It is understatement to say Brian Herbert’s and Kevin J. Anderson’s books have polarized Dune fans. You can find really hateful reviews of them where ever people can review books. This is not one of those reviews but I can see where that hate comes from. This book was quite frustrating because some parts of it were good with some really good moments but it is ruined by some incredible stupid choices. You can enjoy the book if you can forget or look past those stupid choices. It is really frustrating because those good parts would have made this fourth or fifth best Dune book. It wouldn’t have been close to Frank Herbert’s best books but not all his books are close to his best books.
I will go to little bit to spoiler territory to discuss some of the bad choices. Frank Herbert’s books brought two characters back to life. Other characters had good reasons to bring those characters back. It made sense. This book brings back almost half of the first book’s characters. If you take the world seriously and start to think why and how they could bring those characters back it doesn’t make any sense. We are talking about characters who died thousands of years ago. They need genetic material to bring them back and we should assume they have genetic material after all these years for all of these characters who happen to be important characters in first books. Bringing back Paul and Leto II could make some sense because they could see the future. They are not only ones brought back.
In Frank Herbert’s books some characters got memories of their ancestors when they used spice. It was kind of awakened genetic memory. Same with ghoulas after they learned how make them remember their previous lives. It doesn’t work that way anymore. Concept that made sense was thrown away because one character brought back to life had to pay for original version’s sins. They thought they were clever by having moment earlier where one character had discussion with ancient person who had no surviving children. Like that earlier moment was enough to justify extremely stupid payoff for earlier books.
I can see why some people hate these books with passion. For that reason I won’t be listening other Brian Herbert’s and Kevin J. Anderson’s books than this and Sandworms of Dune which are some what based on Frank Herbert’s notes. This one makes Chapterhouse Dune better not only by being worse but by telling origin of Honored Matres and what happened to them. Then book forgets that history from time to time and not use it in any meaningful way except in one scene but I assume that scene was from Frank Herbert’s notes.
Book also ruins earlier Frank Herbert books by referencing prequel books which themselves ruin the lore. I listened podcast discussing Dune prequels to know what is there. Podcast guys liked those books. They didn’t remember Frank Herbert’s Dune books like someone who just binged through them. They couldn’t pick the inconsistencies the books brought to lore. I won’t be listening those books. These two books are more than enough of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson and I know enough to stay away from their other books.
I can’t recommend this but it is not as bad as some reviews say it is. There are few moments which feel coming from Frank Herbert but by the end book feels something different. It starts to build more upon Brian Herbert’s and Kevin J. Anderson’s other books in series. As such I can’t say this is conclusion to Frank Herbert’s books.