Sandworms of Dune

There were multiple layers of loose ends to tie together throughout this book, the final installment of the Dune Chronicles, which was written from the notes of the late Frank Herbert. Fans and critics will debate its effectiveness, its truthfulness to the Dune mythology, and its rightful place in the genre, but no one will suggest using this book as an entrée into the series. There's simply too much that has come before. For veterans of the series, Scott Brick returns and presents a steady narration. He relies on a library of familiar characters and takes the narrative passages in stride, staying fresh and maintaining interest to the end of the lengthy story. J.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

July 23, 2007
Longtime collaborators Herbert and Anderson set themselves a steep challenge—and, in the end, fail to meet it—in this much anticipated wrapup of the original Dune cycle (after 2006’s Hunters of Dune
). A large cast scattered across the cosmos must be brought together so that the final, all-powerful Kwisatz Haderach may be revealed in the ultimate face-off between humankind and the machine empire ruled by the implacable Omnius. Though pacing is brisk and the infrequent action scenes crackle with tension, only two minor characters—gholas, who are young clones with restored memories, of Suk doctor Wellington Yueh and God-Emperor Leto II—acquire real depth. Everyone else is too busy reacting to mostly irrelevant subplots like sabotage aboard the no-ship Ithaca
, a plague devastating the planet of Chapterhouse and the genetic engineering of marine-dwelling sandworms. The lengthy climax relies on at least four consecutive deus ex machina bailouts, eventually devolving into sheer fairy tale optimism. Series fans will argue the novel’s merits for years; others will be underwhelmed.