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Dune: House Atreides (Prelude to Dune #1)

3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 · rating details · 10,317 ratings · 247 reviews

The New York Times bestselling prequel to the classic award-winning saga by Frank Herbert.

Frank Herbert's award-winning Dune chronicles captured the imagination of millions of readers worldwide. By his death in 1986, Herbert had completed six novels in the series, but much of his vision remained unwritten. Now, working from his father's recently discovered files, Brian Her...more

Paperback, 704 pages

Published August 1st 2000 by Spectra (first published January 1999)

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Sep 12, 2012 Josh Lovvorn rated it 2 of 5 stars

When I first read Dune by Frank Herbert, I was lying on a beach with a stack of about 8 books that I intended to read over the next few days. On the first day, I blew through 2 or 3 quite easily. On the second day, I started Dune, and by the second chapter I knew that I would be consumed by this book for probably the rest of my vacation. Mr. Herbert constructed an elaborate and engaging universe of unrivaled imagination in science fiction. The characters lept from the page including the very piv...more When I first read Dune by Frank Herbert, I was lying on a beach with a stack of about 8 books that I intended to read over the next few days. On the first day, I blew through 2 or 3 quite easily. On the second day, I started Dune, and by the second chapter I knew that I would be consumed by this book for probably the rest of my vacation. Mr. Herbert constructed an elaborate and engaging universe of unrivaled imagination in science fiction. The characters lept from the page including the very pivotal Leto Atreides, Duke and leader of House Atreides. After reading Dune, I sped (relatively) through the rest of the series and absolutely fell in love with the universe. I had found an equal to my already beloved Middle Earth and Star Wars universes.

So when I picked up this book, the beginning of the House Trilogy, I was more than excited. I had known that Brian had several works of his own already under his belt that had garnered some acclaim in the Science Fiction community. I had also read a few of Kevin J. Anderson's works in the Star Wars universe and enjoyed them immensely. Therefore, I flung myself into the series whole-heartedly.

I fell flat. Indeed, most of the book itself seemed only a flat copy of the marvels of the father's novels. Perhaps, as other reviewers have noted, the disappointment stemmed somewhat from knowledge of the fates of the characters, but I feel it was more than that. In Dune, we met such characters as Baron Harkonnen, Beast Raban, Reverend Mother Gaius Heather Mohiam, and of course Leto Atreides. Even in their limited roles (as compared with Paul and Lady Jessica) in the first novel, Frank was able to present enormously more life in these characters than Brian and Anderson were able to do in a full length novel. The emotions and actions of the Baron, Mohiam, Leto, and Rombur (as well as others) were so predictable and lacking in flavor that I found myself rolling my eyes at many of the events. The events of the novel such as the fall of House Vernius, the Harkonnen plot to destroy Leto, and even the death of the Old Duke Paulus all seemed like flat attempts at the imaginative flair of Frank Herbert. Some parts of the novel, namely those following the Planetologist Kynes were so out of place and annoying that I question the need of the character in the novels. I picked this book up with interest in the mystique and flavor of the Great Houses of the universe, and found myself entwined in a novel of too many "main characters," of which none were treated with enough detail and development. Indeed, halfway through the novel, I had to put it down and pick up other books because I was simply bored with the plot. I ended up finishing the novel by listening to the audiobook while driving.

Nevertheless, as a true science fiction fan, I cannot help my overwhelming desire to explore the extent of the Dune universe. As before with some of the less engaging of the Star Wars novels, I will most likely continue on with the House series and with the Bulterian Jihad novels at some point. I can only hope that the remaining of the novels improve on this sub-par effort.(less)

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Feb 17, 2011 Marjorie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Like many sci fi lovers I read Frank Herbert's Dune--a book I loved for its richness and detail with all of the subcultures, traditions and intrigue centered on the spice--the eye-blue-ing, mind-altering and space-bending drug of drugs. Add the aristocracy and royal "Houses" murdering, betrayal, plots within plots and I did little else but read for days. It seemed that sequels were not as compelling and when Herbert died, I assumed a grand story was finally done. Then the "prequels" came out and...more

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Aug 16, 2007 Dan Hennessey rated it 4 of 5 stars

The House Trilogy is a good addition to the Dune series. For those that have read the originals, you get a good introduction to the history behind a lot of the key players in the original Dune.

Despite this, Brian Herbert doesn't recreate the same world his father did. Certain things feel a bit predictable where as his fathers work never had that feeling. Perhaps it has partly to do with knowing that certain things can't happen or that would have violated the continuity of his fathers work, but e...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Robert Delikat added it · review of another edition

This review is the same for all three books (Atreides, Harkonnen, Corrina) of the “House Trilogy.”

The author of the Dune [Chronicles] Saga, Frank Herbert, died in 1986 before completing the final installment, Dune 7. According to his son, Brian Herbert, a couple of years after the passing of his father, a safety deposit box was found with copious notes about the saga’s past and outlines for its future completion. His son collaborated with Kevin J. Anderson on the final book but also several preq...more This review is the same for all three books (Atreides, Harkonnen, Corrina) of the “House Trilogy.”

The author of the Dune [Chronicles] Saga, Frank Herbert, died in 1986 before completing the final installment, Dune 7. According to his son, Brian Herbert, a couple of years after the passing of his father, a safety deposit box was found with copious notes about the saga’s past and outlines for its future completion. His son collaborated with Kevin J. Anderson on the final book but also several prequels including a Prelude to Dune trilogy about the three prominently featured houses or families of the saga: Atreides, Harkonnen and Corrino.

I thoroughly enjoyed the audio version of the original Dune years ago. And, after just finishing the entire “House” trilogy, I reread the original to more freshly compare them. I must say, I think that I enjoyed the prequels more. However, I don’t know that I would have had I not read the original first. Before going on about the “House” series, because one cannot edit a review on Audible once it’s posted, a comment here about Book 1 might be helpful. The original Dune is narrated by Scott Brick, Orlagh Cassidy, Euan Morton, Simon Vance and a cast of others. At first it seemed like a good idea to have each character in the book have a unique voice. Unfortunately, from the way the book sounds, each narrator performs in a different studio setting. How do I know? Because it sounds that way. The dialogue sounds stilted, jerky and downright amateurish. Everyone of the characters in the prequels is played by Scott Brick. And they are far superior recordings. Scott Brick’s character dialogues are fluid, of the same ambience and just don’t sound dated like the original.

To continue about the prequels, they have an added depth to them. The characters are more fully fleshed out. The separate and familial relationships among all the characters are more fully explored. I realize this in not in accord with some other reviewers who sometimes seemed to find conflict with the original material. On the contrary, I found mostly only continuity that added to and enriched the original.

In the prequels we learn how Paul Atreides becomes the product of the generations of genetic “engineering” (selective breeding) of the Bene Gesserit to obtain the Kwisatz Haderach. And we learn of the backgrounds of all the other major players: Baron Harkonnen and his maniacal family, Emperor Shaddam and his, Jessica, Rev Mother Mohiam and a whole lot of background on the other Bene Gesserit “witches.” There was a mystical context in the original chronicles but these prequels greatly amplify on that.

The Guild Navigators and their relationship to the spice is mentioned only tangentially in the Original but plays a significant part in the prequels. All the female characters of Dune Prelude play a much more significant role and that too is much to the credit of these authors. It’s always nice to have that balance. We could just go on and on but why spoil it. Hopefully, I’m communicating my sense of excitement about the Prelude to Dune Trilogy. I think that each “House” installment was just excellent and the old man would have been proud of his son and his coauthor. If you’re a fan of the Dune Chronicles, you owe it to yourself to read the “House Trilogy.”
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Jan 04, 2013 Erica rated it 3 of 5 stars

When you love a series it is natural to get excited by the thought of another part of the series. It is great to be able to read more about the characters we know from the Dune books. We get to see how Duncan Idaho escaped the Harkonnen slave planet at the age of 8, and joined the household of the young Leto who we setting out on the path to becoming a powerful leader.

When a book is written by someone other than the original author we now that the story cannot be exactly what it should be, but...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Delicious Strawberry rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: brian-herbert, kevin-j-anderson

This trilogy covers what happened right before Frank Herbert's Dune series and spans about 25 years, from 10,150-10,175 AG. It covers events like Jessica's conception and birth, and Leto's adolescence and his assuming the title of Duke after the murder of his father.

Quite a few things contradict the real Dune books. In the real Dune books, it is hinted that Baron Harkonnen had sex with a Bene Gesserit, but never that the experience was unwilling (like was said in this book) Also, in the real Dun...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Matt Luedke rated it 3 of 5 stars

The first "Dunequel" I read. The original "Dune" series, the first book of which is a sci-fi classic, was written by Frank Herbert, who died in the 1980's. His son Brian Herbert then undertook the task of writing many prequels, sequels, interquels (an actual thing!), and basically any other type of -quel you can imagine. A skeptic would say that this was done to "cash in" on a sci-fi franchise that should've been much huger than it ever was ("Star Wars" was very heavily inspired by "Dune" and lo...more The first "Dunequel" I read. The original "Dune" series, the first book of which is a sci-fi classic, was written by Frank Herbert, who died in the 1980's. His son Brian Herbert then undertook the task of writing many prequels, sequels, interquels (an actual thing!), and basically any other type of -quel you can imagine. A skeptic would say that this was done to "cash in" on a sci-fi franchise that should've been much huger than it ever was ("Star Wars" was very heavily inspired by "Dune" and look how big that got!)

I'm more forgiving, having read a book called "Man of Two Worlds" co-written by father and son Herbert. Brian is a legitimate writer, but the genius that visits him is a lesser one than that of his father. I think the labor of the "Dunequels" (my term. very proud of it.) was one of love.

But whatever the case, the result are readable, passable, not embarrassing, not actually that bad, but invariably disappointing books. I read only the first 3 prequels, and my high school brain was entertained but not blown away. The characters who later appear in the main series are faithfully reconstructed, and the history is matched in every detail. The drama is compelling and well-paced. New characters are believable and interesting. The prose is more accessible (always easy-to-read) than that of the original series. But-- and this is a big thing for me if you've read any of my sci-fi related reviews-- whereas the original books induced wonder, the Dunequels explain mercilessly.

I had no choice at the time-- I was in love with the House Atreides-House Harkonnen drama. This is why I stopped reading the original trilogy after book 3 (the political drama was kind of drawing to a conclusion at that point), and started the prequel series. So I simply had to read and find out all about Leto's earlier life, etc. It's like when a TV show jumps the shark-- it's hard to let go if you once cared so much, even if you know it's not as good now.

So I've read 3 Dunequels myself, and even though there are many more than 3 I think my opinion is pretty well-informed. I would recommend just sticking to ones by Frank Herbert himself.

PS The prequels are OK, but the Dunequels take a turn for the blasphemous when Brian wrote a "Dune 7" that follows the original series, tying it back in with apocraphal characters that Brian had introduced himself in his own prequels. I can't imagine that being any good!(less)

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Feb 05, 2012 Donovan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

This the first in the Prelude to Dune series of novels that provide the back story to Frank Herbert's DUNE.
The series consists of:
House Atreides
House Harkonnen
House Corrino

Plot ***Spoilers***
House Atreides
The novel begins on the planet of Arrakis, 35 years before the events of the original novel Dune. The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen has just taken over the governorship of Arrakis (also called Dune) from his younger brother Abulurd, who has allowed spice production to decrease heavily. The Baron se...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Jo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although I genuinely enjoy Frank Herbert’s original novels, these 2nd generation novels furtive attempts at capturing the essence of his universe lack finesse as well as grace (at least this one does). Having grown up reading Kevin J Anderson, I know him to be a strong writer with a firm grasp on characterization and form. I can only surmise that he deferred too much steering of the authorship to Brian, who I will refer to by his first name rather than his last to denote that he in no ways live...more Although I genuinely enjoy Frank Herbert’s original novels, these 2nd generation novels furtive attempts at capturing the essence of his universe lack finesse as well as grace (at least this one does). Having grown up reading Kevin J Anderson, I know him to be a strong writer with a firm grasp on characterization and form. I can only surmise that he deferred too much steering of the authorship to Brian, who I will refer to by his first name rather than his last to denote that he in no ways live up to Frank Herbert’s legacy. While the various plot points do manage to solidly encapsulate the evil vindictiveness of the Harkonnens and the Corrinos, the book is fracturous, with too many points of view in too many places with little connectivity, too few of which are female. In an effort to set the stage for the latter two books in the trilogy, a great many characters are introduced. While some lose their POV after the first couple chapters, other characters are given a great deal of time to develop.

The three characters that one would hope would have the most consequence, both from being original Herbertian characters, as well as figuring as protagonists on the buildup toward their birth rite novel, the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Duncan Idaho and Leto Atreides are all varieties of static. The Baron is given no valid reason for his early viscous attitudes, although Brian cleverly fashioned the impetus for his eventual bloated suspensor-assisted treachery. I considered labeling the Baron as an antagonists because probably anyone who's seen Dune would say that he is, except in this case everyone is an antagonist--virtually all of the book's characters are hedonistic, self-righteous and seek to sabotage everyone else (except for Pardot Kynes). Duncan Idaho wins the hand-wave grand prize for being a completely unbelievable pre-pubescent lone, cunning, planet-hopping soldier based solely on the death of his paper-pusher parents. To claim this character is “larger than life” would be ironic and ridiculously understated. Unnaturally lucky, 8 year old Duncan manages to thwart seasoned Harkonnen hunters and cross multiple hemispheres of a planet with no resources. Leto Atreides, raised by a doting much-beloved king in a wholesome fishing monarchy not unlike Scandinavia, comes off as sadly both stupid and weak willed. Leto’s naiveté and regurgitation of his mother’s rhetoric paints him as useless during a planetary revolt, forcing his business-minded hakoiri musume playmates to orchestrate their escape. This book does little if anything to set Leto up as the eventual martyred hero, though it should be noted that for this book Jessica hasn’t been born yet—the claim could be made that her influence changes him irrevocably…
Yet, these three are still given far more development than any of the female characters. A possible love interest for Leto, Kailea, is given one brief scene to introduce her personality as haughty and profit-driven, seemingly devoid of girlish fantasies and friends. Afterwards she fades into the background, apparently since her goal of joining court in the Imperial planet Kaitain is no longer viable. Although it’s not clear if Leto actually has a crush on her, if so it’s difficult to understand why. But speaking of women connected to Leto, his mother is also quite the puzzle. Helena is possibly the worst choice to marry Paulus. Frigid, aloof and Orange Bible-thumping, Helena barely shows any warmth for her son and is constantly concerned with appearances. Leto doesn’t understand her, and the reader isn’t given the chance to. The one female narrator Brian offers us for more than one chapter is the Bene Gesserit Gaius Helen Mohiam. Helen comes to as something of an unwilling participant in the Landsaard. We understand that she has a great many powers to control her physical being and that she willing follows the edicts of the Bene Gesserit. Beyond that the only part of her personality that the reader really sees is her taking pleasure in seeing Baron Harkonnen undone. Clearly Brian doesn’t understand enough about women characters to write them with any contributing value, a huge a disappointment since he is probably the only one who will ever be able to publish in the Dune universe. Why Kevin J Anderson, a writer who has proven he can work with strong female protagonists didn’t fight harder for their inclusion is mystifying.

The one aspect of House Atreides that appeals to the reader is Brian’s land and mindscapes. Doubtless Brian recognizes and tries to duplicate the use of the acid trip in his father’s work, which is definitely an important touch. Additionally, Brian paints beautiful vistas such as the cavernous stalactite city of Vernii, obviously an homage to D’ni (they even rhyme) and some descriptions of Arrakis, Kaitain and Caladan. The setting Brian paints isn’t always complete and it could stand a little improvement, but it does set the scene well.

The obvious answer to the question of why House Atreides fails to impress is found in its nature. Being the first part of a trilogy that seeks to setup all the behind the scenes plot devices and innuendos for Dune, House Atreides obviously has a great deal of ground to cover. Yet, some things appear totally superfluous, such as Mohiam’s giving birth to one child that didn’t measure up to the Bene Gesserit expectation from Vladimir Harkonnen. Thus the reader has to revisit the distasteful “sexual” encounter between her and Harkonnen again, supposedly to show how serious the Bene Gesserit are about their breeding program. Beyond which it seems to contribute nothing and wastes the reader’s time. In any film adaptation (which hopefully will never exist), these two scenes would be merged but perhaps Brian found something compelling in that scenario that isn’t at first obvious.

Brian also skillfully uses another homage to help the story past its built-in handicap of no faster-than-light communication between worlds. No doubt suggested by Anderson, in one case a character is given an acid trip vision of an incredible invention that he afterwards goes about creating. This device allows him to gestalt his telepathic abilities (the reader is expected to buy into his telepathic abilities since he was a candidate to be a Guild Navigator) across the light years to connect synchronously with his twin brother. The concept is lifted from Anne McCaffrey’s Talent and the Hive series (and perhaps from other places) and in addition to its nostalgic factor, the idea plays on the edict of from the Great Revolt of the Butlerian Jihad to develop the human rather than the machine mind… although its execution in story is another rudimentary hand wave.

In conclusion, House Atreides, taken by itself, does little to live up to the precedent of highly sophisticated science fiction novel writing set by Frank Herbert. For the purposes of fairness, House Atreides' numerous stomach-churning bouts of amoral behavior shouldn't be wholly foisted on Brian for inheriting such a series, but too few of his characters are capable of taking the moral high ground and those that are could still benefit from further characterization. With a multitude of shallow characters, the reader is left with a bad taste and the beginnings of a search for science fiction that centers around a few characters with actual development.(less)

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Aug 24, 2011 Matthew Fox rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well after I finished Chapterhouse Dune, I was pretty sure I was done reading anymore Dune books, but I decided I would give Herbert's son and Anderson a chance to wow me with the their writing, imaginations and notes left behind from Frank Herbert.

Needless to say I love Herbert's Dune series, it really blew my mind on many levels. Inventiveness, technology, cutting edge class, philosophy I don't know where to stop really.

So when I picked up these prequals, they really had quite a bit to overco...more

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Nov 07, 2009 John Shumway rated it 4 of 5 stars

*Same review for the Dune Universe*
GREAT books! VERY time consuming! Worth the time!

Ok here is the deal. If your not sure about starting a series this big, here is what I would do.
1. -- Read the 1st one by Frank Herbert "Dune" if you like it...

2. -- Read the "Legends Of Dune" series. Its 3 books written by Frank's son Brian and a author I really like by the name of Keven J. Anderson. Its a prequel that is so far in the past that it doesn't spoil the Original Dune series in any way, and you could...more

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Apr 30, 2010 Tanner Hastings rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favs

Book title and author: Dune House Atraties by: Brian Herbert & Kevin Anderson
Title of review: A Beautiful Prequel to an epic sequel
Number of stars (1 to 5): 5

Introduction I read this book before reading the original Dune and I feel that is the best way to experience the series from prequel to sequal and all in between.

Description and summary of main points The book follows many charters but the main character is no doubt Leto Atreties the young heir to House Atreties. His father Palus , Duke...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Patrick Hayes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Many people I know have read this book, so I had to see if it deserved the praise it was getting, as well as all the numerous spin-offs from Misters Herbert and Anderson: it does. This novel is set as a direct precursor to the original Dune, and it was very entertaining. This does what the first two Star Wars prequels didn't: make things interesting, even though you know exactly how things will turn out. Most interesting to me was what happens on Ix, and the adventures of young Duncan Idaho. Of...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Dave Higgins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Copy of my Launchpad review from 2001 of D: Atriedes and D: Harkonnen:
A second instance of ‘add-a-chapter-to-an-existing-series’ syndrome. The first two books in the Prelude Trilogy (as far as I know one - and only one - more is to be printed sometime in 2001). This time written by the son of the creator, and a man with many credits for books in long running sci-fi universes.
Again, as a lover of both the book and the film I really liked these books; they capture the way in which the universe-spa...more

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Jan 14, 2009 Shelly - The Illustrated Librarian - rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Any fan of "Dune"

Recommended to Shelly - The Illustrated Librarian - by: a coworker

Shelves: sci-fi

Dune is one of my all-time favorite books, and this is a great addition to the canon.

It's so exciting to learn the histories of the well-loved characters of Dune. Brian Herbert's writing style is very similar to his father's, so the book (and the whole prequel trilogy) doesn't seem out of place in the Dune universe.

From the book jacket: "Covering the decade when Shaddam wins the throne, the teenager Leto Atreides becomes unexpectedly the ruler of House Atreides, and Pardot Kynes uncovers one of...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

As a prequel to the epic saga of Frank Herbert's Dune, this was a pretty good book. Die hard fans might have problems with a few inconsistences but if you can overlook them (after all writers are not perfect), you will enjoy the book. I really enjoyed Duncan Idaho's story and the fact that there's multiple plots going on that interconnect. My recommendation, since a few people will be lost if they begin reading the prequels before Dune, is to read Dune first then go and read the three House preq...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Trey rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was excited when I bought this book. It was refreshing and new and filled in some spots. Good enough book.

BUT I strongly advise against this series and the other Dune series that have flooded the shelves. The quality is horrible and truthfully I believe this is a poster child for a series designed to milk the readers. Lots if action and quite a few plots and subplots, but overall nothing really happens and by the fifth or sixth book (yes I was dumb enough to keep hoping) nothing really had ch...more

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Nov 10, 2009 Jack Huston rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ok here's the deal: I realize that "new Dune" is a sensitive subject for a LOT of people. I myself have been extremely skeptical about reading any of the BH/KJA books. Upon reading the first 50 or so pages of House Atreides, i had my doubts as to whether i would make it all the way through. But the further i got, and upon finishing, my reaction is that it really is much better than i expected. There are some really fun storylines happening; i was pretty into the whole suboid thing, and ive alway...more

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May 08, 2012 bella rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have a huge love for the Dune series, but by far my favorite is House Atreides. Unlike most people who probably started reading the Dune series with the original novel, Dune, I started with House Atreides. I read House Atreides and the two books that follow in this trilogy and then proceeded to read Dune. I always have such a longing to re-read all these books in this series, but House Atreides still remains my favorite.

I'm now re-reading all the books in order with a friend, and I was curious...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Marji rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio

I am not a big sci-fi reader and I've never read any of the original Dune series, so I went into this somewhat skeptical. Honestly, I picked up the first one, House Atreidies, because it was on the paperback sale at Audible.com. That said, I really really enjoyed the whole series.
At the end of book 1 of the trilogy I was a bit taken aback...that's the end? That's when I went out and bought books 2 and 3. And I've been listening to these books non-stop now for a week. It's fascinating, well writt...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Clark Hallman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Dune House Atreides, a precursor to Dune, takes place decades before Paul is born. It introduces us to Paul's grandfather (Leto's father) Duke Paulus Atreides, who is murdered by the Baron Harkonnen. Leto then becomes the leader of House Atreides as a teenager and must find a way to save his Atreides empire from destruction. Thufir Hawat (the Atreides Mentat), Stilgar (Naib of Sietch Tabr), Duncan Idaho, Pardot Kynes (Imperial Planetologist assigned to Dune), the Bene Gesserit (and their secret...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Aaron rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: science_fiction

I think if I try to read the prequels and sequels of the original Dune too fast, I will definitely get sick of them. As I've mentioned before, Herbert and Anderson create readable "history" books of the Dune universe. The characters aren't terribly memorable, and the settings never seem all that tangible. However, you are bombarded by names, places, and things that round out things that are only hinted at in the Dune universe. For me, this is kind of fun (especially since I haven't read the orig...more

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May 26, 2012 Brian Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars

I flip-flopped between 3 or 4 stars on this. I loved the original Dune novel by Frank Herbert. I kinda thought I might be spoiling my affection for that novel by reading a prequel not written by the man who created the Dune universe. And I hate collaborations. Never read them. So, this collaboration is clearly written in a different voice and tone than Frank Herbert. There was a dark grittiness to the writing and story in the original Dune books. Anderson and Brian Herbert's writing seems a bit...more

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Oct 01, 2009 Rick rated it 3 of 5 stars

The expansion of the Dune universe and explanation of its history by far drove my interest in this book, and I think it fits pretty seamlessly with the others, plot-wise. This prequel to the original Dune delves into the life of young Leto Atreides primarily, but there are probably 20 different characters tracked throughout, and all with equal coverage.

What I liked: learning more about the history of the Houses Major, a vistit to Ix, more revelations about the Bene Tleilax (but they still remai...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Angel Uherek rated it 1 of 5 stars

I tried, really I did. Ugh!
I just can not continue... I find I have to read each page over and over but keep losing focus. I hope it is the genre I am having trouble with and not the wrting or story. A cool male high school tech teacher recommended this to me as the "best book ever written"... and I can not get past page 50.
I usually look forward to my daily reading hour, but when this book is waiting for me my stomach gets weak and my eyes roll like a little kids who was told to clean up thei...more

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Nov 24, 2010 Annie McCall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, fiction

I read this series out of order not knowing there was a series. My first Herbert book was The Winds of Dune. After reading it, I looked the author up in hopes of finding more great stories like that one. Boy was I surprised and delighted. A whole series of these dune people! But wait...the Winds book is the last of this series...woops!

So it was extra interesting for me to figure out what kinds of puzzle pieces were to fit between the first and the last books as I listened to this House Atreides...more

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May 15, 2008 Fritz rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

The entire "House" series is unreadable crap and an embarrassing exploitation of the author's father's name.

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Jun 30, 2012 Nioosha rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was a surprise! i did n't expect much from Brian and Kevin after reading "legends of dune" trilogy but this one was different. it was nice. i do n't know what to say. they wrote legends of dune after this but why this book is far better? i think it's all about the settings and plots. Frank Herbert's dune has a vast potential so they have used that background. it's not the case in legends of dune. may be they were afraid of introducing any original ideas in dune universe.Anyway, good reading a...more

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Dec 21, 2009 Joy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Leto I in his teen years. He is sent to Ix for an education, sees his father slain before his eyes, meets heroic young Duncan from Geidi Prime, and proves his honor and stature to the Landsraad. Jessica is still an infant here; Leto's friends are the young heirs of Ix. Now that I have finished reading this book I'll go on to the sequel, but I didn't feel any momentum at all for the first two-thirds of the book. Choppy, with too little time spent with each character to feel an emotional connectio...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Benjamin Handelman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After I began to read all the various Dune novels in chronological order, I was worried the Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson books would burn me out. So many people have given them such drastically negative reviews, I was unsure what would happen. First I read the Legends of Dune trilogy, which I enjoyed quite a bit as a space opera on it's own, but now I am getting into the direct prequels and was worried they would fall flat. Thankfully I discovered the book was very enjoyable, even more so...more

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About Brian Herbert

Brian Patrick Herbert is a best selling American author who lives in Washington state. He is the elder son of famed science fiction author Frank Herbert.

Brian and his wife, Jan Herbert, have been happily married for forty years (as of 2007). They have three daughters, Julie, Kim, and Margaux Beverly. Brian also has an elder half-sister, Penny; their younger brother, gay activist Bruce Calvin Herbe...more

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Books by Brian Herbert

The Butlerian Jihad (Legends of Dune, #1)

Dune: The Machine Crusade (Legends of Dune, #2)

The Battle of Corrin (Legends of Dune, #3)

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Trivia About Das Haus Atreides

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Quotes from Dune: House Atreides

“Even the poorest House can be rich in loyalty. Allegiance that must be purchased by bribes or wages is hollow and flawed, and could break at the worst possible moment. Allegiance that comes from the heart, though, is stronger than adamantium and more valuable than purest melange.” — 3 people liked it

“Brilliant, Piter! I'm glad I didn't execute you all those times when you were so annoying.'

'So am I,' de Vries said.” — 2 people liked it

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avg rating	preview: Dune: House Atreides Goodreads rating: 3.54 (10317 ratings)
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Dune: House Atreides (Prelude to Dune #1)

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