Sandworms of Dune by Brian HerbertMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
The sad thing about this is that I sort of liked it. There were some stupid things, though. Did Frank Herbert really intend to bring all his characters back for a shoot-out at the OK Corral? Obviously, Murbella, Sheanna, and Idaho had to be there, but they were all accounted for in Chapterhouse. What is logical about bringing almost everyone back? Maybe Paul and Leto ... maybe ... just maybe ... but everyone? No.
The narrative was good, and there are several (sometimes predictable) plot twists, but the ending was a head-slapper. The story was mostly finished with 100 pages to go. In some ways it seemed like Frank Herbert sketched the story up to that point and the Bri and Kev decided on an easy solution. Frank never really took the easy route (except maybe to finish the first trilogy).
This ending was reminiscent of the movie (the original, not the expanded version that I haven't seen), where everything comes out fine and dandy at the end.
For the last 100 pages, I expected a Götterdämmerung ending, possibly where there is an emotive blood-bath of the main characters. No Kwisatz Haderach could really save the universe in an instant.
Unfortunately, that's what happened. Paul tells Duncan that he's the KH, and he says oh, maybe I am, and the magic Oracle comes and transports Omnius and the entire evermind into another dimension. Then Erasmus, who wields the real control submits to Duncan. But let's not forget the Face Dancers who are killed in an instant by some failsafe that Erasmus has hidden in their code - that's instant throughout the universe! Duncan shares with Erasmus, who decides it is time to leave this mortal coil, and everything is hunky-dory. Oh, and the epilog flits around the universe to give everyone the chance to put everything right and say goodbye to Herberts' loyal readership.
Did Bri and Kev lose their senses of tasted and decency? I was reasonably happy until the end, and then they blew it.
And now I've talked myself into lowering my rating to two stars, just because of the ending.
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