between the Atreides and Harkonnens is so inplausable it's untrue. For the most part I enjoyed the story but I doubt it was the kind of dark, fight for humanity's survival that Frank Herbert originally was thinking of when he developed the backstory. I can't help but feel they drew it out so long it took a lot of the edge of it and it was, for the most part, an unlikely history of the wonderful Dune universe (the Prelude to Dune trilogy by the same authors is much better.)

A Hurried ending to the Legends series
The Legends series, the Butlerian Jihad was a great start, the Machine Crusade was great until towards the end. The Battle for Corrin started well enough, but I felt it was rushed at the end. The Suk school, Bene Gesserit and Spacing Guild are all hinted at during this book but only really seem to spring forward coherently in the last 80pages, along with Omnius being destroyed, the Titan's being conquered and the Atriedes-Harkonnen feud.
The only Dune book I am disappointed in.