Dune Messiah

by Frank Herbert

352 pages

English language

Published May 26, 2019 by Penguin Publishing Group.

ISBN:: 978-0-593-09823-3

(82 reviews)

The extraordinary sequel to Dune, the greatest science fiction novel of all time. Twelve years after his victory over House Harkonnen, Paul Atreides rules as emperor from the desert planet Arrakis - but his victory has had profound consequences. War has been brought to the entire known universe, and billions have already perished. Despite having become the most powerful emperor known to history, Paul is powerless to bring an end to the fighting. While former allies conspire to dethrone Paul and even his own consort acts against him, Paul accepts a gift from the Tleilaxu, a guild of genetic manipulators, hoping to find a single spark of peace and friendship amidst the betrayal and chaos. But this act undermines Pauls support from the Fremen, his own people. The Fremen are the true source of Pauls power; losing them is the one thing that could truly topple his empire. As matters …

2 editions

Now We Try It My Way reviewed Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert (Dune Chronicles, #2)

Let down after the first book

2 stars

After the first book, this one certainly is a let down. I've been told this book is mostly a short bridge to book three, but this book has discouraged me enough to not continue for now. Herberts idea of showing the "hero" of the first book as the villain he is is great and one of the big pros of this book. I might update this review when i have more to say about the third book.

Sycamore reviewed Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert (Dune Chronicles, #2)

Not a sequel so much as a semi-conclusion

3 stars

Messiah is less of a sequel, and more like the fourth installment following the three-part series of its predecessor. It really doesn't—couldn't—stand on its own, just like any of the three parts in the first novel would feel unsatisfying as standalones.

The universe of Messiah feels smaller, tighter, more claustrophobic than the first. Characters that could have been much more compelling are given little development. Its world feels small, which is unfortunate, because the first book felt so massive and complex by comparison.

Still it's a fun ride, and a worthwhile companion to the first book. The story feels fall from over, though the tale of Muad'Dib may have concluded here. Other reviews mention that it's a necessary if somewhat underwhelming "bridge" to the third book, so I'm still looking forward to the next installment.

ridel reviewed Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert (Dune Chronicles, #2)

Review of 'Dune Messiah' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

I think it's widely accepted that Dune Messiah isn't the sequel most wanted, and I concur. Dune was split into 3 parts chronicling the rise of Paul Atreides and this novel is really Part 4, rather than its own self-contained story. From that perspective, Dune Messiah is the victory lap that wraps up many of the themes that Dune set into action, and on those merits, the novel is a success and probably deserving of 4 stars.

But... Frank Herbert released this as a standalone novel, and it does not stand alone. The novel is half the length but the cast of characters is nearly as large as Dune, which means that many characters are nothing more than names. Some should be considered critical antagonists and yet they get one or two scenes at most. The arc of the novel is stunted as well, since the conspiracy that faces Paul has none of the clever foreshadowing and plots-within-plots that marked the glorious Harkonnen vs Atreides feud. Instead, it unfolds with us as bystanders, rather than secret conspirators the way we were told of Yueh's treachery, and the novel suffers for it.

Dune Messiah is required reading for the Dune series, but unfortunately, it'll feel like a speed bump compared to its predecessor. Do your best to read this immediately following the conclusion of Dune, and you'll be much happier for it.

Honestly I think the biggest weakness of this novel was focusing so much on Duncan Idaho, given the low page count, when he was given comparatively little screen time in the previous novel. Frank Herbert should have spent as much time fleshing out the conspirators as he did on Duncan and the genetic memories of the Gholas. I know in the future books these are critical events, but this novel was about Paul vs the Face Dancer, and that got maybe 20% of the focus.

esttorhe@wyrms.de reviewed Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert (Dune Chronicles, #2)

The series definitely keeps getting traction

5 stars

I know this is a very old saga; regardless I was not expecting it to be this engaging

There are definitely a few 🚩s along the way, but those can easily be attributed to the time when the books were written

The way Paul walks between destiny/fate and desire to break the chains is very well defined.

Salagubang reviewed Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert (Dune Chronicles, #2)

Review of 'Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles, #2)' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

Definitely a good follow-up to Dune. I appreciate that Usul remained a Fremen and hope to see him in Children of Dune.

grahams reviewed Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert (Dune Chronicles, #2)

Review of 'Dune Messiah' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This was perfectly fine. It wasn't bad, but it felt kind of light compared to the first book... Also maybe Herbert got a little too far up his own ass? I dunno. It was still a good audiobook for our return trip. We're planning on doing Book #3 on our Christmas travels (since that is the next time we expect to be on long road trips)..

Martijn Reintjes reviewed Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert (Dune Chronicles, #2)

Review of 'Dune Messiah' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

I really loved the first Dune book, so why not read another? :)
In the Intro of Dune Messiah the son of the writer already warns that this book is not like the first. It's more a bridge to get to the third book.
I happily crossed that bridge although it was a bit long and not every part of the bridge was as interesting it was still a fun crossing.

“I told him that to endure oneself may be the hardest task in the universe.”