My thanks to WF Howes for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Princess of Dune’ by Brian Herbert and Frank J. Anderson.

This is Book 3 in their Heroes of Dune series in which they tell the story of two key women in the life of Paul Muad'Dib - the Princess Irulan, his wife in name only, and Paul's true love, the Fremen Chani. It is set two years before the events of ‘Dune’.

Irulan was raised in the Imperial court and born to be a political bargaining chip. She was sent at an early age to be trained as a Bene Gesserit Sister. As Princess Royal, she also learned important lessons from her father--the Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV. She has an independent streak and wants to be more than a pawn in her father’s political machinations.

On Arrakis, Chani, the daughter of Liet-Kynes, the Imperial Planetologist, has been trained in the Fremen mystical ways by an ancient Reverend Mother. She believes in her father's ecological dream of a green Arrakis.

In this novel, Chani and Irulan are both caught up in deadly conspiracies associated with their fathers’ plans and ambitions. No further details to avoid spoilers.

I have always had sympathy for Princess Irulan, who I felt got a raw deal over this arranged marriage with Paul. As a result, I found myself more engaged with her story than Chani’s.

I have only read a couple of the novels penned by Brian Herbert and Frank J. Anderson and while I find them readable, I don’t consider them in the same category as Frank Herbert’s originals.

With respect to the audiobook’s narration, while I have listened to many titles read by Scott Brick and appreciate his professionalism, I did find it a little strange that a novel that focused on Chani and Irulan was assigned a male narrator. It made it a little harder to immerse myself in the story.

Overall, I found ‘Princess of Dune’ an interesting addition to the Dune prequel series.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Somehow, I missed the first two books in the "Heroes of Dune" series. Thankfully, it made no difference at all to my enjoyment. I don't think you even need to have read any of the Dune books to enjoy this. The whole world of Dune is compelling, so it's no surprise that this offereing has a great story, giving extra insight into more than a few of the characters. The narrator was an inspired choice. "Dune Forever!"

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

When you're reading a Brian Herbert offering, you know that you can't go in expecting the brilliance of his father. There's only one Dune, That said, this was a decent space opera set in a feudal space faring society within Frank Herbert's amazingly well built universe. While it focused on Chani, Irulan and Mohaim, it was interesting and entertaining. The additional viewpoints did not grip me and even brought my overall rating down a bit because it bogged the story down. There were also a few plot points where I raised an eyebrow - if I may presume to disagree with the owner of Frank Herbert's estate on matters of Dune canon. Overall though, I enjoyed this and am curious about some of the other recent post Frank Herbert Dune offerings.

Chani and Irulan are two women bound by a men but very strong characters. I was glad to learn more about their life and how the became the heroines they are.
The narrator did an excellent job.
Recommended if you love Dune and want to know more about these characters
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I enjoyed the story about Irulan and Chani’s lives before Dune. It was interesting to hear more about the Dune universe.

Thank you for the free review copy.