Princess of Dune is a 2023 novel set in the Dune universe and written by Frank Herbert's son Brian Herbert and his writing partner Kevin J. Anderson.
Set two years prior to the original Dune novel (and a year prior to the authors' preceding The Caladan Trilogy), the book focuses on Princess Irulan Corrino and Chani Kynes during the closing years of Shaddam Corrino's reign and House Harkkonen's governorship of Arakkis.
Princess of Dune contains examples of:
- Achilles' Heel: It's revealed Imperium ships have backdoors built into their critical systems. These were secretly installed by House Corrino centuries earlier after a previous failed mutiny against the Golden Lion Throne. With the centuries of peace in the interim, the backdoors have been forgotten even by the Throne — until Princess Wensicia discovers the information by chance during her researches into Imperium history. She puts this information to good use when Zenha's Liberation Fleet attempts to occupy Kaitan.
- Create Your Own Hero: Shaddam's petty vindictive streak is what leads to Moko Zenha's mutiny and campaign to remove the corruption and rot of Shaddam's reign.
- A Day in the Spotlight: For Irulan and Chani.
- Defector from Decadence: Moko Zenha after falling victim to Shaddam's vindictive streak.
- Dramatic Irony: When Irulan commutes the sentences of the captured Fremen, she unknowingly pardons Chani — the woman who will become Paul Atreides' lover and whom he will choose over her.
- Evil Is Petty: Shaddam Corrino as always, which is what kick starts Moko Zenha's mutiny.
- Failed a Spot Check: The Baron thinks he did this when Shaddam's Grand Tour arrives on Arakkis. The Baron doesn't buy the official explanation for the visit and thinks Shaddam's really here because the Lion Throne's finally cottoned on to his illegal Spice skimming. So the Baron, Rabban, and Piter De Vries are all frantically trying to figure out what mistake was made or what loose end wasn't tied up that drew unwanted attention. The irony, of course, is the visit has nothing to do with the Spice skimming at all (though privately, Shaddam and the Count know the Baron's doing it, even if they can't officially prove it).
- Foregone Conclusion: Neither Moko Zenha's Liberation or the Fremen's attempts to drive House Harkkonen off Arakkis will succeed.
- Ignored Aesop: Shadamm's pettiness is what makes an enemy of Moko Zenha and leads to his rebellion; Irulan even points it out multiple times. Shaddam, of course, learns nothing from this and will repeat the process 2 years later with House Atreides.
- Interquel: Princess takes place during the interim between the authors' Prelude to Dune and the original Dune (and also the Caladan Trilogy).
- La Résistance: Moko Zenha's Liberation Fleet, composed of officers and personnel who have had enough of the corruption of both Shaddam and the Imperium's nobility.
- Locked Out of the Loop:
- The Baron does not know Shaddam's Grand Tour is meant to hide him from Moko Zenha's rebellion. He thinks it's just a surprise inspection of Arakkis.
- Shaddam's propaganda ministers shut down any news of the assassination attempts on Kaitan to avoid embarrassing the Emperor and creating a panic.
- Never My Fault: Shaddam refuses to take any responsibility for turning a loyal, capable officer like Moko Zenha into a revolutionary.
- "Oh, Crap!" Smile: The Baron when Shaddam and his Grand Tour arrive upon Arakkus.
- Paranoia Fuel: In-universe example. While Shaddam's Grand Tour is on Arakkis is officially to hide from Moko Zenha's Liberation Fleet, Shaddam and Fenring also recognize this is a secondary benefit: Put the fear of the Golden Lion Throne into the Baron and make him sweat over any illicit Spice skimming (which they know he's doing even if they can't officially prove it). Indeed, after the Grand Tour arrives, the Baron is privately panicking and trying to figure out what loose end or mistake from his skimming could've gotten Shaddam and Fenring's attention.
- Prequel: To the original Dune novel (and to a lesser extent the Caladan Trilogy).
- Put on a Bus: House Atreides and its characters are absent and are only mentioned once.
- Remember the New Guy?: Moko Zenha and his Liberation movement, which have never been mentioned before (which is even more egregious considering the events of this novel precede the recent Caladan Trilogy, yet there's no mention there in comparison to the Noble Commonwealth crisis. This is eventually revealed to be justified between Irulan assassinating Zenha (and eliminating hostile witnesses) and Shaddam's propagandists suppressing and downplaying knowledge of the mutiny.
- Saved by Canon: Any characters from the original Dune who appear here will survive. Anyone else is fair game...
- Two Lines, No Waiting: Irulan and Chani's storylines are initially seperate, then finally begin converging in the second half.
- Uriah Gambit: Shaddam's preference for getting rid of Moko Zenha.
- Xanatos Gambit: Shaddam's Uriah Gambit. He sends Moko Zenha to quell religious fanatics on Otak, but intentionally withholds critical intelligence (such as the fanatics have access to Atomics). If the fanatics kill themselves and Zenha, that's two problems taken care of for the price of one (and also gives Shaddam an excuse to send in the Sardaukar to make an example of the survivors). If by chance Zenha survives, his career is left in ruins and Shaddam can make an example of him.
