With the release of Dune: Prophecy on HBO & Max, the world is finding out about the wider world of the Dune franchise. Most will know of Frank Herbert’s original 6 book saga that spans the rise and fall of Paul Atredies before jumping generations to his offspring. When Frank Herbert died in 1986, his son, Brian Herbert, took over the franchise from his father. Alongside sci-fi writer Kevin J. Anderson, both writers took it upon themselves to finish Frank Herbert’s saga. After completing this, together, the writers began to expand on the Dune franchise, spreading out across millennia of Dune history with books, comics, and graphic novels.
Sisterhood of Dune was first published in 2012, one of the more recent additions to the franchise. The book follows the rise of the Sisterhood, the precursor to the Bene Gesserit a few decades after the fall of the machines that plagued humanity for millennia yet is still 10,000 years before the events of the book Dune. The book also follows the rise of the Mentats, who are effectively human computers, and the Suk School which trains the next generations of technology-free doctors.
Sisterhood of Dune is the first in a trilogy known as the “Great Schools of Dune prequel trilogy.” Sisterhood is also the inspiration for the new TV show Dune: Prophecy. The show takes locations, characters, and a few plot points from the book for the basis of the story, and as such, the book has been republished for the show.
Sisterhood of Dune involves many factions, characters and locations
It is important to note just how much plot is within the pages of this book, it is a long read and there are plenty of subplots. Sisterhood of Dune is set a few decades after the first trilogy of books titled the Legends of Dune which follows the Bulterian Jihad, where man rose against thinking machines and plunged themselves into a machine-free age.
In Sisterhood there is still plenty of animosity around thinking machines and any technology that could threaten mankind. The Butlerians, an anti-technology force gaining power in the imperium, effectively act as the villains as their violent and forceful crusade across the imperium causes several upsets for the different characters and groups of the book.
The book follows the rise and struggles of several groups and factions we know from the main books. The Sisterhood is the main plot we follow as they try to gain power across the imperium and control the future of humanity through their forbidden breeding records that use old technology. The other schools such as the Mentats and the Suk School face their battles against the Bulterians and even the Emperor of the Universe struggles against the rising tide of the Butlerians. The Atreides and Harrkonnens have their own struggles in this book as the feud between them, which is already decades old, continues to fester in its way.
There is a lot to Sisterhood of Dune, this book covers many characters alongside numerous plot points, and plenty of setups for the rest of the trilogy. Rather like Dune, this book throws a lot at the reader, especially to those who may be picking up this book to read alongside or after Dune: Prophecy. The book does an admirable job of trying to explain what has happened in the previous Legends of Dune trilogy. I know that I was confused when first getting into the book, however sticking through the story is the best idea as you do find yourself very much wanting for more by the end.
We find out the real history of the Bene Gesserit
The most interesting parts of Sisterhood of Dune do come from the aforementioned Sisterhood. Being the precursor to the Bene Gesserit we get to see their origins and how they came to be such a feared, awe-inspiring group. Valya Harkonnen is especially interesting, joining the school after wanting better for her disavowed family, who have been banished to a backwater planet. We see her struggle between her family duty and duty to the Sisterhood as she rises the ranks in line to become a reverend mother.
There is a lot of Harkonnen and Atreides hostility in the book too as we see what both of these yet-to-be great houses are up to within the imperium. Vorian Atreides is a war hero after the machine wars, choosing to live a quiet life that is upended, forcing him to resurface and show up at the Emperor’s doorstep. Meanwhile, the Harkkonens who have been disgraced after the war, live a life of hardship on a backwater planet where they fish for whale fur, but the resurfacing of Vorian gives them a chance for revenge.
These, to me, are the most interesting of the plots in the book, the other plot points can be confusing or a little boring where it is clear they are being set up to be paid off in the rest of the trilogy. The Butlerians, however, prove to be such a formidable force and do serve as brilliant villains, making you want to hate them. They prove to be a pain for everyone in the book and the charm and tenacity of their leader, Manford Torondo who has garnered cult-like followers, is a fascinating villain whose forces rival that of even the armies of the Emperor.
Final thoughts on Sisterhood of Dune, the inspiration for Dune: Prophecy
Sisterhood of Dune can prove confusing to those who choose to read it as their first venture outside of Frank Herbert’s books, Many words and characters appear whose history you won’t know or understand; whilst they do get explained, you never quite shake the feeling of having needed to read other books before this one.
There is plenty to like, although in a weird way, and whilst I was confused by some of it, I enjoyed the rising tension and plot of the book a lot. By the end, you see the pieces falling together for the rest of the trilogy.
My rating: 6/10
I would only recommend Sisterhood of Dune if you truly want to immerse yourself in the books set 10,000 years before the Dune novel, where a lot awaits those who choose to explore it. Weirdly, I find myself wanting to read the rest of the trilogy. This may be a testament to sticking through with the book and seeing how the Sisterhood truly became the Bene Gesserit.
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