Dune: Blood of the Sardaukar #1

Dune: One-shots

by Kevin J. Anderson, Kevin J. Anderson, Adam Gorham (Penciller)

When the choice is vengeance or honor, which lies at the heart of a Sardaukar?
Jopati Kolona one of the Sardaukar: the emperor's elite military unit. The Sardaukar are unbeatable, unbending in their devotion to the emperor, and feared throughout the galaxy.

When Jopati meets Duke Leto of House Atreides, the house he believes responsible for the destruction of his home planet and family, he will be forced to question a life-long hatred.

Tasked with overthrowing the Atreides stronghold on Dune for his master, Jopati will be forced to choose between duty and forgiveness.

Genres: Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels, Fantasy

46 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2021

About the author

Yes, I have a lot of books, and if this is your first visit to my amazon author page, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are new to my work, let me recommend a few titles as good places to start. I love my Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, humorous horror/mysteries, which begin with DEATH WARMED OVER. My steampunk fantasy adventures, CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, written with Neil Peart, legendary drummer from Rush, are two of my very favorite novels ever. And my magnum opus, the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns, begins with HIDDEN EMPIRE. After you've tried those, I hope you'll check out some of my other series.

I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.

I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.

My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.

Reviews

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the art style and the colours, they're very effective.

[Ronald · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, normally I do not review single issues but on occasion make an exception.
Overall the story here is good. A look at the Sardaukar, their training world, their missions sounded like a great idea. The authors have many Millennia to choose from in order to tell the story before and after Paul or even serving him. Instead the story is squeezed into the already over told time around the conflict between House Attreides and House Harkonnen. In fact the story picks up mid Saraukar assault on Dune and the destruction of House Attreides. The details of which is mainly the central character complaining about the lack of skill of the soldiers of House Attreides. There is some attempt to tell a backstory for the main Sardaukar character, but his story as well is intertwined with that of House Attreides.

This could have been better, it could have told a unique story. I don't know if I'll buy future issues.

[Mikael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look into the Sardaukar. Although a bit melodramatic.

[Zare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sardaukar's were always mystery, elite troops of Emperor Padishah used in punitive wars and expeditions across the universe.

Now we are given insight into how they come to be, who they recruit, harsh conditions of their training on Salusa Secundus and way they grow to become the deadly warriors of the Emperor.

Way of their training and general culture reminds me a lot on the way W40K Space Marines get indoctrinated and trained - warriors for the brutal and bloody battlefields of the future.

Only downside is the fact that authors decided to play safe and remain in the time and place of Atreides vs Harkonnen conflict on Dune. I agree with one of the reviewers that it would be much better if they decided to place the story in more original surroundings.

It would be interesting to see how story progresses.

Art is pretty good although some panels seem to be rushed (like the scene when Harkonnen ships bombard the Atreides stronghold on Dune while troops progress on the streets- I guess they wanted to show how cold blooded Sardaukars are but it ended up pretty weird).

Recommended to all fans of military SF and Dune universe.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

The attack on House Atreides is the starting point of the Dune saga. The point of view of the Sardaukar is certainly unique. They are the elite force on the Imperium, sworn to obey the emperor. Colonel Bashtar leads the Sardaukar forces dressed in Harkonnen uniform. He has explicit instructions to give Leto Atreides a clean death. During the battle he remembers how his own house was betrayed, his family, killed. Is House Atreides worthy of hatred?

Bashtar has hated the Atreides since he was a boy in House Kolona. The Atreides attacked his family out of the blue. The soldiers sent on the ground were also Sardaukar, this time dressed in Atreides uniform. He was captured and forced to join their ranks. Years later, he saw Leto offer to return the Kolona homeworld to its previous, legitimate owners. The conquest was a plot from the previous emperor. The memory of this honorable act pushed Bashtar into respecting his target. He now fully intends to get to Leto first, before the bloodthirsty Harkonnen do.

[Tawnya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in the anthology "Unfettered 3". I try to read all of the stories in an anthology, even those I would not normally.

I haven't read "Dune", and I know nothing about it. If what I say here contradicts the books my apologies. This is not a genre I normally read. Jopati is leading a squad of soldiers in a clandestine mission against Duke Leto while the war happens around them. We are treated to a flashback from when Jopati was a teen and his family was attacked and their planet taken over. What follows is how Jopati became the fighter he is. I had qualms about this story, but the last bit made it worth almost it. The author’s notes talked about honor. In terms of Star Trek this is honor like Romulans have and not like Klingons. In other words “honor”, but only when it suits them-not in all things. A Klingon would never have carried out the mission knowing what Jopati knew.

[Beattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m interested to see where this goes! It’s an interesting idea looking at the assault on House Atreides from the Sardaukar perspective.
This also shows a great example of Leto and his character. We get some of that in Dune, but it’s all from an Atreides perspective. This comes from an outside source which lends it more credence.
The art is decent and it’s a pretty good first issue, but not anything amazing or groundbreaking.
I’ll for sure keep reading these to see where it goes.

[Brendon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0/5.0

The only reason that it isn't 5 stars is because something that is only 25 pages or so could never get a perfect score. Simple and clean art, it's effective but doesn't have a ton of style. Obviously not a lot of story but a good, brief look at why Leto is so loved. I really wanna just learn more about the Sardaukar. Excited to see where it goes.

[Bruno Franco Netto · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short-story is a nice little tale told from the point of view of the Sardaukar in the siege and invasion of Arrakis. This reads like a simple story, a brief one-shot, but the art is amazing and the writing is compelling. Even if it's a very brief trip back to the world of Arrakis, it is nevertheless an enjoyable one.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome to be re-emersed in the Dune galaxy.

Dune: Blood of Sardaukar ****
“At one time, the Atreides Duke was the person I hated most in the Imperium, because of what he did to my family. Now I’m not so sure..”
Excellent individualised POV of the attack on Arrakis.

[Luke Costin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little slice of Dune lore from an interest faction. Did well to progress a character in so few pages

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Harkonnen attack on the Atreides compound as seen by one of the Sardaukur officers. I read the short story, not the comic

[Max McKinnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this pov of the sardaukar dressing as Harkonnen with the backstory of Salsusa Secundus is awesome

[Aurelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was AMAZING! Now THAT is how you properly introduce high sci-fi, fancy families and old wounds and intergalactic politics, can't wait for more issues.

[Padraig O'Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Animation

The animation was very good and easy to understand. I enjoyed going through it very much and cannot wait to read more.

[Stephen Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

We need a volume 2 of this series. It's great that someone decided to delve into the back story of the Sardaukar. Great story.

[Blogul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mediocre art, terrible script.
The Herbert Anderson couple, always bad at writing, had outdone themselves here in lack of imagination...