This is a collection of four
novellas from the Dune universe intended to add some perspective to the series’
mythos. The four stories are about events that took place outside of the tale
told in the full novels by Frank Herbert and the team of Brian Herbert and
Kevin J. Anderson.
In this volume, the four
stories are:
The Edge of a Crysknife: What
was the Shadout Mapes like before she became the head housekeeper for the
Atreides? Well, she was a fierce Fremmen warrior. This is a great tale, and
many say it is their favorite in the book.
Blood of the Sardukar: Even
though the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV is complicit in the Baron Harkonnen
killing Duke Leto Atreides, he has ordered that the Duke not be tortured and
made to suffer before he dies. A Sardukar warrior has taken it upon himself to
see that Shaddam's wishes are carried out. Mostly seen as merciless killers,
this particular Sardukar's background has allowed him to keep a certain amount
of compassion.
The Waters of Kanly: In this
tale, Gurney Halleck is at the center. He knows the Duke has been captured and
killed and thinks the same has happened to the young Paul and his mother, the
Lady Jessica. He has taken up with a band of smugglers and is using them to
further his vow to avenge himself upon the Harkonnen for the Duke and Paul, as
well as what they did to him before he came into the employ of the Atreides.
Imperial Court: A tale set
ten-thousand years before the events in Frank Herbert's Dune, It chronicles
more of what took place between the Atreides and Harkonnens to make them blood
enemies.
I enjoyed all the four stories,
but my favorite was The Waters of Kanly.
As one would expect, these are
all well-written stories with a lot of action involving characters Dune fans
would know, and some new ones we only see in this volume. It is well worth the
time to pick this up if you are a fan of the extended Dune universe.
What I enjoyed the most was how
well these stories dovetail right into the universe with the same feeling I get
when reading any of the books in the saga. Whenever I pick up new material, I
always feel like I am getting a visit from friends I haven’t seen for a while. The
stories contained in this volume are all entertaining and after I finished
reading, I wanted more.
Just a little side note here. I
was recently in a local Starbucks for a coffee break. I happened to have on a
t-shirt that depicted a sandworm and a group of Fremmen around it. On the back
is printed the litany against fear. The young woman who was getting my order
together asked me if my shirt was about Dune. Of course, I answered that it was,
and we had a brief conversation about how both us enjoyed the new film. It
would appear there is a Dune revival currently taking place, and no one is
happier about that than I am.
My Highest Recommendations for
Sands of Dune!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
No comments:
Post a Comment