Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's "Hunters of Dune"

"Hunters of Dune" on Amazon

If you're not at all familiar with the Dune series, then you might want to familiarize yourself with at least the first book before reading this one. (Or you could watch the movies "Dune" and "Children of Dune") Although "Hunters of Dune" takes place in a much more distant future than the original Dune story, many of the characters are gholas, or clones, of the original characters in Frank Herbert's series.

This book was written by Frank's son, Brian Herbert and co-written by Kevin J. Anderson. However, it is supposed to be based off of an original outline written by Frank and locked away in a safe deposit box. Sounds a little too "Holy Grail" to me, but who cares? It's a good story, regardless of who wrote it.

Like I was saying, a lot of the characters and historical events referenced in "Hunters" took place in the previous books, but you can follow along perfectly well with only a base knowledge of the Dune world. The story does a good job of clarifying background information, without too much time spent backtracking. I noted a pleasant lack of "previously on Gossip Girl..." type reiteration. 

Hunters of Dune takes place after the escape of the Reverend Mother Sheena, the ghola of Mentat Duncan Idaho and several other refugees from the new rule of the Mother Commander Murbella on Chapterhouse.

While onboard their escape ship, these refugees stumble upon the opportunity to create gholas of many of Dune history's most famous characters. Meanwhile, Mother Commander Murbella is working to form a new alliance between the viscious Honored Matres and the powerful Bene Gesserite, and alliance than many, including Sheeana and tribes of rebel Honored Matres consider a horrific alliance and afront to their beliefs.

As Murbella's New Sisterhood grows, all will find that they must either join or prepare to fight, as she builds her army and prepares to fight the unknown Enemy that she knows is coming to annihilate the entire Old Empire. The book ends as the Enemy launches it's attack and is continued in "Sandworms of Dune."

It's a good read, though it starts out somewhat slow. Once it picks up, it's bloody, intriguing and fast-paced. The entire Dune series is really a must-read for any sci-fi fan.

Stephen King's "The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three (Book 2)"

Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three

Most people who know me, know that despite my outward "coolness", on the inside, I'm a raging fantasy nerd. So, for years, I've had the gents in my life recommending Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series to me. He may be known for his horror books, but his fantasy series is his true legacy.

A few years ago, I decided to give it a shot by reading "The Gunslinger" (the first book in the series. Not being a western fan, I was immediately turned off by the title, but I read it anyway. To be honest with you, it didn't grab me, and I don't remember too much of the story. It wasn't a bad book, just not my thing. Needless to say, I didn't continue with the series...

... until the other day. A good friend of mine made me a deal. He would read my favorite series (The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind) if I would read his. That brought me back to The Dark Tower. 

"The Drawing of the Three" is infinitely more interesting than "The Gunslinger". It still has the "shoot-em-up" wild west gunslinger, Roland, but in this one, he travels through dimensions and time, fighting dope slinging mob bosses in the 80's and taking the reader into the hate-fueled race battles of the 60's. (In fact, I can't think of another time that I've heard the word "honky" thrown around quite so much.)

The book is much more sci-fi than fantasy. In fact, the only fantasy aspect is the gaint lobster creatures, but it was still interesting. Graffic, but interesting.

The place where the book scores major points in my book, is simply in the writing. There where several passages that caught my attention enough for me to actually highlight them, something I rarely do. 

"'There is steel in him, I dispute it not. But there is weakness as well.'"

"'If we were going to rape you, you would be one well-raped woman by now,' the gunslinger said evenly. 'Don't do it again.'"

and my personaly favorite, which is by far the most romantic description I've ever heard of a house of cards - 

"But they would have been amazed if he had had the words to describe it - how delicate it had been, how it had reached almost three quarters of the way from the top of the desk to the ceiling, a lacy construct of jacks and dueces and kings and tens and Big Akers, a red and black configuration of paper diamonds standing in defiance of a world spinning through a universe of incoherent motions and forces; a tower that seemed to 'Cimi's amazed eyes to be a ringing denial of all the unfair paradoxes of life.

If he had known how, he would have said: I looked at what he built, and to me it explained the stars."

I'll continue on with the series once my dear Mr. Shaw has finished the second book of his part of the bargain. For now, it's on to some Terry Pratchett.

A.A. Milne's "Once on a Time"

A.A. Milne's "Once on a Time" on Amazon

If you're familiar with A.A. Milne's work, and you most likely are since he wrote Winnie the Pooh, you'll know that he wrote very cutesy heartwarming stories. He was quoted as saying that he wrote Winnie the Pooh for the kids and "Once on a Time" for the adults, but apparently what constituted "adult content" back in 1917(ish) was a LOT different than now. I read this book to my three year-old.

It's really an adorably quirky story about a princess left to rule a kingdom after her father goes off to fight a ludicrious "war" with a neighboring kingdom, and the hijinx that ensue when a trusted countess tries to steal the throne.

The characters and goofy and the plot is downright silly. It actually reminded me of a Shakespearean comedy or something akin to Rosencrantz and Guildentstern Are Dead. 

It has love, jealousy, intrigue, war... all within a very g-rated plot. With back-to-school time, it's a great read for someone getting into chapter books.