Dune: The Duke of Caladan
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- USD 9.99
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- USD 9.99
Publisher Description
The year before Dune…
In 10,191 A.G., Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV granted Leto Atreides, the Duke of Caladan, control of the desert planet Arrakis—the most valuable holding in the Imperium.
It was a trap.
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Even in the time leading up to that historic change, danger stalks House Atreides.
On his ancestral world Caladan, Duke Leto vows to protect his people, his beloved concubine Jessica, and his son Paul. The web of treachery includes the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, the evil Baron Harkonnen, and even Emperor Shaddam himself.
While Leto tries to raise Paul to be a worthy leader, a deadly new drug from the deep forests of Caladan spreads and kills … a dark stain on Atreides honor.
At the same time, a revolutionary movement seeks to destroy the Corrino empire that has stood for ten thousand years. With increasing desperation, this rebellion turns to acts of unspeakable violence. And one rebel leader will stop at nothing to recruit Leto to their cause.
Can Duke Leto survive with his legendary honor—and his family—intact?
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The Duke of Caladan tells the intertwined stories of some of the most revered characters in science fiction, setting the stage for their legendary saga.
In Frank Herbert’s Dune.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Herbert and Anderson's tepid 15th foray into the universe of Herbert's father's Dune novels (after Tales of Dune) adds little to the original series' mix of action, politics, magic, and religion. Duke Leto Atreides, whose son, Paul, here just 14, is the fulcrum of the original Dune trilogy, is attending the inauguration of a new museum built by Emperor Shaddam IV when he notices someone lurking suspiciously in the vicinity of the emperor. Leto sounds the alarm, enabling Shaddam to get off-planet before the museum complex is destroyed by explosives launched from orbit. The subsequent hunt for the terrorist overlaps with Leto's own search for answers after he's accused of being involved in distributing a deadly drug. Meanwhile, teenage Paul undergoes rigorous physical training, alongside a handful of characters who will be familiar to followers of the series. Despite some nice touches, such as the elecrans, sea creatures that move like living lightning, this prequel is largely uninspired. The passable prose and lackluster plot will limit this one's appeal to diehard fans only.
