Reviewed by LadyJay for TeensReadToo.com

"I leave my footprints in history, even where I do not tread."

Paul Atreides, Maud'Dib to his loyal subjects, has unleashed a bloody Jihad across the universe. The old Emperor has fallen - his Imperium destroyed. It is now Paul's right and duty to erase Shaddam IV's reign from history and begin anew.

He will face many hardships along the way; assassination attempts, interplanetary wars, and deciphering who he can trust within his own household. And there is always the matter of the spice trade. "He who controls the spice, controls the universe" - a phrase that Maud'Dib understands all too well.

Paul will question his own motives and actions for ruling the universe, and eventually come to the realization that his decisions will shape the course of history.

PAUL OF DUNE was written to fit in between the original novel, DUNE, and its sequel, DUNE MESSIAH. Herbert and Anderson have attempted to bridge several gaps between the two novels, and have done so successfully. Fans of Dune will find their beloved characters, planets, and societies just as they left them. The authors do an incredible job of staying true to Frank Herbert's original vision of the Dune universe.

A great addition to an excellent series of books. ( )

A patchwork of infill, but an entertaining read.

Acceptable.

I feel like the authors got away with some inaccuracies by repeatedly citing that whatever Irulan wrote need not be considered true. A lot of the things in the Irulan write-up of Paul's early life seem very out of character or just doesn't match up with common sense expectations of how Paul became, well, Paul.

I'd have preferred a more in-depth, God-Emperor of Dune-like narrative than what the authors delivered, but I don't think that style of writing appeals to contemporary (narrative-focused) SF readers. ( )

If you are a fan of the Dune Series, this is a must read. Herbert and Anderson do a good job of telling how Paul went from being the Emperor everyone loved to the tyrant everyone despised. I enjoyed this read. ( )

The book was divided into two portions (intertwined throughout the novel); one part taking place shortly after the events of Dune and the other parts taking place when Paul is younger (about 12 or so). I found the portions dealing with young Paul to be more enjoyable than the contemporary sequences (both in terms of story and action). The post-Dune portion of the story was more political in tone, but does help the reader understand While I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next volumes in the series, this book is really only for fans of the Dune series and will not appeal to anyone else. ( )