Nah, didn't really like it.
Shorter than the original Dune, but I just found myself wanting the book to end. ( )

After Villeneuve's second Dune movie, I'm probably not alone in blowing the dust off my decades-old copy of this series and reminding myself of what happened next. Paul Atreides requires only twelve years to conquer the galaxy with his Fremen and control of the spice. Rebellious elements take the form of conspirators among the Bene Gessserit, Spacing Guild, Bene Tleilaxu and recruit his wife Irulan. But Paul's worst enemy is his own guilt and fear about what he has become, or may yet become. It's a book filled with smart people talking, aided by the fact that several of them are experts in reading one another's emotions to the point where dissembling is practically impossible - and yet dissemble they do.

Somewhere I got the idea Herbert had intended this as the ending of the prior novel and gave it new life as a sequel instead, but I can't find a source to back that up. I'm in accord with Villeneuve, that the first book's story is incomplete without this sequel's emphasizing the fallout and its surfacing of the central theme: beware who you deify. The Bene Gesserit and Bene Tleilaxu knew the danger of not being able to control the figurehead they wanted. The Fremen did not, and here we see how their civilization was transformed for the worse: religion as government, innocents of the desert become world destroyers, and internal division.

This second novel often disappoints those wishing for another large-scale epic adventure tale like the first. Herbert is introspective here, overtly challenging his own creation and all of our beliefs about the role of a mythic hero figure. The Dune series dates from a time when the creator's vision was paramount, long before there was focus on what will earn the most "likes". As literature, it is stronger for it. ( )

Tragic. Mind-bending. ( )

I really enjoy palace intrigue, and this is chock-full of it, so that's always great. I love that this book is written as a reaction to those who missed the fact that in Dune Paul is not really a hero, he's simply the least bad option, and that even his best intentions will lead to pain and suffering. I think it did a thorough job of that and rejecting the deification of Paul. I'll definitely finish "The Golden Path" arc, and depending on where I'm at and how I feel, may go ahead and do the full "I Love Frank Herbert" arc. I doubt I'll ever be at a point to dabble in the Brian Herbert books, but the completionist in me says "never say never." ( )

The hearts of all men dwell in the same wilderness.

Dune Messiah takes place 12 years after the events at the end of Dune. In this book, we are introduced to the world transformed by the cruel jihad led in the name of Emperor Paul Atreides. The Fremen culture is affected and not for the better. There is a plot to get rid of Paul set in motion.

The overall tone of the book is quite dark. There is not much hope in here. A lot of it is introspection. Paul feels trapped in his position, his despair exaggerated by seeing the horrible future he cannot change, but that he accepts for the greater good.
Alia is coming of age, feeling she doesn't have many experiences she can call her own, separated from the other entities whose experiences she remembers.
The children who are born don't bring hope either and the circumstances of their birth are quite depressing as well.

This book is (again) a harsh criticism of the nature of political power and blind religion, which create "a mental epidemic". It is shorter and not as developed as Dune.
The plot is lacking since it doesn't have the flow of a regular book. It feels quite flat. But philosophically speaking, it goes a little deeper. It is rare to find this level of character depth in contemporary science fiction. But, this is only accessible to people who have fallen in love with Herbert's way of weaving philosophy and fiction in the first part. If you're in it solely for the story, this will likely be a letdown. ( )