Dune: The Machine Crusade

By: Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 27 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

The breathtaking vision and incomparable storytelling of Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson's Dune: The Butlerian Jihad, a prequel to Frank Herbert's classic Dune, propelled it to the ranks of speculative fiction's classics in its own right. Now, with all the color, scope, and fascination of the prior novel, comes Dune: The Machine Crusade.

More than two decades have passed since the events chronicled in The Butlerian Jihad. The crusade against thinking robots has ground on for years, but the forces led by Serena Butler and Irbis Ginjo have made only slight gains; the human worlds grow weary of war, of the bloody, inconclusive swing from victory to defeat.

The fearsome cymeks, led by Agamemnon, hatch new plots to regain their lost power from Omnius, as their numbers dwindle and time begins to run out. The fighters of Ginaz, led by Jool Noret, forge themselves into an elite warrior class, a weapon against the machine-dominated worlds. Aurelius Venport and Norma Cenva are on the verge of the most important discovery in human history: a way to "fold" space and travel instantaneously to any place in the galaxy.

And on the faraway, nearly worthless planet of Arrakis, Selim Wormrider and his band of outlaws take the first steps to making themselves the feared fighters who will change the course of history: the Fremen.

Here is the unrivaled imaginative power that has put Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson on best seller lists everywhere and earned them the high regard of readers around the globe. The fantastic saga of Dune continues in Dune: The Machine Crusade.

©2003 Herbert Properties LLC (P)2003 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC and Books on Tape, Inc.

Dune - How We Love Thee!

Brian Herbert would make his father proud. In collaboration with Kevin J. Anderson, he has 'fleshed out' the vast universe centered around the planet Arrakis. This book, like its predecessor "The Butlerian Jihad", expounds on the events surrounding the war with the Thinking Machines only hinted about in the original novels.

With sweeping strokes, the authors take you on a breathtaking journey through the known galaxy. Their characters are 'real' in the sense that you care deeply about their fates - even the obviously 'evil' ones. No small feat, this. Many large scifi books center around technology and 'gee-whiz" what-ifs without truly giving you characters that you can get emotionally tied to. Strongly framed characters are essential for my suspension of disbelief.

The story takes place some 24 years following the events of the Butlerian Jihad. Both Xavier Harkonnen and Vorien Atreides are now "Premeros" of the Army of the Jihad and the best of friends. Serena Butler serves as an almost Deity-like leader who keeps pushing the multitude of free humans into battle after battle with the Thinking Machines.

You can start to see the beginnings of the staples of the original story - the CHOAM Company, the Spacing Guild, Spice Distribution, the Fremen, etc.

While this installment has a satifactory ending, you are definitely left yearning for more even after 26 or so hours of rapt attention.

The authors, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson along with the fantastic narrator, Scott Brick, are deserving of great accolades for such incomparable effort on the behalf of we Dune fans - A Dukedom in the League of Nobles, perhaps?

Dune: The Machine Crusade

Wow, the trouble with this book is that it has a ending. This read would be perrfect is it was another 27 hours. Basically I didn't want the story to end. I'm waiting for the next adventure.
I think Dune: The Machine Crusade and the Butlerin Jihad are Better than his father books.. Well done

The fight against the machines continues.

This continues the story from the Butlerean Jihad. It is not a stand-alone work and should be read in order. If you are a die hard Dune fan you definitely want to hear this book. Brian Herbert has some rough efforts early on, but he really gets the epic feel of the Dune series down pat for this one. If you are a Dune fan this one should be in your library.

vorian

so vorian atradies was so awesome that some other dude raised his kids and died for his kids? house harkonnen are the real heroes!!!!

I was fairly impressed with this book

What an action packed book this was. So many plots intertwining. Such calamities and twists of fate. Excellent.

Better than expected

This book picks up after the first with several years having past. I was unsure how this would affect characters but was impressed by the authors handling. I stayed interested throughout the entire book and only once or twice thought too much time had been spent in any one place.

I truly enjoyed the story. I look forward to downloading and listening to the next book.

High praise for the narrator. He gives the story character in his voices, his unhurried approach and passion.

I cannot say enough good about my time spent with this book.

Some awkward parts, but satisfying considering...

it could have benefited from some extra editing. Awkward story structure and sentence structures could have been avoided. but it is a more than satisfactory way to imagine the universe.

Not enough Dune for you, Get the back story here. Then go on and get the third installment

Very Long Chapters

The story was awesome. However, I would have made the chapters much shorter. There were many opportunities to make natural breaks but those were not taken. As a result some of the chapters were in excess of 5 hours. Good luck if you lost your place.

Fantastic!

I loved the Dune series when I read it 20 years ago. Scott Brick's reading of this book is fantastic. A must read if you love Dune.