Carter

Banks writes with a specific sophistication that oft leaves me wondering whether it is my fault or his that I do not fully understand his characters. I thought the reveal of the Chair and Chairmaker was insane, and the reveal that Cheri was instead Elethiomel was confusing. I don't think I ever fully understood our protagonist's motivations, and the end only sort of helped. Despite this, I think the novel's themes still were clear and powerful.

Unlike anything else. Definitely a shift in style and tone from the previous trilogy. So much philosophy and thought bundled into Leto’s dialogue, worthy of several reads to fully understand. The way that Herbert managed to demonstrate the proof of the Golden Path’ necessity slowly throughout the plot rather than just outright say it is incredible. And the plot was just as intriguing as the others.

After finishing with Dune, Asimov’s Foundation reads remarkably fast. The pacing of the book is fast and unique, for it is essentially 5 different short stories connected by chronology and setting. The story and concept are interesting by themselves, but they sort of betray the stakes of the plot. I hope that this novel serves as mostly an introduction to the concept of the series, otherwise the books will be very repetitive.

Another book with a very different feel from the first trilogy. I enjoyed the characters and intrigue in the first half of the book as the plan began to take shape and was set into motion, but I preferred the second half as the Honored Matres made their move and it became a race for all the pieces to fall into place. I was a little disappointed or confused at the reveal of the plan at the end, and am wondering if Chapterhouse will help.

A very interesting addendum to Dune and completion of Paul’s story. While it had a narrower scope in both story and theme, it explored them both quite in depth. Paul’s character becomes even more complex and tragic, forcing questions of morality, fate, and the purpose of religion and government. The novel continues to expand the world of Dune and sets the stage for the next cast of characters.