Dune: Lady Caladan

The second book of the prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, the events of which directly precede the beginning of Frank Herbert's incomparable Dune. The quiet, happy life of Lady Jessica — the unofficial but dearly beloved wife of Duke Leto Atreides and mother of his heir Paul — comes to an end. She is once again called to the planet of the Bene Gesserit Order, where a deadly confrontation awaits with the deranged keeper of the secret to creating the superhuman. It is she who saw in Jessica and Paul an imminent threat to the long-held hopes of the Bene Gesserit. Meanwhile, the Empire finds itself on the brink of destruction, and even the Reverend Mother of the Order is powerless to rectify the situation. Intrigues are being spun. Schemes are being built. No one can be trusted. Jessica understands: the fate of her family hangs by a thread...