Scan barcode
marcosbedbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I did it. I finally finished this book series.
You may asking, why did you read this series when you've been warned multiple times it only gets worse?
To that I would say: because I was curious to see how this book series ended.
Now you may be asking: was it worth it?
To that I would say: hell no.
First of all, I'd like to say that Brian Herbert did a great job ending this series. According to Brian Herbert, the last two books in the series are based on an outline Frank Herbert wrote before he died, and I believe him. The ending of this book just makes sense and fits well with the rest of the series. Brian Herbert did justice to this series.
With that being said, that doesn't change the fact that this book is straight up not good. The plot is absolutely ridiculous and cheesy and I can't help but feel disappointed because this series could have been amazing. I wish Frank Herbert change the course of this series after his 4th book GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE, because maybe then it could have been decent. This series should have stopped after the 3rd book and I stand by that.
You may asking, why did you read this series when you've been warned multiple times it only gets worse?
To that I would say: because I was curious to see how this book series ended.
Now you may be asking: was it worth it?
To that I would say: hell no.
First of all, I'd like to say that Brian Herbert did a great job ending this series. According to Brian Herbert, the last two books in the series are based on an outline Frank Herbert wrote before he died, and I believe him. The ending of this book just makes sense and fits well with the rest of the series. Brian Herbert did justice to this series.
With that being said, that doesn't change the fact that this book is straight up not good. The plot is absolutely ridiculous and cheesy and I can't help but feel disappointed because this series could have been amazing. I wish Frank Herbert change the course of this series after his 4th book GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE, because maybe then it could have been decent. This series should have stopped after the 3rd book and I stand by that.
riada's review against another edition
3.0
"Sandworms of Dune" ambitiously concludes the epic saga but stumbles in its execution, with issues ranging from characterization to pacing. While offering closure and revisiting familiar characters, the novel's shortcomings leave readers with a mixed bag of emotions. Despite its ambition, "Sandworms of Dune" fails to fully capture the magic and complexity of the original series, warranting a 3/5 rating.
SERIES' OVERALL REIVIEW
Rating 3/5
Frank Herbert's Dune series stands as a landmark in science fiction. The first book, simply titled Dune , is a captivating introduction to a rich and complex universe. Herbert masterfully blends political intrigue, religious fervor, and ecological themes on the harsh desert planet Arrakis. The story follows Paul Atreides, a young man thrust into a struggle for power and survival. Dune is a dense read at times, but its depth and world-building make it a must-read for any sci-fi fan.
The following sequels, however, show a decline from the brilliance of the original. Dune Messiah delves into the consequences of Paul's actions in the first book, but the pacing suffers and some characters feel underdeveloped. Children of Dune continues the exploration of power and societal change, but can feel repetitive at times.
God Emperor of Dune tackles ambitious philosophical themes with a complex central character, but the execution is hindered by slow pacing and underdeveloped plot elements. Heretics of Dune expands the universe with new characters, but the thematic exploration feels diluted compared to earlier entries.
Frank Herbert concludes his saga with Chapterhouse: Dune . While the world-building remains impressive, the lack of a definitive climax leaves some readers wanting.
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson take over the reins for the later books. Hunters of Dune offers some closure for fans but relies heavily on familiar characters resurrected through cloning technology. The writing style fails to capture the depth of Frank Herbert's work.
The series finale, Sandworms of Dune , is an ambitious attempt to tie up loose ends. It incorporates elements from Frank Herbert's notes and offers grand spacefaring adventures. However, uneven characterization, excessive exposition, and a potentially divisive conclusion leave a mixed impression.
SERIES' OVERALL REIVIEW
Rating 3/5
Frank Herbert's Dune series stands as a landmark in science fiction. The first book, simply titled Dune , is a captivating introduction to a rich and complex universe. Herbert masterfully blends political intrigue, religious fervor, and ecological themes on the harsh desert planet Arrakis. The story follows Paul Atreides, a young man thrust into a struggle for power and survival. Dune is a dense read at times, but its depth and world-building make it a must-read for any sci-fi fan.
The following sequels, however, show a decline from the brilliance of the original. Dune Messiah delves into the consequences of Paul's actions in the first book, but the pacing suffers and some characters feel underdeveloped. Children of Dune continues the exploration of power and societal change, but can feel repetitive at times.
God Emperor of Dune tackles ambitious philosophical themes with a complex central character, but the execution is hindered by slow pacing and underdeveloped plot elements. Heretics of Dune expands the universe with new characters, but the thematic exploration feels diluted compared to earlier entries.
Frank Herbert concludes his saga with Chapterhouse: Dune . While the world-building remains impressive, the lack of a definitive climax leaves some readers wanting.
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson take over the reins for the later books. Hunters of Dune offers some closure for fans but relies heavily on familiar characters resurrected through cloning technology. The writing style fails to capture the depth of Frank Herbert's work.
The series finale, Sandworms of Dune , is an ambitious attempt to tie up loose ends. It incorporates elements from Frank Herbert's notes and offers grand spacefaring adventures. However, uneven characterization, excessive exposition, and a potentially divisive conclusion leave a mixed impression.
rashthelock's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.5
When I listen to audiobooks, I prefer to listen at 1.25 speed - it sounds better to my ear for some reason, but is still an immersive listening experience - though sometimes for particularly slow narration or sluggish story progression, I can go up to 1.50 speed; also, on the off chance being losing interest a book (but want to finish) I may increase to 1.75 speed, which is rare, and if I set it to 2x speed or higher - which has only happened about 3-4 times in 3 years - well then I've just stopped caring and want things to be over and done (without a chance to stop and return).
I've very much enjoyed Frank Herbert's original 6 Dune books, though they did fall in the former category (slow-ish narration) at times for 1.50 speed. That being said, these last two books we just bloated, boring, and bad. I started #7 Hunters at 1.50 as per normal, by about the halfway point it needed 1.75, but that quickly became 2x up until the end.
Finally, #8 Sandworms started at 2x, but by about the 25% mark I had become so disinterested that I did something I've done only once before: cranked it to 3x speed to just things over with - and yes, while I can still understand most of the narration/dialogue, I've just become so disinterested that I don't care anymore and want to literally & metaphorically close the book on the Dune saga for good.
Another good post about these books that sums it up well [imperfect quote]: "These books are an example of NOT to honor an author's legacy. Look instead to what Christopher Tolkien did to show how to do it right!" - in other words, it probably would have been better to just publish Frank Herbert's "Dune 7" manuscript/outline & notes as it was written, instead of adding & altering unneeded ideas.
I've very much enjoyed Frank Herbert's original 6 Dune books, though they did fall in the former category (slow-ish narration) at times for 1.50 speed. That being said, these last two books we just bloated, boring, and bad. I started #7 Hunters at 1.50 as per normal, by about the halfway point it needed 1.75, but that quickly became 2x up until the end.
Finally, #8 Sandworms started at 2x, but by about the 25% mark I had become so disinterested that I did something I've done only once before: cranked it to 3x speed to just things over with - and yes, while I can still understand most of the narration/dialogue, I've just become so disinterested that I don't care anymore and want to literally & metaphorically close the book on the Dune saga for good.
Another good post about these books that sums it up well [imperfect quote]: "These books are an example of NOT to honor an author's legacy. Look instead to what Christopher Tolkien did to show how to do it right!" - in other words, it probably would have been better to just publish Frank Herbert's "Dune 7" manuscript/outline & notes as it was written, instead of adding & altering unneeded ideas.
cherrick8's review against another edition
4.0
This concludes the original Dune series. I don't know if this is exactly the way Frank Herbert envisioned the ending, but I found it satisfying. The resolution was fitting to the series, at least for me.
mjmarx59's review against another edition
2.0
Oh so NOW I get it. Unlike Alia Atreides, this book is not an abomination. But it isn’t that great either. Many Dune Fans advise avoiding HoD and SWoD like the plague. But I think if you wanna read them go ahead, but also it’s totally okay to skip if you want to. There’s still enough good stuff here to make for an ok reading experience, despite the mediocre moments or canon-breaking moments. Just don’t expect the high highs of the first 5 books (sorry Chapterhouse: Dune fans).
The middle of this book is actually pretty great! The saga on Qelso, the saboteur subplot, Murbella vs the machines, they all make for a pretty good time. And there are some pretty good character work as well. Dr. Yueh had a great character arc, and so did Murbella, Kynes, and Stilgar. Even though he was a little over the top, I also really liked Paolo’s arc. But of the new characters, the only ones I found interesting were Paolo, Erasmus (kinda), and Khrone (kinda). I appreciate the constraint with the Gholas. While some (Jessica, Leto, Chani) don’t get much to do, it doesn’t feel like a Dune rehash too much. Theres a few characters I wish got Gholas (Irulan, Farad’n, Ghanima to name a few), but I’m ok that they didn’t come back. Much like Hunters, the pacing of this book is decent overall and flows really well.
And for the bad, oh boy there’s a lot. Seaworms? Ultraspice? You mean to tell me that Waff accomplishes that in a few days when it’s presumably impossible throughout the rest of the series? What a travesty, and completely undermines the end of GEoD. Speaking of GEoD, Leto II is completely wasted. I’m not even the biggest GEoD fan, but Leto is probably the most important character in universe and NEEDS to be a big part of the story. He’s the most powerful being in history and laid out the Golden Path to save humanity. But his only role in the climactic battle is to get eaten by a Sandworm and kill some robots. He’s somehow more present in Heretics thru Hunters than he is here. And why does Omnius never consider him the Kw. Ha.? He’s a much more obvious choice than Paul. Is Omnius just dumb? And speaking of Kw. Ha., the whole point of Dune and especially Dune Messiah was that prophecies are easily manipulated and not to be trusted. Yet it’s just a given that Duncan Idaho of all people is the “prophesied Kw. Ha.”. I’m fine if Duncan comes out on top, but it should NOT be because the prophecy foretold it, and not as a discount Leto man-machine hybrid. And last thing before I stop ranting, but my goodness the machines are a boring antagonist. Erasmus is ok, but Omnius is just so generic and not a good antagonist at all to end the series with. I didn’t read the Butlerian Jihad series, and I shouldn’t HAVE to read the unrelated prequels to understand the main story. And then the Oracle of Time just deus ex machina’s her way into winning the day. Ugh. I went into this review leaning towards a 3, but writing everything out pushes this down to a 2.
The middle of this book is actually pretty great! The saga on Qelso, the saboteur subplot, Murbella vs the machines, they all make for a pretty good time. And there are some pretty good character work as well. Dr. Yueh had a great character arc, and so did Murbella, Kynes, and Stilgar. Even though he was a little over the top, I also really liked Paolo’s arc. But of the new characters, the only ones I found interesting were Paolo, Erasmus (kinda), and Khrone (kinda). I appreciate the constraint with the Gholas. While some (Jessica, Leto, Chani) don’t get much to do, it doesn’t feel like a Dune rehash too much. Theres a few characters I wish got Gholas (Irulan, Farad’n, Ghanima to name a few), but I’m ok that they didn’t come back. Much like Hunters, the pacing of this book is decent overall and flows really well.
And for the bad, oh boy there’s a lot. Seaworms? Ultraspice? You mean to tell me that Waff accomplishes that in a few days when it’s presumably impossible throughout the rest of the series? What a travesty, and completely undermines the end of GEoD. Speaking of GEoD, Leto II is completely wasted. I’m not even the biggest GEoD fan, but Leto is probably the most important character in universe and NEEDS to be a big part of the story. He’s the most powerful being in history and laid out the Golden Path to save humanity. But his only role in the climactic battle is to get eaten by a Sandworm and kill some robots. He’s somehow more present in Heretics thru Hunters than he is here. And why does Omnius never consider him the Kw. Ha.? He’s a much more obvious choice than Paul. Is Omnius just dumb? And speaking of Kw. Ha., the whole point of Dune and especially Dune Messiah was that prophecies are easily manipulated and not to be trusted. Yet it’s just a given that Duncan Idaho of all people is the “prophesied Kw. Ha.”. I’m fine if Duncan comes out on top, but it should NOT be because the prophecy foretold it, and not as a discount Leto man-machine hybrid. And last thing before I stop ranting, but my goodness the machines are a boring antagonist. Erasmus is ok, but Omnius is just so generic and not a good antagonist at all to end the series with. I didn’t read the Butlerian Jihad series, and I shouldn’t HAVE to read the unrelated prequels to understand the main story. And then the Oracle of Time just deus ex machina’s her way into winning the day. Ugh. I went into this review leaning towards a 3, but writing everything out pushes this down to a 2.
mseber's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I appreciate Brian Herbert's efforts to come up with an ending to the series, but the quality of the writing and storytelling was significantly worse than in the first 6 books of the series. Low-quality dialogues were everywhere, and I could not feel the same mystery as in the first part of the series. Kept on reading to see what happens at the end.
danzig666's review against another edition
3.0
Start with a bang end with a whimper.
I felt as though the writers kept repeating themselves updating me as to what happened in previous chapters like I might have forgotten. Kevin ain’t no Frank but I’m grateful to have been given more time in the Dune universe.
And what about Leto II?!? Does anybody know what happened to him? It wasn’t clear in the epilogue
I felt as though the writers kept repeating themselves updating me as to what happened in previous chapters like I might have forgotten. Kevin ain’t no Frank but I’m grateful to have been given more time in the Dune universe.
And what about Leto II?!? Does anybody know what happened to him? It wasn’t clear in the epilogue
x0pherl's review against another edition
Can't do it. Can't even give it a single star. Makes me even more worried that George RR Martin will die before finishing ice & fire.