Review of Dune: The Battle of Corrin, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
KVM''s review rating: **** (very
good)
The Battle of Corrin follows The Machine Crusade and ends the ambitious Dune prequel series. Like the
previous two books, Brian and Kevin do a masterful job at telling a complex story and tying in aspects that form the foundation of the venerable Dune series. Unlike the previous two books, however, I felt this one plodded along too much. You could tell the narrative was running out of steam, or waiting to get to the good stuff toward the last third of the book. That said, it was still a wonderful read overall.
Taking place many years later, the older characters make little or no appearance, except for Vorian Atreides, thanks to his life-extension treatment, and the usually immortal antagonists – Agamemnon the Cymek Titan and his cronies, Omnius, and Erasmus. The religion of Serena and Manion Butler has blossomed into a fanatical galaxy-wide movement while many of the free humans (especially the wealthy ones) grow tired of endless war with the Synchronized Worlds. It is all Vor can do to keep them vigilant. Finally, he comes up with a plan to destroy Omnius, now confined to the planet Corrin, once and for all.
Agamemnon and his cymeks wreak havoc now that they are also free from Omnius'' omnipotent sight, and we get a surprising visit from one of the formerly missing Titans, Hecate. The battle for Corrin looms over the prose until it finally happens toward the end of the book. It''s a long battle, and millions die. The end is not everything you might expect, either. In fact, there are many interesting surprises in this book, as with the previous ones.
In the end, you will come out a LOT more knowledgeable about the original Dune setting and character interactions. Explanations for most of the mysterious Dune groups and cultures is adequately explained, and in a very creative way. Frank would be proud.