The Machine Crusade (Legends of Dune, Book 2) by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Scott Brick

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The Machine Crusade (Legends of Dune, Book 2) from Science Fiction

The Machine Crusade (Legends of Dune, Book 2)
Available from Amazon
Price: $44.96
Updated on 12-28-2008.

Features

Audio CD

Publisher: Macmillan Audio; Unabridged edition (September 16, 2003)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1559279451

ISBN-13: 978-1559279451

Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 5.4 x 2.7 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds ()

From Publishers Weekly
SF space opera titans Herbert and Anderson continue to investigate the tantalizing origins of Frank Herbert's Dune universe, this time achieving mixed results in their fifth action-packed collaboration, the bloated but occasionally brilliant second installment of the trilogy that started with Dune: The Butlerian Jihad (2002).Twenty-four years have passed since the independent Thinking Machine, Erasmus, killed Serena Butler's son and began a bloody Holy War against Omnius, a computer "evermind." Leading the League's Army of the Jihad are Primeros Xavier Harkonnen and Vorian Atreides, the son of cymek (human brain/robotic body) General Agamemnon, who, along with his fellow "semi-immortals," shares the computer evermind's wish to eradicate all unnecessary humans but secretly also wants to destroy Omnius. Harkonnen and Atreides loyally report to their Priestess leader, unknowingly the political puppet of Grand Patriarch Iblis Ginjo, a former Earth slave-master. Unfortunately, the short spacehopping chapters neglect some characterizations and more intriguing story lines, such as the Arrakis conflicts swirling around Selim Wormrider's growing outlaw band and the relationship of Erasmus with his human "son," in favor of too long battle segments and extraneous details about the emotionally remote Ginaz mercenary, Jool Noret. Despite the flaws, Dune fans will still enjoy the sweeping philosophical power that surfaces, invoking the senior Herbert's remarkable vision.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Years have passed since the Jihad against the overmind Omnius and the thinking machines blazed up in the instant that the robot Erasmus hurled an innocent toddler to his death. The child's mother, Serena Butler, is still the spiritual leader of the Jihadi, and the former slave foreman Iblis Ginjo is their political and military organizer. Vor Atreides and Xavier Harkonnen lead the fleet, Vor with a common touch and the good looks preserved by life-extending treatment, and Xavier with sheer determination and courage. But the decades-long war has cost countless lives and sapped the people's resolve. When Omnius makes a startling offer of peace, Serena knows it is a terrible mistake to compromise with machine intelligence but can't naysay her exhausted followers. In a desperate move to save the Jihad and the millions of enslaved humans on machine-dominated worlds, Serena goes as the sole ambassador of peace to Omnius' stronghold on the planet Corrin. Meanwhile, an isolated physicist is discovering how to fold space, Selim of Arrakis is building a tribe and a legend, and Iblis is making a demonic deal with the flesh merchants of Tleilax to provide organ replacements for the Jihadi army. Organizing a dozen plotlines takes time, so sit back and enjoy the nearly 700-page ride. Roberta Johnson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: The Machine Crusade (Legends of Dune, Book 2) (Hardcover) I read the original Dune trilogy years ago and recently stumbled across this book. I hoped it would match the interest and wonder of the original, but this prequel did not come close. I will not read any more books of these two authors. Another review describes it best: bloated. The authors employ a very tired formula. As the chapters skip through the galaxy visiting each major character in his/her turn each chapter seems to repeat the same monotonous pattern: 1) revisit facts from previous visits to the character, 2) introduce one or two new details, 3) foreshadow the next visits to the character. There are a few interesting new spins in this prequel but all the tedious work to maintain this clumsy structure makes the book 4 times the size it needs to be. And after it all, I have no connection with any of the characters. Most of the characters were religiously fanatical homicidal idiots. Most of the remaining ones were religiously fanatical SUIcidal idiots. Norma was interesting at first but I couldn't quite buy into how she developed. If you are addicted to everything about Dune, then the time you invest in this will give you a few bits of Dune "history" you can enjoy. Perhaps the next book will resolve the hanging details a little more for you too. But there are SO many good books out there that are more worthy of our time. If you want a taste of the surreal for example, pick up The Tin Drum (my latest read).

The Machine Crusade (Legends of Dune, Book 2)
List Price: $59.95
Available from Amazon
Price: $44.96
Updated on 12-28-2008.