Paul of Dune

To start this review, I must confess that I have never read any of Frank Herbert's "Dune" books. At the end of the first book, "Dune" Paul Muad'Dib has taken control of the planet Dune and at the start of the second book, "Dune Messiah"; Muad'Dib has taken control of the galaxy. Furthermore, Paul has become a significant religious figure, considered by many to be the embodiment of a new religion. This book fills the gap and is the story of how Muad'Dib went from the ruler of a single planet to emperor of the entire galaxy.
The makeup and movement of his forces are all based on a jihad or holy war, his Freman soldiers consider the people on the planets they conquer to be infidels and they sometimes kill against Paul's orders. As most conquerors have found in human history, the initial victory and occupation is relatively easy, holding and governing the territory often proves to be very difficult.
The political machinations and intrigue are worthy of the most Machiavellian of politicians. Even though the sections of ruled territory are entire planets, the plots and counter-plots are similar to the disputes between rulers of princely states. Alliances shift, political marriages are the norm, assassinations occur and at times even Paul is attacked. No one is above suspicion, yet through it all Paul remains forthright in his quest. Although, to his credit, he expresses deep regret over the billions of people killed in the battles between his armies and the opposition. Finally, to stamp out the rebellion and to make an example, he orders entire inhabited planets to be sterilized.
I found that not having read the two books by Frank Herbert was a benefit as I read this one. Not knowing that Paul must survive for "Dune Messiah" to exist, I thought it possible and even likely that Paul would be assassinated. This led to an increase in tension that furthered my interest in the book. Unless it is extremely well written, the knowledge that the main character must survive limits your mental processes to wondering how he survives rather than the combination of if and how.
This is a very dynamic story, the political plotting against Muad'Dib is constant, he wins all the battles, yet never seems to reach the point where he can win the war. It kept my attention throughout; the authors have created a tale that is so engaging that even if you know that Paul must survive and continue to conquer, there is still sufficient tension to keep you turning the pages

I rarely write reviews but I have to do so here. I liked the other Herbert/Anderson Dune books, but this one was unnecessary. As another reviewer said, Paul's perspective is almost entirely that the jihad is terrible, he feels badly for the deaths of billions but it was necessary tio save trillions. We learn very little new information of any interest in the Dune saga. It doesn't feel like anything meaningful is told to us from a different perspective. The one thought that occurred to me as I read is that a book of Alia might be interesting. Overall, I felt let down with this book. I hope any future additions are better and give us some meat.

"Paul of Dune" is the latest creation of Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert in the Dune universe. It also is the first of the Heroes of Dune quadrilogy. It is set between "Dune" and "Dune Messiah," in the 12-year period in which Paul-Muad'Dib's Fremen warriors conquer the Known Universe.

I can honestly say that "Paul of Dune" is the best Dune novel that Anderson and Herbert have written thus far. While it still suffers from very short chapters that seem to rush the story along too fast, it is a marked improvement over their last effort, "Sandworms of Dune."

The problem with "Paul of Dune" is it still lacks the intelligence and poetic quality that Frank Herbert instilled in his books. One of my favorites of the Dune series is "God Emperor of Dune," which features chapters full of inner dialogue and conversations between characters about philosophy, religion, and politics that simply are absent in Anderson and Herbert's works.

Another issue I have with "Paul of Dune" is the characterizations. Paul-Muad'Dib, Duncan Idaho, Thufir Hawat and many of the other original "Dune" characters do not seem like the same characters that Frank Herbert created. They come off as flat and two-dimensional rather than the people we admired and rooted for in the original novels.

Finally, I am not a fan of the flashback storyline that follows 12-year-old Paul during the War of Assassins. I feel that a book that was advertised as explaining what happened in the years between "Dune" and "Dune Messiah" should have been about the years inbetween "Dune" and "Dune Messiah." Instead, half of the book takes place in the years between "House Corrino" and "Dune" with characters (the Swordmaster Bludd, Memnon Thorvald, etc.) that I did not care about.

All in all, I think "Paul of Dune" is the best Dune novel Anderson and Herbert have written yet. However, it fell well short of what was advertised. I only hope the authors continue to improve as much in the subsequent Heroes of Dune novels as they did from "Sandworms of Dune" to this novel.

To anyone familiar with the original DUNE universe, Frank Herbert's vision was so rich and majestic that as a reader I did not want the story to end. Well, at this point I very much wished it had.

PAUL OF DUNE had everything going for it: an interesting timeline, a detailed setting and unresolved cliffhangers. Yet it manages to fail.
This book picks up the action just after the first book (and movie) of the series (DUNE) and before the second (DUNE MESSIAH), a very interesting period of 12 years for which, so far, we only had hints and suggestive glimpses of. At the same time, a number of flashbacks flesh-out the details of the life of an adolescent Paul Atreides.
Wheels within wheels? No. Rather more like a lone, rusty wind-wheel turning in the soft breeze of decadent Kaitain. Let the good times roll...

According to Dorothy Parker, there are books "not to be tossed aside lightly, [but] thrown with great force". This is one of these books. My study coffee-table now has the indentation to prove it.

I received this book over a month ago. I tried to read it numerous times but was so discouraged that I kept giving up. The first 100 pages can be summarized in just one phrase: "Paul is devastated by the ongoing Jihad but it is inevitable and the lesser of many evils according to his prescience". Paul says it. Irulan makes notes about it. Alia has inner voices echoing it. OK, we get it, please move on!
Which prescience, one must note, apparently is a very fickle commodity as we keep hearing of it but never actually seeing it action.

What has became of Paul, the leader of men and conqueror of worlds? THAT little man is the...Kwizats Haderach? THAT is what the Bene Gesserits were selectively mating people for, for thousands of years? THAT is what the Tleilaxu were trying to duplicate? Well, someone must tell both the the witches and genetic abominations that they are not missing much!
To keep the new emperor human is one thing; to make him dull and cruel, spineless and indecisive is quite another.

This is a book of science fiction so, yes, suspending one's disbelief is a requirement from page one. Nevertheless, a basic logical scaffolding is required for the whole world not to collapse. Taking over entire planets with only a handful of unruly Fremen and some Sardakaur fresh from switching their allegiance? Paul having delegated almost every important decision to...Korba and his Qizarete priests? Where has the unstoppable momentum of Paul gone? If he had lost steam so soon, there is just no way that his vision would materialize by others.
And just how did Fremen become so bloodthirsty and lost all sense of honor in a few weeks?

The young Paul stories fair a bit better but are cursed with the readers'...prescience of the Dune future: every new storyline must serpentine and eat its own tail before the end. After all, the Golden Path future has been set by Frank. And Writing is not a hereditary ability.

It feels like a bad batch of semuta to be sold anyway only, once more, to take advantage of the hardened addicts.

If you have been buying Kevin J. Anderson's Dune books, it's probably because you love the world of Dune that Frank Herbert created. Now how would you feel if I told you this "Author" chose to retcon the mistakes he made in his books by relegating the real Dune books into false history written by Princess Irulan. You would be a bit ticked off. Well, thats what Kevin J. Anderson has done in Paul of Dune. If you decide to carry on the legacy of one of Sci-Fi's greatest Authors you do not willfully contradict and rewrite the story and world that Author crafted. If you love Dune, AVOID Paul of Dune. It's not worth your time or money.