Book Review – Paul of Dune

Author: Brian Herbert & Kevin J Anderson
Publisher: Tor
Publishing Date: September 2008
Binding: Hardcover
Cover Artist: Stephen Youll

Paul of Dune, co-authored by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson is the sixteenth incarnation of the Dune Series. A series that began in 1965 when Brian Herbert’s father, Frank Herbert, wrote his historic masterpiece Dune. Some forty years later, Brian & Kevin continue to breathe new life into a uniquely complex Sci-Fi universe that never seems to grow old. It’s a universe filled with charismatic characters, strange worlds, inspired technologies and plots that are a Machiavellian as they are relevant and contemporary. Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson consistently continue to produce powerful works that allow the Dune mystique to remain intact, and are incredibly faithful with both character development and time line constraints. “Paul of Dune” takes the reader back along the time line to the years that directly follow the original novel, and reveal the path that leads Paul Muad’dib to total ascendency over the known universe.

“Paul of Dune” opens in the year 10,194 AG, one year after the fall of Shaddam IV, the newly deposed emperor of a million worlds. Paul, son of Duke Leto Alreides and Lady Jessica, Leto’s Bene Gesserit concubine, has been transformed by taking the Water of Life into Muad’dib, the “Kwasatz Haderach”, the pen ultimate super being. The combination of Muad’dib’s mystical powers and the superior fighting skills of Dune’s Fremen warriors have led to the collapse of the corrupt rule of Shaddam IV. This is where the novel opens. Paul has marshaled his armies and has unleashed his holy Jihad on the universe. Paul’s trusted friend Stilgar leads legions of devoted Fremen warriors to ferocious victories over those worlds who have foolishly not accepted the rightness of Paul’s ascendency. Like a juggernaut, they burn across the universe thus proving Paul’s fanatical followers claim that he is indeed the Messiah.

Early in the Jihad, Paul Muad’dib makes the decision that destruction of the Emperor’s palace on Kaitan must happen in a most spectacular fashion. This will surely be the ultimate symbol for all those who remain unconvinced that the “decadent old Imperium must be swept away”. This is just one example of how the authors keep Paul of Dune contemporary to happenings in today’s world. The stark comparison to the destruction of New York’s Twin Towers by terrorists wishing to bring down a symbol of what they consider to be a decadent society. Hoping through a holy Jihad to destroy what they see as corrupt is blatantly obvious to the reader. However, it is socially relevant issues like this one, as well as others that add a real depth to this work.

Once involvement in the story is assured; Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson in their best Tolkien impersonation take you from the impending action to some place completely different. That destination is the War of Assassins, which takes place in the same universe, however, the year is 10,187 AG, seven years earlier when young Paul Atreides is only 12 years old. The reader is introduced to many of the same characters, at a distinctly younger incarnation and in the case of Paul, a much more fundamentally formative time of his life. Some characters make their only appearance in the stage of the novel, and still others like Sword Master Bludd exhibit dramatic personality changes from one time frame to the next. The story basically revolves around the War of Assassins between the Archduke Armand of Ecaz and Viscount Moritani of Grumman. Duke Leto Atreides is drawn into the conflict because of his friendship with Armand of Ecaz. To cement this bond, Leto agrees to marry Ilesa Ecaz, Armand’s daughter, however through the villainy of Viscount Moritani, on her wedding day she is assassinated along with many other innocents. This is a total breach of the rule of “Kanly” which is the code by which the Imperium orchestrates disagreements between the Royal houses. Thus bringing about a larger conflict, in which Paul gets his first introduction into the wholesale slaughter of life that is going to dominate his future. The way the rules of “Kanly” are described, and the manner in which different sides interpret them for their own exoneration of guilt is again relevant to events taking place today. The authors connect “Kenly” to the issue of torture, as laid out in the Geneva Convention and make an interesting case for reviewing the use of it at Guantanamo by the US Army.

Interwoven into both time frames as well as the entire Dune series, is the ultimate underlying plot of who is the Kwisatz Haderach and who will control this dangerous super being. At this time it is Paul but there have been others, like Count Fenring, who has failed to ascend successfully. Count Fenring, a former advisor to Emperor Shaddam IV and his wife Margot, another Bene Gesserit witch, are assiduously toiling to create their own incarnation of the next Kwisatz Haderach to replace Paul in order to gain control of his limitless power. Paul’s prescience allows him to see many possible futures and is greatly disturbed by portentous events and begins to doubt the righteousness of his own plans. Paul can sense the plots within plots, the layers upon layers, and the deadly tapestry of plans that have been woven, but can he choose the right path before the myth that has been created goes horribly wrong?

Brian Herbert & Kevin J Anderson have undoubtly continued the saga that is Dune, and have fully fulfilled their responsibility to the Dune loyalist. Stories within stories, machinations aplenty and a cast of characters that are robustly real, both for good as well as evil. Readers that have been on board for many years, and those lucky enough to have started the journey in 1965 will greedily hope for more. For those for whom this is their introductory book, I would unquestionably recommend reading, Dune the original Frank Herbert master work first, and then if you fall in love with this Sci-Fi world as I have, and I suspect you will. Imagine all the worlds within worlds you will have the pleasure of visiting.

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