I listened audiobook which some reviewers have had issues with. Particularly with one of its narrators. I don’t think narrator was the only issue. Part of the problem was what she had to read. The problem is Honored Matres parts of the book. Narrator’s way to read these parts doesn’t help but I don’t know how she should have read them to make them work. She has selected one way to read those parts and to be honest I don’t think it is wrong way. Honored Matres are presented as impulsive and annoying. They are written that way. That is the real issue. They don’t feel real like other characters of Dune saga.
Honored Matres is not the only problem. Chapterhouse Dune takes what was bad in Heretics of Dune and don’t have good parts of that book. Heretics of Dune didn’t seem to be going anywhere until confusing ending. But at least it had interesting scenes. I seriously thought about checking somewhere how this ends to know if I should keep listening it. I didn’t do it.
Dune inspired Star Wars a lot. I think Frank Herbert was writing God Emperor of Dune when Star Wars was released. I don’t think it had Star Wars influences. Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune have Star Wars influences and it is not benefitting them. Planets are destroyed in this book like Herbert wants to show something to George Lucas. That is part of Honored Matres issue. Other characters had some point in what they did. For Honored Matres it is being clear villain until…
…book is about to reveal something big but that leads to nothing. Frank Herbert died before he could write seventh book. If Heretics of Dune didn’t have few good moments and it didn’t expand lore as much as it did I would say God Emperor of Dune is good place to stop reading or listening Dune saga. Chapterhouse Dune is even bigger let down than Dune Messiah. Dune Messiah leads to Children of Dune and God Emperor of Dune. Chapterhouse Dune leads to two books known as Dune 7 not written by Frank Herbert.
It wasn’t my plan to get into Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson books but I am little bit curious to see how this ends. Even if is not exactly how Frank Herbert planned it. I heard this would end in cliffhanger but I don’t think ending is that big cliffhanger. It is just not they lived happily ever after end but hint there might be something big coming.