Okay, I admit it – I am addicted to the Dune Universe. I have read all of the original Frank Herbert books, I have a copy of the David Lynch film, and of the recent TV-Movies. I have even played the Dune computer games – and as I am a person who doesn't play many computer games it gives you and idea of my feelings for Frank Herbert's creation.

And thanks to an Italian holiday earlier this year when I selected the first of these new Dune books I have overcome my hesitation with these new books, a reluctance I now know I should never have had - for this is an excellent series.

Well having read of the early lives of the Dune characters in the first two books and how things and events shaped them as people, we are moving on somewhat. The players have been established here, so what we now need to see is how the situation at the start of the original books came to be.

Ix is still ruled over by the Tleilaxu backed by the Emperor in order to allow their work on a synthetic alternative to Dune's spice melange. Prince Rhombur is now head of the exiled house Vernius, but he now has decided that now is the time to reclaim Ix and restore his house's name.

The Lady Jessica is expecting Duke Leto's child – the penultimate generation of the Bene Gesserit breeding program, with the sisterhood expecting a daughter they can wed to Feyd-Reutha Harkonnen and create their superbeing. They are, however, unaware of Jessica's decision to bear Leto a son. And Leto's entourage is complete with Gurney Halleck and Duncan Idaho having established their roles in the Duke's household alongside the old Atreides mentat Thufir.

Yes, as with the previous two books there is a certain amount of suspense lacking due to the prequel nature of this trilogy, but it's quite wonderful to read the tale of the tapestry being woven together, the various lives reaching the point in time at the start of Frank Herbert's book.

I guess this means that I will be reading the other Brian Herbert / Kevin Anderson Dune books sometime soon.