Dune: The Duke of Caladan

August 1, 2020
The latest estate-authorized Dune series focuses on Duke Leto Atriedes and the events leading to Frank Herbert's 1965 book. A celebration of 10,000 years of the Corrino Imperium becomes the target of a terrorist attack that kills hundreds of Landsraad lords. Leto is able to warn the Emperor in time for them to escape the destruction of the vast museum built on an obscure planet. The series of events that follow include the discovery of a dangerous drug being produced exclusively on Caladan a calamity on Wallich IX that requires the Mother Superior to recall Leto's concubine, Jessica; and attempts to find a marriage partner for fourteen-year-old Paul Atriedes. All of the prominent figures from the original series are featured with assured authenticity. The intrigues are as complex as one expects from Brian Herbert and Anderson, who have written so many books that expand the Dune saga. A very good introduction to the world of Dune for new readers as well as an exciting adventure for those well aware of the doom awaiting the tragic father of the Kwisatch Haderach. HIGH DEMAND BACKSTORY: The upcoming big-budget Dune movie will create a new audience for this prequel in addition to drawing fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

August 31, 2020
Herbert and Anderson’s tepid 15th foray into the universe of Herbert’s father’s Dune novels (after Tales of Dune) adds little to the original series’ mix of action, politics, magic, and religion. Duke Leto Atreides, whose son, Paul, here just 14, is the fulcrum of the original Dune trilogy, is attending the inauguration of a new museum built by Emperor Shaddam IV when he notices someone lurking suspiciously in the vicinity of the emperor. Leto sounds the alarm, enabling Shaddam to get off-planet before the museum complex is destroyed by explosives launched from orbit. The subsequent hunt for the terrorist overlaps with Leto’s own search for answers after he’s accused of being involved in distributing a deadly drug. Meanwhile, teenage Paul undergoes rigorous physical training, alongside a handful of characters who will be familiar to followers of the series. Despite some nice touches, such as the elecrans, sea creatures that move like living lightning, this prequel is largely uninspired. The passable prose and lackluster plot will limit this one’s appeal to diehard fans only.

December 4, 2020

Herbert and Anderson pair up again to continue expanding the world first introduced by Herbert's father, Frank. In what's billed as a new prequel trilogy, the duke of Caladan discovers a plot to betray the Imperium. With a 75,000-copy first printing.

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