As readers might recall, at the end of Chapterhouse, the Honored Matres—a kind of perverted analog to the Bene Gesserit wise women, and who had burst into the old Empire from galactic parts unknown—had been mostly subdued, although with some unrepentant nests surviving. A process of amalgamating the two orders was just starting, under the direction of Mother Commander Murbella, a former Honored Matre herself, who had also been the lover of famed Atreides retainer Duncan Idaho. Chapterhouse the planet was in the process of being Dune-ified, as the new home for the valuable sandworms who make the spice that serves so many purposes. And a lone ship, the Ithaca, carrying 150 dissenters from the whole scene, had just taken off. On that ship was Duncan Idaho; Sheeana, the only extant worm-rider; Miles Teg, Atreides loyalist and military man; Scytale, the last Tleilaxu Master; and an archaic colony of ancient Jews. Additionally, some bestial nonhumans, Futars, are onboard.

Anderson and Herbert fils now set about recounting the subsequent 20 years of actions on two fronts: aboard the Ithaca, and back in the shattered Empire.

On the ship full of refugees, the main events fall into several areas. Creating and educating clones—or "gholas"—of several important figures from history, including Paul Atreides, his mother Jessica, his lover Chani, and their son, Leto; the Fremen leader Stilgar and Arrakis ecologist Liet-Kynes; and mentat Thufir Hawat. Born from axlotl tanks, the children hold the potential to become the movers and shakers they once were in their first incarnations, thousands of years ago. But all the while, the ship must flee the Enemy, an implacable and seemingly omnipotent mysterious foe who was responsible for sending the Honored Matres fleeing their native regions of space in the first place. Also, the colonists, secure aboard their huge generation ship, still want to find a planet to touch down on. And factions are developing among them.

Back on the familiar worlds, much is happening. Murbella faces violent dissension among her mingled followers. The rebel Matre Superior named Hellica has ocuppied the planet of the Tleilaxu and has recreated two important gholas of her own, with the help of a Lost Tleilaxu named Uxtal. Hellica is in league with the Face Dancers, shape-shifters once controlled by the Tleilaxu but who have now become their own masters and allied with the Enemy. Meanwhile the famed Navigator's Guild is running out of the spice that allows them to pilot interstellar ships, and the whole Empire is in danger of shutting down.

Tying together the pieces of Herbert's vision

Our main criteria for judging the success of of this latest installment in the Dune-iverse is twofold: Does it succeed as a novel on its own merits; and does it manage to embody the virtues and pleasures of Frank Herbert's original vision, honoring and emulating its predecessors?

Applying the "Joe Blow" test—imagining this novel as if written by an unknown—we can offer a positive reaction. The story is enticing, and well-plotted, with lots of ideas and solid themes. The various strands weave together efficiently. Characters are enticing and nicely delineated. Dialogue is sharp and to the point. There is suspense and action and no real longueurs. Big set pieces—the attack led by Murbella on Tleilaxu; the escape by the Ithaca from a treacherous planet—alternate with more intimate moments, such as the coming together of Duncan and Sheeana. There're a couple of valid climaxes and revelations, and the book ends at a logical place. So, on these esthetic counts, all is well. But: Do we get the same frissons as in Frank Herbert's original? Can we go home again to Arrakis?

Well, let me ask this: Did reading Chapterhouse: Dune provide the same sensations as reading Dune (1965)? An obvious and honest answer is "No." By the time Herbert finished his sixth installment, two decades removed from the inspiration, he and the world and SF had changed immeasurably, and nothing could ever be the same. And Herbert's millennia-spanning schematic for his series ensured that fans of the first three books would be frustrated. In Chapterhouse we are witnessing a Dark Age. Old institutions are shattered or failing. The glory days are gone. Stagnation and playing with old toys are the rule. Sure, Herbert senior prepped us for the reincarnation of the more famous characters by mentioning the hidden cache of their cells. But even he could not have imagined recreating in its purest form the Camelot that had vanished.

Given this dynamic and starting place, Anderson and Herbert junior deliver the best possible outcome. (That they consciously recognize their dilemma is obvious, given this line, as Duncan wonders about the wisdom of reviving ghosts: "Was there really such a thing as the future, or was it just the past, returning over and over?") The authors inventively honor the integrity of Herbert's creation, both characters and themes, while putting their own spin on things. (Material and characters from their prequels play a large part here.)

Given the frustratingly incomplete state of the saga at Frank Herbert's death, this last chance to revisit the Dune-iverse is not to be shunned.