Paul of Dune: Book One of the Heroes of Dune

After working through the Dune series for the second time in my life, I was in need of more. Thank you for the time and effort put in to create these works. It's muchly appreciated. To those saying "it's not the same as Dune" or "not the same as Frank's writing", I challenge any of you to put a novel together that comes even close to these series. Each writer is different. Each writer has their own voice. Frank Herbert's writing was not without fault. The plots and arcs in his son's novels are every bit as complex, well thought out and brilliant. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Not only is this book great, but all of the prequels and sequels that were written by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson are fantastic additions to the Dune Universe. I recommend them all.

I had the benefit of reading many negative reviews trashing this before I decided to read it. My expectations were so low that I found myself enjoying the book more than I'd expected. To be clear, this book is not high literature. It's not nearly as deep or rich as any of Frank Herbert's Dune novels. Nevertheless, it provides a fun and even sometimes interesting backstory for Paul Atreides.The book has two interwoven parts, before and after the events of Dune. The chapters set before Dune are less interesting and resemble the more space opera aspects of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's Dune Prelude Trilogy. Also, there were quite a few pointless contradictions, most notably the fact that we see Paul traveling off Caladan before Dune took place (Frank Herbert's original novel clearly states Paul had never been off world).However, the scenes set AFTER Dune did hold my interest. I thought the authors actually did a decent job balancing the tyrannical aspects of Paul's reign with his inner emotional struggle. While not portrayed subtly, it's a fascinating dynamic. We also get further character development for Stilgar, Gurney, and Irulan. My favorite part was the subplot with Count Fenring. I was always intrigued by him in Dune and am glad to see his story finally resolved.Does this book really add much to your understanding of the Dune universe? Not really. Most of the important plot aspects are told or strongly implied in Dune Messiah. However, if you want to see more of Dune during the period after Dune and before Dune Messiah, those parts of the book at least hold some promise. Just go in with your expectations low and you might just get something out of the book.

Let's just say that neither Brian Herbert nor Kevin Anderson are in the same league as Frank Herbert, the creator of the original Dune series. If you're looking for the kind of depth and interesting story-telling that you get in the original series, forget it. If you're looking for something light to read in an airport, this will do the trick. The best that can be said about most of Herbert's and Anderson's recent Dune volumes is that you can read them quickly.

It's been years since I read all of the original Dune books. I'm diving back into them now and thought this book could possibly provide background or insight into Paul's decision to abandon his position as Emperor. I found the book interesting and true to the characters. Guess I'll see how much value it adds to the story when I read the next book in the original series. Overall, I liked it, regardless.

I really liked the books that these authors had written to tell the story of what preceded Dune starting with The Butlerian Jihad and ending with Navigators of Dune. The "House" trilogy, a little less.But I'm afraid that I just didn't like this one. There is way too much that is out of character and too many huge events created that it just didn't fit in between Dune and Dune Messiah like it was supposed to.

For Dune fans this is the story of a young Paul Atreides and how his experience in the war of assassins shapes the tactics of Paul Muad’Dib. Interesting for a fan and for those new to the series provides context to the character.

I read and loved Dune in my teens. I followed Frank Herbert’s sequels and then those from his son Brian. Brian continues to write captivating prequels and sequels, expanding on but true to his father’s vision. This is no different and fills in the gap between Dune and Dune Messiah.

I am re-reading the whole original Dune stories after many years of absence. This story line filled in much of Paul's development from a young lad to his Messiah status. As such, whilst I did read it between Dune Messiah and Children of Dune, it does not strictly speaking fit in that intervening period. Nevertheless, it's a great story and well written by the authors who keep to the integrity of Frank Herbert's style.

To paraphrase John Belhushi in the "Blues Brothers" movie .... Best go and buy all the Dune books you can. I have selectively collected a wide range of science fiction sequences for some decades. It is easy to see why so many think that this book forms part of the series which can lay claim to being "the king of them all".

What can I say. Im a Dune fan and I collect all the books. They are worth a read. Really good stories. Reading all the books in order of time line is a must. I love the new as well as the old.

Rubbish. A pot boiler.

Hard to put this book down. I am rereading all the original books and am now looking forward to reading the rest of the newer additions as well.