Dune: House Atreides

House Atreides by Brian Herbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first entry of the Prelude to Dune trilogy is dedicated to Brian Herbert’s father Frank, with he and fellow author Kevin J. Anderson acknowledging other individuals such as Ed Kramer for bringing them together, not to mention their wives, editor, and fans. Like other entries of the series, House Atreides opens each of its chapters with a philosophical quote from in-universe sources, with the first dedicated to the search for the vital spice melange, although the fictitious report indicates that only the planet Arrakis, which its inhabitants call Dune, harbors it.

Despite its title, the book gives equal focus to the three primary Houses of the Duniverse, the Atreides, the Harkonnens, and the Corrinos. Early on, it is mentioned that melange is the crux of activity for the organization CHOAM (Combine Honette Ober Advancer Mercantiles), and that spice production by the Harkonnen House floundered under patriarch Vladimir’s half-brother Abulurd. Terrorism suspected by the Fremen of Arrakis nearly takes the life of Baron Vladimir, although the skills of the pilot Kryubi saves his life.

Planetologist Pardot Kynes is brought before Emperor Elrood Corrino IX, who has sat upon the Golden Lion Throne for nearly a century and a half, and in the meantime, Atreides Duke Paulus sends his son Leto to the world of Ix to study. Earl Dominic Vernius visits the Emperor as well, and has been accused of using technology forbidden after the end of the Butlerian Jihad several millennia beforehand. Crown Prince Shaddam Corrino conspires with Hasimir Fenring to overthrow his father, one of whose wives Habla, his biological mother, had cast him aside, with Fenring’s wife serving as his wet nurse.

Leto’s trip to Ix goes awry, with the heir to his dukedom forced off his transport ship before its arrival at its destination, and ultimately meets Rhombur Vernius, son of Earl Dominic. In the meantime, the Bene Gesserit sisterhood plots to conceive a daughter via Vladimir Harkonnen, although the Baron is reluctant to become a parent. Pardot Kynes is also sent to Arrakis for potential terraforming, where he confers with the Fremen. The twins D’murr and C’tair further yearn to be Navigators for the Spacing Guild.

Duncan Idaho, initially a prisoner of the Harkonnens, gets a few chapters as well, although his role in the story isn’t exactly major. Conspiracies abound late in the book, when Leto finds himself on trial and his family’s prominence threatened, and the story ultimately ends satisfyingly, with the authors highlighting how they came together to write this prequel novel after the main text. There is occasional confusion and details easy to overlook, although being the start of a standalone trilogy, both those new to the Duniverse and fans alike will likely enjoy this epic yarn.

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