Gripping. Absolutely gripping. Much better than the first book!

In this novel, our hero Paul is supreme emporer of the universe, but that comes at a price. Assassination plots abound, and the genetic aspirations of the Bene Geserit are ever present. There are so many different plots running concurrently in this book it's difficult to keep track of at first. It takes a while to get into, and to get used to Herbert's unique writing style. He writes short, sharp scenes with catapult you around the world and the story, and he's getting better at it. I found the first book to be verbose and redundant at times, and overly concerned with mundane things. This book is sharp and to the point. You get the impression that you read nothing that you don't need to know.

The ending is satisfying. He manages to tie up loose ends and foreshadow future works at the same time. Reading it now, I know there's another book in the saga, and I'll definitely be picking it up! But I'm sure, had I read it when it was written, and NOT known, I would've enjoyed it just the same.

The thing is, I enjoyed the book because I'd read the first one, and although I didn't rate that as highly, I'm not sure I would've gotten everything that I needed to get out of this one had I not done so. It's still a good read, but you should really drag your way through the first instalment if you're going to fully appreciate all its nuances.