Product Description

Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson return to the vivid universe of Frank Herbert’s Dune, bringing a vast array of rich and complex characters into conflict to shape the destiny of worlds....

As Shaddam sits at last on the Golden Lion Throne, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen plots against the new Emperor and House Atreides — and against the mysterious Sisterhood of the Bene Gesserit. For Leto Atreides, grown complacent and comfortable as ruler of his House, it is a time of momentous choice: between friendship and duty, safety and destiny. But for the survival of House Atreides, there is just one choice — strive for greatness or be crushed.

Amazon.com Review

Don't even think about reading House Harkonnen without reading its predecessor Dune: House Atreides; anyone who does so risks sinking in the sands between Frank Herbert's original Dune and this prequel trilogy by Herbert's son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The purist argument that had Frank Herbert wanted to go backwards he would have done so is, at least in part, negated by the sheer narrative verve, and by the fact that Anderson and Brian Herbert manage to pull some genuine surprises out of this long-running space-opera. House Harkonnen is a massive book, and there are places where it becomes plot heavy, but in following the story of Duke Leto Atreides and the conflicts with House Harkonnen, the authors succeed in spinning a gripping adventure while going off in some unexpected directions. Anderson, who has written many successful Star Wars novels, has noted his particular admiration for The Empire Strikes Back, and his desire to emulate that film's dark take on the genre. In House Harkonnen, the conflict encompasses the tragedy of nuclear war, marked by grief and horror, vengeance and torment, and all while the complex intrigues continue to unfold. As one character puts it:

Everything has its cost. We pay to create our future, we pay for the mistakes of the past. We pay for every change we make--and we pay just as dearly if we refuse to change.

Ultimately this is the theme of a compelling game of consequences, choices, and responsibility, a study of Leto's growth into power and the price of politics and love. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk

[ ^Top ]

House Harkonnen        Rating:

House Harkonnen is one of the best books in the series. It ranks up there with Dune Messiah and the Butlerian Jihad in it's page turner ability. Well worth whatever you may pay for it. An A-number-one in my book.

Another Great Piece of the Puzzle        Rating:

Don't let the title fool you: The driving force of this novel is not House Harkonnen but Duke Leto, House Atreides, and those loyal (and disloyal) to them. If you've gotten to this point, you've presumably read the six original Dune novels by Frank Herbert as well as the first House book. I have found a pattern from the third Dune novel through this one, where the books begin and end extremely strongly but have a tendency to drag a bit in the middle. They are all rather long novels (this one's 733 pages), and are very, very detailed, which is part of the appeal but can also slow the pace at times. It's worth the effort, though. I have been extremely satisfied with these prequel novels. The universe of Dune has been kept alive in brilliant fashion. If you liked Dune: House Atreides, I'm sure you'll like House Harkonen just as much.

A good read        Rating:

House Harkonnen tells the story of, obviously, House Harkonnen. But also included are the stories of Gurney and the Atreides feud.

The characters are brutish enough that you'll hate them, but that's a tribute to the books good writing and characterization. At times the book gets a little bit long winded, but some judicial scanning will let you bypass these bits without much trouble - and you won't have to skip much of the book.

If you're a fan of the original Dune series, this is probably worth your time. If not, then this may be a good introduction to the book.

[ ^Top ]