Dune Messiah

If you know you know!!! Frank Herbert is a genius with the way he can set up the world around the plot and then deliver whenever things start to get good! Honestly this was a page Turner from beginning to ending and the last couple of chapters will have you absolutely gripped and waiting to see what happens next!! This book makes you want to read the third volume even more than the first book!

I loved the first Dune. Now that I've seen the story continue, I don't think I needed it. It's similar to reading the sequels to Ender's Game. Some of them are profound, but they're putting characters I used to love through an unnecessary wringer.

Frank Herbert is something else. While reading this book my mind is drawn and quartered a thousand times. It is pushed and pulled this way and that. I am like a child grasping for meaning, knowing it is there but just out of reach. On the edge of understanding, I sit, in awe of what might be on the other side. Comprehension, just out of reach and yet in the back of my mind, it has been there the whole time. The words are new but they make sense, like some dream that tries to incorporate elements that seem, at first, to be disconnected, only to discover later, maybe after a day or two of contemplation, that the meaning was there amidst the confusion. Then, he brings you back. Frank Herbert, the man that sent you down the rabbit hole is there holding your hand and makes everything clear. Dune Messiah is the second in the Dune series and it is a wonderful rollercoaster. One minute I'm trying to follow the story and figure out what is happening, what might happen, and then the next minute I'm lost in the jargon and intrigue of a world I barely know. The internal ruminations of the characters, the dialogue, and the world that Frank Herbert created is so thoroughly it's own that it is like turning on a documentary from an alien world at an alien time. As much as it is unfamiliar it is just familiar enough to cause a fury of excitement and suspense. The intrigue is palpable and enticing. It keeps you going and gives you hope. In this, the second story about the desert planet known as Dune, we take up the story of Paul Atreides, AKA Muad 'Dib AKA Usul, AKA the ruler of the known universe. The book starts about twelve years after the end of the first Dune book. We find that with the help of violence, religious ideology, his prescient sister Alia, his Fremen soldiers, and his monopoly over the invaluable resource known as melange, Paul has brought his form of justice and leadership to all. He is known by some as a god and by others as a devil. He is not unaware of this duality and is plagued by his own doubt about the legacy that he is creating. Paul tackles internal and external threats to his dynasty but with his powers of foresight, he seems to be one step ahead of his enemies. While he attempts to root out the spies in his midst he is also dealing with the matter of his succession plan. Chani, his concubine and true love, is pregnant and there are many who want to take advantage of her vulnerability and Paul's potential weakness toward her. He knows who to trust but he doesn't always know if he can trust himself and by the end, the true plot is revealed. Will Paul fall to the wiles of his enemies or will he continue his violent conquest? Read to find out!

This first sequel to Dune is only about 330 pages long, but it's still a dense and complex read. Dune Messiah picks up the story of Paul Maud'Dib 12 years after Dune, now the Emperor of the Known Universe- and as powerless as he ever. While a challenging read, Dune Messiah lacks the narrative drive of its predecessor, since there is no longer compelling villains like the Harkonnens to help propel the story forward and keep things moving. Plot threads and characters from the original that were implied to be of great importance in the future only warrant a brief mention or are totally ignored; likewise, Dune Messiah continues Herbert's tendency from the original to not depict major events or plot twists, but leave them only to discussion after the fact The original Dune, for all its thematic complexity, was still a fairly straightforward "hero leads a rebellion against evil villains" tale; in the sequel, there is a conspiracy in place against Paul Maud'Dib, but the novel spends more time on philosophical discussion than it does on investigating and unmasking this conspiracy. There is, however, a lengthy section of the novel about 2/3 of the way through, which sees the main character going out in disguise among the people, deliberately walking into a trap, and fully aware of how events will proceed due to his unique prescient abilities - this section alone is some of the finest crafted storytelling I've ever read, and it alone resuscitated the novel. (Or awakened the Sleeper, if you're a hardcore Dune fan.) Dune Messiah is a quick read, despite the denseness of the work. It's still worth reading, but at times it feels more like an epilogue to a more compelling story that preceded it. (Think less Empire Strikes Back and more Scouring of the Shire from Lord of the Rings.)

Iconic book series, finished the first book and moved on to Messiah. The print quality is good, the paper is good, however, the book itself is a little smaller in size than the other copy I have of Dune. Not a big deal, just looks a little weird when they’re sitting on the shelf together.

Reviewing a "Dune" novel is, in many ways, pointless. Thousands of gallons of print ink has already been spent analyzing, raving, griping over, ranting, and worshipping Frank Herbert's sci-fi opus that more reviews are not required. But I'm a first-time reader who has a fresh perspective, so consider the source. There are plenty of more informed takes elsewhere. But I liked "Dune Messiah," even as it frustrated me a bit. "Dune Messiah" takes place twelve years after the resolution of Herbert's epic "Dune." Paul is now the emperor of the universe, and the Fremen soldiers have killed literally billions in their interplanetary jihad. As has been said, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. Many Fremen have abandoned their Spartan desert existence and enjoy the trappings of wealth and power, while other Fremen are frustrated that Paul has led them astray from their holy ways. Many defeated factions also plot revenge against Paul, and in the most diabolical of ways. Paul, blessed and cursed with prescience, has been horrified by his murderous jihad, but he has also been powerless to stop it. Paul's life is now an effort to seek the best worst option. That includes starting a family with his concubine, Chani, because he knows that her inevitable fate will be triggered by her pregnancy. But Paul knows that he can't prevent this fate from occurring, so he tries to delay it as long as he can. The problem with prescience is that you can't simply tell everyone what the future is and take steps to prevent the inevitable. Many have complained that in "Dune Messiah," Frank Herbert made Paul more of a villain (and Paul very much aware of his villainy) than he had appeared as the triumphant champion at the end of "Dune." But I understand that this was Herbert's goal all along - he wanted us to be afraid of charismatic leaders because they can lead the fanatically loyal astray. Herbert's problem is that he hid his intentions too well in "Dune" so the shift in "Dune Messiah" is a bit jarring. This isn't to say that Paul has suddenly become a Snidely Whiplash character - but his reign has led to the murder of literally billions and the installation of a severe theocracy that has also corrupted many of his beloved Fremen. I like this storyline and it makes Paul far more interesting. What bothers me about "Dune Messiah" is that, even more so that in "Dune," this is a book for talking and thinking. So much of the action occurs offstage. Herbert does a magnificent job of getting inside his characters' heads and they think interesting thoughts, so it's not a bad thing, but this is a sci-fi epic, after all. I wouldn't mind a little more action. Herbert does not subscribe to the notion of "show, not tell." Plenty of things happen in this book, but you're told about most of them after the fact. So my quibble is minor compared to the rage that so many others have brought to reviews of "Dune Messiah." I don't worship at the altar of Dune, unlike others, but this is a very interesting, entertaining read.

This company is great. Will be buying from them again. Very fair prices, quick shipping, and great quality. Book was new as described

Great follow up to the masterpiece Dune.

Inte samma kvalité som första boken men sen var förväntningarna skyhöga. Men väl läsvärd.

Product arrived in great shape!

I have one regret. That unfortunately the children of dune book isn't in a similar format available. as a result I might make this a present to one of my nieces and buy the 3book deluxe boxed set.

I thought as good as the first. Got really good towards the end and couldn't stop reading.

Muito bom!