Dune: House Harkonnen (Prelude to Dune Series #2)

The unforgettable saga of life before -- introduced in -- continues in the thrilling pages of . Revisit the thrilling world created by the late visionary Frank Herbert in his legendary series, amid a sprawling universe of magic, mystery, and wonder. At last, Shaddam sits on the Golden Lion Throne, his precarious position as ruler of the Known Universe contingent on only one thing: production of a male heir. His leadership is further threatened by the ambitious Baron Vladimir, who targets House Atreides and the mysterious Bene Gesserit Sisterhood as he inches toward unparalleled dominance. The Sisterhood is unaware of this threat, working assiduously to culminate the work of centuries in the creation of a god-child. Is he a savior or an icon who will sweep away emperors, houses, and history itself in a manifestation of religious tyranny? Under numbing slavery, the desert world Dune, the machine world Ix, and countless other conquered planets toil under exploitative new masters who hunger most notably for the addictive spice mixture found only on the planet of Dune. As small bands of renegades begin to battle back, they light the spark of freedom, introducing fresh and unexpected heroes to a defeated land. For Leto Atreides, complacent and comfortable as ruler of his house, it is a time of momentous choices: between love and honor, friendship and duty, safety and destiny. In Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's thrilling addition to the Dune saga, these choices pave the way for a quest for greatness, or an unending spiral of destruction.