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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Captivating story but reads like a Brian Herbert version of Dune, which it is. If you know what to expect of Brian’s version of the world it’s very engaging.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Going into the Dune prequel trilogy House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and House Corrino, I was prepared for the worst given the reputation Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson have among some hardcore Dune fans. But it wasn’t nearly as bad as people make it out to be. If you go in expecting Frank Herbert’s intricate prose, layered philosophy, and enigmatic storytelling, you’ll be disappointed. But if you take it for what it is – an action-driven, politically dense, and surprisingly fun prequel trilogy – it works pretty well.
One of the biggest pitfalls of prequels is the temptation to overconnect everything to the original, like the Hunger Games prequel Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. This trilogy does suffer from that a bit somehow – in a universe of infinite possibilities, we keep bumping into familiar names and tying every loose thread back to Dune. But at the same time, it makes the world feel bigger by fleshing out key players like Duke Atreides, the Harkonnens, Emperor Shaddam, and espeially Count Fenring in a way that makes the lead-up to Dune feel more natural. Plus, where Frank Herbert tended to gloss over full-scale battles, these books lean into the war and action elements, making for a more kinetic read.
Where the trilogy really shines is in the political maneuvering. If you’re the kind of Star Wars fan who actually liked the Phantom Menace Senate debates (and I genuinely do), then this series scratches that itch. Schemes within schemes, betrayals, and power plays are all front and center. While it’s not as deeply philosophical as Frank Herbert’s work, it captures a lot of the same themes in a more straightforward, pulpy way.
Overall, it’s not the Dune you get from Frank Herbert, but it’s still Dune, and it’s fun to see how everything slots into place before the original novel. If you’re open to a different but still compelling take on the universe, the House trilogy delivers.
One of the biggest pitfalls of prequels is the temptation to overconnect everything to the original, like the Hunger Games prequel Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. This trilogy does suffer from that a bit somehow – in a universe of infinite possibilities, we keep bumping into familiar names and tying every loose thread back to Dune. But at the same time, it makes the world feel bigger by fleshing out key players like Duke Atreides, the Harkonnens, Emperor Shaddam, and espeially Count Fenring in a way that makes the lead-up to Dune feel more natural. Plus, where Frank Herbert tended to gloss over full-scale battles, these books lean into the war and action elements, making for a more kinetic read.
Where the trilogy really shines is in the political maneuvering. If you’re the kind of Star Wars fan who actually liked the Phantom Menace Senate debates (and I genuinely do), then this series scratches that itch. Schemes within schemes, betrayals, and power plays are all front and center. While it’s not as deeply philosophical as Frank Herbert’s work, it captures a lot of the same themes in a more straightforward, pulpy way.
Overall, it’s not the Dune you get from Frank Herbert, but it’s still Dune, and it’s fun to see how everything slots into place before the original novel. If you’re open to a different but still compelling take on the universe, the House trilogy delivers.
adventurous
medium-paced
While clearly not written anywhere near the same as Frank Herbert’s style, I have to admit that my first trip into “McDune” wasn’t as bad as I expected.
That said, this still wasn’t great. The pace is all over the place, the word choices haven’t aged well, choices were made to have on-page depictions of violent assault, and I found things got repetitive in reiterating the motives of certain characters. I do plan to continue this “prequel trilogy” but I’m not holding my breath regarding improvements. At the end of the day, I’ll join the masses and consider McDune books as little more than fanfiction.
It gets 2.5 stars rather than 2 only because of my deep-seated love of Leto Atreides.
That said, this still wasn’t great. The pace is all over the place, the word choices haven’t aged well, choices were made to have on-page depictions of violent assault, and I found things got repetitive in reiterating the motives of certain characters. I do plan to continue this “prequel trilogy” but I’m not holding my breath regarding improvements. At the end of the day, I’ll join the masses and consider McDune books as little more than fanfiction.
It gets 2.5 stars rather than 2 only because of my deep-seated love of Leto Atreides.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
you can barely tell it’s a new author! i love history, this fake history rules
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes