Rating: 
Summary: It's all a matter of expectations.
Review: Perusing the reviews for both House Atreides and House Harkonnen it is easy to find a common current of disatisfaction. It has in fact been noted by all of the great Frank Herbert's readership that with his passing, so to went the genius behind the most imaginative and captivating science fiction series of all time. But isn't it lovely that Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have accepted the all but impossible task of finishing the story? While neither H.A. or H.H. approach the mastery of the original Dune (deserving of 10 stars) or the philisophical complexity of God Emperor Dune (simply brilliant), they serve the story and the readers admirably by simply giving us a window into the Pre-Paul world of Arrakis. With familiar characters, explained mysteries, and a fast paced, entertaining gait, House Harkonnen is cause for the true Dune afficianado to give cheer. What's more, I recently read Dune again, and found that my further understadning of the characters gave the original series an additional depth which certainly isn't necessary, but nonetheless entirely pleasing. Naysayers will paint this book and H.A. as borrowed and simple, but in truth they reframe and carry on with all the reverenance and stylistic approximation they could possibly muster.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad...
Review: I was eager to read this book, and I wasn't disappointed. While I did find that it drifts a bit farther away from the writing style and tone of Frank Herbert, I still thought the storylines were woven togther quite well. The book has all the twists and surprise developments one would expect of a Dune novel, and is overall a fine addition to the Dune unniverse.
Rating:
Summary: Another great addition to the DUNE universe!!
Review: House Harkonnen totally exceeded my expectations!! I've been a fan of DUNE for many years, and I can't thank Brian & Kevin enough for giving us another brilliant, epic and heartbreaking chapter in the saga of Houses Atreides, Corrino, Vernius and Harkonnen. I highly recommend this book to old and new fans of DUNE.
Rating:
Summary: Like father like son
Review: Some amount of space is devoted in this new prequel comparing the achievements of the father to the son. As noted over and over again, the son carries on better than before. Im not ready to say Brian Herbert is better than his father but its getting real close.
Rating:
Summary: another piece to the legendary puzzle
Review: Well, Brian and Kevin strike again with their second installment. after reading House Atreides, I can say (comparitively) that this one is on par with its companion. Though no one could write as eloquently as Frank, these two novels by Brian and Kevin have kept the traditions alive and well. I do rank this book highly (as I do for all Dune novels), however it still doesn't compare to the others. This is a must read for all Dune fans. However, if you are just begining to start Frank Herbert's saga, I suggest that you read Dune first to understand the complexity of what comes both before and after Dune. I will say that in reading these prequels, I have enjoyed looking at Dune in hindsight in understanding both Frank and Brian's approach
Rating:
Summary: A good second book in the series
Review: Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson have masterfully kept the story going from Dune: House Atreides and set things up for the concluding book. While this book did not impart the sense of awe and wonder I felt while reading the original Dune series, this back story is a fine saga in its own right. The mythology is more global in its outlook (Japanese, Scandinavian, and more Greek, than Islamic), and the plot more like a Greek tragedy, than a religious prophecy. The reader is given some foreshadowing to events to be concluded in the next book, as well as actions that frame events from the original series. I did not agree with all of the interpretations (Gurney Halleck having met Liet Kynes before, the people related to the main characters who are never mentioned in the original series, and minor quibbles like that). I look forward to the next book and only regret that it will only delay the long awaited seventh book (third one of Miles Teg's timeline). Enjoy Dune while it is not a licensed shared world and gets totally out of hand.
Rating: 
Summary: Not up to Dune Standards
Review: I have eagerly awaited all the new books in the Dune Prequel series but this one saddly disappointed me with it's many references to old earth, in the original books earth had been abbandoned at least 25,000 years but this book made it sound like a far more recent event. And I found original books plots within plots to be almost completely missing. Over all the worst of all the Dune books.
Rating:
Summary: The best prequels I have ever read
Review: DUNE is alive again! It is a very difficult thing not to disappoint people when writing prequels to masterpieces. Mr. Herbert and Mr. Andersen succeeded. I look forward to "House Corrino" release. Thank you so much!
Rating: 
Summary: Not a match to Dune, but still a good read for Dune junkies
Review: It's almost infinitely hard to match the talent of Herbert the elder; however, Brian Herbert does a good job in trying. "House Harkonnen" fills in some of those missing gaps and provides additional info that you're left wondering about if you truly love the book "Dune." It provides additional traits about the Atreides impending rise to power and offers an intensely in-depth look at some of the main characters, and also the smaller ones, like Hasimir Fenring, which are never entirely explained in the original Frank Herbert series. The series is about as addictive as melange. Although true Dune fans will certainly be disappointed, they should recognize that nothing comes close to the Elder Herbert. It's still a stimulating fast read for those that want to be labeled as true addicts.
Rating:
Summary: different brand of Dune
Review: I think by reading the previous 150 reviews of the House Harkonnen that this is not a book written by Frank Herbert. We should be glad since Frank Herbert lies dead and may he rest in peace. However, it seem clear that many of the 150 or so previous reviewers were looking for Frank Herbert ghola to write more Dune clones. I found both House Atriedes and Harkonnen books to be relatively interesting and fast paced. Its pretty obvious that they were not written by Frank Herbert so why are so many people whining about it. The new series appears to be written in totally different style. But I thought it was pretty well written. There are four different plot lines, Duke Leto's, events on Giedi Prime and House Harkonnen, events on Dune and events with the House Corrino. And of course, them little sisters of the poor. But the book was never confusing and the authors managed to intergrate all the plotlines very nicely. You have to read each book in order to get the most out of them but overall, its an entertaining reading material. Nothing serious and nothing really deep. If someone wrote a spin off series on Middle Earth and people whine that he doesn't write like JRR Tolkien, is there any logic to that? There is only one JRR Tolkien and sadly, there is only one Frank Herbert. I think this series have to judge on its own merit and not on the merit of the original series.
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