Blood for the blood emperor? Skulls for the Golden Throne?

Craziest part, my cousin that read it immediately after me also remembers being a teenager at the time. We're both having our Berenstain Bears moment here.

"Like, seriously? This was after uni?"

"It has to be, book was only published in '07."

"But that doesn't make any sense, we were on opposite sides of the country and read the same physical copy, I remember the conversation and the book being exchanged!"

"Yup, memory is weird."

Followed by the existential dread of being totally uncertain about our pasts.

Holy shit, mind blown.

You think the math and memory is easy and all, but I promise you it does not remain simple as life goes on.

Other people have already addressed the little details here.

My personal take is mixed (and dated, I haven't read it in 20 years), I find the book to be a lot better when I imagine the monster as a normal polar bear, twisted in image due to the men's decaying mental states. When there is no actual monster, it reads a lot scarier, and better.

One thing I definitely remember talking about a lot with a few friends at the time: the book is weirdly racist. Like, it's probably an accurate take from the perspective of British sailors, but, it never has a moment of clarity. Natives are either savages, or fetishized. Not sure how much of that was from my and my friends' perspectives, but it felt pervasive and really detracted from the read.

The setting and general feel of the book is amazing. It made me feel cold, isolated, and frightened even when I was reading the nth description of naval life.

I'm not sure taking emotional advice from the bene gesserit is a good idea...